#EDITORSNOTE: MR. WILL AT AN EVENING WITH CANADA’S STARS!

Willionaire$!  I’m thrilled to announce that for a second time, I have the great honour of being invited to Beverly Hills, California to attend AN EVENING WITH CANADA’S STARS!  The Gala pays tribute to Canadian accomplishments in Awards Season and Honorees, Winners and Nominees will be in attendance. It is now in its third year, brought to us by Telefilm Canada, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles.

We can all agree that Canada’s had a phenomenal year.  Did you know that Academy Award Best Picture Nominees ROOM and BROOKLYN are Co-Canadian productions?  Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada points out that this is the first time Canada ever has had two productions in-the-running for Best Picture. ROOM was filmed entirely in our City, also premiering in our City at TIFF ’15 to People’s Choice Award success at the Festival, propelling Writer Emma Donoughue, Director Lenny Abrahamson, Actor Jacob Tremblay and Actress Brie Larson onto a massively-successful Awards Season trail. Let us not forget Toronto’s The Weeknd who is up for Best Original Song for Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey) and also our Rachel McAdams’ Supporting Actress nomination for Toronto-filmed SPOTLIGHT – seen widely as a frontrunner for Best Picture.  Canada plays a more pivotal role in Hollywood and the international stage than one might think.

James Villeneuve, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles says, “Canada’s talent—on screen and behind the scenes—is a sign of the strength of the entire range of Canadian creative industries. It’s a great moment to celebrate our filmmakers’ achievements and keep building on the momentum of our successful partnerships in the US and elsewhere.”

Taking place at the prestigious Four Seasons on Thursday, February 25, 2016 4-7 PM PST, the affair promises to be a star-studded one.  Expected this year are the likes of: Amanda Crew, Tricia Helfer, Greyston Holt, Jonathan Keltz, Brett Dier, Amanda Plummer, Sarah Rafferty, Maxim Roy, Jacob Tremblay, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Anna Silk, David Sutcliffe and Laura Vandervoort. Lyriq Bent, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Adam Beach, who will soon be seen in Suicide Squad, will be presenting.

Both Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara will be honoured that night with an Academy Legacy Award.

Past attendees include Eric McCormack, Don McKellar, Sandra Oh, Suzanne Somers, Kathleen Robertson, Wendy Crewson, Lyndie Greenwood, Norm Jewison, Jason Priestley and Academy Award winner Craig Mann (whom I was classmates with in Music Keyboarding back at St. Mary!).

While this is our second time ever visiting Hollywood, we are thrilled to appear on SIRIUS XM as radio veteran Todd Shapiro brings THE TODD SHAPIRO SHOW show to Los Angeles through March, discussing Awards Season. Stay tuned for times as we’d love it if you tuned-in!

An Evening with Canada’s Stars takes place in advance of Canadian Screen Week festivities, running Monday, March 7, culminating in the Canadian Screen Awards Sunday, March 13, 2016.  We’ll definitely be there! More here.

Stay tuned for all the Red Carpet excitement!

Mr. Will

#FIRSTLOOK: TELEFILM CANADA ANNOUNCES “MICRO-BUDGET PRODUCTION PROGRAM” FINALISTS INCLUDING AMY JO JOHNSON FOR “THE SPACE BETWEEN”

The Micro-Budget Production Program from Telefilm Canada serves to assist promising emerging Filmmakers an opportunity at funding their first Feature Films, not to exceed a budget of $250k.  Now in its third year, 15 Finalists across Canada were selected based on recommendations from 40 educational institutions and film cooperatives. Thus far, 37 full-length Films – many which have won awards on the Festival circuits nationally – have been funded through the Program which it was announced, is to be funded by the Talent Fund.  The Fund over the years collected over $15 million from companies, individuals and  foundations. Technicolor also generously is offering free digital distribution encoding services to cater to an ever-changing demand for viewing films digitally and online.

This morning, Finalists were unveiled at TIFF Bell Lightbox Bell Blue Room and headlining the names was a familiar face in Amy Jo Johnson for her Film, The Space Between. Johnson, known to many for her role as Pink Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, will direct and write.

New faces like upcoming Director Aidan Shipley, were present too as he works on his debut Feature, Cardinal.  While he might be busy starring in Toronto-filmed Blockbuster Suicide Squad, Adam Beach through his Institute, is responsible for partnering with Filmmaker Benjamin Ross Hayden in The Edict, which will be a part of the Micro-Budget Production Program‘s Aboriginal Component. A new Official-Language Minority Communities Component also has been added this year.

 

For more, visit http://www.telefilm.ca.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#CANFILMDAY: REEL CANADA PRESENTS THE FIRST-EVER “NATIONAL CANADIAN FILM DAY”!

For the love of Canada! Tuesday, April 29, 2014 marks the first-ever National Canadian Film Day, presented by Reel Canada! The Day puts together the largest Line-Up ever of Canadian Films on one Single Day.

Communities participating in this historic Event include:

Vancouver, BC
Victoria, BC
Whistler, BC
Lethbridge, AB
Jasper, AB
Calgary, AB
Indian Head, SK
Regina, SK
Saskatoon, SK
Yorkton, SK
Flin Flon, MB
Glenlawn, MB
Winnipeg, MB
Ottawa, ON
Toronto, ON
St Catherine’s, ON
Peterborough, ON
Sault Ste Marie, ON
Thunder Bay, ON
Waterloo, ON
Montreal, PQ
Fredericton, NB
Saint John, NB
Charlottetown, PEI
St. John’s, NFLD
Halifax, NS
Yellowknife, NWT
Iqaluit, NU
Dawson City, YT
Whitehorse, YT

Films screening this year include the likes of Good Cop, Bad Cop, Passchendaele, The Sweet Hereafter, Meatballs and Decline of the American.

For a complete Lineup and Tickets, click here!

(Photo credit: Telefilm Canada)

#TIFF13: ENTER TO WIN ACCESS TO THE BIRKS DIAMOND TRIBUTE TO THE YEAR’S WOMEN IN FILM

Mr. Will Wong, Telefilm Canada and Touchwood PR want to give Readers a taste of the Red Carpet Experience at one of the most important Events to fall during TIFF ’13, the Birks Diamond Tribute to the Year’s Women in Film. The ultra-exclusive Event honours Ten Women in Canadian Film including Actors and Directors. Among those being honoured are the likes of Sarah Polley, Sarah Gadon, Deepa Mehta, Jessica Paré, Allison Pill, Geneviève Bujold and more!

When: September 11, 2013 at 4:00 PM
Where: Toronto Birks Store (55 Bloor Street W. – Manulife Centre)
There  will be a FanZone set-up for Fans to get up close and person with the Stars!  There will be several in attendance in addition to this year’s Honourees.

To enter to win Tickets, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook. Share this Post on Facebook and double your chances or Re-Tweet the below:

http://www.mrwillwong.com/birks @MRWILLW wants us to #win access to the @MAISONBIRKS Diamond Tribute to the Year’s Women in Film on 9/11/13!

Good luck.

(Photo credit: Maison Birks)