The life and legacy of Pierre Elliott Trudeau is a key theme at this year’s AFF, with a pair of PET-themed films on the menu: Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making and Trudeau’s Other Children.

As the Atlantic Film Festival reflects on the past to note its achievements and staying power during its silver anniversary edition, its international coproduction conference sidekick, Strategic Partners, returns to its roots as well, welcoming delegates from Germany to the conference, as it did during its first event eight years ago.

When the Atlantic Film Festival started up in 1981, it was a simple affair held in St. John’s, NF. By design, it was a place where regional filmmakers could show their work. As it would in the years to follow, it screened everything and anything Atlantic-Canadian, from television commercials to features.

The new Inspired Series program at AFF 2005 is offering up a wide range of programming its organizer says should not only help attendants sharpen their filmmaking ability, but ‘inspire’ them while doing it.

With talks broken off and negotiators leaving town, early signs are that the lockout at CBC will not be a short one – likely, say sources, to be measured in weeks if not months.
Sniping has already begun, ranging from accusations of inflexibility to allegations that the public broadcaster actually stands to profit over the short-term by locking out employees.

The focus of the film world will again turn to Hogtown when Deepa Mehta’s period drama Water opens the 30th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 8-17).
TIFF 2005’s movie lineup, consisting of 256 features and 79 shorts from 52 countries, is highlighted by entries from several of Canada’s heavy-hitting filmmakers.

With reality television and its kin still prevalent on airwaves, the Canadian Television Fund has clarified what types of programming qualify for funding as documentaries.

John Galway has been named president of Astral Media’s The Harold Greenberg Fund, the Canadian film industry’s largest private funding agency. He takes over on Sept. 6, leaving behind a much more complex job at Telefilm Canada, where he was head of the English-language television sector.

CHUM Television is looking to get a little more out of its newsrooms following the rebranding of its Ontario and Alberta stations and a shuffling of duties among its entertainment reporters.

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.

Although it may come down to a photo finish, it would seem C.R.A.Z.Y. will beat Aurore in the race to be the first Canadian film to reach $5 million at the box office this year, aided by a six-week head start.

While CBC broadcast journos are locked out, CTV and Global are taking initiatives to lure news junkies to their national products, and their efforts appear to be paying off.