Strong Canadian presence at the 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam

Montreal, January 18, 2011 – Canada will have a strong presence at the 40th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) with a decade high of 11 feature films screening, two projects selected to be featured at IFFR’s exclusive CineMart international coproduction market, 20 short films including four in the IFFR Tiger Awards Short Film competition, and three emerging producers participating in the prestigious Festival’s Rotterdam Lab training workshop.

Two producers invited to pitch their film projects to the world at CineMart – Ontarians Ed Gass-Donnelly and Daniel Cockburn – also have films screening in the Festival’s Bright Future program, which is billed as “the platform for filmmakers of the future”. Joint-event attendance is a significant and rare occurrence for Canadian filmmakers.

“In addition to other Canadians attending Rotterdam this year, this is the first time in recent memory that two Canadian filmmakers have been invited to both screen a feature at Rotterdam and bring a development project to CineMart,” said Sheila de La Varende, Director, National and International Business Development, Telefilm Canada. ”It also bodes well for the Canadian film industry that this well-respected Festival has recognized these talented filmmakers as being on the innovative edge of their craft.” 

In Cockburn’s film YOU ARE HERE the evolving story and emerging characters compel viewers to think and participate more deeply than in conventional filmmaking.  “Rotterdam is well known for being friendly to innovative films so I think the Festival liked the alternative ‘meta-detective’ approach I took in YOU ARE HERE,” said Cockburn. “I hope having projects both in the Festival and at CineMart draws attention and prospects to both the projects and me as a filmmaker – winning an award would be the icing on the cake.”

Gass-Donnelly was equally thrilled at his pending dual presence at IFFR. “Having SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS screen at Rotterdam is a great honour and a real opportunity to boost the film’s international sales. Also, to have THE FEAST at CineMart at the same time is a rare chance to strategically cross promote both projects. This will be a really great opportunity to introduce my work to the world.”

Canadian feature films selected for 2011 are:

*Financed with the support of the Canada Feature Film Fund 

Feature film projects selected by CineMart

CineMart selected Gass-Donnelly’s feature film project FEAST (3 Legged Dog Films, Resolute Films & Entertainment) and Cockburn’s THE KING OF THE CATS (Scythia Films, zeroFunction Productions) from more than 430 international entries.  As CineMart delegates, writer-director-producers Gass-Donnelly and Cockburn will benefit from the market’s one-on-one meetings with a potential of 800 film financiers. Both projects will compete for Cinemart’s Arte France Cinéma Awards including the top prize worth €10,000.

Telefilm’s partnership with Cinemart allows it to nominate two Canadian producers to attend CineMart. Selected producers are Leah Mallen of Twofold Films (B.C.) and Borga Dorter of Gearshift Films (Ontario). Telefilm will further reinforce the Canadian industry’s presence in Rotterdam by hosting a networking event for industry delegates. 

Emerging Canadian producers at the Rotterdam Lab

Telefilm has nominated three producers from the 37 who applied for the 2011 edition of the 5-day training workshop: Félize Frappier (Québec), Cher Hawrysh (Ontario), and Lauren Grant (B.C.).

The Rotterdam Lab gives young producers the opportunity to develop international market experience through privileged access to key industry professionals (sales agents, producers, distributors, buyers) participating in the training. These three producers bring the total number of Canadian producers who have attended this prestigious training to 26 since 2003.

Tiger Awards Short Film competition

Four Canadian short films will be competing for three €3,000 prizes in the Tiger Awards Short Film competition:

• HOME MOVIE directed by John Price


• THE STORY OF ELFRANKO WESSELS directed by Erik Moskowitz, Amanda Trager (USA-Canada)


• MIRAGES directed by Emanuel Licha (France-Canada)


• LESSER APES directed by Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby 

About Telefilm Canada
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. Telefilm also administers the Canada Media Fund’s programs. Visit www.telefilm.ca. 

-30-

Media inquiries:
Élise Proulx
Telefilm Canada
514-283-0838 or 1-800-567-0890, ext. 2090
proulxe@telefilm.ca
twitter.com/Telefilm_Canada