Ann Kennard’s National Film Board documentary The Powder Room was ‘the surprise of the program,’ according to Tom Litvinskas, spokesperson for Festival Cinemas. Calling the attendance ‘amazing,’ Litvinskas says the doc ­ a candid exploration of what the women talk about when the men aren’t around ­ brought in $7,400 for three screenings at The Bloor and $2,100 for two shows at The Revue. There are plans to bring the film back later this spring.

By comparison, Peter Lynch’s nfb doc Project Grizzly, which registered much good ink in the national press, grossed $8,500 from seven showings at The Bloor and $3,200 from six at The Revue. Litvinskas says attendance got steadily stronger throughout the week. The film is also returning to both cinemas, with additional screenings added to other Festival Cinema venues in Toronto throughout March.

In Vancouver, at Pacific Cinematheque, Project Grizzly had a four-day run with two showings per night, bringing 1,397 patrons to the box office. The film opens in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Kingston throughout February.

Both Project Grizzly and The Power Room were produced by Michael Allder for the NFB Ontario Centre.

Other Canadian releases scheduled in the upcoming months include Lynne Stopkewich’s Kissed on April 11 from Malofilm, and Kari Skogland’s The Size of Watermelons on March 3 from Norstar. Cineplex Odeon will soon release Canadian dates for Thom Fitzgerald’s The Hanging Garden and Gary Burns’ Kitchen Party.