Anne at 13,000 Ft.
Film poster
Directed byKazik Radwanski
Written byKazik Radwanski
Produced byDaniel Montgomery
Kazik Radwanski
StarringDeragh Campbell
Matt Johnson
CinematographyNikolay Michaylov
Edited byAjla Odobašić
Production
company
Medium Density Fibreboard Films
Release date
  • September 9, 2019 (2019-09-09) (TIFF)
Running time
75 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Anne at 13,000 Ft. is a 2019 Canadian drama film.[1] Directed and written by Kazik Radwanski, the film stars Deragh Campbell as Anne, a shy, socially awkward daycare worker whose attitude to her life and work is radically transformed after she skydives for the first time.[2] It premiered in the Platform Prize program at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] and received an honourable mention from the Platform Prize jury.[4] In December 2019, the film was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list.[5] After premiering on the festival circuit in 2019, the film's 2020 theatrical release was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

In 2021, the film won the Toronto Film Critics Association's $100,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.[7] It was also nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture, and five Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards (winning two for the performances of Campbell and Johnson).[8]

Premise

The film stars Deragh Campbell as Anne, a shy, socially awkward daycare worker whose attitude to her life and work is radically transformed after she skydives for the first time.[2] Anne goes through the motions of life as a 20-something woman in Toronto, clashes with her co-workers, goes on an awkward Tinder date, and serves as maid of honour at her best friend's wedding. Anne suffers from an unspecified anxiety disorder, which remains undiagnosed throughout the film.[9]

Release

Anne at 13,000 Ft. premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] before screening at other international festivals, such as the Berlinale.[10] During its festival run, the film was picked up for American distribution by Cinema Guild.[11]

The film was scheduled to be theatrical released on March 20, 2020, but the planned release was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][12] Nearly a year later, the film was released virtually on February 19, 2021, through the TIFF Bell Lightbox,[13] and Vancouver's Cinematheque.[14]

Reception

Critical reception

The film received critical acclaim. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Held aloft by Deragh Campbell in the title role, Anne at 13,000 Ft tells the soaring story of a woman who's lost her moorings."[15] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]

Jessica Kiang of Variety called the film "a brief, bracing burst of microbudget indie filmmaking at its most powerful."[9] Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail dubbed it "a startling, bracing achievement worth celebrating."[17] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star praised Campbell's "riveting performance as a woman on the verge of vertigo is a sight to behold."[18] Norm Wilner of Now wrote that "if the Dardenne brothers remade A Woman Under The Influence, it might look a lot like Radwanski’s latest study of a Torontonian in a slow-motion crisis: this time, his protagonist is a young day-care worker whose equilibrium is slipping out of her grasp."[19]

Accolades

In 2021, the film won the Toronto Film Critics Association's $100,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.[7] It was also nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture, and five Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards (winning two for Campbell and Johnson's performances).[8]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Canadian Screen Awards 28 May 2020 Best Motion Picture Daniel Montgomery, Kazik Radwanski Nominated [20]
Best Director Kazik Radwanski Nominated
Best Actress Deragh Campbell Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Matt Johnson Nominated
Toronto Film Critics Association March 9, 2021 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award Kazik Radwanski Won [21]
Vancouver Film Critics Circle 16 December 2019 Best Canadian Film Nominated [8][22]
Best Canadian Director Kazik Radwanski Nominated
Best Canadian Screenplay Nominated
Best Actress in a Canadian Film Deragh Campbell Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film Matt Johnson Won

References

  1. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (September 4, 2019). "'Anne At 13,000 Ft.' Clip: Deragh Campbell Takes A Life-Changing Leap In TIFF Drama From Kazik Radwanski". Deadline Hollywood.
  2. ^ a b "TIFF 2019: With Anne at 13,000 ft., Kazik Radwanski and Deragh Campbell hit the heights of Canada's micro-budget indie movement". The Globe and Mail. September 5, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Norman Wilner (August 7, 2019). "TIFF 2019: Platform lineup includes films by Julie Delpy, Sarah Gavron". Now.
  4. ^ "The film Martin Eden wins TIFF's Platform Prize". Toronto Star. September 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Wilner, Norman (December 11, 2019). "TIFF announces Canada's top 10 films of 2019". Now.
  6. ^ a b Wilner, Norman (2021-03-10). "Toronto critics name Anne At 13,000 Ft. the year's best Canadian film". NOW Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2021-03-31. Anne At 13,000 Ft. was scheduled to open in Canadian cinemas on March 20, 2020, only to see that release scuttled when the pandemic shut down the country. The film ultimately debuted on TIFF's streaming platform last month.
  7. ^ a b "'Anne at 13,000 Ft' wins $100,000 Canadian film prize from Toronto film critics". Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  8. ^ a b c "Vancouver film critics award 'The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open'". Tri-City News. January 7, 2020. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Kiang, Jessica (2020-03-27). "'Anne at 13,000 ft': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  10. ^ "Anne at 13,000 ft". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  11. ^ Malyk, Lauren (October 24, 2019). "Anne at 13,000 ft flies with Cinema Guild". Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  12. ^ "Brief Encounters | John Semley". The Baffler. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  13. ^ digital TIFF Bell Lightbox | Anne at 13,000 ft, retrieved 2021-03-31
  14. ^ "The Cinematheque / Anne at 13,000 ft". The Cinematheque. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  15. ^ "Anne at 13,000 ft". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  16. ^ "Anne at 13,000 ft Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  17. ^ "Review: Canadian drama Anne at 13,000 ft. is a startling, bracing achievement worth celebrating". Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  18. ^ "Our film critic shares 20 hot picks for TIFF 2019". thestar.com. 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  19. ^ Wilner, Norman; Sumi, Glenn; Ritchie, Kevin (2021-02-19). "What's new to VOD and streaming this weekend: February 19–21". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  20. ^ Wilner, Norman (18 February 2020). "Canadian Screen Awards 2020: Prepare for a Schitt's show". Now.
  21. ^ The Canadian Press (10 March 2021). "Anne at 13,000 Ft wins $100K Toronto critics award". CBC News. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  22. ^ "2020 Nominees Announced". Vancouver Film Critics Circle. December 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2020.

External links

Films directed by Kazik Radwanski
Toronto Film Critics Association's Rogers Award for Best Canadian Film
Categories