TVA Films reports Roman Polanski’s Palme d’Or winning film The Pianist pulled in $194,069 on 66 screens over the March 7-9 weekend, bringing its total take in Canada, where it had a limited opening Dec. 25, to $2.86 million. Released in the U.S. by Focus Features, The Pianist had a total North American gross of $16.8 million as of March 9. The film is up for seven Oscar nominations incuding best picture, best director for Polanski and best actor for Adrien Brody.

In English Canada, David Cronenberg’s Spider brought in $204,093 it’s first week on 22 screens, according to Odeon Films.

Odeon also reports that Gambling, Gods and LSD has earned $28,027, The Bay of Love and Sorrows grossed $19,401, and Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity pulled in $13,445. All three were released in early February.

Mongrel Media’s Past Perfect (seats 3a & 3c) has grossed $6,012 since opening February 21 in Toronto, and February 28 in Vancouver.

In the Quebec market, Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm opened David Cronenberg’s Spider on 11 screens Feb. 28. Spider received almost exclusively excellent press coverage and had a cumulative box office of $128,700 as of the March 7-9 weekend.

Vivafilm also reports Sebastien Rose’s feature debut Comment ma mere acchoucha de moi durant sa menopause, produced by Max Films, has total receipts of $369,630 as of the March 7-9 weekend. It opened Feb. 7 on 41 screens.

Following last month’s Prix Jutra for best Quebec film of 2002, Vivafilm re-released Ricardo Trogi’s Quebec-Montreal (Go Films) on 10 screens. The film has since pulled in an extra $75,000 and had a total take of more than $982,592 as of March 7-9.

Vivafilm also reports Charles Biname’s historical epic Seraphin: Un Homme et son peche had cumulative receipts of just over $7.8 million as of March 9. Seraphin has surpassed the all-time box office record for a Quebec film of $6.1 million set by Les Boys back in 1998.

Vivafilm’s next major Canadian release (May 9) is Denys Arcand’s Les Invasions barbares (Cinemaginaire).

Christal Films Distribution will release Bernard Emond’s second feature 20h17, rue Darling (ACPAV) in early April. It stars Genie and Jutra award-winning actor Luc Picard and Guylaine Tremblay.

With files from Karli Vezina