EyeSteelFilm’s ANTOINE, directed by Laura Bari, opens at Cinema Beaubien this weekend! This multiple award-winning film is the chronicle of an energetic, exuberant 5-year-old named Antoine who has been blind since birth. The film will be presented with a special wireless soundtrack for the visually impaired. Laura Bari and Antoine himself will be present for question and answers.

Here is the TRIBECA Film Festival’s write up:

Antoine is a daring, poetic, and playful docudrama that intimately explores the life of this brilliant and unique boy who is fully integrated into the regular school system in Montreal. Director Laura Bari, with Antoine’s help, skillfully presents children’s uninhibited and creative thought processes while creating an extensive sensory experience for the viewer. Antoine treats his blindness as a minor interference—he’s an embracer of life, not afraid to ingest every possible moment. An inspiration to children and adults alike, Antoine’s real and imaginary lives are cleverly intertwined in this debut film, creating an homage to human resilience, optimism, and creativity.

Antoine, un film de laura bari, sera présenté au Cinéma Beaubien dès ce vendredi 2 octobre avec sous-titres anglais et avec, pour la première fois au Québec, une bande-son narrative.

Ce procédé permet aux personnes atteintes de déficiences visuelles de suivre un film par l’intermédiaire d’une piste sonore spécifique qui décrit ce qu’il se passe à l’écran. La piste étant transmise vers des écouteurs par infrarouge, cela permet de rendre chaque séance accessible au plus grand nombre.

Antoine sera présenté à 12h30, 14h40, 19h et 21h tous les jours à partir de ce vendredi. Plus il y a d’entrée le premier weekend, plus le film à de chance de rester au cinéma la semaine suivante. Alors aidez Antoine en assistant aux séances de cette fin de semaine ou simplement en diffusant cet email au plus grand nombre.

Cinema Beaubien:
2396 rue Beaubien Est
Montréal, QC H2G 1N2
(514) 721-6060

~from www.eyesteelfilm.com

In case you haven’t heard, the National Film Board, our beloved Canadian institution and co-pro partner, is 70 years old this year. To celebrate, they’ve opened their vaults and set the mad digitizing robots on some of their most beloved films, releasing them FOR FREE on the Internet. My personal favorite is THE MAD CANADIAN by Robert Fortier. Also of note from the EyeSteelFilm crowd: Sunrise over Tienanmen Square by Shuibo Wang, Earth To Mouth by Yung Chang, and Rip! A Remix Manifesto by Brett Gaylor (in chapters). Long live the NFB!

~from www.eyesteelfilm.com

Our website, HomelessNation.org, has just won a World Summit Award for best e-content! The website allows voices from the street to engage in peer-to-peer dialogues, learn skills, build self-esteem and share their lived experiences. HomelessNation.org competed against 20 000 projects from 157 countries participating in the United Nations based WSA e-content awards/ conference.

But despite four major awards over the past year, HomelessNation.org is desperately needs support to stay operational. There is a very easy way to donate small amounts to the project. Just click here: http://www.givemeaning.com/project/homelessnation

At the moment, until we find a new source of funding, we are 100% donation and volunteer-based. So any donation helps.

“This award honors the hundreds of thousands of homeless Canadians whose voices are building this diverse website and in the process strengthening their communities, educating Canadians and breaking down stereotypes. Today let us celebrate the accomplishments of the members of HomelessNation.org. Hopefully this recognition will help the project secure the funding it urgently needs to stay active ” Daniel Cross, President/Founder

Homeless Street Archive (HSA) is a not-for profit organization based in Montreal, Canada. In order to bridge the digital divide, documentary filmmaker Daniel Cross founded HSA and created www.HomelessNation.org in 2003. HomelessNation.org gives people on the street the opportunity to control their own voice and engage the public in a safe and supportive forum. Outreach workers with lived experience on the street, teach computer and media skills to facilitate self-expression, build self-esteem and strengthen community involvement. HSA helps individuals access resources, find housing and employment opportunities, re-connect with family and make healthier life choices to transition off the street. The website has 5000 members and has been growing quickly during these hard economic times.

The WSA is a flagship partner in the UN’s Global Alliance for ICT and Development and works in close collaboration with UNESCO, UNIDO, and ISOC. WSA was started as an initiative in the framework of the United Nations World Summit on Information Society in 2003. The WSA hosts the world’s leading contest for excellence and creativity in e- content production and is dedicated to bridging the digital divide.

For HomelessNation.org this WSA award marks the fourth such honor in the past 10 months, other recognitions include a Canadian New Media Award and a Society for New Communications Research Award. On September 1, 2009 the New Media Institute announced that HomelessNation.org had won a New Media Award. Despite these accolades, Homeless Nation desperately requires financial support to stay operational. The project is actively seeking corporate sponsorships, grants and donations. After a successful pilot program, HomelessNation.org finds itself without a budget and seeks core funding. Interested partners are urged to act quickly – without immediate assistance this exemplary project will be lost. HomelessNation.org was produced in collaboration with the National Film Board, Human Resources Development Canada, Canada Arts Council, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, Fonds de recherche sur la société et la culture, Concordia University, Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and EyeSteelFilm.
www.homelessnation.org

~from www.eyesteelfilm.com