Quick Facts & Overview

Season Eight 2012-13

REEL CANADA: • Is a national travelling film festival for Canadian high schools • Introduces students to the power and diversity of Canadian film and engages them in a

conversation about what it means to be Canadian • Builds a larger domestic audience for Canadian film • Is supported by the leaders of Canadian film including Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg,

Norman Jewison and Sarah Polley

QUICK FACTS: • More than 600 screenings to date for 120,000 Canadian youth in seven provinces • Projected 2012-13 student participants: 25,000 • Special guest appearances by Atom Egoyan, Sarah Polley, Deepa Mehta,

Paul Gross, Don McKellar, Colm Feore, Gordon Pinsent, and many others • Selected press coverage: CBCʼs The National, CTV News, Global, MTV, The Globe

& Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, CBC Radio & dozens more

PROGRAMS: • One-day film festivals in schools, programmed by students, featuring screenings,

workshops, special guest Q&Aʼs • Cineplex Day festivals serving entire school boards • “Welcome to Canada” screenings for both adult and high school ESL classes • French language events for francophone and French Immersion audiences • Do-It-Yourself festival kits • Interactive website with clips, trailers, blogs, student reviews • Curriculum-based teacher resources

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT REEL CANADA:

• “This film program could have a deep impact on potential Canadian cinema audiences”. - Norman Jewison

• “The whole school was completely transformed into wonderful theatres like Iʼve never seen before. Learning the difference between Canadian and American films made me respect filmmakers in Canada like never before”.

- Nadia A., Gr. 11 student • “We want you to know that the event has made a lasting impact on our school, the

students and the staff.” - Varla Abrams, Principal, Northern SS, Toronto

REEL CANADA is an initiative of members of the Canadian film and television industry. Its purpose is to raise awareness among the high school population of the incredible achievements of Canadian filmmakers past and present, and ultimately to enhance young people’s appreciation of their national culture. What: The flagship event is a travelling film festival that allows students and teachers to program their own festival of Canadian films. On festival day, REEL CANADA transforms high school facilities into high-quality screening venues, and provides special guests and workshops dealing with the films that have been presented. Our program is presented in both French and English, and our new “Welcome to Canada” initiative serves new Canadians, young and old, via their ESL courses. When: With seven successful seasons in Ontario under our belt, REEL CANADA is truly becoming a national program. As we enter our 2012-13 season, we have an established presence in seven provinces, having reached thousands of students in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec, PEI, and across Ontario. REEL CANADA will be presenting approximately three dozen events during the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013.

REEL CANADA is supported and endorsed by:

National Patron: Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson

Founding Patron: David Miller, 63rd Mayor of the City of Toronto

Advisory Committee: Hussain  Amarshi                  Denys  Arcand  Carl  Bessai                                        Gary  Burns  Jerry  Ciccoritti                            David  Cronenberg    Andrew  Currie                            Phillipe  Falardeau  Colm  Feore                                      Niv  Fichman    Bryan  Gliserman                    Paul  Gross                                        Norman  Jewison                    Robert  Lantos                            Bruce  McDonald                    Don  McKellar  Deepa  Mehta                              Geoff  Pevere                                Gordon  Pinsent                        Sarah  Polley  Michel  Poulette                      Peter  Raymont  Patricia  Rozema                      Mina  Shum  Tara  Spencer-­‐Nairn          Jean-­‐Marc  Vallée    Clement  Virgo    

Paul Gross being interviewed at York Mills Collegiate Institute’s REEL CANADA festival, January 2009

Colm Feore presents BON COP, BAD COP at Parkdale Collegiate, Toronto, April 2008

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Sponsors and partners have included almost every sector of the film industry -- DGC, ACTRA, broadcasters (CBC, CTVglobemedia, Shaw Media), distributors (CAFDE, Alliance, E1) – and all levels of government – the federal Department of Heritage, Telefilm Canada, Ontario ministries of Culture and Education, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council and City of Toronto. We are also delighted to count Cineplex Entertainment as our Premiere Corporate Sponsor, and both RBC Foundation and TD Bank as Presenting Sponsors. We enjoy the support of many educators of local and international repute, as well as organizations such as film festivals (TIFF,Windsor, Whistler, Kingston, ImagineNative), school boards and media literacy organizations. Filmmakers Jack Blum and Sharon Corder are the Executive Director and Artistic Director, respectively, and REEL CANADAʼs Board includes Atom Egoyan, Veronica Tennant, Reg Bronskill (Bronskill & Co.), Curtis Barlow (Fort York Foundation), Liz Shorten (CMPA) and Denise Bolduc (ImagineNative). Why: Todayʼs youth are overwhelmed by foreign-based cultural product. REEL CANADA is a visionary nation-building initiative that will help create tomorrowʼs audience for our distinctive cultural products while bolstering a sense of national identity among our youth. For our partners and sponsors, it is an ideal opportunity to be associated with the excitement and glamour of the film industry while reaching out to the high school audience. The REEL CANADA program creates a buzz for the entire student and teacher population in the schools we visit, and for the general public in the media coverage we generate. How: REEL CANADA is an ambitious venture; our budget for 2012-13 will be just over $1,000,000. In addition to funding from government, and from every sector of the film and television industry, we need to attract substantial support from both private citizens and corporate sector partners who understand the value of being associated with building the Canadian brand. Opportunities exist currently to support REEL CANADA as foundational partners on a multi-year basis. REEL CANADA is a registered charity and all donations may be deemed tax deductible. For further information, please contact: Jack Blum Executive Director, REEL CANADA @ Centre For Social Innovation 720 Bathurst Street – Suite 501 TORONTO, ON M5S 2R4 416-906-5606 jack@reelcanada.com