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B.C. filmmaker on the Canadian front
Canadian Front 2007, the fourth annual showcase of Canadian cinema at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (until March 19), will include the debut feature Immigrant by local filmmaker Bojan Bodruzic . It is one of eight Canadian films, curated by MoMA's senior curator of the department of film and held in partnership with Telefilm Canada.

The documentarylike film, which was previously included in the Calgary and Whistler film festivals, will be shown for the first time outside Canada. It follows two stories about Bosnian immigrants adapting to Canadian life: in one, a young filmmaker travels to his birthplace of Sarajevo with his Canadian girlfriend; in the other, a widower is haunted by memories of life in his former country.

Although Bodruzic moved to Canada in 1994 from Bosnia, he says his formative years as a filmmaker have been here in this country. He completed a bachelor's degree in film production at SFU, and graduated in 2006 with a master's degree in creative writing and film production from UBC, where he began working on the film as his thesis. “When you come from Bosnia and have been a refugee, and all these things where you have to hide your identity because you might be ostracized for who you are,” he said in a phone interview, “when you come to a place that is so pluralized and that is just so obviously composed of different races, you feel like you belong.”

> Craig Takeuchi

Save Stargate's Scot
International Stargate: Atlantis fans, incensed by the death of the much-beloved and popular character Carson Beckett, a Scottish doctor played by Scottish-born Canadian actor Paul McGillion (who was seen as a tribute to Scotty of the original Star Trek series, played by Vancouver-born James Doohan), will voice their protest through a fierce display of…the bagpipes? A local traditional Scottish pipe band, the Highland Celts of Canada, has been hired with fan donations to play outside Bridge Studios in Burnaby next Thursday (March 22) at 1 p.m. for one hour. The Save Carson ( www.savecarson.com/ ) campaign's U.K. and Canada press coordinator TJ Jeffrey , on the line from Nottingham, England, said the performance was scheduled during the studio's lunch hour to avoid disruption to filming. “We thought ‘What's the best way to demonstrate that we're not happy but at the same time have a little sense of humour about it?'” she said. “It's very visual, and very emotive for the character.”

Jeffrey, who will attend the display while vacationing here, pointed out that Beckett was the only regular non–North American character on what is supposed to be an international team. “They're throwing away one of their biggest assets.”

The demonstration will be held just prior to the official 10th-anniversary Stargate convention next Friday to Sunday (March 23 to 25) at Hilton Metrotown.

> Craig Takeuchi

Space Centre brings planet into focus
After building its credentials on space exploration, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is about to bring Vancouver “back on our planet”, says Dee Mathie, marketing and development assistant for the facility.

Starting Monday (March 19), the Kits Point mainstay will host Planet in Focus , Canada's most-acclaimed environmental-film-and-video festival, which Mathie said will make up “Sustainable Spring Break” (March 19 to 24). PIF has run for eight years in Toronto and hits Vancouver for the first time this year.

“They have been doing PIF across Canada for many years,” Mathie told the Straight . “We had wanted to do something around economic and environmental sustainability. We have this auditorium, which doesn't always have a lot going on, and so we are really excited to be hosting this and showing the films.”

PIF features documentaries, animation, features, shorts, and “experimental works from around the globe”. Each day focuses on a different theme: food, energy, climate change, water, and transportation. Content will address weighty issues ranging from rising sea levels ( Washed Away ) to the problems of—and solutions to—NYC traffic ( Contested Streets: Breaking New York City Gridlock ).

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased either in person or at the Space Centre. (See www.spacecentre.ca/planetinfocus.htm for more information.) And don't be surprised if this festival becomes a regular fixture. According to Mathie: “Hopefully, people will come, realize we have the space, and we'll be able to host more film festivals in the future.”

> Matthew Burrows

B.C. writers represent
Among the finalists for the 2007 Canadian Screenwriting Awards announced by the Writers Guild of Canada are several B.C. contenders. Corner Gas 's “Outside Joke” episode, written by Vancouver-based Brent Butt and Kevin White, is nominated in the comedy and variety category. Both Godiva's (“Out the Door”, written by Michael MacLennan) and Intelligence (“Love and War”, by Chris Haddock) will compete for best one-hour drama series. The Robert Duncan–penned Medicare Schmedicare is a hopeful for best documentary, and Renegadepress.com's “This Is Your Brain on Love” (written by Sara Snow) is nominated in the best youth category.

Two of the three finalists for best feature are by Vancouver writers: Almost Heaven, by Shel Piercy and Richard Beattie; and Fido by Robert Chomiak, Andrew Currie, and Dennis Heaton. (For more Fido , see this week's cover story)

The awards ceremony will take place on April 23 at the Brant House in Toronto.

> Craig Takeuchi