Blueprint Cinematic

30/05/2024

Our inaugural list of the 42 top female executives north of the border.

26/05/2024

"The Hobbit" is a textbook example of what comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell calls the monomyth or the “hero’s journey.” The concept, based on his lifelong study of myths and legends from across the globe, is a narrative blueprint shared by many well-known stories. Formulated in Campbell’s 1949 book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," the journey can be divided into eight steps:

1️⃣ The hero receives a call to adventure
2️⃣ They refuse the call
3️⃣ They meet an inspiring mentor
4️⃣ They decide to “cross the threshold” and accept the call
5️⃣ They leave their home and face obstacles, enemies, and allies
6️⃣ They fail to achieve the goal
7️⃣ They try again and succeed
8️⃣ Finally, they come home with a reward

[Campbell] believed this monomyth was an abstract representation of growing up — the hero slaying the dragon being a metaphor for confronting and conquering our own insecurities and shortcomings.

However, over time, the universal nature of The Hero's Journey has been challenged and reevaluated. While narratives like the story of Moses in the Book of Exodus and the battle between Marduk and Tiamat in Mesopotamian mythology can be summarized as hero’s journeys, many other tales of old — from tragedies like "Oedipus Rex" to folktales like "Rumpelstiltskin," not to mention most creation myths — cannot.

In recent decades, feminist scholars have argued that many heroic figures from myth and literature aren’t as admirable as they were previously made out to be and that the interest scholars like Campbell show them is tantamount to the glorification of violence, aggression, and patriarchal social structures. It’s a harsh criticism, but maybe not altogether uncalled for. The Hero with a Thousand Faces focuses on male heroes, many of whom are out to save a princess.

✒️ Words by Tim Brinkhof

22/05/2024

Proof of Concept, an accelerator program supporting women, trans and nonbinary filmmakers, sets its inaugural class.

27/02/2024

23/02/2024

“Tyler Perry had been planning an $800 million expansion of his studio in Atlanta, … Now, however, those ambitions are on hold-“

The actor, filmmaker and studio owner is raising the alarm about the impact of the tech, saying, "I feel like everybody in the industry is running a hundred miles an hour to try and catch up, to try and put in guardrails."

07/02/2024

His impactful work in film and storytelling touched many hearts and we were honored to present many of his films and welcomed him in 2013 for our 1st edition of . May his legacy and work continue to inspire us all 🙏🏾

Join us for a well-deserved tribute co-presented by ACTRA Toronto on February 15th, 5 pm at the Carlton Cinema. Tickets and program: https://torontoblackfilm.com/event/tribute-to-charles-officer-akillas-escape/

Tickets l Info l All Access Pass • TorontoBlackFilm.com

27/01/2024

Director Robert Wise believed that Paul Newman deserved an Oscar for his performance in his SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME. Newman was not even nominated. Wise had this “Noscar” crafted for Newman. One year later, when Joanne Woodward won an Oscar for THE THREE FACES OF EVE, the couple posed with their trophies.

18/01/2024

17/01/2024

23/12/2023

Award winning actress Cate Blanchett has partnered with the University of Southern California to help women and gender diverse individuals share their stories on film and TV. Blanchett says the inspiration behind the initiative was from her own experience on film sets.
"I was not only the only woman in front of the camera, I was the only woman on set," she says, "homogeneity in any industry is the death of progress and innovation."

The Proof of Concept Accelerator Program will provide aspiring marginalised filmmakers with money, mentorship and exposure. Up to eight filmmakers will be chosen to receive $50,000 to create a proof of concept for their feature film or TV series. They will also have one-to-one mentorship from industry insiders.
“We’re missing an enormous creative opportunity by not diversifying," says Blanchett, "we deplore creative laziness, we deplore financial laziness, and so we should therefore deplore a lack of inclusivity."

(Image description: Photo of Cate Blanchett with short blonde hair. Below is text that states, "Cate Blanchett Launches Filming Fund For Women, Non-Binary People And Trans People In
The Film Industry.")

20/12/2023

Save your money and get the same education online.

04/12/2023

We're deeply saddened by the loss of Charles Officer 🕊️. His impactful work in film and storytelling touched many hearts and we were honored to present many of his films and welcomed him in 2013 for our 1st edition of TBFF. May his legacy and work continue to inspire us all 🙏🏾

28/11/2023

A brand new animated television series on Netflix puts the spotlight on Toronto, featuring many of its instantly recognizable characteristics— from...

28/11/2023

Rob Reiner, director, writer and star of This Is Spinal Tap, is talking about the sequel to the mockumentary and revealing when the follow-up film is set to start filming. “We’re making…

27/11/2023

Meet Kahhori, The Newest Super Hero in Marvel’s Series What If…?’

'What If…?' asks what would happen if the Tesseract fell to Earth and landed in the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy before the colonization of America.

Kahhori is the first original Marvel Super Hero in the entire universe. According to an official statement from Marvel, Kahhori and her story were crafted in "close collaboration" with members of the real-life Mohawk Nation, an Indigenous North American tribe. Aside from established MCU lore, the episode was written with deep regard to the history of the Akwesasne region before it became upstate New York. Marvel Studios' creators also worked with the Mohawk Nation to design Kahhori's appearance and environment. The episode also includes authentic Mohawk language!

The story is written by Ryan Little while in close collaboration with members of the Mohawk Nation like historian Doug George and Mohawk language expert Cecelia King to ensure cultural authenticity.

The new season debuts December 2023 💙



Artwork by

13/11/2023

THE CREDO23 COUNCIL

09/11/2023

The actors union says its tentative deal will be worth more than $1 billion and offers a few details about its provisions.

28/10/2023

25/10/2023

Daniel Radcliffe is executive producing a new documentary about his "Harry Potter" stunt performer, who was paralyzed after a set accident.

21/10/2023

Christopher Nolan champions Taylor Swift for finding a way to get her movie out in theaters, even if it meant skipping studios and streamers.

07/10/2023

The Oscar-winning 'King Kong' and 'Tootsie' actress pointed to big franchise films as having "sacrificed this art that we’ve been involved in … for the sake of profit."

29/09/2023

All 4 of Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl short films release on Netflix this week.

• "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" - Sep 27
• "The Swan" - Sep 28
• "The Ratcatcher" - Sep 29
• "Poison" - Sep 30

31/08/2023

A remembrance by his frequent collaborator and longtime friend.

17/08/2023

Introducing 2023 Canada’s Walk of Fame Inductee Tantoo Cardinal (Arts & Entertainment)
An Icon of Canadian Film and Television

Tantoo Cardinal is a multi-award-winning actress of Indigenous descent who has appeared in more than 130 film, television and animation projects throughout her 50-year career and is still going.

She recently made her 2023 Cannes premiere in Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese, and is considered one of the most recognizable Indigenous actresses in the world thanks to supporting roles in the Oscar-winning, Dances With Wolves, and Legends of the Fall with Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt.

Her first starring role was in 2018’s Falls Around Her. She was a series regular on the ABC television series Stumptown and in her soon-to-air Marvel series, Echo. Tantoo received a Lifetime Achievement recognition from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Governor General’s Award.

She was named a member of the Order of Canada for her significant contribution to the growth and development of Indigenous performing arts and her advocacy for Indigenous people and the environment.

📸 Photo credit: Howard J. Davis

16/08/2023

Greta Gerwig’s fantasy comedy “Barbie” has crossed $537.5 million at the domestic box office, overtaking Christopher Nolan’s 2008 superhero epic “The Dark Knight& #8221…

16/08/2023

Sporting a grey WGA-branded “strike” t-shirt, writer-director Charlie Kaufman led a packed-out masterclass this morning in the main hall at the Bosnian Cultural Center at the Sarajevo Film Festival…

16/08/2023

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin, Brie Larson, and the rest of the original cast reprise their respective roles in the animated show.

11/08/2023

The first reactions to DC Studios’ “Blue Beetle” starring Xolo Maridueña are flying in, with early viewers calling the film a “huge surprise.” While some of the reactions quibbled…