Moze Mossanen
Encyclopedia
Moze Mossanen is a Canadian independent film
maker and a pioneer of cine-dance, an integration of dance, music, and dramatic storytelling. His works include an adaptation of the novel Year of the Lion and the original screenplay The Rings of Saturn.
, Illegal Acts and Canciones, which brought him to the attention of the CBC
.
. This critically acclaimed film was acknowledged as one of the best performing arts
films ever made in Canada. It was nominated for a Genie Award
and won the Chris Award at the Columbus International Film Festival. During the same year, Mossanen also wrote, produced and directed The Dancemakers, an innovative series of six half-hour programs on contemporary choreographers which aired on the CBC, TVOntario
, and on networks in Europe, Asia and Australia.
For CBC Television's Arts and Entertainment series, Mossanen produced and directed several specials including Shades of Blue, a well received documentary on Toronto's blues music scene; The Photography of Cylla Von Tiedemann, a profile of the talented German-born photographer; and Jackie Richardson: A Night In August, a made-for-TV concert featuring the renowned blues and jazz singer.
's film critic, Michael Crabb, reviewed as "a magical, almost existential meditation on the interaction of character and environment." The film was broadcast on Bravo! and TVO in June of that year. Mossanen received a Gemini nomination for Best Direction in Performing Arts Program for this work. My Gentleman Friends, Mossanen's first hour-long TV drama, aired on Bravo! in April, 1999 and was singled out as one of the outstanding programs of the year, and for which Mossanen received a Gemini nomination for Best Writing in a Dramatic Program.
His next film, The Rings of Saturn, an exploration of desire and loss set within the lives of five urban couples, was broadcast in January, 2002 on CBC and Bravo! and was received with much popular and critical acclaim. CBC and Bravo! also broadcast Mossanen's Year of the Lion in January, 2003. Loosely based on Choderlos de Laclos' controversial 1782 novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the film aired in January, 2003 and won the Jury Award at the Yorkton Film Festival in June of the same year. The film was nominated for five Gemini Awards, winning three awards for cinematography, editing and original score.
Bravo! aired an evening-long retrospective of his film works in March, 2004 which coincided with the broadcast of his film From Time to Time, a collaboration with the music of Joni Mitchell
. The film, which premiered originally on CBC, was selected for competition at the prestigious FIPA
festival in Biarritz in January 2005 and was nominated for three Gemini Awards.
His award winning film, Roxana, based on the novel by Daniel Defoe
, was broadcast on CBC and Bravo! in February 2007. The film opened the Moving Pictures Festival in November 2006 and was selected for the competition sections of the FIPA festival in Biarritz and FamaFest in Portugal in 2007. The film won two awards at the Yorkton Film Festival, a Canadian Cinematography Award and two Gemini Awards, including nominations for Best Writing and Best Program for Mossanen. Meanwhile, Moze directed an episode of the hit Disney comedy Life With Derek (for which he recently received a Director's Guild of Canada nomination).
His most recent film, Nureyev, based on the life of the famed Russian dancer who defected to the West in 1961, aired on Bravo! and CTV in December 2009. The film was called "a triumph" by the Globe and Mail and won the Golden Sheaf Award for Best Arts and Entertainment Program at the Yorkton Film Festival in May 2010. The film also received six (6) Gemini Award nominations, including nods for Best Performing Arts Program and Best Writing in a Dramatic Program for Moze. He won the Gemini Award for Best Direction in a Performing Arts Program or Series on November 2, 2010.
Also in 2010, Moze directed an episode of Baxter
which premiered for Family Channel
. He is currently in production on two films: the TV adaptation of the Elton John/Alberta Ballet hit and "Romeos & Juliets" a documentary about the new National Ballet of Canada production of "Romeo & Juliet", both for the CBC.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
maker and a pioneer of cine-dance, an integration of dance, music, and dramatic storytelling. His works include an adaptation of the novel Year of the Lion and the original screenplay The Rings of Saturn.
Early works
After studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the Actor's Studio in New York, Moze Mossanen created a theatre company entitled Theatre One and under its auspices produced and directed a production of Cabaret at the U.C. Playhouse in Toronto. Mossanen next directed two short filmsShort subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
, Illegal Acts and Canciones, which brought him to the attention of the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
Breakthrough into film
Dance for Modern Times (1987) was Mossanen's first feature length documentary, released theatrically and aired on CBC TelevisionCBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
. This critically acclaimed film was acknowledged as one of the best performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
films ever made in Canada. It was nominated for a Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
and won the Chris Award at the Columbus International Film Festival. During the same year, Mossanen also wrote, produced and directed The Dancemakers, an innovative series of six half-hour programs on contemporary choreographers which aired on the CBC, TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
, and on networks in Europe, Asia and Australia.
For CBC Television's Arts and Entertainment series, Mossanen produced and directed several specials including Shades of Blue, a well received documentary on Toronto's blues music scene; The Photography of Cylla Von Tiedemann, a profile of the talented German-born photographer; and Jackie Richardson: A Night In August, a made-for-TV concert featuring the renowned blues and jazz singer.
Later works
In 1998, Mossanen completed The Golden City, a film the National PostNational Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
's film critic, Michael Crabb, reviewed as "a magical, almost existential meditation on the interaction of character and environment." The film was broadcast on Bravo! and TVO in June of that year. Mossanen received a Gemini nomination for Best Direction in Performing Arts Program for this work. My Gentleman Friends, Mossanen's first hour-long TV drama, aired on Bravo! in April, 1999 and was singled out as one of the outstanding programs of the year, and for which Mossanen received a Gemini nomination for Best Writing in a Dramatic Program.
His next film, The Rings of Saturn, an exploration of desire and loss set within the lives of five urban couples, was broadcast in January, 2002 on CBC and Bravo! and was received with much popular and critical acclaim. CBC and Bravo! also broadcast Mossanen's Year of the Lion in January, 2003. Loosely based on Choderlos de Laclos' controversial 1782 novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the film aired in January, 2003 and won the Jury Award at the Yorkton Film Festival in June of the same year. The film was nominated for five Gemini Awards, winning three awards for cinematography, editing and original score.
Bravo! aired an evening-long retrospective of his film works in March, 2004 which coincided with the broadcast of his film From Time to Time, a collaboration with the music of Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
. The film, which premiered originally on CBC, was selected for competition at the prestigious FIPA
Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels
The International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes , founded in 1987 by Michel Mitrani , was first held in Cannes in October 1987....
festival in Biarritz in January 2005 and was nominated for three Gemini Awards.
His award winning film, Roxana, based on the novel by Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
, was broadcast on CBC and Bravo! in February 2007. The film opened the Moving Pictures Festival in November 2006 and was selected for the competition sections of the FIPA festival in Biarritz and FamaFest in Portugal in 2007. The film won two awards at the Yorkton Film Festival, a Canadian Cinematography Award and two Gemini Awards, including nominations for Best Writing and Best Program for Mossanen. Meanwhile, Moze directed an episode of the hit Disney comedy Life With Derek (for which he recently received a Director's Guild of Canada nomination).
His most recent film, Nureyev, based on the life of the famed Russian dancer who defected to the West in 1961, aired on Bravo! and CTV in December 2009. The film was called "a triumph" by the Globe and Mail and won the Golden Sheaf Award for Best Arts and Entertainment Program at the Yorkton Film Festival in May 2010. The film also received six (6) Gemini Award nominations, including nods for Best Performing Arts Program and Best Writing in a Dramatic Program for Moze. He won the Gemini Award for Best Direction in a Performing Arts Program or Series on November 2, 2010.
Also in 2010, Moze directed an episode of Baxter
Baxter (TV series)
Baxter is a Canadian children's comedy television series. The series is produced by Shaftesbury Films, in association with Family Channel. The series ran from May 24, 2010 to January 2, 2011.- Plot :...
which premiered for Family Channel
Family Channel
Family is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service marketed to children and teenagers aged 2-15. It is owned by Astral Media...
. He is currently in production on two films: the TV adaptation of the Elton John/Alberta Ballet hit and "Romeos & Juliets" a documentary about the new National Ballet of Canada production of "Romeo & Juliet", both for the CBC.