Telefilm Canada has selected 26 Canadian film festivals for the latest round of its General Admission Festivals Program, totalling $245,000 in support.

The first intake window of the program is open to small and emerging film festivals taking place between Oct. 1 to March 31, 2025. A total of 48 festivals applied for this round of funding.

Among the recipients are the Blood in the Snow festival, the Charlottetown Film Festival, the Ottawa Black Film Festival, Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival and the Toronto Queer Film Festival.

The second intake window is open to festivals running from April 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2025

Canadian director receives Werner Herzog award

Montreal-born filmmaker Harley Chamandy has received the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Award for his film Allen Sunshine.

The award, which is given annually by the Werner Herzog Foundation in cooperation with Film Archive Munich, is bestowed to a filmmaker, actor or scripted or unscripted film. Chamandy was chosen for his demonstration of “innovation, courage and initiative.” Chamandy took part in a young filmmakers workshop with Herzog in Cuba at 17, according to the award announcement.

Allen Sunshine (Chasseurs Films, Mother and Son Films) had its world premiere at the Munich International Film Festival earlier this summer. The film follows a former music mogul who goes to a secluded lake house to process his grief over his late wife and strikes up some unexpected friendships.

Norman Jewison honoured with stamp

Norman Jewison, the Canadian filmmaking legend and founder of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), has been honoured with a commemorative stamp.

Canada Post revealed the stamp yesterday (July 24) at an unveiling ceremony at the CFC. On hand for the reveal was Canadian star Rick Mercer, who MC’d the event, as well as director David Cronenberg.

Jewison, who died on Jan. 20, is pictured on the stamp, fittingly seated in the CFC movie theatre. According to Canada Post, Jewison chose the image for the stamp himself and was closely involved in its creation. Jewison joins other Canadian film icons recognized with a stamp, including the late Donald Sutherland and Christopher Plummer, as well as Mike Myers.

Canadian scripted films receive New Dawn Fund support

Two Canadian scripted films have been selected for the New Dawn Fund, which supports diverse features from the global film community.

The supported Canadian projects are Rodrigo Barriuso’s Neverman and Javier Badillo’s Lupe Q & the Galactic Earworms, which each receive €$75,000 (about C$112,500).

Neverman is directed by Barriuso, who co-wrote the script with Kyah Green, and is produced by Hawkeye Pictures. The film follows an aging transgender activist who ends up in a hostile nursing home following an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Lupe Q & the Galactic Earworms (Spacepunks Productions) is co-written by Nat Marshik and director Badillo and follows a Latinx high school misfit who discovers her punk band’s terrible music is the secret to saving the world from an alien invasion.

Canadian doc projects up for Jackson Wild Media Awards

Documentary projects from Everyday Films and Cream Productions are among the nominees for the 2024 Jackson Wild Media Awards.

The annual awards celebrate excellence in nature, science and conversation media projects. Everyday Films’ documentary feature Resident Orca, directed by Sarah Sharkey Pearce and Simon Schneider, is nominated in the People & Nature category. Cream Productions’ docuseries An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet, coproduced with the U.K.’s Wildfire Television, is up for the Innovation in Green Production award.

The 2024 Jackson Wild Media Awards will be announced in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 5.

With files from Kim Izzo

Image: Unsplash