Buckets of Rain, Buckets of TIFF

AT THE ANNUAL Canadian Film Festival barbecue up at Windfields yesterday, there were many topics of discussion amid the pelting rain.

Some wondered if it was pathetic fallacy -- the clouds dump all over an event that's never been rained out just to add to the climate that faces the arts in Canada today.

Others, perhaps more practically, looked out at all the empty tables and chairs, sitting out drenched, and wondered, "did no one see the weather report? could no one pick up the phone and ask for more tents?"

Still others wondered, "who the hell was the guy with the flat tire less than a hundred yards from the entrance?" That'd be me. Let me just say this about that: Alex Epstein is not only a celebrated screenwriter -- he's also a bit of a handy man with a jack. That's right. Screenwriters changing tires. Who says we don't have practical skills.

The BBQ's always fun, although not much of a BBQ in the American, Friday Night Lights, "let's eat some barbecue" fashion. But there's something about swanning around in the outside that makes it a nice change from TIFF's usual parties.

In fact, that was another theme that seemed to emerge. Call it Bruce Kirkland's warriors -- but I detected a suspiciously high number of party goers who were declaring themselves conscientious objectors to this year's festival. Everyone had read that Kirkland article, it seems, and there was much lamenting about the good old days of The Festival of Festivals. I heard person after person tell me that they were taking a skip on the films this year -- that it had finally gotten to be too much trouble to "pay 20 bucks for a film you can see three weeks from now anyway, just for a glimpse at Brad Pitt. Because honey, you never really see him up close. Not anymore."

In past years I always had to fake my way through a few, "what have you seen that's good?" conversations (my box score for seeing films at the Festival over the last five years is: 0, 2, 1, 0, 0) but this year that was no problem whatsoever. Even the people who usually corner me on that kind of stuff seemed to have ... well ... opted out. Whatever can it mean?

Once the speeches ended (more on that in a minute) and the deluge downgraded to pour, some brave and hearty souls left the safe cower of the crowded tents. It's then you could have spotted much of the cast of The Border: James McGowan, Jonas Chernik, Graham Abbey, along with Battlestar Galactica's Grace Park, (currently filming a recurring run on The Border.) Power couple Carlo Rota and Nazneen Contractor (from Little Mosque and The Border, respectively) also tiptoed round the grounds. Thesp gone Creatrix Stephanie Morgenstern (Flashpoint) did the rounds with daughter Lucy. Ennis Esmer (Young People Fucking) and Katie Boland were also in evidence -- in fact, all the actors seemed to prove out the theorem that they slick water or something; they are just more water-resistant than the rest of us. While most sported variations on the drowned rat look, all the actors looked fabulous.

One of the louder complaints and grumbles seemed to be that in a year when the weather was not cooperating, how could the speeches be longer? Then once the word filtered down to the tents, the reason became clearer.

Despite losing a significant amount of Federal Funding over the last couple of weeks, the CFC announced a couple of new programs, thanks largely to benefits spending from Canwest and the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation. (The Ontario Provincial Government also kicked in an extra $2.5 million for improvements to facilities.)

The new programs, set to start in 2009, are an Actors Lab, which will join the CFC's celebrated screenwriting, producing & directing and editing training programs. Smart. The CFC has relied on thesp talent donating their time for years. Now some of those connections made will include the people in front of the camera. After 20 years, this is a logical place for them to go. Up to eight actors will be selected for the program starting next year.

The one that writers should be really excited about though, was a Canada-UK script program, which will bring three Canadian and three UK writers together in a cross-cultural exchange -- the object of which is to forge TV projects that could lead to more Canada - UK coproduction. As described in the release:

The Canada – UK Script Incubation Program will provide six television drama writers, three from Canada and three from the UK, the unparalleled opportunity to be mentored by some of the leading Canadian and UK story consultants/writers working in television today. The program is based on an exchange model and will begin in 2009. Participants will take part in workshops, case studies, story and script meetings. The program will further develop their concepts, significantly enhance their knowledge of the co-production development processes, increase their ability to manage international co-production and strengthen their ability to effectively conceive, write and deliver projects for co-production. The goal is that the projects developed through this program would receive a television license or development deal.

The program is sponsored by Canwest, BBC, and BBC Worldwide. I'm really excited about this one.

Sounds like rain or no rain, the Film Centre's taking no prisoners and moving forward in the culture fight.

Maybe when that actor's lab is up and running, they can settle my rain question once and for all. You don't have to be cruel about it. Then again, I remember fondly the little shampoo bottle I got in my room last time I went to New York. The fine print said, "Tested on Actresses, Never on Animals."

Just saying.