OFFA to screen Canadian Film classic in celebration of National Canadian Film Day 150

March 13, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Forty-seven years after they made Canadian film history, the stars and director of the iconic Canadian film Goin’ Down the Road (1970) are reuniting in Oakville for a special free screening of the iconic film and its sequel Down the Road Again (2011). This National Canadian Film Day 150 celebratory event, will be hosted by film critic Rob Salem and include a question and answer session with director Don Shebib and actors Doug McGrath, Tedde Moore and Jayne Eastwood. This special double-bill screening will take place at Sheridan College SCAET Theatre, Oakville Trafalgar campus 7pm April 19, National Canadian Film Day 150. 

The event is made possible by the Oakville Festivals of Film & Art and REEL CANADA.

Written and directed by Donald Shebib, Goin’ Down the Road is regarded as one of the best and most influential Canadian films of all time. Critically acclaimed in both Canada and the United States, the film drew comparisons to American classics Easy Rider (1969) and Midnight Cowboy (1969). Winning three Canadian Film awards including Best Original Screenplay, Best Feature Film and Best Lead Actor, Goin’ Down the Road has been ranked as one of the ‘Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time’ by the Toronto International Film Festival, and received four thumbs up by noted film critic Roger Ebert.

Utilizing a unique blend of narrative storytelling and Canadian documentary tradition, the first film follows the misadventures of two friends travelling from Nova Scotia to Toronto, and realistically explores the important social and economic trend of internal labour migration, and the related challenges faced by blue collar workers of the late 1960’s. The sequel captures events occurring 40 years after those in the original film.

Don Shebib is a veteran documentary filmmaker, director, writer, producer and editor, whose work spans over 25 television shows and movies and 30 feature films. A pivotal figure in the development of early English-Canadian cinema and a compassionate chronicler of uniquely Canadian experiences, Don gained critical acclaim for his work on Goin’ Down the Road.

Doug McGrath is a Canadian actor known for Pale Rider (1985) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). He has also appeared in acclaimed Canadian films Wedding in White (1972), The Hard Part Begins (1973), the original Black Christmas (1974), Russian Roulette (1975) and Coming Out Alive (1980).

Tedde Moore is a Canadian actress who appeared as Miss Shields in the 1983 film A Christmas Story. She was nominated for a Genie Award at the 5th Genie Awards in 1984 for her acting in the film. She also starred in Mistletoe Over Manhattan (2011) and her other film credits include Second Wind (1976), Murder by Decree (1979), The Amateur (1981), and Rolling Vengeance (1987).

Jayne Eastwood is a Canadian film, voice and television actress, appearing in films since 1970. She was one of the original cast members of the Toronto branch of The Second City comedy troupe and was a semi-regular on SCTV. Jayne was in the original Toronto production of Godspell (1972), appeared in Chicago (2002), Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Hairspray (2007).

For 37 years, Rob Salem was a movie and TV critic, columnist and editor at the Toronto Star. He has hosted shows on radio and television, authored several books and has just completed a stage musical. He has taught in the TV Writing and Producing program for the last 11 years.

This is an exciting opportunity for film buffs and history connoisseurs alike to view this iconic film and meet the acclaimed film makers in person.

Tickets are free of charge, but seating is limited. Visit OFFA.ca to reserve your tickets today. Tickets will also be available day-of performance at the Theatre.

There is a $5.00 Sheridan College parking fee for those driving to the event.

This year, the Oakville Festivals of Film & Art will once again present the Willson Oakville Film Festival on June 23 – 25. Tickets will be on sale in April, to learn more about this year’s festival, please visit OFFA.ca often!

Established in 2014, Oakville Festivals of Film & Art (OFFA) is a cultural not-for-profit organization that envisions a community of cultural and artistic diversity with the cinematic arts as a focal point and provides Oakville’s only independent film festival.

REEL CANADA is a non-profit organization that celebrates Canada through film. The organization promotes the power and diversity of Canadian film and encourages this on-going conversation through three core programs: Our Films in Our Schools, Welcome to Canada, and National Canadian Film Day. Please visit reelcanada.ca to learn more.

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National Canadian Film Day 150 (NCFD 150), an initiative of REEL CANADA, was created as a new way to celebrate this great nation, embrace Canadian cinema, and have some FUN! As part of its educational programmes, REEL CANADA has presented over 1,100 festivals of Canadian films for more than 400,000 high school students and new Canadians across the country since 2005. For 2017, NCFD 150 will become the world’s largest one-day film festival in the world. Canadian film will be everywhere — on foot, online and on-screen — thanks to the generous support of the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. NCFD 150 would not exist without our sensational major sponsors: Cineplex and Telefilm Canada, Quebec Cinema, Entertainment One, Google Canada, TIFF, Landmark Cinemas, VIA Rail, REDspace, Air Canada, Tim Hortons, William F. White International Inc. and Mecury Filmworks. Major broadcast partners include CBC, Bell Media, Hollywood Suite, Sportsnet, Corus, APTN, CHCH, OUTtv, Vision TV, Super Channel and Quebecor Media. Major distributor partners include Elevation Pictures, Mongrel Media, dFilms, KinoSmith, WFG, TVA, CFMDC, IndieCan Entertainment and Pacific Northwest Pictures.

The Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, is a diploma and degree granting polytechnic institute in Ontario offering program in animation and illustration, music theatre, film and design, business, applied computing, engineering technology, community studies, and liberal studies. Learn more at SheridanCollege.ca

For more information please contact:
Nadine Heath, Marketing and Communications Manager, OFFA: nadine@culturalthinkers.ca
Alex Hughes, Outreach Coordinator, Reel Canada: alex@reelcanada.ca, 416-639-6320 (office)

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