Five National Film Board of Canada (NFB) feature films have been selected to screen at this year’s Calgary International Film Festival.

Two projects will have their world premiere at the festival, including Michelle Shephard’s documentary The Perfect Story (pictured), which she coproduced alongside Bryn Hughes of Frequent Flyer Films and Lea Marin of the NFB, and Eric Janvier’s short Heartbeat of a Nation, produced by Coty Savard of NFB’s North West studio in Edmonton.

The other films set for Calgary premieres including Tanya Tagaq and Chelsea McMullan’s musical Ever Deadly, produced by Lea Marin, Anita Lee and Kate Vollum of NFB’s Ontario studio in Toronto; Lori Lozinski’s short doc A Motorcycle Saved My Life, produced by Teri Snelgrove of NFB’s Pacific and Yukon studio in Vancouver; and Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis’ short film The Flying Sailor, which is produced by David Christensen of NFB’s North West studio in Edmonton.

The festival will run in a hybrid fashion from Sept. 22 to Oct. 2, with online screenings that are “geo-restricted to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba,” according to a news release.

City of Toronto to install infrastructure to help reduce emission during production

The City of Toronto will install power drops at two filming locations to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of the city’s TransformTO Net Zero Climate Action strategy, the pilot project uses power drops, which are fixed electrical stations that help eliminate diesel generators used during productions. The city has already installed one at the Ashbridges Bay parking lot, while the other is still being built at the Sir Casimir Gzowski Park.

The power drops were installed as a result of the city receiving “feedback from production companies and streamers during a recent mission to Los Angeles to have more eco-friendly production infrastructure in the city,” according to a news release.

Golden Delicious to open the 22nd Reelworld Film Festival

The Reelworld Film Festival has selected Jason Karman’s debut feature film Golden Delicious as its opening film for its 22nd edition.

Directed by Karman and produced by Kristyn Stilling, Golden Delicious will have its Ontario premiere during the festival’s opening night on Oct. 12 at the Royal Theatre in Toronto. The 22nd edition takes place from Oct. 12 to 18.

The coming-of-age story, written by Gorrman Lee, follows an Asian-Canadian teen as he explores his sexuality while fulfilling his dad’s expectations. It stars Cardi Wong (SkyMed), Chris Carson (Woke), Parmiss Sehat (Dating the Delaneys), Ryan Mah (Fakes), Leah Wong (Superman & Lois), Claudia Kai (Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez), Jesse Hyde (Amir), Hunter Dillon (Holly Hobbie), Zavien Garrett (The Good Doctor), Jeff Joseph (Big Sky), and Kameron Louangxay (The Good Doctor).

YouTube Canada and HXOUSE launches creativity mentorship program

YouTube Canada and HXOUSE have launched a creativity program called CNCPT for aspiring and emerging digital creators, following a multi-year partnership deal.

CNCPT, which will be available in-person and online, offers creators free programming, mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities to help grow their channels and garner new opportunities. YouTube’s “creative ecosystem contributed $1.1 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2021, and supported more than 34,600 jobs,” according to research from Oxford Economics.

The hands-on and collaborative program will provide access to its three core programming pillars: the year-round creator connect series, which focuses on networking; two annual creator accelerator programs; and the In-HXOUSE conversations, which will have other creators share their stories on how they became successful in the industry.

Image courtesy of NFB