Telefilm Canada finances the production of 15 English-language projects through the Canada Feature Film Fund
Montreal, April 27, 2009 – Telefilm Canada is delighted to announce that 15 new English-language projects across the country will move forward through the selective component of the national and regional feature film production programs of the Canada Feature Film Fund, as well as the Low Budget Independent Feature Film Assistance Program.
“We are very pleased and excited about these most recent films scheduled to move into production and post-production,” stated Stephanie Azam, National Feature Film Executive – English language, Telefilm. “It is clear there is an amazing breadth of talent in this country and these projects will attract audiences both at home and around the world.”
Canada Feature Film Fund – Main Program
Altitude (Western Region; Escape Factory Inc. and Foundation Features; Executive Producer(s): Rob Merilees, Dave Valleau, Gary Hamilton, and Mike Gabrawy; Producer: Ian Birkett; Director: Kaare Andrews; Writer: Paul Birkett; Distributor: Alliance Films Inc.; Telefilm Investment: $1,491,000). After a mysterious malfunction sends their small plane spiralling out of control, a rookie pilot and her four teenage friends find themselves trapped in a deadly showdown with a supernatural force.
The Bang Bang Club (Ontario & Nunavut Regions; Shooting Foundry Pictures Inc.; Producers: Daniel Iron; Writer/Director: Steven Silver; Distributor: E1 Films Canada; Telefilm investment: $ 1,963,572). Based on the book of the same name, The Bang Bang Club tells the story of four remarkable young photo journalists during the final, bloody days of apartheid in South Africa.
The Con Artist (Ontario & Nunavut Regions; Love Child Productions Inc.; Producer: Paul Barkin; Writer: Michael Melski; Director: Risa Bramon Garcia; Distributor: Maple Pictures; Telefilm investment: $2,967,000). When Vince, a newly paroled criminal, is forced back into a life of crime by Kranski, he secretly creates sculptures in the back room of Kranski’s chop shop to vent his frustration. Things get dicey when he’s discovered as the next big thing to hit the art world by Belinda, an art dealer.
Everywhere (Quebec; Production EVW Inc.; Producer: Richard Lalonde; Writer: Robert Geoffrion; Director: Alexis Durand-Brault; Distributor: Remstar Distribution Inc.; Telefilm Investment: $700,000) is a romantic morality tale which explores the paranoia of love pushed to its most bitter and destructive extreme. James cannot believe that his lovely fiancée Isabelle could possibly remain faithful to him. So deep is his paranoia that he has a GPS device implanted into his lover’s arm. Upon discovering this device, Isabelle declares war on James and a battle of wits and minds ensues.
Funkytown (Quebec; Corsimar Films Inc.; Producer: André Rouleau; Writer: Steve Galluccio; Director: Daniel Roby; Distributor: Remstar Distribution Inc.; Telefilm Investment: $3,750,000) Between 1976 and 1980 in Montreal, eight characters who wanted to see and be seen at the trendiest disco in town, juggle freedom and tradition, lovers and family, drugs and sobriety, fame and anonymity, until they are forced to make sober choices in an era when excess was the norm, and disco was king.
Gunless (Western Region; Brightlight Pictures Inc. & Rhombus Media Inc.; Producer(s): Stephen Hegyes, Shawn Williamson, & Niv Fichman; Scriptwriter/Director: William Phillips; Distributor: Alliance Films Inc.; Telefilm Investment: $4,000,000). A hardened American gunslinger is repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to mount a showdown in a friendly Alberta town where no one seems to understand or appreciate the brutal code of the American Wild West.
The Storm (Western Region; Brightlight Pictures Inc.; Producer: Shawn Williamson; Director: Uwe Boll; Writer: Tim McGregor; Distributor: E1 Entertainment; Telefilm Investment: $1,900,000). A small rural family struggles to carry on after discovering that they’ve survived biblical Armageddon and are now alone in the world.
Suck (Ontario & Nunavut Ontario & Nunavut Regions; K.C.U.S. Productions Inc.; Producers: Robin Crumley; Writer/Director: Rob Stefaniuk; Distributor: Equinoxe; Telefilm investment: $ 1,349,736). Suck is a highly stylized Rock ‘n’ Roll vampire comedy that follows the band "The Winners" on their final, doomed quest for a record deal.
Year of the Carnivore (Western Region; Screen Siren Pictures Inc. & The Film Farm Inc.; Producer(s): Trish Dolman, Simone Urdl, and Jennifer Weiss; Co-Producer: Kryssta Mills; Writer/Director: Sook-Yin Lee; Distributor: E1 Entertainment; Telefilm Investment: $1,200,000). A bittersweet coming-of-age story about a girl with an unrequited crush on a boy who thinks she’s bad in bed, so she goes out to gain more ‘experience’.
Grown-Up Movie Star (Atlantic Region; Pope Productions Inc. & Opportunity Knox Inc.; Producers: Paul Pope, Jill Knox-Gosse, Shawn Doyle; Writer/Director: Adriana Maggs; Distributor: Mongrel Media Inc.; Telefilm Investment: $440,000). Ruby’s mother leaves the family for brighter lights. Ruby and her father, Ray, spiral into parallel sexual awakenings that threaten to tear the family apart. Ruby’s raging adolescent hormones collide with her anger and rejection while Ray rediscovers his homosexuality.
Halo (Atlantic Region; Moving Films Inc. & Les Productions Colin Neale Inc.; Producers: Bev Bliss, Colin Neale; Writer: Josh MacDonald; Director: George Mihalka; Distributor: Seville Pictures Inc.; Telefilm Investment: $914,824). When Casey and her sister Meg tried to escape from their small town, everything went horribly wrong: they crashed the car and Meg fell into a coma. Casey made it out without a scratch and now wants to live life to the fullest. But things do not turn out the way she expected.
Sarila (Quebec; Carpediem Film & T.V. Inc. & Productions 10e Avenue Inc. (Canada), Shax Animation (France) & Los Hijos de su madre (Mexico); Producers: Marie-Claude Beauchamp, Nancy Savard & Paul Risacher (Canada); Hugues Sauvaire (France) & Enrique Navarette (Mexico); Writer: Roger Harvey & Pierre Tremblay; Director: Nancy Savard; Distributor: Alliance Vivafilm Inc.; Telefilm Investment : $1,500,000) is an animated story about the adventures of 3 mythical young Inuits: Markussi, Apik and Putulik, The trio must battle the elements and dark forces sent their way by Kiliq, the tribe’s evil shaman, in order to reach Sarila and save their tribe from famine.
Low Budget Independent Feature Film Assistance Program
Kissed by Lightning (Ontario & Nunavut Regions; Kissed by Lightning Productions Inc.; Producers: Annie Frasier Henry, Shelley Niro; Writer/Director: Shelley Niro; Telefilm investment: $200,000) is an uplifting story set on the Six Nations Reserve which tells the story of beautiful, heart-broken Mavis, who decides to take a chance on love again, and soon finds that the borders of her soul have no boundaries.
Lost & Found (Western Region; Marque One Films Inc.; Producer(s): Byron Lamarque & Marilee Lamarque; Director: Byron Lamarque; Writer(s): Byron Lamarque & Marilee Lamarque; Telefilm Investment: $131,231). A young, up-and-coming ballet star has her world turned upside down when injury brings an early end to her career. It is a devastating loss, and just when she finds herself seriously questioning her will to live, she realizes sometimes not getting what you want is just the thing you need.
Wake (Ontario & Nunavut Regions; 1779211 Ontario Inc.; Producers: Paul Scherzer; Writer/Director: Penelope Buitenhuis; Telefilm investment: $161,324). In this improvised feature, six former members of a renowned theatre company assemble for their infamous director’s wake.
Developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of 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 Television Fund. For more information about Telefilm, see the full webcast of our first annual public meeting, held on April 8, 2009, available at www.telefilm.ca.
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Media inquiries: Alejandra Sosa – Communications Officer & Press attaché, (416) 973-6436 or 1-800-463-4607, sosaa@telefilm.ca