Magazine

Independent, provocative, now! The CJLO Magazine is the resource for features, reviews, and interviews. Established in 2004, and run by dedicated CJLO volunteers, the magazine covers the latest and best in local and international music, art, theatre, film, festivals, and more!


Fantasia Week One: A Weekly Recap of The Genre Film Festival

Once again, this year I am taking part in the virtual portion of the Fantasia Film Festival due to the circumstances. However, I am happy to see the theatrical component of the festival come back this year because there is nothing like a Fantasia audience for a film premiere. Quite honestly it is the only way to truly appreciate the festival in a room of other genre film lovers while keeping everyone safe under the current guidelines. In my theatrical experience the film that I got to see seemed lost amongst the audience I saw it with, and I ponder how it played out among the Fantasia audience. 
 

Fantasia 2021: The Premier Film Festival Heads Back to Theatres, Even Though It Never Left

Nothing stood in the way of the Fantasia International Film Festival - not even a pandemic. Last year the festival was a success through a virtual rendition. This year the milestone 25th edition will find the fine balance of the in person experience, while following the government guidelines still in place (a virtual edition will also be available this year). Running from Aug. 5 - Aug.


Shazam Fest 2021 Reflections

The 15.5 edition of the Shazam Festival occurred over the weekend of July 9th through 11th, 2021. The idyllic site located near Ayer’s Cliff, Quebec was a beehive of activity compared to the much smaller festival that took place last year. To make up for lost time, the schedule was packed with an eclectic mix of shows; on the day this reporter was there, there was not much downtime between artists. 


The Director’s Chair: An Interview with Mohawk Director Tracey Deer

At The Movies talks to director Tracey Deer in this edition of The Director’s Chair about her new film Beans. One part coming of age story, the film also puts the 1990 Oka Crisis into historical context. Beans opens in theatres where open on July 2nd.


RESONATING RECONCILIATION BROADCAST: JULY 1ST, 2021

CJLO 1690 AM will not be celebrating Canada Day. In what is now an annual tradition, CJLO will be airing documentaries from the National Campus and Community Radio Association’s Resonating Reconciliation, a project that engages community radio to help reconcile all Canadians with the history of Indian Residential Schools.


After Almost a Decade and a Half Together, Braids Remain Dedicated to Creative Evolution and Friendship

Photo credit: Melissa Gamache

As the classic thought experiment goes, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" With the COVID-19 pandemic laying waste to album releases and tours, artists had to start asking themselves a similar question; “If we release new music and no fans are around to hear it, did it really exist?”


Alicia Clara Lets Us into Her Literary World on ‘Outsider/Unusual’

Photo Credit: Tess Roby

Surprisingly, Alicia Clara has a “very short attention span” when it comes to books. I say surprisingly because the Montreal-via-Switzerland singer-songwriter creates the sort of works where you need the lyrics sheet to pour over the words and turns of phrases.


Preview: Shiva Baby from Director Emma Seligman, a Pitting Comedy

Shiva Baby from director Emma Seligman can be best described as a dark comedy in the similar vein to the cult comedy Death at a Funeral. After meeting her soon-to-be sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari), college graduate Danielle (Rachel Sennott) rushes to meet her neurotic parents for a family shiva.


Preview: New Film Like a House on Fire from Montreal director Jesse Noah Klein

Like a House on Fire is a new film from Montreal director Jesse Noah Klein, starring Sarah Sutherland (Veep) and Quebec singer Hubert Lenoir. Dara (Sarah Sutherland) returns home after a two year absence to connect with her husband and her daughter. However, things are not what they seem. There is a new woman in the household who is seven months pregnant with Dara’s husband’s baby and her daughter does not seem to recognize her anymore. The film then becomes a story of a woman’s struggle to regain control of her old life. 


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