Below is the Playback news roundup for this, the last Friday of February.

In Studio

A roster of well-known Canadian filmakers, producers, actors and writers are set to take part in the live taping of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s In Studio program on Mar. 2.

The program, which will be hosted by Seamus O’Regan and will be recorded in front of a live audience, is part of Canadian Screen Week activities. Confirmed to make an appearance are Deepa Metha, Gerry Dee (pictured), Ken Finkleman, Marc-Andre Grondin, Mark McKinney, Rick Mercer and Xavier Dolan.

Miami International Film Festival

Telefilm Canada has announced that six Canuck films will be exhibited as part of the Mar. 1 to 10  Miami International Film Festival, including the world premiere of The Boy Who Smells Like Fish. Produced by Rhombus Media the film directed by Analeine Cal Y Mayor is a majority Canadian coproduction with Mexico.

Other Canadian movies being spotlighted are Daniel Grou’s L’Affaire Dumont, Rafaël Ouellet’s Camion, Xavier Dolan’s Laurence Anyways (pictured), Michael McGowan’s Still Mine and Franck Dion’s short film Edmond était un âne.

Canadian Film Fest

The Quebec-made period horror picture by Martin Doepner Rouge Sang (The Storm Within) has been selected as the opening night film of the seventh annual Canadian Film Fest. A total of six features and 18 shorts will be screen as part of the Toronto festival that runs Mar. 20 to 23, including director Geordie Sabbagh’s short Counselling. Sabbagh recently won the Berlin International Film Festival’s talent pitch.

Canadian Music Week Film Fest

The lineup of the sixth annual Canadian Music Week Film Fest has been announced. The Toronto event that runs Mar. 21 to 23 is to include among its nine screenings three Canadian films: Arthur Fogel’s Who the !@#$ is Arthur Fogel?, Colin Brunton and Kire Paputts codirected The Last Pogo Jumps Again, and Kyle Armstrong’s Magnetic Reconnection.

Ice, Sweat and Tears

Ice, Sweat and Tears, a one-off documentary by Markham Street Films written and directed by Michael McNamara, is to premiere on the CBC’s Doc Zone Mar. 7. The film that takes an up-close look at the world of top-tier figuring skating was made in association with the CBC with the participation of the Rogers Documentary Fund, Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Canadian Media Fund.

War Witch screening in St. John’s

The organizers of the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival have announced that War Witch is to be screened Mar. 1 as part of its Scene & Heard lineup. It is the latest in innumerable festival screenings secured by the film.