MIPCOM 2016: Canadian talent and know-how beyond our borders

Montreal and Toronto, October 13, 2016 — Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund (CMF) are inviting the talent behind the productions Cardinal, Fatale-Station and Versailles—talent whose expertise and creativity shine on the international scene—to participate in MIPCOM 2016 from October 17 to 20 in Cannes. They will take part in the Talented Voices Drive International Appeal panel at the market and have the opportunity to discuss the various ways of reaching audiences around the world.

“Talent is definitely an inexhaustible resource in Canada,” said Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada. “The Canadian delegation heading to MIPCOM, and the productions they represent, are proof of that. The series Cardinal and Fatale-Station, which have talented production teams and solid storylines behind them, are very promising. The coproduction Versailles, which has been renewed for a second season, has already shown that talent can connect with consumers everywhere and win international awards.”

“Canadian productions are at the forefront and attract huge audiences,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the CMF. “Thanks to the reputation and know-how of Canadian producers, as well as to our country’s innovation-supporting funding ecosystem, these productions are well placed to break through into various markets. The CMF is proud to have supported the production ofCardinal, Fatale-Station and Versailles, and we are delighted that the amazing work done by the teams behind these series will be showcased at MIPCOM.”

Spotlight on Canadian talent
When combined with an original story and solid production values, on-screen talent can drive extraordinary success on the international scene. This will be demonstrated on October 18 at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès when a number of well-known personalities take part in the Talented Voices Drive International Appeal panel, organized by Telefilm and the CMF and moderated by Canadian journalist Bill Brioux.

Canadian actress Karine Vanasse (Pan Am, Revenge, Blue Moon), a regular on the international film and TV scene, American actor Billy Campbell (The Killing, The Rocketeer, Bram Stoker’s Dracula), and producers Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny of Sienna Films will be on hand to present the production Cardinal. Based on the prize-winning novel Forty Words for Sorrow, Cardinalfollows the adventures of detective John Cardinal and his partner Lisa Delorme. The series will air in Canada on CTV and, in its French version, on the Super Écran channel. eOne will handle international sales.

Macha Limonchik, actress (Nouvelle adresse, En thérapie), Stéphane Bourguignon, screenwriter, and Louise Lantagne, Vice-President of Fiction, Feature Film and Documentary at Attraction Images, will also be on the panel. Long-time collaborators who have worked on such flagship projects as La vie, la vie and Tout sur moi, the three will join forces once again to presentFatale-Station, a modern-day Western set in northern Quebec. The story revolves around Sarah, a woman trying to escape her past, who moves to a small town and gets involved in the lives of its residents. Shot this past summer, Fatale-Station already has one foot on French soil given that the series marks the first time ARTE France’s fiction unit and Radio-Canada have worked together.

Canadian actor Tygh Runyan (Motive, Snakes on a Plane, K-19) and producer Ian Whitehead, Head of Production and Development at Incendo, will present the original series from CANAL+, Versailles. The second season of this series about the world of Louis XIV and his court at the celebrated palace of Versailles, a coproduction from Capa Drama, Zodiak Fiction and Incendo, is currently in post-production. The show’s first season has already been sold in over 135 countries.

The talent will meet the international media and walk the red carpet during MIPCOM’s opening night on October 17. Canadian-born actor and producer Kiefer Sutherland, attending the market as a keynote speaker with his TV series Designated Survivor, will join the Canadian delegation.

Other Canadians will also speak at the market, notably Catherine Warren, Founder and President of FanTrust Entertainment Strategies and board member of the Bell Fund; James Milward, Executive Producer at Secret Location; Julie Bristow, President and CEO of Bristow Global Media; and Vanessa Case, Executive Vice-President, Content, at Blue Ant Media.

The Canada Pavilion at MIPCOM
The Canada Pavilion, 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 the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC). The Pavilion will host some 70 Canadian companies. A networking reception with international guests will be held at the Pavilion on Tuesday, October 18.

Follow the Canada at MIPCOM conversation and related events by using the social media hashtag #eyeoncanada (#vuesurlecanada).

About Telefilm Canada—Inspired by talent. Viewed everywhere.
Celebrating 50 years in 2017, Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada’s audiovisual industry. Through funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2013, the Talent Fund accepts private donations to principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at 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. The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors. Please visit cmf-fmc.ca.

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Media contact:

Canada Media Fund
André Ferreira
Communications Manager
416-554-2768
aferreira@cmf-fmc.ca

Telefilm Canada
Françoise Lapointe
Advisor, External Communications
514-283-0838, ext. 2028 or 1-800 567-0890
francoise.lapointe@telefilm.ca