Canada ready for MIPCOM 2014!

• Stars Aunjanue Ellis, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Lou Gossett, Jr. at Cannes for world premiere of the Canadian miniseries The Book of Negroes
• Murdoch Mysteries celebrates its 100th episode at MIPCOM with star Yannick Bisson

Montreal, October 9, 2014—Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund (CMF) are proud to announce that Canada will be well represented at MIPCOM 2014, one of the world’s leading multiplatform entertainment content markets, to be held in Cannes from October 13 to 16, 2014. Canadian talent will be highlighted at several events, notably during the world premiere screening of director Clement Virgo’s miniseries The Book of Negroes. Canadian stars will also make red carpet appearances at Cannes, among them Yannick Bisson of Murdoch Mysteries. In addition, 65 Canadian production and distribution companies will exhibit at the Canada Pavilion—one of the largest national stands at the Market.

Following are the four key events organized for the Canadian presence at MIPCOM 2014:

New Canadian youth content at MIPJunior
On October 11, Canada will present six original multiplatform productions during a screening at MIPJunior, a youth-content market held just ahead of MIPCOM. The shows Les Argonautes, Camp Lakebottom, Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures, Guardians Evolution, The Stanley Dynamic and Time Tremors (a Canada-Australia co-production) will be presented by Valerie Creighton, CMF President and CEO.

Gala world premiere screening of The Book of Negroes 
The gala world premiere screening of the six-part miniseries The Book of Negroes (a Canada-South Africa co-production) will take place on October 13. Based on the 2007 novel by Canadian author Lawrence Hill that was published in several countries, The Book of Negroes tells the story of a young African slave and will be broadcast on CBC Television in Canada and on BET (Black Entertainment Television) in the United States. Shot in Nova Scotia and in South Africa, the miniseries will be screened in the presence of Canadian novelist and co-writer Lawrence Hill, Canadian director and co-writer Clement Virgo (Poor Boy’s Game, Love Come Down), Canadian executive producer Damon D’Oliveira (Conquering Lion Pictures), and stars Aunjanue Ellis (The Help), Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and Oscar-winner Lou Gossett, Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman). 

Canada well represented on the red carpet at MIPCOM’s opening gala
Canada will be very well represented on the red carpet at MIPCOM’s opening gala on the evening of October 13. Guests will include the director, one of the producers and stars of The Book of Negroes. Yannick Bisson, star of Murdoch Mysteries, will also be on hand to represent his TV show, broadcast in 110 countries and now in its eighth season and 100th episode. Michelle Alexander (Beauty and the Beast) of Darknet, a Canadian horror series, will also be at the gala. Also present will be Ricardo Trogi (1981, 1987) and actors Marianne Fortier (Aurore) and Sébastien Delorme (La petite reine) from the miniseries Le Berceau des anges. Finally, Toronto illusionist Zack Mirza and Quebec hypnotist extraordinaire Messmer will both walk the red carpet to represent the productions they’ll be starring in: Illusions of Grandeur and Hyp-Gags with Messmer.

The Showrunners Masterclass with cast and crew from The Book of Negroes and Murdoch Mysteries
On October 14, Damon D’Oliveira, executive producer, and Clement Virgo, director and co-writer (The Book of Negroes); Christina Jennings, executive producer, Smokebomb Entertainment/Shaftesbury, and Yannick Bisson, lead actor, executive producer and director (Murdoch Mysteries); and Sally Catto, general manager, programming, CBC Television, will take part in The Showrunners Masterclass panel.

Canada at MIPCOM and MIPJunior, the microsite
Canadian speakers will participate in panel discussions and sessions during the Market, which allow Canada to promote a wide variety of content to members of the international audiovisual community. For a complete list of Canadian activities at MIPJunior and MIPCOM, please click here.

The Canada Pavilion at MIPCOM—a key element in the promotion of Canadian content
The Canada Pavilion, which is coordinated by Telefilm Canada, is funded this year by the Canada Media Fund, Creative BC, the Canadian Media Production Association, Manitoba Film and Music and Film and Creative Industries Nova Scotia and will host 65 Canadian companies representing 150 delegates. The Pavilion will also host close to 300 people, delegates from Canada and elsewhere, at a networking activity on Tuesday, October 14.

The social media hashtags to use throughout the event will be #canadamipcom and #eyeoncanada.

About Telefilm Canada
Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada’s audiovisual industry. Through its various funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent here at home and around the world. Telefilm also administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. Please visit www.cmf-fmc.ca.

The CMF’s Canadaonscreen.ca is a website designed to showcase and celebrate Canadian creative talent and content destined for all types of screens, from television productions to games, Web content and software and applications.

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Media enquiries:
Douglas Chow, Head, Public Relations, Telefilm Canada
(514) 283-0838, ext. 2225 or 1-800-567-0890
douglas.chow@telefilm.ca

Pierre Campeau, Communications Manager, Canada Media Fund
(416) 554-2768
pcampeau@cmf-fmc.ca