The GATE

Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in Disney’s John Carter

On Friday, Friday, March 9, Disney’s John Carter opens in theatres across Canada and The GATE is thrilled to offer you a chance to see the film first in five cities across the country.

In partnership with Walt Disney Studios Canada, we’re giving away fifteen double passes for screenings of John Carter on Wednesday, March 7 at 7:00 PM in Toronto, Waterloo, Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton.

Enter here…

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Despite three entries at Sundance, Canadian documentaries are in dire shape
With three documentaries in competition, a feature film in the spotlight and a buzz-ready debut in premieres, this year’s Canadian contingent at the Sundance Film Festival may be the best in recent memory. But while official agencies have been quick to put out logo-laden news releases and party invitations celebrating our success, filmmakers say it’s no time to wave the Maple Leaf.

The Canadian funding system that gave birth to hometown heroes in the past, and the very core of the documentary tradition spawned by John Grierson, has been eroding in recent years, as a result of continuing budget cuts and shrinking broadcast windows.

Documentary production in Canada declined to its lowest level in six years, resulting in rising unemployment in the documentary field as a whole, according to Getting Real, a March 2011 report prepared by the Documentary Organization of Canada.

“Essentially, we are finding less and less support,” says Peter Wintonick, a veteran documentary director and producer who attended Sundance in years past with projects such as Manufacturing Consent, a film about linguistic guru Noam Chomsky. (Illustration by Andrew Barr)

As someone who lives and breaths entertainment, the problem I have with these comments is that it would be nice if Canadian filmmakers could find ways to become financially independent of government funding.

If I had one wish, it would be that government funding would be reserved for new and emerging filmmakers and artists, while established artists would ply their trade with companies.

The problem right now is that Canada just doesn’t have enough commercially viable movies on the market to create a production industry that can support itself. If anything, I’d like to see funding going to that concept instead, rather than feeding artists directly.

Just my two cents.

In honour of Canada Day and the upcoming Winnie the Pooh movie, Disney is showing off their beloved character’s Canadian roots with this little photo of Pooh holding a Canadian flag.

For those who don’t know, here’s the story of Pooh’s Canadian origins, courtesy of Disney:

Winnie the Pooh’s Canadian connection began in August of 1914 when a young veterinarian from Winnipeg, Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, enlisted in the Canadian army.  Harry boarded a train bound for Quebec along with his regiment.  Along the way, the train made a stop in White River, Ontario.  While there, on a station platform, Harry spotted a hunter carrying an orphaned black bear cub.  Harry decided to purchase the bear for $20 and bring her along with him to Quebec.  It was at this time that Harry chose to name the bear Winnie after his home city of Winnipeg.  Harry grew quite fond of Winnie and after a short time together in Quebec, they sailed to England.  While camped at Salisbury Plain, Winnie stayed in Colebourn’s tent, slept under his cot, and became a favourite among the Canadian soldiers.  So much so, that she became the official mascot of the regiment.  When Lt. Coleburn’s unit was ordered to the battlefields of France, Harry arranged for Winnie to stay at the London Zoo.  When Harry returned to London after the war, he intended to bring Winnie back home with him.  However, he quickly realized how popular Winnie had become with the children that visited the zoo.  Harry decided to donate Winnie to the London Zoo and he returned home to Winnipeg.

One of the many visitors to the London Zoo was a young boy by the name Christopher Robin Milne.  Winnie was Christopher Robin’s favourite attraction at the zoo and he even renamed his teddy bear, Winnie the Pooh, after her.  It was around this time that Christopher’s father, A.A. Milne, began writing stories based on the adventures of his son’s stuffed animals.  A.A. Milne wrote a series of books about Winnie the Pooh, his son Christopher Robin, and all of their friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.  The rest is history and now you know the true origins of how our favourite, silly old bear got his name!

Winnie The Pooh opens in theatres on July 15.

Molson Coors, the fine folks behind Corona Extra and Molson Canadian, really want you to buy beer this summer.

Their fun fact-filled infographic notes that the company will celebrate their 225th birthday this year, that the maple leaf on the Molson Canadian bottle predates the one on the Canadian flag, and—oh yeah—this summer Canadians will consume 1.9 billion servings of beer.

Challenge accepted.

[View the full-sized image here.]

Win passes to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’

Enter for a chance to win a double pass to one of The GATE’s 3D advance screenings of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides starring Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz, presented by Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Pirates opens in theatres in 3D on May 20, but you can enter for a chance to walk the plank first with screenings in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa and Winnipeg on Wednesday, May 18.

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Shad accepts his award for Rap Recording of the year at the Juno Gala & Awards dinner

The Great White North didn’t get this nickname for nothing. Wintertime adventure abounds, and you can ski till May.
By Masa Takei

Say “Canada” and many people think ice and snow. Despite the unseasonably warm spring-like weather, February’s Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games likely underscored this perception, with millions watching as we turned our white into gold. The home-turf terrain and natural resources certainly helped our athletes. But you don’t need to be an Olympian to sample the epic sporting and recreational possibilities our deep drifts afford.

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