The Burial Society won two more awards at this year's MIFF

Best Cinematography: Danny Nowak
Best Art Direction: James Hazell

MIFF is considered a premier access for contemporary and future generations of film professionals, scholars, and visionaries engaged in the art of filmmaking, to penetrate the movie industry and its international business scene.

Nicknamed the new International Sundance of Europe, MIFF is the unparalleled combination of classic Milano style and vibrant energy of worldwide independent spirit.

“THE BURIAL SOCIETY” SCOOPS UP 8 LEO NOMINATIONS AS FESTIVAL KUDOS CONTINUES   (May 1, 2003)

Starring Rob LaBelle and featuring Jan Rubes, Seymour Cassel, David Paymer

Nicholas Racz’ first feature, “The Burial Society”, was among the leading Canadian LEO AWARD nominees, picking up 8 nominations including “Best Film”, “Best Director” and “Best Screenplay”. Rob LaBelle (First Wave) also picked up a nomination for “Best Lead Actor”, as did cinematographer Danny Nowak C.S.C for “Best Cinematography”, James Hazell for “Best Production Design” and George Blondheim for “Best Original Score”.

The award-winning film, which stars LaBelle, along with Jan Rubes (Witness) and Oscar-nominated actors Seymour Cassel (The Royal Tannenbaums, Rushmore) and David Paymer (Mr. Saturday Night), is a caper drama about a squeaky clean accountant who finds himself on the other end of the law and hiding out with the Chevrah Kadisha (the Judaic burial society).

The film, which grabbed one of the top honors at the recent 2002 Vancouver International Film Festival, taking home the $12,000 City-TV Award “For Best Western Canadian Screenplay”, has been invited to over 20 film festivals, including England’s Commonwealth International Film where it will make its European premiere. Its American premiere was at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, where it was an Audience Top 10 Favorite and held over for additional screenings. The film also earned a “Silvie Award” at the inFEST Film Festival for “Excellence In Independent Canadian Cinema”.

The “Opening Film” at the 2003 Northwest Film Festival in Washington State, the film has appeared at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, and the Taos Talking Picture Festival. It has also been selected to screen at festivals in Florida, Philadelphia, Minneapolis/St-Paul, Newport Beach, Stony Brook, and Jacksonville.

The film recounts the tale of Sheldon Kasner (Rob LaBelle), a man of quiet desperation who works as a loans manager at the Hebrew National Bank. Over-worked and under-appreciated, he struggles to surpass the limitations of his mundane life. Sheldon, the most unlikely of criminals, is drawn into the underworld of money laundering in a desperate attempt to overcome his mediocre existence.

For the burial society, the inept businessman is the new blood that they’ve been looking for if their dying tradition is to survive. The kindly older men; Marvin, Hy and Harry (played by Jan Rubes, Allan Rich and Bill Meilen) form a kinship with Sheldon as they indoctrinate him into this extraordinary world. But nothing is as it seems and the old men of the burial society are hardly the innocents that they appear.

The film was produced by Richard Baumgartel and Howard Dancyger and executive produced by Davis Entertainment Filmworks' J. Todd Harris along with Raymond Massey.

An intricate tale set against a community that Judaism has long preserved and respected but is seldom spoken about, the film is Racz’ first feature. An award-winning commercial writer, Racz was a winner of the Telefilm Canada/Directors’ Guild of Canada KickStart Short Film Award.

The film plays theatres in Calgary and Ottawa in April and May, with an American theatrical run anticipated for the fall. See website for more information: www.theburialsociety.com

For more information contact: Marlie Oden 604 727-3120 or marliebridge@bluecrow.com

THEATRICAL RELEASE   (Jan 15, 2003)

The Burial Society opens its Canadian theatrical run in Toronto on Friday January 31, 2003 at The Grande Theatre (Sheppard Centre)- 4861 Yonge St. at Sheppard & Yonge.

This will be followed by the Vancouver opening on Friday February 28, 2003 at The Tinseltown Theatres. (88 West Pender St.).