Telefilm Canada Celebrates 25-year Partnership with the Vancouver International Film Festival

Vancouver, September 18, 2009 – Telefilm Canada is announcing its support of the 28th edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), taking place October 1 to 16, 2009. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Telefilm’s partnership with VIFF and of Telefilm’s Western Regional Office in Vancouver, established in 1984. A total of 17 Telefilm-financed films are being screened at VIFF this year.

“Telefilm Canada’s Western Regional Office opened its doors 25 years ago, and from the very beginning the Vancouver International Film Festival has been an important partner in developing Western Canadian talent and in building Canadian audiences for Canadian films,” said Sheila de La Varende, Director, International and National Business Development, Telefilm Canada. “A rich programme of Canadian films is on offer again this year, a testament to the diversity of our cinema. Women filmmakers are prominent in this year’s line-up, with Canadian directors such as Sherry White and Daniska Esterhazy showcasing their films at VIFF.”

“We are proud to be a partner of VIFF for the 25th consecutive year,” said Earl Hong Tai, Western Regional Director, Business Development, Telefilm Canada. “Both VIFF and Telefilm have been dedicated to the development and success of the Canadian audiovisual industry for over two decades and we believe VIFF provides unique opportunities to this region and this country’s creative teams by offering them such a platform for networking and exchanging ideas.”

Canadian Images Series
The VIFF Canadian Images Series is one of the biggest showcases of Canadian film in the world. Telefilm has supported many of the films in the series at the development, production or completion stages. In honour of the 25th anniversary of the Western Regional Office, Telefilm will be presenting BLACK FIELD and ZOOEY & ADAM (please visit www.viff.org for screening times), two films from the Canadian Images Series. Local filmmakers and Telefilm representatives will be onsite to answer questions from the audience following the screenings.

Telefilm Canada International Tête-à-tête Meetings
Telefilm is proud to present the sixth instalment of the Telefilm Canada International Tête-à-tête Meetings. Designed to foster Canadian co-production and international sales, this unique series of meetings provides an opportunity for filmmakers to discuss current projects with international producers, distributors, commissioning editors and Telefilm representatives.

Telefilm-financed films at VIFF 2009

Developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian productions that appeal to domestic and international audiences. The Corporation also administers the funding programs of the Canadian Feature Film Fund, the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada New Media Fund. Visit www.telefilm.ca.

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For further information, please contact:
Kim Alison Fraser
Communications Officer, Telefilm Canada
604-683-7088, ext. 2628
fraserk@telefilm.ca