Blackbird, the award-winning film written and directed by Chester’s Jason Buxton, will be screening in competition at Cannes Ecrans Junior during the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

It is part of a program of eight international films in Cannes Cinephile theatres from May 20 to 25 that were selected because they are of particular interest to children between 13 and 15. Blackbird will be competing for the Young Jury Prize, chaired by French actor Frederic Gorny.

The drama, which stars Connor Jessup, Alexia Fast, Michael Buie and Alex Ozerov, opens theatrically in Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal on May 10, and in Calgary, Sydney and Moncton on May 17.

The tale of an isolated teen (Jessup) falsely accused of planning a school massacre in his rural town, Blackbird was filmed over 20 days in Halifax and Windsor in May 2011. Local actors John Beale, Graham Percy, Stacy Smith, Ryan Wells, Wayne Burns and Mark A. Owen are featured.

Buxton won the Claude Jutra Award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for outstanding achievement by a first-time feature filmmaker, for Blackbird. The film shared the Toronto International Film Festival Award for best Canadian debut feature with Antiviral, directed by Brandon Cronenberg. It also won best Atlantic feature, best Atlantic director and best Atlantic screenwriter at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, and the best Canadian film at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Link to full article

Check back for updates on Facebook and visit www.blackbirdthefilm.com/screenings for tickets and showtimes!

Further details of the release:

May 10
Toronto: Cineplex Yonge & Dundas
Vancouver: Cineplex Fifth ave
Montreal: Cineplex Forum
Halifax: Empire Park Lane

May 17
Calgary, AB: Cineplex Eau Clair
Moncton, NB: Empire 8 Trinity Drive
Sydney, NS: Empire Studio 10

May 24
Kitchener/ Waterloo ON: Princess Theatre
St John’s, NL: Empire Mount Pearl

The film opens this week in Calgary, Sydney & Moncton.

For screening and tickets sales please visit www.blackbirdthefilm.com/screenings/

Photo: Blackbird star Connor Jessup discusses a scene with director Jason Buxton
Photo credit: Christopher Porter
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Tweet this release: Nova Scotia filmmaker @jasonbuxtonfilm Wins Claude Jutra Award for Blackbird @BBBlackbirdFilm #CdnScreenAwards http://bit.ly/V2Dm72

Facebook this release: Nova Scotia filmmaker Jason Buxton Wins Claude Jutra Award for Blackbird: www.academy.ca/press/

TORONTO – Jan 29, 2013 – The 2013 Claude Jutra Award, sponsored by Telefilm Canada, goes to Nova Scotia filmmaker Jason Buxton for his debut feature film, Blackbird, it was announced today by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

“The Academy is honoured to present filmmaker Jason Buxton with the Claude Jutra Award for Blackbird which is a cutting edge and socially poignant debut film,” says Richard Speer, Academy’s Quebec Chair.

Blackbird is a film that explores the power, and danger, of social media and cyber-bullying.

“I am absolutely thrilled with this honour. To be recognized by my peers for excellence in filmmaking is deeply meaningful, and looking back at the caliber of directors honoured over the past twenty years of the Award’s history is both humbling and reassuring,” said Jason Buxton.

The Claude Jutra Award honours outstanding achievement by a first-time feature filmmaker and was established in 1993 in honour of the late Quebec director Claude Jutra, best known for Canadian classicMon Oncle Antoine.

In addition to winning the Claude Jutra Award, Blackbird is in the running for two Canadian Screen Awards: Best Original Screenplay for Buxton and Achievement in Editing for Kimberlee McTaggart. The film’s producers include Marc Almon, David Miller and Buxton, with distribution by A71 Entertainment.

Blackbird highlights the story of a troubled teen, Sean Randall (Connor Jessup), who is falsely accused of planning a Columbine shooting scenario. An unlikely bond between Sean (Jessup) and a preppy teenage girl, Deanna Roy (Alexia Fast) results in a violent confrontation. His only hope is to overcome his dark image, and prove his innocence to Deanna and to his community.

Blackbird had its world premiere at TIFF, where it earned the SKYY Vodka Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. It went on to shine at events across Canada, including the Vancouver International Film Festival (Best Canadian Feature) and the Atlantic Film Festival (Best Atlantic Feature, Best Atlantic Director and Best Atlantic Screenwriter).

To date, Blackbird has made some significant progress internationally, including a key sale to France. Films Boutique is handling international sales.

Born in Farmborough, England, Buxton studied film production at Simon Fraser University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Prior to making films, Buxton worked behind-the-scenes as a camera assistant, where he learned the craft observing many established filmmakers at work, including James Cameron on Titanic and Lasse Hall­strom on The Shipping News.

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Office: 416.366.2227 x231 | Toll Free: 1.800.644.5194 x231 | Email: sayscough@academy.ca
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About Blackbird: Blackbird is produced by Marc Almon (Story Engine Pictures), David Miller (A71 Productions), Jason Buxton (Festina Lente Productions) and executive produced by Thom Fitzgerald and Chad Maker. It is supported by Telefilm Canada, Film Nova Scotia, Shaw Rocket Fund, The Harold Greenberg Fund and Super Channel. The film is being sold internationally, minus North America, by Films Boutique.

Despite the young protagonist’s nickname in the film, “Columbine,” Blackbird is not about a school shooting. Rather, Jason Buxton’s first feature is an exploration of youth, alienation and prison culture. The movie tells the tale of a bullied teen whose online threat sparks hysteria in a small town. The 41-year-old filmmaker based in Chester, N.S., spoke to the Post’s Melissa Leong about adolescent melodrama and being wrongfully accused.

Q How did this story originate?
A I was researching the subject in 2006 for a documentary. I was intrigued with the Young Offender’s Act, and how teens often from disadvantaged backgrounds reacted to being bullied in school, and how creative people would express themselves and express their anger.

Q How do you relate to the reaction of community members in your film as well as to the lead character, Sean?
A [My children are] almost 11 and 5. Since becoming a parent, I’ve realized how the protective instinct kicks in. But at the same time, I remember what it’s like to be a teenager, and a creative person. In the ’80s when I grew up if somebody made an offhand threat to someone, it was on the street, and it was taken in that context. But if the outlet for a teenager is [this] new technology, with threats, we don’t know the degree of seriousness that they might have. In my research at the time, a couple brothers in Ontario were arrested and suspended from school. Some of these teens were writing essays that were in the third person. But even a creative essay about teens with destructive feelings who want to shoot up a school — that is considered to be their thoughts and the extension becomes their plan. A lot of these expressions are a natural part of growing up and embellishing — that’s what melodrama is and what teenagers specialize in.

Q What was your youth like?
A My teenage experience was very normal. Very unremarkable, I’d say. The more general theme of feeling misunderstood is something I’ve felt. I remember when I was four and misperceived with an accusation — it’s one of my first memories. I grew up in England and there was some misdeed that an older kid would have done; we were all lined up at an assembly. I was one of the shortest kids and I had an itch at the top of my head. [The principal] was trying to get someone to own up to this misdeed. I thought, “If I slowly raised my hand up and scratch …” But it looked more like a scared kid taking ownership. He took one look at me and said, “Don’t do it again.” There are certain memories, they form a certain psychological and emotional reality that shapes you.

Q I know you considered many actors for the part of Sean.
A Everyone who we were seeing was what I called the “Beverly Hills 90210 casting.” The average age was about 25 and I needed a 16 year old.

Q Then when you saw Connor Jessup (Falling Skies), what did he bring to the part?
A Teenage girls. [Laughs.] That’s not obviously why we cast him. There was a short list of about three to four. Connor was in L.A. at the time and he put something on camera. I remember watching it on my iPhone because I was in a coffee shop. I was enamored with the choices he made. Connor was exploring the material. It was more free flow. I just read an interview with him talking about it. He said, ‘I think it was because I was chewing gum.’ Well, it worked.

Q How has the reception been so far?
A I think for people who watch it in a theatre, the film tends to draw people in slowly. There’s a meditative quality to it.

Blackbird screens Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. at Jackman Hall. It is scheduled to open in theatres in November.

Link to article in National Post

The film stars 18-year-old Toronto actor Connor Jessup (one of the stars of the locally shot sci-fi series, Falling Skies) and rising young Vancouver star Alexia Fast (who just joined the cast of the upcoming Tom Cruise feature, One Shot which is written and directed by Oscar winner Chris McQuarrie). Blackbird tied with Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral for the award for Best Canadian First Feature at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and picked up three awards at the 2012 Atlantic Film Festival including Best Atlantic Feature.

Honourable mention for Best Canadian Feature at VIFF went to B.C.’s Becoming Redwood — written and directed by Jesse James Miller and featuring his wife, Jennifer Copping. The jury noted the film’s, “beautiful journey that transports you to the 1970s,” and cited the phenomenal performance by the film’s now 14-year-old lead. “Ryan Grantham carries the film with extraordinary gravitas on his 14-year old shoulders, winning the audience over.”

Jesse James also stole the hearts of audiences, winning the VIFF audience award for Most Popular Canadian Film. The film was producer by performers turned producers Chad Willett and Joely Collins and features a tune by Collins’ dad, Phil (aka the guy from Genesis).

The Roger’s People Choice Award was presented to Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt, which picked up a trio of awards at Cannes, including Best Actor for star Mads Mikelsen. It was also a finalist for the Palme d’Or.

The most popular Canadian documentary for VIFF audiences was Nimisha Mukerji’s Blood Relative who previously won the hearts of Vancouver audiences (and the audience awards for Best Canadian Film and Best Documentary) with 65_RedRoses.

The Most Popular International Documentary was Patrick Farrelly and Kate O’Callaghan’s Nuala.

Rob Stewart’s Revolution — a follow-up to his eco-smash Sharkwater — was the audience choice for Most Popular Environmental Film.

The Most Popular First Feature Award went to Barnaby Southcombe’s thriller I, Anna.

The Women in Film and Television Artistic Merit Award was presented by unanimous decision to the writer-director of Liverpool, Manon Briand.

The Canadian Images jury, which selected Blackbird, included iconic local actor Jay Brazeau, filmmaker Anne Émond and Claudia Mendoza-Carruth. They also presented the award for most promising director of a Canadian Short Film (along with a $2000 cash prize) to BC’s Juan Riedinger for Float. Honourable mention went to another BC project Peach Juice, directed by Brian Lye, Callum Paterson and Nathan Gilliss.

The Awards were presented just prior to the screening of the festival’s closing gala presentation of Holy Motors at the Centre for Performing Arts.

“There were innumerable successes at this year’s festival,” Festival Director Alan Franey told the Sun Friday. “We’re particularly gratified that the large majority of films — eighty six percent at near final count — received ballot results rating films ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’, and that’s with well over 20,000 ballots cast! That’s a remarkable success rate, and audience enjoyment is what it’s all about in the end.”

Franey said this year things also went smoothly behind the scenes. “We are proud of the fact that every single film made it to the Festival in time for its screenings, no matter how far they needed to come from overseas. It’s also especially gratifying to hear once again how much visiting filmmakers appreciated the Festival’s programming, hospitality and the warm and intelligent audience response to their films. These are the things that put the wind in our sails for next year.”

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Chester filmmaker Jason Buxton claimed a trio of trophies when the Atlantic Film Festival Awards were presented on Thursday in Halifax.

Buxton won Best Atlantic Feature, Best Atlantic Director and Best Atlantic Screenwriter for his debut feature film Blackbird.

The searing drama, about a socially isolated teen who is falsely accused of planning a school massacre in his small rural town, also shared the Toronto International Film Festival Award for best Canadian debut feature with Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral.

Buxton claimed $18,000 in services and $1,500 cash for his wins in Halifax and $15,000 for his Toronto win.

Blackbird had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival with two sold-out screenings. Buxton learned of the TIFF award just before its sold-out Atlantic Film Festival screening on Sept. 16.

Filmed over 20 days in Halifax and Windsor in May 2011, Blackbird stars Connor Jessup, Alexia Fast, Michael Buie, Tanya Clarke and Alex Ozerov, as well as local actors John Beale, Graham Percy, Stacy Smith, Ryan Wells, Wayne Burns and Mark A. Owen.

An honourable mention for Best Atlantic Feature Film went to The Disappeared, shot off the coast of Lunenburg last September. The tale of six men adrift on an unforgiving ocean was written and directed by Shandi Mitchell.

New Waterford filmmaker Ashley McKenzie was named Best Atlantic Emerging Director for her short film When You Sleep.

The 12-minute film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France in May and also screened at TIFF where McKenzie was one of 25 filmmakers from around the world selected to participate in the festival’s talent lab.

Shot in Halifax in the fall of 2011, it stars Toronto actress Eve Harlow and New Waterford actor Winston DeGiobbi in the story of a misfit young couple who feel trapped in an unhappy existence.

The award for best Atlantic cinematographer went to Jeff Wheaton for his work on the feature film Gravity and Grace, directed by NSCAD University film professor Solomon Nagler and shot against a series of Nova Scotia landmarks, including the Halifax grain elevators and the Cold War underground bunker in Debert.

Newfoundland actor Mark O’Brien, who stars as Des Courtney on Republic of Doyle and was in the recently released feature film Beat Down, won the award for best Atlantic short for Better People. The 10-minute film, that screened as part of the CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala, was about attraction, emotional baggage and love at first sight.

Best Atlantic Original Score or Song went to Claude Fournier for his work on Last Chance, a documentary about five asylum seekers who have come to Canada from their native countries in order to escape homophobic violence. It was written and directed by Paul-Emile d’Entremont of Nova Scotia.

The Best Atlantic Sound Design Award went to Andrew MacCormack of Nova Scotia for Here and Away, a short film he also directed that screened as part of the CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala. The 6 -minute film is about place and belonging.

Nova Scotia writer-director Greg Jackson, whose short film Halloween 1977 screened at this year’s Atlantic Film Festival and whose sci-fi short Goodbye Robot Army was part of last year’s CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala, was the First Feature Project recipient. Jackson will receive production financing of $105,000 towards Bunker 6, which will be produced by Rebecca Sharratt, with mentorship from Bill Niven. Bedford native Michael Ray Fox won the First Feature Project award last year and his film Roaming screened at this year’s festival.

Wanda Nolan won the Script Development Award for The Magic of Boxer Conner.

The RBC 10×10 Emerging Artist Award — $10,000 to be split between filmmaker and artist, went to Crows, directed by Scott Simpson and the ECMA-winning New Brunswick band The Divorcees. Simpson directed the 2003 feature film Touch & Go and shares a writing credit with Michael Melski.

Audience awards for best feature, best documentary and best short were slated to be given out at midnight at the Atlantic Film Festival closing gala party at the Lord Nelson Hotel.

(anemetz@herald.ca)
Link to article

Jason Buxton had extra reason to celebrate heading into the sold-out screening of his first feature film Sunday night at the Atlantic Film Festival.

The Chester filmmaker learned just a few hours before that Blackbird had won the best debut Canadian feature prize at the Toronto International Film Festival. The award was shared with Brandon Cronenberg’s stylized feature Antiviral. Both directors also each won cash prizes of $15,000.

“I’ve never won an award for a film before, so this is a nice one to start off with,” said Buxton from his home in Chester, noting he was still processing the news.

“The award, and being at TIFF, gives us really nice exposure. And to tie with Antiviral, a film that has more exposure helps us even more. Being aligned with that film, it’s a good tie for us to have.”

Cronenberg is the son of famed Canadian director David Cronenberg.

Blackbird, filmed over 20 days in Halifax and Windsor in May 2011, is the story of Sean, a socially isolated teen who is falsely accused of plotting a school massacre in his small town.

It stars Connor Jessup (Falling Skies) as Sean, Alexia Fast (Jack Reacher) as his love interest Deanna, Michael Buie as Sean’s dad Ricky, Tanya Clarke as Sean’s mother and Alex Ozerov as Trevor, who torments Sean.

Local actors John Beale, Graham Percy, Stacy Smith, Ryan Wells, Wayne Burns, and Mark A. Owen have prominent roles among the cast of about 40. Buxton’s five-year-old daughter Sadie, conceived at the same time as the movie, is also featured.

Halifax’s Marc Almon and Toronto’s David Miller, share producing credits with Buxton, who wrote and directed the 90-minute film.

Buxton, who arrived home from TIFF on Thursday, says he didn’t realize how dark Blackbird was until he saw it on the big screen in Toronto with sold out audiences Sept. 11 and 12.

“It’s a very tense, dark movie …you judge how an audience responds to a dramatic film by how still and attentive they are and there was very little fidgeting, people were drawn into participating with the narrative. It’s not an easy film.”

Almon says Blackbird is slated for a Nov. 30 release in Canada and now has a distributor for a theatrical release in France. They’ve had offers for U.S. distribution but haven’t signed anything yet.

The movie is also slated to play at festivals in Sudbury and Vancouver and a few others that can’t yet be named.

Winning the TIFF award will open doors predicts Buxton, whose short films A Fresh Start (2001) and The Garden (2003) were also shown at TIFF.

He’s written a comedy called Ordinary Joe and is working on another dark drama. There are also a couple of novels he’s interested in adapting.

Link to article

The boys were busy with interviews and media moments and has resulted in a high volume of press thanks to our wonderful PR team from Touchwood PR. Here’s a list of the breaks:

ET Canada
http://www.globaltv.com/etcanada/video/top+stories/tiff+2012+cdn+film+announcement/video.html?v=2265255833#etcanada/video/top+stories

National Post
http://arts.nationalpost.com/2012/08/08/homegrown-heroes-the-canadian-fare-of-tiff-2012/

Playback Online
http://playbackonline.ca/2012/08/09/tiff-rising-stars-ready-to-shine/

Playback
http://playbackonline.ca/2012/08/08/tiff-reveals-key-festival-industry-program-talent/

Cineplex
http://www.cineplex.com/News/Younger-Cronenberg-Polley-Dolan-part-of-TIFFs-Canadian-features.aspx

Screen Daily
http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/toronto/toronto-news/-inchallah-blackbird-krivina-among-tiff-canadian-line-up/5045187.article?referrer=RSS

CBC.ca
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2012/08/08/tiff-canadian-lineup.html

CP24
http://www.cp24.com/entertainment/new-flicks-from-polley-mcgowan-among-tiff-slate-1.907679

Metro News
http://metronews.ca/scene/329227/canuck-films-tackle-youth-and-violence/

MSN Entertainment
http://entertainment.ca.msn.com/celebs/canuck-films-tackle-youth-and-violence-1

NOW Toronto
http://www.nowtoronto.com/movies/story.cfm?content=188118

Sun Media
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/08/08/canada-unspools-talent-at-tiff

Thestar.com
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/article/1238883–tiff-unveils-canadian-film-lineup

Therecord.com
http://www.therecord.com/print/article/776673

Canada.com
http://www.canada.com/entertainment/all/flicks+from+Polley+McGowan+Dolan+Cronenbergs+among+TIFF+slate/7059275/story.html

Yahoo Movies
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/toronto-film-festivals-canadian-crop-sarah-polley-brandon-201211069.html

680 News
http://www.680news.com/entertainment/article/390245–new-flicks-from-polley-mcgowan-dolan-and-cronenberg-s-son-among-tiff-slate

CityTV
http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/entertainment/movies/article/218788–tiff-unveils-canadian-features-lineup

Thechronicleherald.ca
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/125390-ns-plays-strong-role-at-tiff

Tribute.ca
http://www.tribute.ca/tiff/index.php/2012/08/09/canadian-lineup-at-toronto-international-film-festival/

Criticizethis.ca
http://www.criticizethis.ca/2012/08/lineup-of-canadian-films-announced-for-tiff-2012.html

BlogTO
http://www.blogto.com/film/2012/08/cronenberg_polley_headline_cancon_films_at_tiff_2012/

CBC LIve (includes trailer)
http://www.cbc.ca/live/canadians-at-tiff-12.html

Winnipeg Free Press
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/new-flicks-from-polley-mcgowan-dolan-and-cronenbergs-son-among-tiff-slate-165470916.html

Hollywood Reporter
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/toronto-film-festival-sarah-polley-brandon-cronenberg-359935

Congratulations to Connor Jessup, star of BLACKBIRD, for becoming one of TIFF 2012′s Rising Stars!

Here is a segment of the press release about the announcement:

TIFF Rising Stars

TIFF is once again helping publicize “emerging talent” from Canada, as part of its Rising Stars program.

Cameron Bailey, the festival’s artistic director, said the program aims to provide these young stars with “more profile, networking opportunities and access to industry experts to help them get their careers to the next level.”

Charlie Carrick has appeared in various TV and stage productions. He will soon have a recurring role on Showtime’s The Borgias.

Connor Jessup is an actor from Toronto who produced a film that played at TIFF last year. This year, he stars in Blackbird, which is playing at this year’s festival.

Tatiana Maslany was born in Regina and has “amassed an impressive resume in both film and television,” according to TIFF organizers. She stars in Picture Day, which plays at this year’s festival.

Charlotte Sullivan is from Toronto and has appeared in a number of TV and film projects, including The Kennedys miniseries and ABC’s Rookie Blue TV series.

Check out the TIFF website for all the details on this year’s Rising Stars!

The full press release can be found here.