Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, ON – Nov. 5: Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today announced a special, free Remembrance Day screening of Billy Bishop Goes to War on Tuesday, November 11 at 4:00 p.m. at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI, Soulpepper and Union Pictures present this moving film inspired by the life of the legendary flying ace from Owen Sound. Canadian acting legend Eric Peterson and award- winning writer and composer John Gray performed their iconic two-man stage play for decades before the play’s film version debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011.
Tickets for this special screening of Billy Bishop Goes to War are free at the door, first come first served. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema is located at 506 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON. Following the screening there will be a Q&A with Eric Peterson.
Also in recognition of this momentous anniversary, Strada Films, Soulpepper, and Union Pictures are launching a
Kickstarter campaign to provide at least 500 commercial-quality DVD copies of Billy Bishop Goes to War free of cost to veterans’ organizations across Canada.
“Over the past five years we have heard over and over how the film and play versions of Billy Bishop Goes to War have helped generations of veterans and their families talk about their experiences,” said Brad Fox, Producer, Union & Strada Pictures.
“We have also received hundreds of requests to provide copies of this film to veterans’ organizations, and veterans’ care facilities on physical DVDs. This initiative will help share this incredible story with more Canadians.”
All proceeds from the Billy Bishop Goes to War Kickstarter campaign will go to the cost of creating, duplicating, and distributing free DVDs. The campaign runs from Nov. 6 to 27, 2014. For more details visit http://billybishopgoestowar.com.
Located in its multi-venue home the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District, Soulpepper is Toronto’s largest theatre company. Founded and guided by artists, under the leadership of Artistic Director Albert Schultz and Executive Director Leslie Lester, Soulpepper has an integrated mission which includes: industry-leading youth outreach initiatives; the Soulpepper Academy, Canada’s only multi-year paid professional training program for theatre artists of all disciplines; and a year-round diverse repertory season which is grounded in the classics and committed to the creation of new works, new forms, and innovative practices. Visit Soulpepper.ca for more information.
Founded in the fall of 2008, Union Pictures is both a distribution and production company. Union works closely with filmmakers at home and abroad to share new and exciting Canadian voices and talents with the world, and bring the best of global cinema to Canadian audiences. Visit UnionPictures.ca for more information.
Photo: Eric Peterson as Billy Bishop.. © 2010 Strada Films.
2014-11-05
Toronto: Free Remembrance Day screening of "Billy Bishop Goes to War"