TELEFILM CANADA SALUTES CANADIAN CONTINGENT AT 2009 EDITION OF LOCARNO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Montreal – July 16, 2009 – Telefilm Canada proudly announces the presence of 2 Canadian films at the 2009 Locarno International Film Festival. Now in its 62nd year, the Locarno Festival’s long-standing tradition of openness has made it an ideal platform for the promotion of national cinema from Europe and the world over, from Canada to South America to Asia.
“Canadian talent continues to strengthen the promotion and the development of the Canadian film industry on the international stage,” stated Sheila de la Varende, Director International & National Business Development. “It is important to the continued health of our industry that sales extend beyond our borders and Canadian companies are afforded this opportunity at international film festivals and markets. We are delighted to see these two films premiere at Locarno.”
Also of note is Quebec filmmaker Denis Côté’s role as a member of the jury of the Filmmakers of the Present section. Mr. Côte had the premiere of three of his own feature films at Locarno in the past. CARCASSES, which premiered at Cannes this year, will screen in Locarno in the parallel section Films by Members of the Jury section.
COMPETITION
LA DONATION (World Premiere)
Director: Bernard Émond; Production Company ACPAV (Montréal); Sales: E1 Entertainment
Financed by the Canada Feature Film Fund – Telefilm Canada
A female doctor seeking to give meaning to her work and her life settles in a remote village. LA DONATION is the third film in a trilogy that began with LA NEUVAINE, and was followed by CONTRE TOUTE ESPÉRANCE (2007), and continues on the theme of the three virtues: faith, hope and charity. All three films premiered at Locarno International Film Festival.
“The films of Bernard Émond generate buzz with both the general public and the juries of the Locarno Festival,” said Anick Poirier, VP international sales, E1 Entertainment International /Les Films Seville. “The first film in the trilogy, NEUVAINE, garnered three awards in 2005. The festival proved to be an ideal framework, a real springboard for this touching and demanding work. We are happy to bring the final film of three to this same festival.”
HERE AND THERE
THE MIRROR (World Premiere)
Director: David Christensen (Canada), Production Company Agitprop Films (Canada) & Vivo film (Italy)
THE MIRROR is a feature length documentary about a small village in the remote Italian Alps that doesn’t get any sunlight for three months of the year. The film follows the efforts of the mayor to construct a giant mirror to reflect light onto the villages square. Touching and whimsical, THE MIRROR is about the light and the dark and the things in between – a documentary film about some extraordinary people and their extraordinary dreams of light.
Telefilm Canada: 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.
To learn more about Telefilm Canada, watch the complete webcast of the Corporation’s first annual public meeting, held April 8, 2009, at www.telefilm.ca .
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Media inquiries
Alejandra Sosa sosaa@telefilm.ca
416-973-6436, ext. 2505 or 1-800-463-4607