Telefilm Canada has announced its selections for the first of two rounds in the Screenwriting Assistance Program, which will give advances to 33 screenwriters for their outlines and treatments.

Cineplex Galaxy’s second-quarter report delivered bad news upon worse: amidst a nosedive in profits, the exhibitor’s acqisition of Famous Players left 35% of its administrative staff out of a job.

Jerry Ciccoritti had two reasons to celebrate after the Directors Guild of Canada announced its award nominations on Aug. 4. He is nominated for both his feature Blood and for directing the CTV miniseries Lives of the Saints.

Canadians may be going to the movies less, but according to Statistics Canada, they’re still getting the picture.

Don McLean, the epicenter of Toronto’s commercial production industry and head of The Partners’ Film Company for more than two decades, died on July 12 amid complications from heart bypass surgery. He was 72.

Richard Leiterman, one of Canada’s most definitive and respected cinematographers, died on July 14 of complications from the rare disease amyloidosis. He was 70.

It is not hard to find friends after handing out more than $1.6 million, and after the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund released its annual round of grants, Leigh Badgley was quick to sing its praises.

Statistics Canada has confirmed what those in the industry have known for some time – that 2003/04 marked the first drop in movie attendance in a decade, down 4.6% from ’02/03. Profits dove too, down almost 16%.