Young People Fucking 

Saturday, September 1---------The Toronto International Film Festival is a unique and dynamic opportunity for the local film industry to shine. With a Canadian film opening the proceedings this coming Thursday, the Festival offers Canadian filmmakers, distributors, producers and industryites a once-a-year opportunity to showcase their best work, meet with potential international partners and to shine a light on the latest crop of film talents for the assembled international press.

AmalWalk Over Me

This Beautiful City

Continental  

While the Festival is essentially a non-competitive affair, it does sponsor a number of awards competitions specifically for the Canadian film sector. The Toronto-City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, presented annually to a Canadian filmmaker, is sponsored jointly by Citytv and the City of Toronto. This year, the award includes a cash prize of $30,000. Last year's winner was the celebrated documentary MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES by Jennifer Baichwal.

The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film is presented annually to a Canadian filmmaker for an exemplary first feature. The award carries a cash prize of $15,000. Last year's winner was Noël Mitrani for SUR LA TRACE D'IGOR RIZZI. The winner of the Short Cuts Canada Award receives a $10,000 cash prize. Last year, the award was given to Maxime Groux for the film LES JOURS.

All three awards are selected by a jury of film professionals. The feature film jury consists of actor Colm Feore (BON COP, BAD COP), filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal (MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES), Olivier Pere, Artistic Director of the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and acclaimed producer Roger Frappier (LA GRANDE SÉDUCTION, JÉSUS DE MONTRÉAL). The short film jury members are "What It's Like Being Alone" series creator Brad Peyton, Showcase's Director of Original Production Rachel Fulford, and Programmer Stefanie Schulte Strathaus of International Forum of New Cinema, Berlin International Film Festival. The awards are presented at the Festival's Awards Reception on Saturday, September 15, 2007. 
 

This year's Canada First program opens with the world premiere of the provocative YOUNG PEOPLE FUCKING, director Martin Gero's clever, beautifully crafted romantic comedy, which casts a cold eye on modern love in its various permutations. Focusing on five different relationships, the film demonstrates how all relationships are simultaneously specific and somehow bizarrely similar. Other films in the program include: AMAL (Richie Mehta), LE CENDRE PENCHE (Rafael Ouellet), CONTIENTAL (Stéphane Lafleur), JUST BURIED (Chaz Thorne), THEY WAIT (Ernie Barbarash), THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY (Ed Gass-Donnelly) and WALK ALL OVER ME (Robert Cuffley).

Sandy Mandelberger, Toronto FF Dailies Editor