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Oscar and the Canadian factor
Monday March 08th 2010Oscar is waving the Canadian flag — in case we, in our gold-medal glow, needed more reasons to feel proud.
Out of 10 films nominated to win 2009’s best picture, three were directed by men who call Canada home: Avatar, Up in the Air, and District 9. Also, Quebec director Jean-Marc Vallee’s The Young Victoria is up for three technical awards, while Christopher Plummer is in the running for best supporting actor for The Last Station.
Here’s a rundown of each film with a Canadian factor.
Avatar
Nominations: Best picture, directing, cinematography, art direction, film editing, original score, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects.
Canadian connection: Director James Cameron was born in 1954 in Kapuskasing, Ont. He moved to the U.S. in 1971.
Cameron told Vanity Fair: “I think science fiction is a way of making history exciting by putting it in the future and showing you exactly the same s—that’s been happening for the last 2,000 years . . . .”
District 9
Nominations: Best picture, editing, visual effects, adapted screenplay.
Canadian connection: Director Neill Blomkamp was born in South Africa in 1979 before immigrating to Canada 18 years later with his family. He graduated from Vancouver Film School in 1998. His wife, Vancouver writer Terri Tatchell, is nominated with Blomkamp for best adapted screenplay. Sharing a nomination for best visual effects are Canadians Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers and Bob Habros. Also nominated is Vancouver-based editor Julian Clarke.
Blomkamp told Canwest News Service: “If we’re not using spaceships and aliens and lasers, I’m not making this movie. This is about having fun with toys.”
Up in the Air
Nominations: Best picture, directing, adapted screenplay, leading actor and supporting actress.
Canadian connection: Director Jason Reitman was born in Montreal in 1977. His 2007 Oscar-winning film Juno was filmed in Vancouver. Reitman’s Slovakian-born, Canadian-raised father, Ivan Reitman, shares the best-picture nod for Up in the Air with his son.
“If there is a message to my films — and I hope there isn’t — it’s to be open-minded,” the younger Reitman told Canwest News Service.
The Last Station
Nominations: Best leading actress, supporting actor.
Canadian connection: Theatre veteran Christopher Plummer, nominated for best supporting actor for his part as Tolstoy, was born in Toronto in 1929 and raised near Montreal. This is his first Oscar nomination.
“I jumped on [the part], because I love the challenge that real historic figures have,” Plummer told The Independent.
The Young Victoria
Nominations: Best art direction, costume design, makeup.
Canadian connection: Director Jean-Marc Vallee was born in 1963 in Quebec, and studied film at l’Universite de Montreal. His hugely successful third feature film is 2005’s C.R.A.Z.Y. Montreal production designer Patrice Vermette shares a nomination for best art direction.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nominations: Best costume design, art direction.
Canadian connection: The Vancouver-filmed fantasy’s costume designer is Vancouver’s Monique Prudhomme and the art directors were drawn from the U.K. and Toronto.
Source: The Province
Headline, Industry News
Oscar and the Canadian factor
Monday March 08th 2010Oscar is waving the Canadian flag — in case we, in our gold-medal glow, needed more reasons to feel proud.
Out of 10 films nominated to win 2009’s best picture, three were directed by men who call Canada home: Avatar, Up in the Air, and District 9. Also, Quebec director Jean-Marc Vallee’s The Young Victoria is up for three technical awards, while Christopher Plummer is in the running for best supporting actor for The Last Station.
Here’s a rundown of each film with a Canadian factor.
Avatar
Nominations: Best picture, directing, cinematography, art direction, film editing, original score, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects.
Canadian connection: Director James Cameron was born in 1954 in Kapuskasing, Ont. He moved to the U.S. in 1971.
Cameron told Vanity Fair: “I think science fiction is a way of making history exciting by putting it in the future and showing you exactly the same s—that’s been happening for the last 2,000 years . . . .”
District 9
Nominations: Best picture, editing, visual effects, adapted screenplay.
Canadian connection: Director Neill Blomkamp was born in South Africa in 1979 before immigrating to Canada 18 years later with his family. He graduated from Vancouver Film School in 1998. His wife, Vancouver writer Terri Tatchell, is nominated with Blomkamp for best adapted screenplay. Sharing a nomination for best visual effects are Canadians Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers and Bob Habros. Also nominated is Vancouver-based editor Julian Clarke.
Blomkamp told Canwest News Service: “If we’re not using spaceships and aliens and lasers, I’m not making this movie. This is about having fun with toys.”
Up in the Air
Nominations: Best picture, directing, adapted screenplay, leading actor and supporting actress.
Canadian connection: Director Jason Reitman was born in Montreal in 1977. His 2007 Oscar-winning film Juno was filmed in Vancouver. Reitman’s Slovakian-born, Canadian-raised father, Ivan Reitman, shares the best-picture nod for Up in the Air with his son.
“If there is a message to my films — and I hope there isn’t — it’s to be open-minded,” the younger Reitman told Canwest News Service.
The Last Station
Nominations: Best leading actress, supporting actor.
Canadian connection: Theatre veteran Christopher Plummer, nominated for best supporting actor for his part as Tolstoy, was born in Toronto in 1929 and raised near Montreal. This is his first Oscar nomination.
“I jumped on [the part], because I love the challenge that real historic figures have,” Plummer told The Independent.
The Young Victoria
Nominations: Best art direction, costume design, makeup.
Canadian connection: Director Jean-Marc Vallee was born in 1963 in Quebec, and studied film at l’Universite de Montreal. His hugely successful third feature film is 2005’s C.R.A.Z.Y. Montreal production designer Patrice Vermette shares a nomination for best art direction.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nominations: Best costume design, art direction.
Canadian connection: The Vancouver-filmed fantasy’s costume designer is Vancouver’s Monique Prudhomme and the art directors were drawn from the U.K. and Toronto.
Source: The Province
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Headline, Industry News
Oscar and the Canadian factor
Monday March 08th 2010Oscar is waving the Canadian flag — in case we, in our gold-medal glow, needed more reasons to feel proud.
Out of 10 films nominated to win 2009’s best picture, three were directed by men who call Canada home: Avatar, Up in the Air, and District 9. Also, Quebec director Jean-Marc Vallee’s The Young Victoria is up for three technical awards, while Christopher Plummer is in the running for best supporting actor for The Last Station.
Here’s a rundown of each film with a Canadian factor.
Avatar
Nominations: Best picture, directing, cinematography, art direction, film editing, original score, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects.
Canadian connection: Director James Cameron was born in 1954 in Kapuskasing, Ont. He moved to the U.S. in 1971.
Cameron told Vanity Fair: “I think science fiction is a way of making history exciting by putting it in the future and showing you exactly the same s—that’s been happening for the last 2,000 years . . . .”
District 9
Nominations: Best picture, editing, visual effects, adapted screenplay.
Canadian connection: Director Neill Blomkamp was born in South Africa in 1979 before immigrating to Canada 18 years later with his family. He graduated from Vancouver Film School in 1998. His wife, Vancouver writer Terri Tatchell, is nominated with Blomkamp for best adapted screenplay. Sharing a nomination for best visual effects are Canadians Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers and Bob Habros. Also nominated is Vancouver-based editor Julian Clarke.
Blomkamp told Canwest News Service: “If we’re not using spaceships and aliens and lasers, I’m not making this movie. This is about having fun with toys.”
Up in the Air
Nominations: Best picture, directing, adapted screenplay, leading actor and supporting actress.
Canadian connection: Director Jason Reitman was born in Montreal in 1977. His 2007 Oscar-winning film Juno was filmed in Vancouver. Reitman’s Slovakian-born, Canadian-raised father, Ivan Reitman, shares the best-picture nod for Up in the Air with his son.
“If there is a message to my films — and I hope there isn’t — it’s to be open-minded,” the younger Reitman told Canwest News Service.
The Last Station
Nominations: Best leading actress, supporting actor.
Canadian connection: Theatre veteran Christopher Plummer, nominated for best supporting actor for his part as Tolstoy, was born in Toronto in 1929 and raised near Montreal. This is his first Oscar nomination.
“I jumped on [the part], because I love the challenge that real historic figures have,” Plummer told The Independent.
The Young Victoria
Nominations: Best art direction, costume design, makeup.
Canadian connection: Director Jean-Marc Vallee was born in 1963 in Quebec, and studied film at l’Universite de Montreal. His hugely successful third feature film is 2005’s C.R.A.Z.Y. Montreal production designer Patrice Vermette shares a nomination for best art direction.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nominations: Best costume design, art direction.
Canadian connection: The Vancouver-filmed fantasy’s costume designer is Vancouver’s Monique Prudhomme and the art directors were drawn from the U.K. and Toronto.
Source: The Province
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