Congratulations to Atom Egoyan, whose film, Adoration, won the Ecumenical Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the blurb given about the plot:

Simon, an adolescent with a complex family history, attempts to create his identity while overcoming cultural stereotypes. His invented personal story, which he presents to his class, explodes in Internet forums. He must contend both emotionally and intellectually with the issues raised. Using a poetic cinematography, the director presents traditional and contemporary symbols and objects to invite us to re-evaluate existing clichés about the Other or that which is foreign in our own culture and religion.

Check out the trailer:

At the Catholic New Media Conference this past weekend, a new SQPN online flash-based game debuted, along with the first episode of That Catholic Show, Season 2 (HINT: it’s about the new evangelization) and news that Jennifer Willits is pregnant! Anyway, you can play the new PodCatchers game at http://www.sqpn.com — check out this crazy ditty that Mac Barron of Catholic In A Small Town put together. He calls it a short film about blogging:

An excellent example of how the Internet medium can change the world: Architecture for Humanity. The org hosts a network of architects who are willing to design for humanitarian purposes, as well as those architects’ designs. Hat tip to Frontline/World for featuring the story.

F/W last night also presented an excellent piece on how Christians in China are attempting to transform their country. Check out some fascinating video here.

Have you ever wished that your local Blockbuster had a selection of more family-friendly, faith-friendly videos? Wish no longer. This weekend, I learned about Pius Media, which has the clever tagline, “Entertainment your Mother approves!” Haha. The service reminds me of NetFlicks or some similar site. This is how I understand it: You create an online “wish list” of videos you want to see. You are sent a movie(s) on your list, the number of which depends on how much you choose to pay each month. You can keep the videos as long as you want, and and once you send them back, you get more. They’ve got a wide range of some excellent films, documentaries, and television series on DVD. How cool is that?

(Note: The spot above was made by Grassroots Films.) If you’re young and have wanted a Catholic Facebook for a long time, go check out Xt3.com – the Official World Youth Day Social Network. The original intent was to connect WYD pilgrims, but it’s turning into a place for young Catholics around the world to connect. The layout and design is just as superb as the official WYD website. I’ve joined, and I think you should, too.

Speaking of Grassroots Films, can you host a screening of this film? The Human Experience is nearing its world premier, but it needs you to help it be successful! If you’re interested in viewing the rough cut of the film or hosting a screening in your area, please check out this link.