Tiffany's comes to town

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of director Blake Edwards' Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - those folks who annually dish out the Oscars - is celebrating that early Audrey Hepburn romantic comedy with a screening of it in Manhattan Monday, Aug. 8, 2011.

Hepburn's sixteenth feature, Breakfast at Tiffany's was adapted from renowned American author Truman Capote's bestselling 1958 novella and reportedly premiered in New York City on Oct. 5, 1961. The film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Leading Actress, and won for Best Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture and Best Song (Moon River, by Mancini and Mercer).

Recently, the film has been met with controversy.

A free public screening of Breakfast at Tiffany's slated during a 2008 film festival in Sacramento, California was cancelled following Asian-American-led protests of famed actor Mickey Rooney's notoriously cringe-inducing, pointless and racist caricature Mr. I.Y. Yunioshi featured in the movie. A similar protest is currently underway against its screening in New York, at Brooklyn Bridge Park's free public film festival Movies With A View, this month. Years after the film's premiere, both Edwards and Rooney apparently expressed their regret for the inclusion of and outrage over the Yunioshi character.

However, if you're a fan of Breakfast at Tiffany's and don't already have your ticket to the AMPAS's glitzy sold out East 59th Street event, you can still slip on your favourite little black dress by Givenchy, grab a tasty breakfast pastry to nibble, and yellow cab it over to the film's screening at Billings Bridge Shopping Mall the same day*.

billingsbridge.com

Co-presented by the mall and the Ottawa International Film Festival leading up to OIFF 2011 beginning on Thursday, Aug. 18, Breakfast at Tiffany's is the first of four screenings scheduled for this week-long local event, entitled Box Office Billings. Tuesday features the classic 1952 musical comedy Singin' in the Rain, followed by grim animated comedy Corpse Bride (2005) on Wednesday and the cult Canadian spoof Bollywood Hollywood (2002) on Thursday. Friday hosts the free Billings Bridge Anime Workshop for tweens and teens. You also get a chance all this week to win tickets to OIFF 2011 by submitting a ballot there.

Find more info (hopefully including screening times at Billings Bridge) at billingsbridge.com/box-office-billings, oiff.ca and perhaps the festival's Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/The-Ottawa-International-Film-Festival/116708135013441.

Thanks for checking in.

* Nope, no screenings at Billings after-all.

Twinkle, twinkle

Okay, so you and everyone else in town likely knows Captain America: The First Avenger is coming to a Real 3D HD (etc) big screen near you, and that the stage version of Disney's The Lion King is already playing the NAC these days. If you didn't know, well, now you do.

More interestingly, here's a quick roundup of treasures playing on Ottawa's screens and stages beyond the usual movie listings, with a few extra related sites thrown in for fun:


STAGE: Secrets of a Soccer Mom, July 13 – 30, 2011
Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Ave., Ottawa
"When three women leave their traditional spot on the sidelines to play in an annual mother-son soccer game, an otherwise ordinary day becomes extraordinary. Competition ignites their fierce desire to recapture their spirit, humour and passion and paves the way for a better understanding of themselves and their families."


http://www.artscourt.ca/index.php?page=76&id=60


SCREEN: Mr. Hollywood, Mondays, 10:30pm
Rogers TV, Ottawa Cable 22
"E Talk this is not. 'Mr. Hollywood' is a humorous look at the absurdity of fame in both Canada and abroad. Containing interviews with entertainment 'experts' and genuine celebrities, Mr. Hollywood puts a unique spin on the celebrity magazine program complete with an intimate studio audience and lots of 'Celebrity Moments.'"


http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=12&rid=4&sid=4311


STAGE: My Summer Crush: An Improv Show to Fall For, July 18, 25, Aug 8, 15, 26, 2011
Arts Court Studio, 2 Daly Ave., Ottawa
"It’s back! For the second year, Crush hits the stage at the Summer Fling festival this July and August at Arts Court for MY SUMMER CRUSH!"


http://crushimprov.com/2011/07/my-summer-crush/


SCREEN/STAGE: Metropolitan Opera: Tosca, July 27, 2011, 6:30pm
SilverCity Gloucester and Cinéma StarCité Gatineau
"Rome, June 1800. Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, rushes into a church to hide in one of the chapels. Once he has disappeared, the painter Mario Cavaradossi enters to work on his portrait of Mary Magdalene. The painting has been inspired by the Marchesa Attavanti, whom Cavaradossi has seen in the church but does not know. While he works, he compares the dark-haired beauty of his lover, the singer Floria Tosca, to that of the blonde Marchesa Attavanti."


http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/MovieDetails/Tosca-Puccini-Metropolitan-Opera-ENCORE-PERFORMANCE.aspx?loc_cookie=OTTAWA+-+ON&date=2011-7-27&tab=cineplex#Showtimes


SCREEN: Carbon Nation screening, July 29, 2011
Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod St., Ottawa
"An optimistic (and witty) discovery of what people are already doing, what we as a nation could be doing and what the world needs to do to prevent (or at least slow down) the impending climate crisis."


http://nature.ca/en/plan-your-visit/what-see-do/whats/cafe-scientifique-movie-night


SCREEN: My Precious Novella screening, July 30, 2011, 8:30pm
SAW Video, Arts Court Courtyard, 67 Nicholas St., Ottawa
"On Saturday July 30th, SAW Video presents My Precious Novella, an outdoor screening of unconventional short videos. The nine vignettes, which all run under ten minutes, range from dream-like parables to performance art, and sharply edited mini-documentaries."


http://www.sawvideo.com/events/2011/07/my-precious-novella.php


STAGE: Oliver!, Aug 1 - 6, 2011
Centrepointe Studio Theatre, 101 Centrepointe Dr., Ottawa
"Nothing works on the stage like a well-crafted tale, and OLIVER! is just such a show. Based on the Dickens novel, it will engage any audience with its pathos and drama, while delighting everyone with its outstanding musical numbers."


http://www.centrepointetheatre.com/events_tickets/details_studio/august/oliver_en.html


SCREEN: Screenwriting Camp 2011, Aug 8 - 12, 2011
Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa
"This five-day, hands-on workshop from August 8th to 12th at Carleton University will help writers bring their ideas into the reality of a feature film screen story. (...) Participants will learn the fundamentals of story structure, scenes, sequences, acts, dialogue, and character and story arcs – the necessary elements of professional screen storytelling."


http://www2.carleton.ca/filmstudies/screenwriting-camp-2011/


SCREEN/STAGE: Lil Wayne with Rick Ross in concert, Aug 11, 2011
Scotiabank Place, 1000 Palladium Dr., Ottawa
"Due to popular demand, iconic rapper and label owner, Lil Wayne, in the midst of a high charting radio single ’6 Foot 7 Foot” and the pending release of his hotly anticipated 10th studio album Tha Carter IV, will extend his 2011 North American tour, the ’I Am Still Music” tour (...) In addition to Rick Ross, Lil Wayne will be joined by Keri Hilson, the Grammy nominated R&B/pop singer whose critically acclaimed album No Boys Allowed’s first single ’Pretty Girl Rock” reached #1 on the Billboard charts."


http://www.scotiabankplace.com/en/default.asp?scotiabankplace=56&urlkeyword=Event%20Detail&objId=1059


STAGE: The Patrick Pearse Motel, Aug 16 – 27, 2011
Ottawa Little Theatre, 400 King Edward Ave., Ottawa
"Things begin to go wrong when a jealous husband, a forgetful night watchman, an amorous TV personality and others end up in a soon to be opened motel. A fast paced farce by one of Irelands favourite playwrights."


http://www.ottawalittletheatre.com/html/cm2.cfm?fid=67&sid=73&lang=1&html=patrick_pearse_motel.html


SCREEN: Ottawa International Film Festival, Aug 17 - 21, 2011
Various locations, Ottawa
"With a focus on independent filmmaking, the OIFF mandate includes a commitment to supporting the development of film talent in Ottawa and providing local filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their work alongside major international films."


http://oiff.ca


STAGE: A Fateful Meeting of les femmes fatales, Aug 31 – Sept 3, 2011
Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Ave., Ottawa
"A group of friends gather for an evening of mystery and murder – the kind that comes in a game box with silly characters and menu suggestions. What they get is something quite different. Mystery? Yes. Intrigue? Yes? Murder? Not quite."


http://www.tototoo.ca/NextShowBuyTickets/tabid/36/Default.aspx


Thanks for checking in.

OIFF clicks on

"'(The Ottawa International Film Festival) is quickly becoming the stand-out platform to promote and launch filmmakers in the Ottawa area,” said Nina Bains, Executive Director of OIFF. 'Based on the high quality of films we received last year, we anticipate a slate of outstanding films from Canadian and international filmmakers that will make OIFF a must-attend event.'

"Categories for OIFF 2011 include: narrative full-length feature and short films, documentary full-length feature and short films. Narrative genres can vary from drama, comedy and action to horror and thriller. The submission fee is $40 CAD for feature-length films and $20 CAD for short films. The submission deadline is July 1 2011." - www.firstweekendclub.ca/ottawa-international-film-festival-2.html

While the OIFF site at www.oiff.ca gets back online and set up for this year's annual flick fest slated for August 17-21 2011, check out its fun peripheral hub for filmmakers and cinephiles from around the corner and across the globe:

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ottawa-International-Film-Festival/116708135013441


Thanks for checking in.

Something's coming, something good

Just a quick check-in this week, but I wanted to highlight a couple of local notables:

Empire 7 Cinemas, Ottawa - National Theatre Live: King Lear, Feb. 3, 2011, 7pm

http://www.empiretheatres.com/movie/nt-live-king-lear


Black Canadian Scholarship Fund Video Contest - Prize: $500, Deadline: Feb. 11, 2011
"The Black Canadian Scholarship Fund is holding a video contest for  Black History Month. Participants must create a  3-5 minute video on their opinion about a pressing issue affecting black youth."

http://www.blackhistoryottawa.org/welcome.php?pid=127&lang=en


Kanata Choral Society - "Songs from West Side Story", Sat. Feb. 19, 2011, 3pm
Songs from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and songs from the reportoire of the King Singers. Scott Auchinleck, director. St. Paul's Anglican Church, 20 Young Road, Kanata

http://www.kanatachoralsociety.ca

SCREEN SHOTS

Ottawa International Film Festival | oiff.ca

Ottawa Action Film Festival - Mar. 26, 2011 | facebook.com/pages/Ottawa-Action-Film-Festival/105612712837376#!/pages/Ottawa-Action-Film-Festival/105612712837376?v=info

Ottawa Movie Fans (MEETUP) | meetup.com/ottawamoviefans

That's pretty much it for now. As for the progress made in retooling moviequips.ca, the main page is getting there - despite far more coding clashes than I can be bothered with. There's still some tweaking left to do, but I didn't see why it couldn't go live anyhow. Beyond the obvious, here's another sneak peek from the new archive portion of the site:

Thanks for checking in.