Limited Run Of François Girard's Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould

Toronto – Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group, presents François Girard's breakthrough film Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) in cities across Canada on the 15th anniversary of its release and on the heels of a year-round celebration of Gould’s life and work organized by the Glenn Gould Foundation. An exclusive limited run of the film screens in Toronto at the Royal Cinema (608 College Street West) from November 14. The film will also screen at the Winnipeg Cinematheque in December and at the Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa and Pacific Cinematheque in Vancouver in January 2009.

Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould is a compelling and striking exploration of the idiosyncratic world of Gould’s ideas and music, from his thoughts on technology and northern climates to his fondness for prescription drugs. Sumptuously photographed and designed as 32 separate visual and sound fragments, it uses drama, documentary, animation and performance art to provide insight into the life and work of the enigmatic Canadian genius. Colm Feore’s performance as Gould is genuinely astounding and intimate, immersing viewers in the musician’s universe.

Written by Don McKellar and Girard with a rare combination of playfulness and conceptual rigour, the film remains one of the most successful Canadian films of all time and boasts an enormous cult following. The cast includes McKellar, Gerry Quigley, David Hughes, Bruno Monsaingeon, Yehudi Menuhin, Peter Millard, Carlo Rota, Katya Ladan and Gale Garnett.

Born in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Girard has directed numerous international experimental shorts, music videos, video installations and feature films. He has directed such operas as Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Wagner’s Siegfried and such plays as Franz Kafka’s The Trial and Alessandro Baricco’s Novecento. His three internationally acclaimed features, Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993), The Red Violin (1998) and Silk (2007) each screened at the Toronto International Film Festival® and garnered numerous awards.

Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould screened as part of the Canadian Open Vault during the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Canadian Open Vault presents recently restored, iconic Canadian films and is a key part of the Toronto International Film Festival Group's commitment to the preservation and presentation of classic Canadian cinema. Past Canadian Open Vault films include Francis Mankiewicz's Les Bons Dèbarras, Peter Pearson's Paperback Hero, Michel Brault's Entre la mer et l'eau douce, Peter Carter's The Rowdyman, Ted Kotcheff's The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Gilles Carle's La Vraie Nature de Bernadette, Philip Borsos' The Grey Fox, Don Shebib's Goin' Down the Road, René Delacroix and Gratien Gélinas's Tit-Coq, and Claude Jutra's Mon oncle Antoine.

Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG), provides transformative experience to filmgoers in under served communities through access to Canadian and international independent films they would otherwise not have the opportunity to see. With 190 groups across Canada, Film Circuit is essential in helping TIFFG build markets and audiences for Canadian work. Film Circuit is the recipient of the Peter F. Drucker Award for Canadian Nonprofit Innovation presented by the Peter F. Drucker Canadian Foundation. For more information, visit filmcircuit.ca.

Film Circuit is generously supported by Bell, Telefilm Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Ontario Arts Council, Cineplex Entertainment LP, The McLean Foundation, Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada and Department of Canadian Heritage.
Canadian Open Vault is made possible with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Thank you to the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation for their support.

Bell Lightbox
Currently under construction in downtown Toronto, Bell Lightbox is soon to be the world's leading destination for film lovers. This major new cultural institution on the Canadian and international landscape will be structured around five state-of-the-art cinemas celebrating film from around the world. Bell Lightbox programming will give context to films through innovative cross-media exhibitions, lectures, and film-related learning opportunities for all ages. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, Bell Lightbox's fluid design encourages exploration, movement and play within its soaring atriums.

The campaign to build Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell. The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario each have contributed $25 million to realize Bell Lightbox. A gift of more than $22 million has been confirmed from the Reitman family – acclaimed filmmaker Ivan Reitman and his sisters Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels – and The Daniels Corporation, who together form the King and John Festival Corporation. The project is also supported by RBC as Major Sponsor and Official Bank, Visa†, Copyright Collective of Canada, NBC Universal Canada, The Allan Slaight Family, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, CIBC, and many other individuals and corporations. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals have also contributed to the campaign. The total amount raised to date is $147 million, three quarters of the total campaign of $196 million. For more information on the Bell Lightbox campaign, visit belllightbox.ca.

We are a charitable, not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Our vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image.

                                                                                      -30-

For more information please contact the Communications Department at 416-934-3200 or proffice@tiffg.ca.