27th May 2011

Microsoft Canada Announces Do Or Die Top Ten

Microsoft CanadaMicrosoft Canada has announced the 10 finalists for DO or DIE, a new campaign that asks the question: could you survive with just your PC? Of these 10 hopefuls, DO or DIE will choose three people to drop in three foreign cities with nothing but their wits, a Windows-based PC, and a Windows Phone 7. The lucky three will each choose one friend, and together they will have 10 days to find shelter, earn food and survive by creating, connecting and sharing with Windows and Windows Live services.

They will have no money, no suitcase and no security blanket, but they will have the support of their DO or DIE community, who can follow their adventures at DO or DIE via daily wall posts, photos and videos.

The 10 finalists were selected from an open casting call looking for the most quick-witted, connected and street-smart Canadians. To make it to the top three, they must engage with the DO or DIE community to convince them they have what it takes to survive and earn their support.

The final three will be announced June 6th, 2011.do or die

The Top Ten include:

Whitney Bragagnolo, Vancouver
Dominic McDowell – Vancouver
Josette Jorge – Vancouver
Trevor Jones – Vancouver
Jennifer Leung – Toronto
Kira-Jade Roebuck – Sarnia
Danielle Barker – Toronto
Richard Veltri – Simcoe
Alex Hugh – Markham
Rodolphe Louis – Montreal

Not one of the finalists? Not to worry, visitors to DO or DIE can take an interactive quiz featuring exotic locales and lore. Completing the quiz will generate your survival score, which you can share with friends, whether you earn an F (your survival rate is about as likely as a Baby Chick on a Mechanical Bull) or an A (Cockroach in a Tank – you could survive anywhere on earth). There will be new content throughout the campaign with new challenges and games.

Supporting candidates also makes you eligible for a number of prizes, including a $500 prepaid VISA card, a Windows Phone 7, an Xbox 360, and more. See DO or DIE for full contest details.

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27th May 2011

Toronto Urban Film Festival Call For Submissions

TUFFCanadian and international filmmakers, animators and video artists are invited to submit one-minute silent films for an urban public to the 5th annual Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF).

TUFF is FREE to submit prior to June 1, 2011. After that date, there will be submission fees: $10 (June 1 – June 30) and $15 (July 1 – July 15). Final deadline is July 15, 2011. Films can be submitted through the TUFF website. The Festival pays artist fees and awards thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.Atom Egoyan

The Toronto Urban Film Festival is North America’s only true “underground” film festival, reaching over 1.3 million daily commuters who ride the Toronto subway system.  Films screen every 10 minutes on 300 screens in 60 subways stations across the city. The festival takes place September 9 – 18, 2011 concurrent with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan will guest judge this year’s festival. Egoyan will select the top three films of the festival as well as the winner of the “Naish McHugh Award”, an annual cash award from the City of Toronto to an emerging GTA filmmaker. Egoyan, who was on the jury of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, joins a prestigious roster of former guest judges that includes Deepa Mehta, Don McKellar, Mark McKinney, and Jeremy Podeswa.

Named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “20 Coolest Film Festivals” for 2010, TUFF is co-produced by Art for Commuters and Onestop Media Group, and funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.

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25th May 2011

One Way To Meet Sir Richard Branson and Cory Monteith

Virgin Mobile CanadaJust a few hours can go a long way! That’s what 20 lucky fans will discover through a Virgin Unite promotion that gives winners the chance to volunteer and meet Glee star Cory Monteith and Virgin Group Founder, Sir Richard Branson.

Supported by Virgin Mobile Canada, the Virgin Unite promotion invites fans to create a written essay or a two minute video essay answering the question, “Who or what inspires you to volunteer and why?” The best contributions will be chosen by a panel of judges and we’ll let you know on June 7, 2011 if you have won the chance to volunteer with the Montréal charity Dans la rue, that works with street kids and at-risk youth on June 9, 2011. Volunteering has its rewards as these lucky winners will then get to personally meet Cory Monteith and Sir Richard Branson on June 10, 2011!

“As a Virgin Unite ambassador, I’m excited to have the chance to encourage other young people to get involved with their communities,” said Cory Monteith, star of the hit TV show Glee.  “I think it’s important to give back, and empower others to help and I can’t wait to meet the fans who are supporting this great program in Montréal. Dans la rue has done some fantastic and innovative work to help at-risk youth for over 20 years, and it’s the perfect match for Virgin Unite and Virgin Mobile’s efforts to help end youth homelessness in Canada.”

To enter for the chance to volunteer and meet Cory Monteith and Sir Richard Branson, you just need to write or film an inspirational 250-word message answering the question “Who or what inspires you to volunteer and why?” The essays will be judged by a panel, including representatives from Virgin Unite, Virgin Mobile and Dans la rue. The contest starts today and closes on June 3, 2011.

Jean Oelwang, CEO, Virgin Unite, said, “Cory is a dedicated and passionate ambassador and we’re extremely grateful that he is giving his time to help us raise awareness of the issues at-risk youth face, as well as encourage volunteering amongst his thousands of fans.”

“We’re a big bunch of gleeks, so we’re thrilled to host Cory in Montréal for what I know will be an incredible day for Virgin Mobile Members and Glee fans alike,” said Nathan Rosenberg, chief marketing officer, Virgin Mobile Canada.  “Groundbreaking programs like this both inspire people to do some good and give them an exciting new way to do it. We’re encouraging a generation to help its own and that’s what the RE*Generation movement is all about!  Together with Virgin Unite, we’re asking Canadians to support RE*Generation on its mission to bring the number of homeless Canadian youth from 65,000 all the way down to zero.”

In early 2008, Virgin Mobile Canada and Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin group of companies, joined together to create the RE*Generation movement and empower a generation to help its own.  We’re bringing together organizations that care about Canada’s homeless and at-risk youth and we’re connecting them with people who want to help. RE*Generation is a movement to support solutions to youth homelessness and support at-risk youth programs in Canada.  To date, over $800,000 has been raised and dispersed to leading youth serving agencies across the country. The RE*Generation movement is working with a number of Canadian charitable partners to help get kids off the streets and onto a path for a brighter future.

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25th May 2011

Ortsbo And Kiss Set World Record In Online Chat

ortsboIntertainment Media Inc. has announced that a Guinness World Record was established for the Most Nationalities In An Online Chat on May 20th when 92 countries were officially recorded as participating in KISS Live & Global hosted by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons on Ortsbo. The event also marked the official launch of Ortsbo’s plug-in email translation platform for Microsoft Outlook, the world’s largest email platform.

Broadcast around the world from the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, participants were able to watch a live video stream on their computers, iPhone, iPad, Android devices as well as submitting questions in 53 languages for KISS co-founders to answer. Thousands of questions were in the queue throughout the broadcast, allowing participants from over 92 countries, representing every geographic region globally to ask questions of the legendary rock stars.

“In addition to establishing a world record, Ortsbo has become a name known around the world as the leader in real time translation,” said David Lucatch, President of Ortsbo and CEO Intertainment Media. “We have already received follow up business opportunities, media requests and advertising inquiries increasing the value opportunities for Ortsbo.”

The event was covered by media around the world, including CBS, FOX, AOL and a wrap-up live broadcast interview with CNBC. Copies of all media, as it’s available, will be posted on the Intertainment and Ortsbo web sites.

During the event, Ortsbo announced the launch of its much anticipated email platform plug-in, allowing users to instantly translate and send emails in 53 languages. The first plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, known as Ortsbo for kiss kruiseOutlook, or “O4O”, is now available for registration. Ortsbo will initially make up to 10 Million copies of O4O available globally to consumers and businesses on an introductory basis from mid June through mid September 2011.

With the launch of O4O, Ortsbo Cruise Into Translation is a new promotion that gives users who register and install O4O through August 2011, the opportunity to win 1 of 5 trips on the KISS Kruise in October as well as other VIP prizes. Additional contest ballots will be available for people who refer friends that register and install O4O.

Ortsbo’s flagship product for social media continues to accelerate. When initially launched in July 2010, Ortsbo’s social media translation platform infrastructure was designed to handle the expected first 2 to 3 years of operations or 12 Million monthly users.

Ortsbo has exceeded all growth projections in its first 9 months and has maximized existing platform capabilities and consequently the Company is now accelerating its move to Microsoft’s Window Azure Cloud platform to accommodate the continued viral growth of Ortsbo.

The new Ortsbo Azure platform is expected to be active by mid June as the priority for Azure development has been the KISS Live and Global event technology. This transition will provide virtually unlimited access to Ortsbo from anywhere in the world on almost any computer, smartphone or tablet device.

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24th May 2011

CDW Canada Announces Winners of Third Annual Teaching with Technology Contest

CDW CanadaCDW Canada, a provider of technology solutions for Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors, today announced the winners of its third annual Teaching with Technology™ Story and Sweepstakes Contest.

This year’s grand prize winner of the Story Contest is a teacher from Campbell River, and the two runner-up Teaching With Technologywinners are teachers from Richmond Hill and Barrie. All three were chosen by a panel of judges to receive grand prize technology packages. Ten sweepstakes winners (five educators and five IT professionals) were picked by a random draw to win various technology prizes. Finally, one winner was selected to win a prize bundle in the Tweet UR Tech Tale Contest. Introduced last year, this contest challenged educators to tweet their submissions in no more than140 characters.

“Educators across Canada are so passionate about their jobs and have really taken the time to implement great technology-based learning strategies,” says Mary Ann Yule, Vice President and General Manager, CDW Canada. “This year’s submissions are true testaments to that passion and to the dedication they have — engaging the future generations with inspired creativity and IT. Through these stories and by speaking with our customers, we know the significant impact technology can have on a student. We hope to inspire Canadian educators to go above and beyond in teaching with technology,”

Educators from across Canada were asked to write about how technology has improved or enhanced the learning experience in their classrooms. CDW Canada’s panel of IT experts reviewed the 200-500 word entries and selected three winners. Each prize bundle – ranging in value from approximately $5,000 to $6,000 – contains technology products that are useful in the classroom, such as projectors, personal computers, whiteboards, digital cameras, and networking software and equipment. The prizes will allow the winning schools and teachers to continue to make a difference in the classroom.

Winner #1: Southgate Middle School in Campbell River, B.C. – Robynne Fraser, special education teacher
Robynne submitted a story about how the use of technology in the classroom has had a drastic impact on students, including a teenage girl with select mutism who was able to speak for the first time; autistic students who learned how to make eye contact with the use of a digital camera; and children — not expected to be literate — who learned to read. Read the rest of this entry »

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13th May 2011

National Gallery Announces Finalists In Art Competition

National Gallery of CanadaThe second phase in the So You Want To Be an Artist? competition organized by the National Gallery of Canada is now complete, with work by 12 young finalists chosen throughout March by over 20,000 online voters using Facebook. In total, 126 talented artists aged 16 to 19 submitted their work, following the contest launch in January. To see the work and to learn more about the story behind each finalist’s piece visit the MakeArt Gallery.

“We were thrilled with the quality of the submissions we received and congratulate each of the finalists,” said NGC Manager, Youth and School Programs, Gary Goodacre.  “With over 50,000 visits to the contest website from Canada alone, the young people who took part in this contest have been able to share their creativity and passion with audiences in Canada and around the world.”

On May 25, the jury will select the three grand prize winners, who will be announced to the public on June 3. From now until July 2 NGC visitors can enjoy the finalists’ work on the Artissimo Gallery wall, just outside the Special Exhibition galleries, in the concourse leading to the Contemporary Art galleries. The jury is made up of well-known Montreal graffiti artist Roadsworth, Ottawa Citizen arts editor at large Peter Simpson, Radio-Canada cultural reporter Jhade Montpetit and contemporary curator and NGC Elizabeth Simonfay Curatorial Resident of Indigenous Art, Candice Hopkins.

First prize includes transportation, accommodation and meals for a two-night stay in Ottawa for the winner and an accompanying adult, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the NGC that will focus on careers in the visual arts. The winner will receive expert advice on his or her art portfolio and receive a $500 online gift certificate for art supplies. (Note: If the winner lives within a 100 km radius of downtown Ottawa, a $1,000 online gift certificate for art supplies will be awarded instead of the travel portion of the prize.)

The second prize winner will receive a $1,000 online gift certificate for art supplies, and the third prize winner will receive a $500 online gift certificate for art supplies.

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11th May 2011

Capital One Canada Donates 20K to Vancouver Fringe Fest

capital one canadaCapital One Canada and CanadaHelps are pleased to announce that Lianna Walden is the $20,000 grand prize winner of the 2011 Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz.  Courtesy of Capital One, Lianna is donating her winnings to the Vancouver Fringe Festival. The Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz was part of an awareness initiative to educate the public about charity fraud during Fraud Prevention Month. canada helps

When asked why Walden chose the Fringe, she responded, “The Fringe Festival has played a major role in nurturing Canadian theatre, culture, freedom of expression and the expansion of creativity. The Fringe Festival continues to offer a place for artists (of any means or age) to exhibit unjuried work and a place for the public to view it. Running from the east to west coast of Canada, The Fringe Festival is one of the most unique exhibitions of artistry in any country.”

The Vancouver International Fringe Festival, produced annually by the First Vancouver Theatrespace Society, is BC’s largest theatre festival and connects emerging and established theatre artists with audiences. This year’s Fringe Festival will feature over 700 performances by more than 90 groups over 11 days, and is expected to attract over 30,000 attendees. The Vancouver Fringe Festival was voted Vancouver’s Best Arts Festival for five years in a row by Georgia Straight readers.

“Although most of the people we encouraged to participate in the Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz were motivated by trying to help us win, I think everybody learned something new. I know I did,” explained David Jordan, the Fringe’s Executive Director. “Because we are so dedicated to helping emerging artists, we are usually focused on the nuts and bolts of festival preparation. As a small organization with a small staff that puts on a very big festival, it is very helpful to be a part of a larger not for profit community that can draw our awareness to essential aspects of our business like fraud prevention. Fraud in the charitable sector hurts the communities we are meant to serve.”

For the month of March, Capital One and CanadaHelps launched an on-line Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz to inform Canadians about the risk of charity fraud and how to prevent it. Every participant that completed the quiz was eligible to enter a draw to win a $20,000 grand prize donation, or one of $1,000 weekly donations from Capital One. The prize money is then given to the winner’s charity of choice. The Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz closed on March 31, 2011.

To protect yourself from becoming a victim of charity fraud, Capital One and CanadaHelps offer the following tips:

  • Make sure the charity is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provides you with their charitable registration number. CanadaHelps.org only lists charities registered with the CRA.
  • Ask to see a charity’s financial statements. These should be readily available to anyone who asks and give you a sense of how the charity spends their money.
  • Understand the impact the charity has and what difference they make in the community. Charities should be able to give you clear outcomes of the programs or services they provide.
  • Research the causes you want to support and how much of your budget you want to donate to charity. You will feel less pressured to give when solicited if you have already planned your giving.
  • Avoid any charity that pressures you into making a donation or isn’t open to sharing more information about their organization.
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10th May 2011

TVO Kids Looking For The Best Teacher In Ontario

tvo kidsTVOKids is calling on students across Ontario to nominate their favourite teacher in its fifth annual Best Teacher Ever Contest, presented by Scholar’s Choice and in partnership with City Parent magazine. With the chance for both teachers and students to win great prizes, the contest is a perfect way to end the school year on a high note.

From May 2 until June 12, the contest gives kids in Junior Kindergarten up to Grade 6 an opportunity to recognize their teachers for the valuable work that they do. Last year’s contest received over 9,900 entries.

Both teachers and the students who nominate them have a chance to win. One teacher from each of three grade categories will win a $400 gift card from Scholar’s Choice and a netbook computer, and the students who nominated them will win a $100 gift card from Scholar’s Choice, an iPod Shuffle and a pizza party for their class. Five other entrants in each grade category will also win TVOKids prize packs.

To enter, kids must write to TVOKids describing what makes their teacher so special. Is it because they make every kid feel welcome and at home in the classroom? Do they go out of their way to give extra help after class? Or do they just make learning fun? Children from across the province can nominate their teacher in one of three categories: Junior and Senior Kindergarten; Primary (grades 1-3); and Junior (grades 4-6).

Entries can be submitted online or kids can send their submission by mail, being sure to include the name of the teacher they would like to nominate and their reason for nominating them, their school’s name, the child’s own name, grade level and phone number, and an original drawing showing why their teacher is the best teacher ever. Mail should be addressed to:

TVOKids The Space
Attn: Best Teacher Ever Contest
Box 200, Station Q
Toronto, ON
M4T 2T1

Winners will be chosen in a random draw and announced the week of June 12. Throughout the contest, a “Teacher of the Day” will be featured on tvokids.com. For complete rules, submission requirements, and prizing information, please visit tvokids.com.

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7th May 2011

Banff Media Festival Introduces Deal Makers Live

Banff World Media FestivalNew to the Banff World Media Festival this year is Deal Makers Live, a new pitch competition and market simulation reflecting the realities of creating, selling and making shows in 2011 that will see eight finalists pitch their concept, winning audience and judge approval. The competition is open to industry veterans, emerging producers, writers, digital thinkers – anyone who thinks they can deliver a great elevator pitch and then, if selected by the audience, hold their own in a 15-minute creative meeting with major international content gatekeepers. One gifted participant will win top marks and be named Ultimate Deal Maker in this exciting new live format, created by Allan Novak and co-produced with AllScreen Entertainment.

The eight finalists will be selected based on their response to the competition’s Creative Brief (PDF). The Brief lets you choose your own genre, star, brand partner and cross-platform approach from a short list of possibilities. These choices will form the backbone of the pitch, but turning these elements into a compelling project and selling it effectively is entirely up to the entrant. This pitch is not intended to become a real project, but is a vehicle to explore different ideas and approaches, and for the eight Deal Makers to show the audience and judges what they’ve got.

Jonathan Torrens will host the final event, when the eight pitchers will take the stage at Banff, going head-to-head in a high-profile, high-tech battle for the hearts and minds of both the expert panel and the live Banff audience.
With state-of-the-art surprises, world-class guests and exciting twists and turns along the way, Deal Makers Live promises to be an exhilarating race to the finish as the eight contestants are narrowed down to one final winner.

To format your entry, use the Creative Brief as your guide, completing the questions to create what will become your introductory pitch to the judges. Along with your entry, send the selection panel a short, one-minute video telling them why you should be chosen to present live on stage in the first ever Deal Makers Live Showcase. Show off your outstanding pitching style and creative prowess, and give the selection panel a taste of what the show’s judges and audience will be seeing on the pitching floor if you are selected. The panel has posted a sample entry form to get you started.

To enter the Deal Makers Live, you will need to create an account on the Banff World Media Festival site. Once your account is created, you can log in as necessary to revise your submission(s). In the case of multiple entries, you can share your user name and password with colleagues, so that others may also submit programs on behalf of the company.

Entries will be accepted until May 20th, 2011 and this competition is free to enter.


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6th May 2011

Canadian Short Screenplay Competition Finalists Named

Canadian Short Screenplay CompetitionDavid Cormican, founder of the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, has announced the top thirteen finalist selections for the 2010/11 CSSC. The list of thirteen short film scripts and writers was determined by the judges and narrowed down from the previously announced Top 25 screenplays as entered in competition from all 2010/11 CSSC entries.

The grand prize winner will receive the Writers’ Block Crystal and an Apple iPad, in addition to the largest cash prize of any short film screenplay competition, $2,500.00. Second and Third place entrants will receive $500.00 and $100.00, respectively. The grand prizewinner will be announced and made official during the Golden Sheaf Awards gala at the Yorkton Film Festival, May 28, 2011 in Yorkton, SK.

All thirteen finalists will receive complimentary Yorkton Film Festival accreditation to attend the Golden Sheaf Awards gala, as well as be treated to the workshops, panels, films and networking social events taking place during the oldest film festival in North America.

One of the top three winners’ script will also be produced into a short film later on this year. Last year’s 2nd place script, “Minus Lara” (written by Surita Parmar), will receive its World premiere as an official selection of the Yorkton Film Festival. “Minus Lara” has also been nominated for the Golden Sheaf Ruth Shaw Award for Best in Saskatchewan.

The 2010/11 CSSC Top 13 finalists (in no particular order) are:

“Shattered Worlds”, Matthew Layden CAN
“The Ridge to the River”, Edmund Jory AUS
“Sudden Death”, Al Kline USA
“Elijah The Prophet”, Zachary Herrmann USA
“Tubby’s Car Project”, Julian Williams UK
“When The Dust Settles”, Suleiman Wali USA
“Strange Music”, Ira Henderson CAN
“The Chicken and the Egg”, Lisa Eismen AUS
“Mother Will Be So Pleased”, Carrie Ann Lee CAN
“The Great Ghouldini”, Ian Johnston CAN
“The Box Social”, Scott Summerhayes CAN
“13?, Sundae Jahant-Osborn UK
“Near Sighted”, Evan Jobb, CAN

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