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Telefilm Canada finances the production of 10 English-language projects
through the Canada Feature Film Fund
Montreal, April 7, 2008 – Telefilm Canada announces that 10 English-language projects across the country will move forward through the selective and performance component of the national feature film production programs of the Canada Feature Film Fund, as well as the Low Budget Independent Feature Film Assistance Program and the Theatrical Documentary Pilot Program.
“It is exciting to see that 2008 is shaping up to be a strong year for English-language cinema. Our commitment remains true to financing high-quality works that engage audiences at home and around the world,” said Wayne Clarkson, Executive Director. “The decisions announced today once again have strong audience appeal and capture this country’s vibrant creative spirit.”
Canada Feature Film Fund – main program
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (Western Region; Canada/United Kingdom co-production – Infinity Features (Canada) & Poo Poo Productions Inc. (United Kingdom); Executive Producer: Dave Valleau; Producers: William Vince, Samuel Hadida & Amy Gilliam; Director: Terry Gilliam; Writers: Charles McKeown & Terry Gilliam; Distributor: Les Films Seville Inc.; Telefilm investment: $1.6 million) is a fantastical morality tale set in the present day and tells the story of an explosive, imaginative race against time and the Devil. Dr. Parnassus fights to save his daughter in a never-ending, ever-changing landscape of surreal obstacles – and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all.
Love and Savagery (Atlantic Region; Executive Producer: Tristan Lynch; Producers: Barbara Doran, Lynne Wilson, Kevin Tierney; Director: John Smith; Writer: Desmond Walsh; Distributor: Mongrel Media Inc.; Telefilm investment: $3.2 million) is a story of passion, fate, and the consequences of the two. In 1968 Newfoundland poet Michael McCarthy travels to Ballyvaughan in Ireland to study the landscape of the Burren. There he meets Cathleen, a beautiful woman who captures his heart, but because of the path she has chosen cannot allow him to capture hers. Ultimately, Cathleen has to choose between a desire that she has recently discovered and a desire that she has felt throughout most of her life.
Fifty Dead Men Walking (Western Region; Canada/United Kingdom co-production – Running Man Productions (Canada) Ltd. & Running Man Limited (United Kingdom); Producers: Shawn Williamson, Stephen Hegyes, Kari Skoglund, Peter La Terriere; Director/Writer: Kari Skoglund; Distributor: Le Groupe TVA Inc.; Telefilm investment: $1.7 million). Based on Martin McGartland's shocking real life story, Martin is a young lad from west Belfast in the late 1980s who is recruited by the British Police to spy on the IRA. He works his way up the ranks as a volunteer for the IRA whilst feeding information to his British handler and saving lives in the process; until one day he is exposed, captured and tortured to within an inch of his life. He escaped dramatically by throwing himself from a tower block window and is still in hiding today.
Polytechnique (Ontario & Nunavut/Quebec; Producers: Don Carmody, Maxime Rémillard, André Rouleau; Writers: Denis Villeneuve, Jacques Davidts; Director: Denis Villeneuve; Distributor: Remstar Distribution; Telefilm investment: $3.1 million). Between the horror of an unpredictable massacre and shattered destinies, the film unfolds the tragedy experienced by the students attending the school. Through the shattered dreams and the incomprehensible gesture of a killer, Polytechnique lifts the veil on the most tragic event that has occurred in Quebec.
Shine of Rainbows (Western Region; Sepia Films Ltd. Producers: Tina Pehme, Kim Roberts Director: Vic Sarin; Writers: Vic Sarin, Dennis Foon & Catherine Spear; Distributor: Seville Films Inc.; Telefilm investment: $1.85 million) tells the story of a shy, orphaned 8 year-old boy who is adopted by an older, barren couple who live on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Though welcomed by his lively adopted mother, his new father is distant and reserved until they finally bond through tragedy.
A Short History of Progress (Quebec & Western Region; Big Picture Media Corporation, Cinémaginaire Inc., Film Progreso Inc. and National Film Board of Canada; Executive Producers: Mark Achbar, Betsy Carson, Silva Basmajian and Martin Scorsese; Producers: Daniel Louis, Denise Robert & Gerry Flahive; Associate Producers: Emma Tillinger & François Girard; Director/Writer: Mathieu Roy; Distributor: Alliance Vivafilm Inc. & Funfilm Distribution Inc.; Telefilm investment: $800,000) is a feature-length documentary that takes an innovative approach to an old story: juxtaposing catastrophes of ancient civilizations with our 21st-century, progress-addicted culture.
What’s Cooking? (Ontario & Nunavut Region; Hamilton-Mehta Productions Inc.; Producer: David Hamilton; Directors/Writers: Deepa Mehta & Dilip Mehta; Distributor: Mongrel Media; Telefilm investment: $2.1 million) deals with the bewilderment and confusion that results when a first-generation Canadian accepts a Canadian diplomatic post in the Indian homeland of her parents. For the first time she is seeing India as a fully functioning adult. The assumption is that it will be easy for this young diplomat to fit into Indian society having been raised by a traditional Indian family, but the reality is the impact of Canadian culture is stronger than could be imagined.
You Might as Well Live (Ontario & Nunavut Region; Mutt Productions Inc; Executive Producer: Robert Lantos; Producers: Ari Lantos & Jonas Bell Pasht; Director: Simon Ennis; Writers: Simon Ennis & Josh Peace; Distributor: Maximum Film Distribution Inc.; Telefilm investment: $1.2 million) is the darkly comedic story of one born loser's quest to be a 'real somebody'. Set against a backdrop of outrageous comedy, You Might as Well Live is ultimately a twisted coming-of-age story about the universal desire for acceptance.
Low Budget Independent Feature Film Assistance Program
A Flesh Offering (Western Region; High Definition Pictures Inc. & 6875807 Canada Inc.; Producers: Jeremy Torrie & Anne-Marie Gélinas; Writer/Director: Jeremy Torrie; Distributor: Filmoption; Telefilm investment: $650,000). We are not at the top of the food chain. The Native Windigo legend is given a modern spin in this thriller about a group of young people on a weekend snowboarding getaway who begin to fall like they’re being hunted.
The Baby Formula (Ontario & Nunavut Region; Free Spirit Films Inc.; Executive Producer: Paul Zimic; Producers: Stephen Adams, James Mou & Alison Reid; Director: Alison Reid; Writer: Richard Beattie; Telefilm investment: $134,862). Two adventurous women in love are desperate to have their own biological child. They take a chance on an experimental scientific process and make sperm from their own stem cells. Pregnant with humour and unexpected twists, their journey ultimately confirms that all life is a gift and all families are crazy.
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.
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Media inquiries:
Alejandra Sosa
sosaa@telefilm.gc.ca
(416) 973-6436 or 1-800-463-4607
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