Killed Bill, Vol. 2

Anti-piracy legislation that died on the table last year has been reintroduced to Parliament. Bill C-2, formerly Bill C-52, which seeks tougher penalties against satellite pirates, had its first reading in Ottawa last month, bringing cheers from ‘casters and the Coalition Against Satellite Signal Theft. The bill also seeks to put import controls on satellite decoding equipment. C-52 failed to pass before the last session of Parliament ended.

Front and center

Eight Canadian films are traveling stateside to be included in a showcase entitled Canadian Front: New Films 2004. They were selected by Laurence Kardish, senior curator of the department of film and media at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Saddest Music in the World (Guy Maddin), 8:17 p.m. Darling Street (Bernard Emond), Dying at Grace (Allan King), The Far Side of the Moon (Robert Lepage), Flower & Garnet (Keith Behrman), Gaz Bar Blues (Louis Belanger), Proteus (John Greyson) and A Silent Love (Frederico Hidalgo) will screen March 4-8. Organizers Telefilm Canada and the MOMA plan to make Canadian Front an annual event.

Get reel

The National Film Board has $1 million to spend on five new doc-makers and is taking applications for its Reel Diversity competition until March 31. If you’re a visible-minority filmmaker with a 40-minute doc on your mind, go to www.nfb.ca/ reeldiversity. Each winner gets a $200,000 budget and a fellowship at the Banff Television Festival.

Call of the toon

Hey world, the Ottawa International Animation Festival wants your shorts, ads, features and new media what-not for its four-day fete in September, and is accepting submissions until July 2. See www.animationfestival.ca or call (613) 232-8769 for the details and paperwork.