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2023 Best Canadian Feature Film Award, Amplify Voices Awards, Short Cuts Awards, Changemaker Award, People’s Choice Awards, along with FIPRESCI and NETPAC film jury awards, close the Festival

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival® ― which concluded last evening with the Closing Night screening of Thom Zimny’s Sly at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall ―  has announced its award recipients for the 48th edition of the Festival.

“We’re grateful to all the audience members, artists, industry professionals, and supporters who graced Toronto’s cinemas, red carpets, meeting spaces, and streets,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. “As we recognize award winners today, we thank everyone who contributed to this glorious, collective gift.”

“From the most revered veterans to the freshest new voices, this year’s Festival played host to the diverse range of filmmakers Toronto is known for,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “And Toronto’s filmgoers turned up in huge numbers to be a part of the celebration. We’re grateful to our film jurors for their invaluable contributions, for championing emerging talent, and for enriching the film community with their expertise and passion.”

SHORT CUTS AWARDS

Short Cuts Awards are for Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. Each winning film will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD. The winners of the three awards are:

Short Cuts Award For Best Film: Electra, dir. Daria Kashcheeva

Jury’s statement: “Singular and accomplished, this sickly sweet nightmare of a film packs a mighty final punch. Visceral and infinitely textured, it leads us down a contorted rabbit hole with thematic and visual prowess. With great pleasure, the jury presents the Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film to Electra, directed by Daria Kashcheeva. Electra resonates with under-the-skin discomfort long after the film is over.”

Short Cuts Award For Best Canadian Film: Motherland, dir. Jasmin Mozaffari

Jury’s statement: “Displaying great mastery of craft, this incredibly ambitious film excels in its direction, performances, sound, and picture, with every frame exhibiting love and intention. The jury is pleased to present the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film to Motherland directed by Jasmin Mozaffari. The film left us with one word collectively: wow.”

Share Her Journey Award: Shé (Snake), dir. Renee Zhan

Jury’s statement: “For this film’s incredibly original and surreal creativity, which is matched with beautiful acting, the jury is thrilled to give the Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award to Renee Zhan for Shé (Snake). It’s not common to be bewitched by grotesque creatures in a film, but here they captured the hearts of the audience thanks to their humour and charm.”

Honourable Mention: Gaby’s Hills, dir. Zoé Pelchat

Jury’s statement: “Featuring an ensemble cast with incredible organic chemistry, Gaby’s Hills delivered a moving portrayal of a girl in puberty returning home to find her womanhood reflected back to her in the community. Carefully crafted with layered themes, the jury is delighted to present an honourable mention for the Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award to Gaby’s Hills, directed by Zoé Pelchat.”

The 2023 jurors for the Short Cuts Awards are Aisha Jamal, Araya Mengesha, and Shasha Nakhai.

NETPAC AWARD

The 2023 NETPAC jury members include: Sung Moon, Haolun Shu, and Lalita Krishna.

TIFF is delighted to announce that the 2023 NETPAC Jury has selected Jayant Digambar Somalkar’s A Match as this year’s NETPAC winner.

The 2023 NETPAC jury released the following statement: “First, the jury would like to express how impressed they were by the strong films in this category, which covered a range of social issues using diverse artistic styles. The jury gives an honourable mention to Mimang, where director Kim Taeyang created a lyrical tale through visuals of a changing city that perfectly captured the longing of its protagonists. The NETPAC award was instituted to promote Asian cinema and to bring international attention to independent and non-mainstream films focusing on the discovery of new talent. The jury commends the courage of this year’s winner, a first time feature director, for taking a risk and delivering a story that is enlightening and entertaining. The director worked with a cast of non-actors that not only resulted in a stellar performance, but achieved a level of authenticity needed to drive home the social message. An immersive portrayal of life in an Indian village, highlighting its oppressive patriarchal customs, the NETPAC award this year goes to A Match by Jayant Digambar Somalkar.”

FIPRESCI PRIZE

The 2023 FIPRESCI jury members include: Cem Altinsaray, Elijah Baron, Jindřiška Bláhová, Diego Faraone, and Jenni Zylka.

The jury is delighted to announce Seagrass, dir. Meredith Hama-Brown, as this year’s FIPRESCI winner.

The 2023 FIPRESCI jury released the following statement: “A married couple in crisis seems willing to give what is usually the last resource to save its bond: couples therapy, while they’re having a vacation at the Pacific coast together with their two daughters. Their contact with other couples is an inevitable temptation and a fire test. Meanwhile, their daughters confront the world, their fears, puberty — and the ghosts of unresolved conflicts of their parents. This intimate, endearing, and wonderfully framed first feature film by young Canadian actor and director Meredith Hama-Brown skillfully deals with subjects like masculinity, family taboos, motherhood, and structural anti-Asian racism. Hama-Brown carefully stages her convincing actors, especially the young ones, and even gives life to a tender relationship between a little girl and a ball.

We are happy to honour the film Seagrass with the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI Prize) at TIFF 2023.”

AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE

This year, Canada Goose will again present the Amplify Voices Awards to under-represented filmmakers in Canada. Feature films in Official Selection by Canadian BIPOC filmmakers are eligible for the Best Feature and Best First Feature Award. The Amplify Voices Award will also celebrate a Canadian BIPOC trailblazer, recognizing a producer who has made significant contributions to the Canadian film landscape. The three winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000 each, made possible by Canada Goose.

The three Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose winners are:

Amplify Voices Award – Best BIPOC Canadian Feature: Kanaval, dir. Henri Pardo

Jury’s statement: “There has never been a Canadian film that captures both magical realism and post-colonial trauma in such a beautiful, poetic, and convincing way. Seamless in the way the story has been weaved together, this film refuses to follow a linear storyline, understanding intimately how the past and future always exist in the present, and lifting centuries-old legacies into the cinema. Centered around the powerful and awe-inducing performance of newcomer Rayan Dieudonné, this film is an honest ode to the immigrant experience. The jury celebrates Kanaval and the singular cinematic talent of Henri Pardo.”

Amplify Voices Award for Best BIPOC Canadian First Feature Award: Tautuktavuk (What We See), dirs. Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk

Jury’s statement: “Through powerful self-representation, this story honours rituals that have been and rituals that are made anew, reflecting a rare purity in its filmmaking approach. The makers of this film powerfully capture truth in its most unadorned form, turning the camera inward to both look at and listen to themselves and their community, placing trust in and honouring the authenticity of their voices. The jury celebrates the co-directors of Tautuktavuk, Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk, for their work in powerfully navigating difficult and necessary conversations from a place of unapologetic ownership and unwavering communal care.”

The 2023 jurors for the Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose are V.T. Nayani, Nisha Pahuja, and Ricardo Acosta.

The Amplify Voices Award also celebrates a Canadian BIPOC Trailblazer, recognizing a producer who has made significant contributions to the Canadian film landscape.

The 2023 Amplify Voices Trailblazer Award was presented to Damon D’Oliveira, producer.

Damon is a veteran producer responsible for bringing to screen some of Canada’s most critically and commercially successful films and television (Brother, Rude, The Grizzlies, The Book of Negroes, and Wildhood). An early champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion both in front and behind the camera, Damon’s career has focused on producing content that centered underrepresented, racialized, and 2SLGBTQ+ voices. His latest film, Brother, directed by Clement Virgo, had its World Premiere at TIFF 2022 to strong critical acclaim and has been invited to a number of additional festivals including the Busan Film Festival, Sao Paulo Film Festival, and in Competition at the BFI London, Gothenburg, and Tromsø Film Festivals.

BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD

The 2023 Best Canadian Feature jury members include: V.T. Nayani, Susan Maggi, and Ricardo Acosta. TIFF is delighted to announce that the 2023 Jury has selected Solo, dir. Sophie Dupuis as this year’s Best Canadian Feature Film.

Jury’s statement: “Sophie Dupuis’s Solo is a specifically intimate and deeply affecting film, full of palpable care and honesty. Whatever your entry point to this film, there is a place for you as part of a larger story and conversation, which is more critical than ever. This coming-of-age narrative is ultimately a film about family, both blood and chosen, and the complications and beauties of both. And it is a story of love, in all of its iterations, of how it can both fail us and set us free.”

BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD HONORABLE MENTION: Kanaval, dir. Henri Pardo

Jury’s statement: “There has never been a Canadian film that captures both magical realism and post-colonial trauma through the singular lens of a young child, in such a beautiful, poetic, and convincing way. The jury is pleased to award an Honorable Mention to Henri Pardo’s Kanaval.”

CHANGEMAKER AWARD

The Changemaker Award is presented to a Festival film that explores issues relevant to young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment. The award embraces the power in young people seeing their communities represented on screen and celebrates the next generation of storytellers and changemakers in cinema. The winning film comes with a $10,000 CAD prize, and is selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world.

The 2023 jurors for the Changemaker Award are members of TIFF’s Next Wave Committee: Maggie Kane, Linc Guo, Serena Hao, Roni Harel Haber, Ray Wu, Naiya Forrester, Maya Al-Arami, Sara Rana, Daniel Leplae, Tara Sidhu, Tafadzwa Mangwiro, and Elizabeth Albrecht.

THE 2023 CHANGEMAKER AWARD is presented to We Grown Now, dir. Minhal Baig.

Minhal Baig offered this statement: “Thank you so much to the Next Wave Committee in recognizing We Grown Now for the Changemaker Award. When I first began interviewing former Cabrini-Green residents years ago, I was deeply moved and surprised by the experiences they shared with me. They spoke both of the challenges and joys of life in a public housing project. It was essential in making the film that we embrace that reality and present the high rises through the lens of children who called it home. Though the high rises have long since been demolished, Cabrini-Green remains an indelible part of the history of Chicago and public housing in America, and I hope the film sparks meaningful cultural conversation. I am beyond honoured that the Next Wave Committee has recognized the film and the importance of its social issues.”

TIFF’s Next Wave Committee provided this statement: “We Grow Now offers a compelling depiction of family and friendship within the backdrop of Chicago’s public housing project, Cabrini-Green. Frequently shadowed by the stereotypes of drugs, violence, and crime, this film strives to break the mold. Minhal dedicated a significant amount of time to connect with former residents of the now-demolished homes to learn their stories. The result is a profound and significant story of boyhood innocence and hope, and the struggle two young friends face as they grapple with the possibility of saying goodbye to each other. We were able to connect with this film because we saw friends and family in it, the struggles they face every day, and the parts of their lives we may never personally know. We believe in the self-discovery and power that comes from seeing your community represented in film. We know how dedicated Minhal is to tell stories that matter and that mean something to those they are about, and we hope that this award will aid her in her journey forward.”

PLATFORM AWARD

The Platform Award is an award of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the programme, selected by an in-person international jury. This year’s jury members are: Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki, and Anthony Shim.

The 2023 Platform Award is awarded to: Dear Jassi, dir. Tarsem Singh Dhandwar.

The Platform Jury released this statement: “Dear Jassi was a unanimous choice for this year’s Platform Award for its honest and poignant portrayal of a subject matter that still affects large portions of individuals forced to live under the inhumanity of bitter caste systems throughout the globe. The film has the perfect blend of craft, purpose, and faith in its audience, creating a world that is both richly cinematic and steadfastly realistic. The young leads, Yugam Sood and Pavia Sidhu, are by turns breathtaking and, in performances that pull no punches, heartbreaking. Altogether an emphatic work by director Tarsem Singh Dhandwar and his many wonderful collaborators; a film that would be worthy of accolades in any section and which we enthusiastically welcome into the pantheon of winners in this Platform section.”

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

For the 47th year, the People’s Choice Awards distinguish the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All films in TIFF’s Official Selection were eligible.

The TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner is Dicks: The Musical dir. Larry Charles.

The first runner-up is Kill dir. Nikhil Nagesh Bhat.

The second runner-up is Hell of a Summer dirs. Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk.

The TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award winner is Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe dir. Robert McCallum.

The first runner-up is Summer Qamp dir. Jen Markowitz.

The second runner-up is Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa dir. Lucy Walker.

The TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Award winner is: American Fiction dir. Cord Jefferson.

The first runner-up is The Holdovers dir. Alexander Payne.

The second runner-up is The Boy and the Heron dir. Hayao Miyazaki.

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For more information, contact Alejandra Sosa, Director, Communications at masosa@tiff.net

The 2023 Best Canadian Feature Film Award, Amplify Voices Awards, Short Cuts Awards, Changemaker Award, People’s Choice Awards, along with FIPRESCI and NETPAC film jury awards, to be announced at the close of TIFF

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival® is delighted to announce its Award categories, jury members, and prizes for 2023, along with the return of three distinguished international film juries to honour outstanding works in this year’s lineup. The juries, featuring renowned film critics and filmmakers, include five members for FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics; three jurors for NETPAC, the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema; and three jurors for Platform (previously announced). All awards will be announced on September 17 at the annual Awards Breakfast at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Details to follow in the coming weeks.

“A crucial component of the film industry’s ecosystem, the annual awards presented by TIFF are dedicated to honouring creativity, vision, and excellence,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Every year, we unite to applaud the diverse array of cinematic voices with the support of respected colleagues from the global industry, and this year will be no exception.”

BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD

TIFF continues to celebrate the unique craft and storytelling within Canadian cinema with the Best Canadian Feature Film Award. All 27 Canadian feature films in Official Selection — ranging from debut features to documentaries to films from well-established directors — will be considered for the award.

AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE

Canada Goose embraces diversity in all its forms and definitions, including the technique and passion that transports storytelling to the screen. This year, Canada Goose will again present the Amplify Voices Awards to under-represented filmmakers in Canada. Feature films in Official Selection by Canadian BIPOC filmmakers are eligible for the Best Feature and Best First Feature Award. The Amplify Voices Award will also celebrate a Canadian BIPOC trailblazer, recognizing a producer who has made significant contributions to the Canadian film landscape. The three winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000 each, made possible by Canada Goose. The jurors are:

V.T. Nayani is a multi-hyphenate storyteller working across the screen industries. She is an alumni of the Canadian Film Centre, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, The Gotham, and BIPOC TV & Film. Nayani’s feature directorial debut, This Place, premiered at TIFF in 2022.

Nisha Pahuja’s documentary credits include To Kill a Tiger, which won the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature in 2022 and fifteen other awards. Other directorial credits include The World Before Her (2012), which received an Emmy nomination, and Diamond Road (2008).

Ricardo Acosta is a film editor, script consultant, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Canadian Cinema Editors. His editing and story consulting credits include Once Upon a Time in Venezuela (2020), The Letter (2019), The Silence of Others (2018), Sembene! (2015), and Marmato (2014). His films have premiered at Sundance, Cannes, and IDFA, among other international film festivals.

SHORT CUTS AWARDS

Films in the Short Cuts programme are eligible for three jury-selected Short Cuts Awards: Best Short Film, Best Canadian Short Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best short film by a woman filmmaker. These awards provide each of the three winners with a bursary of $10,000 CAD to help them continue achieving success in their careers. Short Cuts Awards Jurors are:

Aisha Jamal is an Afghan Canadian filmmaker and film programmer. Since 2016, she has been programming Canadian films for the Hot Docs Documentary Festival. Her feature debut A Kandahar Away premiered in 2019 and is now playing on Documentary Channel and screening on CBC Gem in Canada. Her previous short films have played at venues and festivals worldwide.

Araya Mengesha is an Ethiopian Eritrean award-winning filmmaker and actor. His co-written/directed short film DEFUND was a TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten 2021 selection after its World Premiere at TIFF ’21, collecting wins and nominations along the festival circuit, as well as becoming a Vimeo Staff Pick. As an actor, he is a Gemini Award (now called Canadian Screen Award) winner, CSA Best Lead Performer (Digital Series), and multi–ACTRA Award nominee. Currently in development is the feature film The Section based on the short work TEF, which Mengesha wrote and starred in during his residency at the Canadian Film Centre.

Shasha Nakhai is a Toronto-based storyteller with more than a decade of experience. Her work has aired on the BBC, CBC, ZDF, and Arte; screened at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); been nominated for 16 Canadian Screen Awards; named as part of TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten; and shortlisted for an Oscar.

CHANGEMAKER AWARD

The Changemaker Award is presented to a feature film in Official Selection that explores issues relevant to young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment. The award embraces the power in young people seeing their communities represented on screen and celebrates the next generation of storytellers and changemakers in cinema. The winning film is selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world. All Next Wave–selected films in Official Selection are eligible, and the winning director(s) receives $10,000 CAD. In 2022, the Changemaker Award went to Luis De Filippis’ Something You Said Last Night.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

A longstanding tradition at TIFF, the People’s Choice Award is celebrating its 46th year, and TIFF audience members are encouraged to vote for their favourite films online at tiff.net/vote. All feature films in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible for this Award. TIFF has two other Awards also voted on by the audience: the People’s Choice Documentary Award and the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. The 2022 winners are The Fabelmans, Black Ice, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

FIPRESCI JURY

The FIPRESCI Prize is presented by an international jury selected by the International Federation of Film Critics. Founded in 1930, the Federation awards the prize at international film festivals and film festivals of particular importance to promote film-art and to encourage new and young cinema. The FIPRESCI Jury will award the Prize of International Critics, dedicated to emerging filmmakers for the 30th year, to one feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery programme. Last year’s winner was A Gaza Weekend. The 2023 FIPRESCI jurors are:

Cem Altinsaray is a film critic with 28 years of experience in writing, editing, creating, and publishing movie magazines. He is now focused on enjoying and spreading his love of cinema at MUBI.

Elijah Baron is a Montreal-based film critic, translator, and editor, mostly known for his affiliation with 24 images, one of Quebec’s leading and oldest French-language film magazines.

Jindřiška Bláhová is a film critic and film industry analyst for the leading Czech weekly Respekt, an editor-in-chief of the film magazine Cinepur, and a film historian.

Diego Faraone is a Uruguayan film critic and journalist. He collaborated in publications such as Dossier, El Boulevard, Guía 50, and Argentinian websites Revista Caligari and Otros Cines, among others.

Jenni Zylka is a freelance writer focusing on film, media, and music. She is head of the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section of the Berlinale.

NETPAC JURY

Presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema, the NETPAC Award recognizes films specifically from the Asian and Pacific region. The jury consists of three members of the international community selected by TIFF and NETPAC, who award the prize to the best film by an emerging Asian and/or Pacific Islander filmmaker in the Centrepiece and Discovery programmes. In 2022, the NETPAC Award went to Sweet As. The 2023 NETPAC Award jurors are:

Sung Moon, 2023 NETPAC Jury Chair, is a programmer at the Jeonju International Film Festival.

Haolun Shu is a Shanghai-based filmmaker and teaches film directing and screenwriting at Shanghai Film Academy.

Lalita Krishna is the Co-Chair of Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. She is a critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker.

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The Toronto International Film Festival takes place September 7–17, 2023.

TIFF will respect SAG-AFTRA protocols regarding the participation of its members at the Festival.

For more information, contact Alejandra Sosa, Director, Communications at masosa@tiff.net

Courtesy tiff 2023

Synopsis:

A rich, spoilt, and debonair young mid-level banking manager has a woman problem, which makes him only see them from the sexual angle. He and his delectable female cousin who is a nurse find love with each other. His cousin’s fiancé, a senior police officer suffers abandonment from her on account of her intense attachment to her cousin. When he finds out why his fiancée is not always available to him whenever he wants her, the police officer will put an unthinkable mechanism in place to punish them without laying a finger on, or raising a voice against his beloved fiancée, but he did not see the possibilities that will follow as both cousins join forces to fight him in what becomes a fierce and famous legal battle in court.

OFFICIAL TRAILER

KEY CAST:

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY – OSEZUAH ANTHONY ELIMIHE

Osezuah Anthony Elimihe is a Nigerian whose parents are from Edo State, Midwestern Nigeria. He is graduate of English and Literature from the prestigious University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. Post-graduation, Osezuah having chosen the motion picture business as his career path, began work with DBN TV, and later moved to the African Children Broadcasting Network, Nigeria Chapter, before landed a job at Media International Ltd where he honed his skills in writing and directing. He will later join the then Rosabel Leo Burnett as agency producer in 2022.

With few awards in his kitty like *Agency Man if the Year*, *Management Man of the Year*, and some LAIF Awards for some of his TV commercials for Coca-Cola Nigeria and UBA, he would later resign in 2010 to continue “the real reason” he came to Lagos-to produce movies. His first few attempts met with some shocks though laced with some light as his first movie *First Cause* had multiple nominations, and one of which was  in the *Movie of the Year* category in Best of Nollywood Awards, and his next MANIAC only went as far as being screened at the 2016 Eko International Film Festival.

With an additional background in Mind Management acquired from bespoke courses from the Celebrity Centre, Franklin, Hollywood, Los Angeles between 2014 and 2020, Osezuah understands what it means to organize his energy for good by editing his thoughts and feelings.

PICS FROM THE MOVIE PREMIERE

Over the years the James bond role have been played by

Sean Connery (1962–1967, 1971, 1983)

David Niven (1967)

George Lazenby (1969)

Roger Moore (1973–1985)

Timothy Dalton (1987–1989)

Pierce Brosnan (1995–2002)

Daniel Craig (2006–2021).

James Bond director Martin Campbell has said he doesn’t think the next 007 will be Black or female.

With Daniel Craig having vacated the role of the suave spy after five films, there has been much talk about who the next Bond will be.

Fans have got plenty of ideas, with Luther star Idris Elba, Venom’s Tom Hardy, The Women King’s Lashana Lynch and Sex Education’s Gillian Anderson all coming up.

However, Campbell – who was at the helm of 1995’s Golden Eye and 2006’s Casino Royale – has said he thinks Bond bosses will stick to writer Ian Fleming’s vision of the character.

Asked if the agent could be Black or a woman, he told Express.co.uk: “Honestly, it’s not going to happen. None of (those suggestions will) because that’s the way the books are set up, that’s the way Fleming wrote them.

“And of course, there’s all this everyone screaming diversity, ‘Time to have a Black Bond’, ‘What about a female Bond?’ The answer would be no. I don’t think it’ll happen for a second.”

Campbell said while a Black actor or female could certainly slip into the tux, his feeling was “that they will want to keep the brand as is”.

Courtesy Supple Magazine

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy’s Board of Governors has approved new requirements to broaden the public theatrical exhibition criteria for Oscars® eligibility in the Best Picture category starting with the 97th Academy Awards®, for films released in 2024.

Upon completion of an initial qualifying run, currently defined as a one-week theatrical release in one of the six U.S. qualifying cities, a film must meet the following additional theatrical standards for Best Picture eligibility:

• Expanded theatrical run of seven days, consecutive or non-consecutive, in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets, no later than 45 days after the initial release in 2024.

• For late-in-the-year films with expansions after January 10, 2025, distributors must submit release plans to the Academy for verification.

• Release plans for late-in-the-year films must include a planned expanded theatrical run, as described above, to be completed no later than January 24, 2025.

• Non-U.S. territory releases can count towards two of the 10 markets.

• Qualifying non-U.S. markets include the top 15 international theatrical markets plus the home territory for the film.

“As we do every year, we have been reviewing and assessing our theatrical eligibility requirements for the Oscars,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.  “In support of our mission to celebrate and honor the arts and sciences of moviemaking, it is our hope that this expanded theatrical footprint will increase the visibility of films worldwide and encourage audiences to experience our artform in a theatrical setting.  Based on many conversations with industry partners, we feel that this evolution benefits film artists and movie lovers alike.”

Eligibility for achievements in the various discipline categories will not be impacted by this requirement.

For information on awards rules, visit oscars.org/rules.

Severtson Screens, a global leader in innovative and quality projection screens for the home theater, commercial, pro AV, and cinema markets, has been unveiled as the official SCREEN partner for the 1st Lagos International Film and Cinema Convention, LIFACC 2023.

Mr. Theophilus Akatugba, the Founder of LIFACC and CEO of OVUETA, organizers of the event announced this in a statement released Friday 9th June 2023.
According to him, all the screens to be mounted during the convention, which is billed to hold from July 20th to 22nd, at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos, will be supplied by the United States-based global leader in projection screen technology.

Also, Dan Maxwell the Vice President of the company is expected to make a special presentation at the convention. Besides, the company will display some of its latest technological breakthroughs.
Founded in 1986, Severtson Corporation is a member of the International Cinema Technology Association. The company continues to be a global leader in innovation and quality.

Severtson will be at LIFACC 2023 with a showcase of its massive production capabilities and an unusually wide array of screens. The screens range in size from massive movie theaters to comfortable home theaters, and everything in between. Meanwhile, partnering with the organizers of LIFACC 2023, will not only expand the market for the company, but also, it will allow African filmmakers and cinema owners to experience a diversity of technological breakthroughs that will help them to improve the quality of their cinema patrons’ experience.

Courtesy Supple Magazine 

The Silverbird Group has agreed to partner with the organizers of the forthcoming Lagos International Film and Convention 2023, to make the world-class event a huge success.

This cheery news was disclosed by the Chairman of the Group, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce on Tuesday, June 6th, 2023 when Mr Theophilus Akatugba, Founder and CEO of LIFACC paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Lagos.
According to Mr. Akatugba, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce will be delivering the Keynote address during the opening ceremony of LIFACC on the 20th of July 2023, at the Radisson Blu Ikeja, Lagos.

Senator Bruce, who was very excited by the concept and preparation for the Maiden Edition of LIFACC, pledged his full support for the event while commending Ovueta Nigeria Limited, the organizers of LIFACC for their vision to create a platform where stakeholders can come together to interact, network and chart a new direction for the motion picture industry in Nigeria and Africa.
Speaking further, Senator Murray- Bruce stated that while the convention lasts, participants will have the rare opportunity to have first-hand knowledge of Silverbird Cinemas and Film Distribution’s new business policies as they visit its stand.

The Silverbird Group, which has a long history in the Nigerian media and entertainment sector will bring its cinema exhibition and distribution pioneering position coupled with its experience operating across Africa and the rest of the continent, as well as its studio facilities and network to bear at the convention.
Established in 1980, Ben Murray-Bruce’s Silverbird Group through its Silverbird Galleria which was founded in 2004, revolutionized the cinema culture in Nigeria. The Galleria pioneered the first five-screen Cineplex in sub-Saharan Africa.
Silverbird Cinemas also to date owns the largest cinema chain in West Africa with several locations in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo, and Ghana. More locations are still springing up in some parts of Nigeria.

Recall that before the advent of Silverbird Galleria, movie enthusiasts were left with no option other than resorting to the local content on terrestrial TV stations and PayTV platforms. Then, the movies came in the form of VCDs and later, when DVDs were introduced, producers began to move with the trend, churning out several movies in the video format. But today, with the return of the cinema culture in Nigeria, and Africa at large as pioneered by Ben Murray Bruce’s Silverbird Cinemas, several producers have seemingly found a way of evading the menace of pirates by taking their movies for public viewing.

Not only that, many cinema houses have sprung up in different nooks and crannies of society as the demand keeps growing. Some of them include cinema giants like IMAX, FilmHouse, Genesis Deluxe, Viva Cinema, Ozone Cinemas, and Octopus Cinema to mention but a few. All courtesy to Bruce’s vision.
The organizers of LIFACC are proud to announce Silverbird Group as Partner for this inaugural edition.

Courtesy Supple Magazine