Lights! Camera! Action!

Sneak-a-peek at TIFF!

Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the country's most vibrant arts organizations. Shadow TIFF's Executive Director Michèle Maheux for a day as she oversees the many different aspects of this dynamic operation: take a private hard-hat-tour of Toronto's most anticipated new venue and TIFF's new home, Bell Lightbox; sit in on planning meetings for Sprockets, Festival 2010, other programming initiatives and the opening plans for Bell Lightbox; Round off this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by enjoying 2 free passes to the Closing Night Gala for Festival 2010.

Further details to follow.

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Deepa Mehta

Be Deepa Mehta’s personal assistant!

Have you always wanted to direct? Find out what it takes as you spend 2 full days as the personal assistant to award-winning Canadian director Deepa Mehta on the set of her next project.

Specific tasks will be defined closer to the beginning of the shoot.

Note:
The date, time and location of the Deepa experience are to be determined. The project is scheduled to take place in either Toronto or Vancouver late next year. If the location is Vancouver, the winner of this experience is responsible for his/her own transportation to B.C.

The TIFF portion of this experience will take place during summer 2010.

About Michèle Maheux & TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG) is a charitable, not-for-profit, cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image.

About Deepa Mehta

Deepa Mehta
Director, Producer & Screenwriter

Deepa Mehta was born in India and received a degree in philosophy from the University of New Delhi. In 1991, Mehta produced and directed her first feature film Sam & Me, the poignant story of an unlikely friendship between two outcasts who form a deep and permanent bond despite the fact that neither is welcome in the other's world. Sam & Me won the very first Honorable Mention by the Critics in the prestigious Camera D'Or category at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.

In 1992, she directed a one-hour episode of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (the adventures of Indiana Jones as a boy) produced by George Lucas for ABC television. "Benares" was filmed on location in Benares, India.

In 1993, Mehta directed her second feature film, Camilla, a Canadian / UK co-production starring (the late) Jessica Tandy and Bridget Fonda. Other cast members included Elias Koteas, Maury Chaykin, Graham Greene and Hume Cronyn. It was shot on location in Toronto, Ontario and Savannah, Georgia. Camilla had a worldwide release early in 1995. Mehta directed the final episode of George Lucas's Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1994. “Travels with Father” was shot on location in Prague, C.R. and Greece.

Fire, Mehta's third feature film, based on an original screenplay, was written, directed and produced by Mehta. Fire opened the Perspective Canada Program at the 1996 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was runner-up (with Fly Away Home) for the Air Canada People’s Choice Award. It was one of 29 films selected from over 1400 entries, worldwide, for the prestigious New York Film Festival. At the Vancouver International Film Festival, Fire won the Federal Express Award for Best Canadian Film as chosen by the audience. At the Chicago International Film Festival, it won two Silver Hugo Awards for Best Direction and Best Actress. In Mannheim, Fire won the Jury Award and in Paris, it was voted Favourite Foreign Film. Fire has currently been sold to 30 countries and had its North American release on August 22, 1997, followed by releases in Europe, Australia and India in September 1997.

Earth, based on Bapsi Sidhwa's critically acclaimed novel, Cracking India, is the second film in Mehta's trilogy of the elements, Fire, Earth and Water. Earth was shot in New Delhi, India, in January of 1998. It had its world premiere as a Special Presentation at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival where it was received with a standing ovation and critical acclaim. Earth won the Prix Premiere du Public at the Festival du film Asiatique de Deauville (France) in March 1999 and the Critics' Award at the Schermi d'Amore International Film Festival (Italy) in April of the same year. Currently, Earth has been sold to 22 countries and was selected by the Film Federation of India as India's nomination for consideration for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. Her film Bollywood/ Hollywood opened the Perspective Canada Program at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival, and has remained in the top 10 grossing English movies since its Canadian opening on October 25, 2002. In 2003, Mehta co-wrote and directed Republic of Love, starring Bruce Greenwood and Amelia Fox, and based on the novel of the same title by the world-renowned author Carol Shields. In the same year, Mehta won the prestigious CineAsia “Best Director” Award – an acclaim awarded to Steven Spielberg in 2002.

Water, the third film in the “elements” trilogy, opened the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Water is the first Canadian film ever acquired by U.S. distributor Fox Searchlight and was released in the United States in the spring of 2006. Initially, Water was to be shot in India, but Hindu fundamentalists created riots, burnt the sets and issued death threats to the director and actors forcing the film to stop production in early 2000. The film was remounted and completed shooting in Sri Lanka in June 2004.

Water has played many film festivals in North America and internationally, winning festival awards in Sudbury, Edmonton, Italy, Valladolid, Bangkok and San Francisco. The film received the Taormina Arte Awards for Cinematic Excellence in 2006. Water received the Golden Kinnaree Awards for best picture from the Bangkok International Film Festival. The film was nominated for nine Genie awards, winning three. The Vancouver Film Critics Circle named Deepa Mehta the Best Director of a Canadian Film in 2006. More recently, the film was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

In June of 2008 Mehta received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University for her achievements in the arts. In July of 2008 Mehta received an International Tribute from the Republic of Mexico and its various film and cultural institutions for her outstanding career in film.

Mehta’s latest film, Heaven On Earth, is about immigration, isolation and the power of imagination. Starring Preity Zinta, the film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008 and was awarded a Silver Hugo for Best Actress at the Chicago International Film Festival. It also received Best Screenplay award at the Dubai International Film Festival and the Youth Jury Award a the Schermi d’Amore Film Festival in Verona, Italy.

FILMOGRAPHY
SAM AND ME 1991
CAMILLA 1994
FIRE 1996
EARTH 1998
BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD 2002
REPUBLIC OF LOVE 2003
WATER 2004
LETS TALK ABOUT IT 2006
HEAVEN ON EARTH 2008

Arrangements for these experiences will be made directly between the bidder and the mentorship provider.

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About Michèle Maheux & TIFF

About Deepa Mehta

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