Moving Day (1998 film)

Moving Day
Directed byChris Deacon
Written byChris Deacon
Produced byTina Goldlist
StarringMichael McMurtry
Brigitte Gall
Paul Essiembre
CinematographyDerek Rogers
Edited byDaniel Sadler
Music byCyrus Sundar Singh
Release date
  • September 13, 1998 (1998-09-13) (TIFF)
Running time
23 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Moving Day is a Canadian comedy short film, directed by Chris Deacon and released in 1998.[1] The film stars Michael McMurtry and Brigitte Gall as Scott and Amy, a couple who are moving in together for the first time, but must cope with relationship anxieties when the process reveals aspects of their personalities that they didn't previously know about each other.[2]

The film premiered at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival.[3] It was subsequently broadcast on television, as part of Showcase's "Calling Card" night of short films by emerging directors in 1998,[4] and as an episode of WTN's anthology series A Change of View in 1999.[5]

The Globe and Mail's television critic John Doyle favourably reviewed the film, commenting that "I could see this becoming, say, a six-part sitcom (without a laugh track) that gently mocks young urban couples."[4]

The film won the Genie Award for Best Live Action Short Drama at the 20th Genie Awards.[6] It received three Canadian Comedy Award nominations at the 1st Canadian Comedy Awards, for Best Performance by an Actress in a Film (Gall), Best Direction in a Film (Deacon) and Best Writing in a Film (Deacon).[7]

  1. ^ "Shorts ramping up tech expertise, storytelling". Playback, September 7, 1998.
  2. ^ "An odd couple get to know each other on Moving Day". Edmonton Journal, February 24, 1999.
  3. ^ "The complete film lineup for the 1998 Toronto Film Festival". IndieWire, August 26, 1998.
  4. ^ a b John Doyle, "John Doyle's Critical List". The Globe and Mail, December 19, 1998.
  5. ^ Rob Salem, "TV Tonight". Toronto Star, December 2, 1999.
  6. ^ "Canada shines at Genies; Domestic movie productions more than hold their own". Windsor Star, January 31, 2000.
  7. ^ "Canadian Comedy Awards nominees". Toronto Star, April 1, 2000.