Canadian animated documentary Eternal Spring has been shortlisted for the 51st British Documentary Awards, also known as the Griersons.

Directed by Jason Loftus, Eternal Spring (Lofty Sky Entertainment) is shortlisted in the Best Cinema Documentary category. Loftus is also a producer on the film, alongside Yvan Pinard and Kevin Koo. Masha Loftus is the executive producer. The film centres on members of the banned spiritual group, Falun Gong, who hacked a state TV signal in Changchun, China, in 2002.

Eternal Spring was Canada’s entry for Best International Feature Film for the 95th Academy Awards. It won the $25,000 Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary at Hot Docs, as well as the Hot Docs Audience Award in 2022.

The U.S. documentary Fire of Love, which is coproduced by Montreal’s Ina Fichman, was also shortlisted in the Best Cinema Documentary category, as well as Apple TV+ doc Sidney, which is produced in association with Vancouver’s Network Entertainment. The Grierson Trust announced the shortlist on Thursday (July 20).

Just for Laughs receives $1.5M in funding

Montreal’s Just for Laughs comedy festival has received $1.5 million in funding from the Government of Canada for its 41st edition, which began last Friday (July 14).

The support was announced Monday (July 17) by Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez, along with Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec (CED).

Canadian Heritage provided $800,000 through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund and will support bilingual programming, including performances by international artists. CED made a non-repayable financial contribution of $650,000 through the Quebec Economic Development Program. The amount will support marketing and promotion for Just For Laughs in international markets.

The 41st Just For Laughs festival runs until July 29.

Jessica Hinkson’s Sara to world premiere at HollyShorts

Canadian filmmaker Jessica Hinkson’s short drama Sara will make its world premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles on Aug. 12.

Sara is written and directed by Hinkson and produced by Toronto-based C’mon Mort Productions’ Ashleigh Rains with Naiyelli Romero Agüero. Theo Dumont, Daniel Sol, Daniel Sheldon are executive producers.

The short won Hinkson the Women In Film Screenplay Award for her script at HollyShorts Film Festival in 2021.

Sara is currently being developed into Hinkson’s debut feature as writer and director, with a new title, Concrete Marshmallow. The feature film was selected as part of Stowe Story Labs in 2022.

Photo courtesy Lofty Sky Entertainment