Katie Chang is from Chicago, Illinois, and a fresh face in the Hollywood scene. However, don’t let that fool you. She is a powerhouse talent making her mark very quickly, recently starring in Rob Meyer’s A Birder’s Guide to Everything, opposite Ben Kingsley, Kodi Smit-McPhee and James Le Gros. The film premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival where we had an opportunity to chat with her.

Of course, as much as A Birder’s Guide to Everything was the primary subject of discussion, we had to ask her about another exciting project: Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, opening soon worldwide. Chang plays Rebecca Ahn, a character based on real-life convict Rachel Lee; leader of the notorious gang Bling Ring responsible for an infamous string of burglaries that left Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox, among others, without thousands of dollars of their personal property.

Much of the hype around The Bling Ring has been around Emma Watson, and rightly so. It is Emma Watson! However, folks need to be introduced to the real star of the film, Katie Chang, a young actress who has kicked-off what will be a pretty awesome career.

The Bling Ring premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival on May 16 and will make its North American debut at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 9th. The film will have its wide release on June 14, 2013.

The post Katie Chang chats about Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring and A Birder’s Guide to Everything appeared first on The Arts Scene.

The May 16th performance at the NAC opened with the premiere of composer Ana Sokolovic’s Ringelspiel, a work specifically commissioned by the National Arts Centre orchestra. Although she was born in Yugoslavia, Sokolovic now lives in Montréal, teaching at the Université de Montréal where she received her Master’s degree. As she explained via a brief video introduction to the work, Ringelspiel is Austrian German for “merry-go-round”. Indeed, the piece used various mechanical sounds and circular motion to conjure up images of a once-grand fair ride cranking to life at the opening, labouring through its circuit, and finally breaking down at the conclusion. Sokolovic, who sat in the audience for the performance and appeared onstage afterwards, appeared thrilled by its execution at the hands of conductor Ainars Rubikis.

After exposure to a brand new work, concertgoers were presented with Ludwig van Beethoven’s decidedly better-known Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, featuring Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin. First performed in Vienna in 1808 and considered radical at the time, the piece does not fail to delight and surprise audiences even in 2013. Throughout this performance, the interplay between soloist and orchestra was highlighted, as Hamelin and the NAC orchestra conversed beautifully to create a whole that was, indeed, greater than the sum of its already outstanding parts. Both soloist and instrumentalists were allowed to shine, as the two remained divided throughout most of the concerto until concluding triumphantly united. Hamelin, who was born in Montréal and began studying piano at the age of five, offered a delicate touch to juxtapose the expressive orchestra, and received an overwhelming and well-deserved standing ovation after his performance.

The second half of the program consisted of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major, commonly referred to as “The Great”. This work, the final symphony Schubert completed before his early death at the age of thirty-one, maintains a high level of energy and a lively pace throughout, keeping an audience breathless and riveted. The expressive passages and grand musical statements offered herein were perfectly suited to a conductor with a flare for the dramatic.

Originally conducted – and lauded – by legendary composer Felix Mendelssohn, “The Great” remained in talented hands, as dynamic Latvian conductor Ainars Rubikis masterfully led the work. Rubikis, who made his Canadian premiere with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra only last year, conducted with energy, expression, and enthusiasm, often abandoning his baton and throwing his entire body into his passionate direction. Rubikis’s excitement seemed to infect not only the audience but the always-splendid NAC orchestra as well as they delivered this lengthy yet invigorating symphony. A beautiful oboe solo by Charles Hamann was especially noteworthy.

Any evening spent with the NAC orchestra promises to be memorable. One that offered the opportunity to experience as much as was presented during this performance in particular, however, was truly unforgettable.

Photos & musical information accredited to the National Arts Centre

The post Schubert’s “The Great” at the NAC featuring Ainars Rubikis (Conductor) and Marc-André Hamelin (Piano) appeared first on The Arts Scene.

Daniel Gillies is best known for playing Dr. Joel Goran on the Canadian series Saving Hope – along side Erica Durance and Michael Shanks - as well as Elijah Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries. Gillies was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and moved to New Zealand with his parents at the age of five. He moved to Australia to boost his career, returning to Canada for a short bit before finally settling down in Los Angeles. He has guest starred in a number of notable shows, including True Blood, NCIS and The Glades. He has been cast in the The Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals, due to air in late 2013, early 2014.

Broken Kingdom is his directorial debut, a film he wrote as well and launched back in 2012. Now the show has been bought by Showtime and airs until June 24th, along with a documentary that focuses on the making of the film. The schedule for Showtime Showcase is below. For folks who don’t have Showtime, especially Canadians, you can watch/download the movie on their official website for a very small fee (totally worth it!) – Check it out here: brokenkingdomfilm.com

Showtime Schedule – Double check to see when the documentary airs

May 17, 8:00 PM on SHOWTIME SHOWCASE
May 20, 7:30 PM on SHO 2
May 23, 4:40 PM on SHOWTIME SHOWCASE
May 26, 1:00 PM on SHO 2
May 28, 9:30 PM on SHOWTIME SHOWCASE
May 29, 4:55 PM on SHO 2
Jun 03, 1:55 PM on SHOWTIME
Jun 07, 4:45 PM on SHO 2
Jun 14, 3:55 PM on SHOWTIME
Jun 16, 12:30 PM on SHOWTIME SHOWCASE
Jun 24, 4:15 AM on SHO 2
Jun 24, 2:30 PM on SHOWTIME SHOWCASE

The post Daniel Gillies chats about ‘Saving Hope’ Season 2, ‘Broken Kingdom’ & Canadian Talent appeared first on The Arts Scene.

Katie Boland is a name heard of quite a bit within the Canadian arts scene. Rightly so too! Boland kicked off her career at the age 9, and now only 25, she has established herself as a powerhouse artist. Highlighted by Elle Canada as one of the three Canadians to watch, Boland has had over 40 starring roles, written a book, dived into the world of writing and has even dabbled in producing. In 2011, she was recognized as one of TIFF’s Rising Stars, a program that showcases new Canadian acting talent at the Toronto International Film Festival and designed to find the next generation of Canadian actors poised for international success.

Looking is the Original Sin is her latest upcoming feature film, making a debut at Cannes 2013. Directed by her mum, Gail Harvey, Boland stars along side Maria del Mar and also takes on the role as one of the producers. She has a web series currently in development called Long Story, Short, based around a collection of her personal essays. It was recently bought by Shaftesbury Films (Murdoch Mysteries) and will see a late 2013 distribution. She also co-wrote and stars in short film, based around her short story Sweetieface. The short is being directed by Republic of Doyle’s Mark O’Brien.

Frankly, it would take a million years to put into context just how much Boland is involved with. This young superstar has established herself as one of Canada’s top talent and we are excited to see all her future projects!

Enjoy the interview!

The post A Conversation with Katie Boland appeared first on The Arts Scene.

Make sure you watch till the end for an AWESOME shout-out to Canadian Fans!

Enjoy!

The post Tribeca 2013: Red Carpet Fun with the Cast of ‘Raze’ appeared first on The Arts Scene.

Josh C. Waller – director and co-writer of the screenplay of Raze – has a pretty solid footing in the world of film and entertainment. Having produced a number of films – a combination of shorts, features and documentaries – Waller presents his feature film directorial debut at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. He is currently working on his next project, McCanick, which will star Raze co-stars Rachel Nichols and Tracie Thoms, in addition to Mike Vogel, Ciarán Hinds and David Morse.

Zoe Bell really needs no introduction. Xena: Warrior Princess to Kill Bill, Bell has established herself as the Queen of Stunts, having collaborated with Quentin Tarantino on a variety of his films. She has also established herself as a fine actress, providing remarkable performances in films such as Oblivion, Gamer and Bitch Slap. She is currently working on a number of projects including The Devil’s Ink – co-directed by Devon Downs and Kenny Gage and starring herself, RJ Mitte and Yvette Yates.

Rebecca Marshall is a fellow Torontonian, now living in LA. She has appeared in a number of films, including Saw 3D, That’s My Boy, Life Tracker, Repo! The Genetic Opera and an episode of Two and a Half Men. She will partner up with a lot of her Raze co-stars and crew – including  Adrienne Wilkinson and Jordan James Smith - in Orson Speilcock III’s Gangbusters.

Among a handful of Television appearances such as The Good Wife and Person of Interest, Tracie Thoms was last seen on the big screen in Rian Johnson’s Looper as Beatrix. Thoms is best known for playing Kat Miller on the hit television show Cold Case, appearing in over 100 episodes. She is also known for playing Joanne Jefferson in the film adaptation of the hit Broadway show, RENT, the love interest of Maureen Johnson played  by Idina Menzel. As mentioned before, she will be seen in Waller’s McCanick, starring opposite Rachel Nichols.

Doug Jones is perhaps best known as Abe Sapien, role he will reprise in Hellboy 3. He has a strong working relationship with Guillermo del Toro, having worked with him on his award-winning film Pan’s Labyrinth. He has a ton of new films in the works, including a project with director Gregori J. Martin called Unhallowed starring opposite Dee Wallace, Tyler Christopher and Miriam Colon.

Enjoy the interview!

The post Tribeca 2013: Interview with Zoe Bell, Josh C. Waller, Rebecca Marshall, Doug Jones & Tracie Thoms about ‘Raze’ appeared first on The Arts Scene.

The evening party was a themed event, with costumes highly encouraged. Guests wore an array of various undead and horror costumes, posing for photos on the “Dead Read Carpet” before heading in for a night of mingling, music and food. Prizes were awarded for best dressed, courtesy of Prologue Lifestyle & Railway City Brewery.

All the moments from the evening were captured in the gallery below.

Click photos to enlarge

The post Half-Way-2-Halloween Costume Bash: A Film & Entertainment Industry Event – Event Photos appeared first on The Arts Scene.

Durance was born in Calgary, Alberta, and is best known for her role in CW’s Smallville as Lois Lane. She began her role at the start of season 4, as a frequent guest star, before being promoted to a series regular from Season 5. She remained in the role until the conclusion of the series in 2011, concluding 7 great years with the show.

Since 2012, she has taken on a lead role in supernatural medical drama Saving Hope, playing the role of Dr. Alex Reid. The series was created by Malcolm MacRury & Morwyn Brebner, two well known TV creators. MacRury had co-created Republic of Doyle for CBC – along with Allan Hawco and Perry Chafe - while Brebner was responsible for Rookie Blue on Global. Durance also serves as a producer for the show in addition to her acting role.

She has numerous credits to her name, including performances in shows such as Stargate SG-1, Charlie’s Angels, Harry’s Law and Andromeda.

Saving Hope can be seen on Saturdays at 9pm ET on CTV Two.

The post Chit-Chatting with Erica Durance appeared first on The Arts Scene.

Murray is a bilingual actress, originally from Gaspé Coast, who graduated in 2009 from the Professional Theatre Program at Montreal’s Dawson College.  During her stay at the college, she took part in a variety of different theatre projects, playing roles such as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Anya in The Cherry Orchard and Alice in Rock’N’Roll. She also received the In-Program Achievement Award from the college. After graduation, she made her professional theatre debut in Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good.

Her film credits stretch far and wide. The list includes – but is not limited to – Mirror, Mirror (2012), The Colony (2013),  The Perfect Teacher (MOW – 2010) and The Good Lie (2012). Her television credits include Murdoch Mysteries, Beauty and the Beast, The Listener and Being Human.  She recently graduated from the Canadian Film Centre (Actors Conservatory), a 6-month intensive program that develops and promotes Canadian talent.

Werewoman is the brainchild and creation of Murray’s. It is a supernatural comedy web series about a young man who magically transforms into a woman for a week every month during his roommates’ synchronized menstrual cycles. This crazy adventure is a journey of self-discovery, breaking preconceptions and finding true identify. The series is currently in the early stages of production, with a Werewoman Indiegogo Campaign currently underway to raise funds to support the production.

To contribute, visit HERE

The post Kimberly-Sue Murray chats about Werewoman Web Series, CFC & More appeared first on The Arts Scene.

• Flaked – 5 min – Students of the Lakeshorts Future Filmmakers Intensive
• Hatch – 19 min – Christoph Kuschnig – Austria/USA
• Dead Engine – 2 min – Scott Flander – Canada
• La Liste – 11 min – Catherine Breton – Canada
• Resight – 11 min – Sama Waham – Canada
• Boteve Is An Idiot – 9 min – Deyan Bararev – Bulgaria
• Call Me Ehsaan – 9 min – Micah Garen – Afghanistan/USA
• Long Branch – 14 min – Linsey Stewart and Dane Clark – Canada
• La Casa Di Ester – 15 min – Stefano Chiodini – Italy
• Gemalogia – 12 min – Rick Limemtani – U.K/Spain
• Issues – 6 min – Enrico Colantoni – Canada

The Lakeshorts International Short Film Festival is produced by Fifth Ground Entertainment Inc. in association with Lakeshore Arts, celebrating its third year at the Assembly Hall in Toronto. The festival is lead by the brilliant Michelle Nolden (Saving Hope, Nikita, Republic of Doyle) and film and television producer Chris Szarka (Rent-A-Goalie, The Rawside of…).

Day 2 was attended by the Lakeshorts creative team and many amazing artists including Enrico Colantoni, Erica Durance, Scott Jackson, Daniel Gillies and many more. Check out the photos below! Click to enlarge!

2013 Lakeshorts International Short Film Festival – Day 2 Photos appeared first on The Arts Scene.