The CBC has several potential dates to convert its flagship in-studio news broadcast The National to HD. Fred Mattocks, the Ceeb’s executive director of production and resources, won’t reveal exactly when we’ll see Peter Mansbridge in high definition, but does say that ‘in all probability it’ll be some time this year.’

In a year that finds no less than three veterans vying for the best actress Oscar – Streep, Mirren and Dench – it’s only fitting that after nearly 100 television and film credits, as well as four Gemini Awards, our very own grand dame Wendy Crewson will be honored with the ACTRA Toronto award of excellence at an industry fete two nights earlier on Feb. 23.

The year-end box-office numbers are in from Telefilm Canada, which means that media pundits and touts from St John’s to Victoria will weigh in with theories and prognostication about the current and future state of moviegoing. But do they really know what they’re talking about?

Sharkwater, Toronto-based Rob Stewart’s debut feature doc about sharks, was a surprising but deserved addition to TIFF’s list of the Top 10 Canadian films of 2006, and should have significant play in limited theaters through positive word of mouth and mainstream press fascination. Strong drama and stunning HD underwater photography will also make it attractive to international buyers in multiple windows.

The timing could hardly be better. While Shaw Communications says it will no longer contribute its annual $56 million or so to the Canadian Television Fund – and Quebecor has similarly exited the CTF and says it will only put money into a new fund on its own terms, there’s a silver halide lining on the horizon amidst all the doom and gloom surrounding Canadian production financing.

It took nearly 60 years, but we finally have a ‘foreign’-language Oscar nominee from English Canada. Quebec filmmaker Denys Arcand led the charge 20 years ago for French Canada, and has a couple of Oscar noms (The Decline of the American Empire, Jesus of Montreal) and a win for The Barbarian Invasions. That Toronto-based Deepa Mehta’s Water is in Hindi and shot in India makes little difference – and all the difference.

Despite being set in India within a decade of the same tumultuous period described in Deepa Mehta’s tragic love story Water, Vic Sarin’s Partition has none of that film’s grace, restraint or unity of vision. Look for a brief run that attracts a largely Indo-Canadian crowd, followed by a hasty exit from theaters. The film opens Feb. 2 through Seville Pictures.

A funny thing happened to Patrick Huard four years ago on his way to the podium as a Genie presenter. During his comedy monologue he looked out at his English and French audience – and had a flash for a movie. The result of that divine inspiration is Bon Cop, Bad Cop, which has 10 nominations, including best picture, and is a lock for this year’s Golden Reel Award.

Box-office successes from French Canada are, for the third straight year, topmost among the nominations for the Genie Awards, which revealed the contenders for the 27th gala at CHUM Television headquarters in Toronto on Jan. 8.

While no one who has watched a movie via Blu-Ray or HD-DVD will dispute their superiority over standard DVD, history reminds us that the Edsel was better than the Ford. And Betamax was a step beyond VHS.

Selling hockey on DVD in Canada should be as much of a sure thing as betting against the Leafs winning a Stanley Cup in our lifetimes, but the relative success of three hockey titles released last month had more to do with content and marketing strategies than love of the game.

Despite borrowing its name from the original series created in the ’70s, the reimagined version of Battlestar Galactica shot in B.C. definitely taps into a 21st century zeitgeist, with its handheld HD cinematography and politically charged storylines.