+ Quebec actor Pierre Lebeau will receive a special tribute at the 33rd Montreal World Film Festival (Aug. 27 to Sept. 7). The actor, who sprang to fame after appearing in the four Les Boys movies, will be given the festival’s highest honor, the Grand Prize of the Americas.

+ Chris Landreth’s newest animated short, The Spine, has won the best of the festival award at the 2009 Melbourne International Animation Festival. Produced in association with Copperheart Animation and CORE Digital Pictures, The Spine shares the same tone and visual style as Landreth’s Oscar-winning Ryan.

+ Amreeka made an impressive debut in France, opening June 19 on 90 screens through French distributor Memento Films. After 12 days the Canadian copro had gained 12th spot in the national box office with an impressive 80,000 admissions. The film is directed by Cherien Dabis and produced by Toronto-born Christina Piovesan.

+ Telefilm Canada has put $35,000 into the Fantasia festival, backing the Montreal sci-fi, horror and fantasy fest for the second time ahead of its 13th edition. The money comes from Telefilm’s Skills and Screens program. Fantasia runs until July 29.

+ E1 has sold The Bridge to Latin America and Europe, closing another handful of deals for its upcoming police drama. The Toronto company says the 13 x 60 series has been picked up by Marathon/Double V for television in France, Germany’s Tele-Munchen Gruppe and by the Sony-owned AXN channels in Latin America, Italy and Africa.