Last year the The Globe & Mail released an article entitled "What is Wrong with the Canadian Film Industry?" that outlined the problems facing our country’s cinema: low box-office numbers, a crisis of English-Canadian identity, an inability to compete with Hollywood entertainments etc., etc. Focused entirely on the industry, the piece fails to mention the resurgence that had been taking root for quite some time. 2015 was an important year for Canadian cinema, but while Room, Hyena Road and Wet Bum ate up the article’s word count, three of the year’s great Canadian films by emerging directors went unnoticed: Isiah Medina’s 88:88, Kurt Walker’s Hit 2 Pass, and Kazik Radwanski’s How Heavy This Hammer. Equating cinema with ‘content,’ a product to be bought and sold, the article is as much a reflection of the problems with Canadian cinema as an exposition of it. But this insidious...
- 11/29/2016
- MUBI
James Franco and Rachel McAdams star in Wim Wenders' 3D drama Every Thing Will Be Fine, and we have Exclusive new images from the film.
Wenders, the iconic German director responsible for such classic films including Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire, and the recent dance documentary Pina, has made his most mainstream film yet with Every Thing Will Be Fine. With a stellar cast including Franco, McAdams, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Canadian rising stars Julia Sarah Stone (who had a breakout role in last year's Wet Bum) and Robert Naylor, Every Thing Will Be Fine is probably the first film by Wenders with a Hollywood cast.
[Read: Canadian Spotlight: Robert Naylor on working with James Franco in Every Thing Will Be Fine.]
Speaking of firsts, the film breaks the traditional 3D mold. 3D is usually reserved for big-budget sci-fi, action or animated films. Every Thing Will Be Fine tells its story of a man whose life changes after a tragic car accident and the ripple effect...
Wenders, the iconic German director responsible for such classic films including Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire, and the recent dance documentary Pina, has made his most mainstream film yet with Every Thing Will Be Fine. With a stellar cast including Franco, McAdams, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Canadian rising stars Julia Sarah Stone (who had a breakout role in last year's Wet Bum) and Robert Naylor, Every Thing Will Be Fine is probably the first film by Wenders with a Hollywood cast.
[Read: Canadian Spotlight: Robert Naylor on working with James Franco in Every Thing Will Be Fine.]
Speaking of firsts, the film breaks the traditional 3D mold. 3D is usually reserved for big-budget sci-fi, action or animated films. Every Thing Will Be Fine tells its story of a man whose life changes after a tragic car accident and the ripple effect...
- 12/10/2015
- by Adriana Floridia
- Cineplex
Nearly 60 international and Canadian producers will head to the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s (Omdc) annual International Financing Forum in Toronto.
The 10th anniversary edition of Omdc’s International Financing Forum (Iff), a feature co-financing market for English-language projects, will run Sept 13-14 during Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20).
The projects include Drama, the third feature to be directed by Oscar-winning Us actress Helen Hunt, written by Justin W. Lo (‘Mistresses’).
Scroll down for more projects
The two-day event includes one-on-one meetings, an industry panel discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon, and a producers’ opening night networking reception.
Iff partners include Telefilm Canada, UK Trade and Investment (Ukti) and new sponsor Canadian Media Producers Association (Cmpa).
More than 750 meetings will be scheduled for the 37 producer teams (20 Canadian projects and 17 international projects).
In total, 56 producers have been selected to participate in the programme from countries including: Australia, Germany, India, Israel, Spain, Uganda...
The 10th anniversary edition of Omdc’s International Financing Forum (Iff), a feature co-financing market for English-language projects, will run Sept 13-14 during Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20).
The projects include Drama, the third feature to be directed by Oscar-winning Us actress Helen Hunt, written by Justin W. Lo (‘Mistresses’).
Scroll down for more projects
The two-day event includes one-on-one meetings, an industry panel discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon, and a producers’ opening night networking reception.
Iff partners include Telefilm Canada, UK Trade and Investment (Ukti) and new sponsor Canadian Media Producers Association (Cmpa).
More than 750 meetings will be scheduled for the 37 producer teams (20 Canadian projects and 17 international projects).
In total, 56 producers have been selected to participate in the programme from countries including: Australia, Germany, India, Israel, Spain, Uganda...
- 9/1/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Young actress Julia Sarah Stone took home the Rising Star Award for her performance in "Wet Bum" at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, and now Indiewire has the exclusive trailer for the film. The synopsis reads: "It's the start of the spring term in a small northern town, heralding swimming lessons, hanging out with best friends, new classes and new possibilities. But this year, things are different for 14-year-old Sam. While her friends are moving on, focusing on boys, experimenting with drugs, Sam is too uncomfortable to even take off her bathing suit in front of the other girls. After landing herself into trouble, she is forced to work as a cleaner at the retirement home run by her mother. Sam finds unexpected and unlikely friendships with two of the retirement home's residents who end up teaching her a few things about growing up -- and growing old." "Wet Bum...
- 1/28/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.
The festival runs from January 27-February 7.
Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.
World Premieres
A Better You, USA
Directed by Matt Walsh
Cast: Brian Huskey,...
The festival runs from January 27-February 7.
Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.
World Premieres
A Better You, USA
Directed by Matt Walsh
Cast: Brian Huskey,...
- 1/8/2015
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...
- 1/8/2015
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
You have to be a bit daring to name your first feature film Wet Bum, but that’s the title of Lindsay MacKay’s directorial debut. The film, a coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl who works in a retirement home going through a complicated romance, premieres at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and is an assured and enjoyable debut (you can check out our review here).
While MacKay’s film is sensitive and moving, much of Wet Bum’s attention is going to its star, teen actor Julia Sarah Stone. A Vancouver native best known to North American audiences for her role in The Killing, Stone was also named one of the festival’s four Rising Stars this year. It is clear that the young actor has a long career ahead of her. as she is already working on films with esteemed directors like Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders.
While MacKay’s film is sensitive and moving, much of Wet Bum’s attention is going to its star, teen actor Julia Sarah Stone. A Vancouver native best known to North American audiences for her role in The Killing, Stone was also named one of the festival’s four Rising Stars this year. It is clear that the young actor has a long career ahead of her. as she is already working on films with esteemed directors like Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders.
- 9/15/2014
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
Accompanied by a strong presence of Tap producers at this year’s Tiff line-up, Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap), renowned international co-production training and networking program launches Module 2 of the 2014 edition in Halifax September 8th. Tap Producers will tackle a vast range of training topics and networking opportunities leading into the international coproduction market Strategic Partners, as part of the program.
Potsdam, Germany – After completing Module 1 in Berlin in June, The Erich Pommer Institut – Epi (Germany), new Presenting Partner Canadian Media Production Association – Cmpa (Canada), and the Independent Filmmaker Project – Ifp (USA) proudly present Module 2 of their annual intensive training and networking program for established producers from Europe, Canada, and the United States, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 8th- 14th. 22 experienced producers were selected from the target countries including, the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark, Canada and USA to participate in the 6th edition.
Looking forward to the upcoming training unit, Tap Head of Studies, Jan Miller, comments, “With the strong presence of Tap producers at Tiff this year, we’re seeing tangible evidence that the training program in Berlin and Halifax is supporting the best in international producer talent.”
The Tap producers’ highlight list of films that premiere at Tiff include:
"Bang Bang Baby" produced by Daniel Bekerman (Tap 2013)
"Big Muddy"produced by Bob Crowe (Tap 2009)
"Cub" produced by Peter De Maegd (Tap 2009) and co-produced by Femke Wolting (Tap 2011)
"Dukhtar" co-produced by Shrihari Sathe (Tap 2013)
"Guidance" produced by Mike MacMillan (Tap 2014)
"Hole" produced by Laura Perlmutter and Andrew Nicholas McCann Smith (both Tap 2014)
"Shelter" produced by Katie Mustard (Tap 2014)
"Tigers" produced by Guneet Monga (Tap 2011)
"Voice Over" co-produced by Nicolas Comeau (Tap 2014)
"Wet Bum" produced by Paula Devonshire and Lauren Grant (both Tap 2013)
In Module 2, producers take part in a multi-facetted training programme including up-to-date topics on marketing and distribution and case studies. The list of experts and trainers is broad: Susan Shopmaker (Susan Shopmaker Casting, USA), Mark Horowitz (H20 Motion Pictures, USA), Mia Bays (Missing In Action Films, UK), Evan Schwartz (FilmBuff, USA), Jay van Hoy (Parts and Labor Films, USA), Marc Almon (Story Engine Pictures), Andrew Noble (Filmoption International) and Belgium producer Jean-Yves Roubin (Frakas Productions) as well as Phyllis Laing (Buffalo Gal Pictures). The Tap training leads directly into Strategic Partners where producers will participate in 3 days of b2b meetings, panels and keynote speakers at one of the world’s pre-eminent international co-production markets.
About Trans Atlantic Partners
Tap offers a unique combination of intensive, hands-on training with effective networking among potential partners, and targeted project feedback from resource trainers.
Tap alumni include internationally acclaimed producers such as Sol Bondy, Germany (Youth – bfi Award-nomination 2013), Peter Bouckaert, Belgium (Bullhead – Oscar®-nomination 2012), Marc- Daniel Dichant, Germany (In Darkness – Oscar®-nomination 2012), Anne-Marie Gelinas, Canada (Mars and Avril – Canadian Screen Awards 4 nominations 2013), Alexandra Johnes, USA (The House I Live in – Sundance Grand Jury Prize 2012), Bob Moore, Canada (China Heavyweight – Sundance Grand Jury Prize nomination 2012), Guneet Monga, India (Gangs of Wasseypur– Toronto & Cannes 2012, The Lunchbox – 2013 Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Rail d’ Or), and Ryan Zacharias, USA (I Used to Be Darker – Sundance & Berlin 2013). Presenting
Partners
The Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) is one of the leading centers in Europe for media law, media management, and media research. As a non-profit independent institute, our curriculum follows the process of media convergence through research, consultation and advanced training. Each year, Epi organizes and hosts close to 40 seminars, workshops, conferences and panels – for the German as well as the European media industry. www.epi-medieninstitut.de
The Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) is Canada's leading trade association for independent producers. The Cmpa represents more than 350 companies engaged in the production and distribution of English-language television programs, feature films and digital media. Together, the production sector generates almost $6 billion of activity annually and sustains 127,700 high-quality, full-time jobs. The Cmpa works on behalf of members to promote and stimulate the Canadian production industry to ensure the continued success of Canada's independent production sector and a future for Canadian content. www.cmpa.ca
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) is the U.S.'s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Ifp represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world, with a mission of ensuring that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness and fostering activism. www.ifp.org
Tap is supported by Telefilm Canada, Vff (Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film- und Fernsehproduzenten mbH) Germany, and Creative BC, Canada. Associate partner: Strategic Partners...
Potsdam, Germany – After completing Module 1 in Berlin in June, The Erich Pommer Institut – Epi (Germany), new Presenting Partner Canadian Media Production Association – Cmpa (Canada), and the Independent Filmmaker Project – Ifp (USA) proudly present Module 2 of their annual intensive training and networking program for established producers from Europe, Canada, and the United States, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 8th- 14th. 22 experienced producers were selected from the target countries including, the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark, Canada and USA to participate in the 6th edition.
Looking forward to the upcoming training unit, Tap Head of Studies, Jan Miller, comments, “With the strong presence of Tap producers at Tiff this year, we’re seeing tangible evidence that the training program in Berlin and Halifax is supporting the best in international producer talent.”
The Tap producers’ highlight list of films that premiere at Tiff include:
"Bang Bang Baby" produced by Daniel Bekerman (Tap 2013)
"Big Muddy"produced by Bob Crowe (Tap 2009)
"Cub" produced by Peter De Maegd (Tap 2009) and co-produced by Femke Wolting (Tap 2011)
"Dukhtar" co-produced by Shrihari Sathe (Tap 2013)
"Guidance" produced by Mike MacMillan (Tap 2014)
"Hole" produced by Laura Perlmutter and Andrew Nicholas McCann Smith (both Tap 2014)
"Shelter" produced by Katie Mustard (Tap 2014)
"Tigers" produced by Guneet Monga (Tap 2011)
"Voice Over" co-produced by Nicolas Comeau (Tap 2014)
"Wet Bum" produced by Paula Devonshire and Lauren Grant (both Tap 2013)
In Module 2, producers take part in a multi-facetted training programme including up-to-date topics on marketing and distribution and case studies. The list of experts and trainers is broad: Susan Shopmaker (Susan Shopmaker Casting, USA), Mark Horowitz (H20 Motion Pictures, USA), Mia Bays (Missing In Action Films, UK), Evan Schwartz (FilmBuff, USA), Jay van Hoy (Parts and Labor Films, USA), Marc Almon (Story Engine Pictures), Andrew Noble (Filmoption International) and Belgium producer Jean-Yves Roubin (Frakas Productions) as well as Phyllis Laing (Buffalo Gal Pictures). The Tap training leads directly into Strategic Partners where producers will participate in 3 days of b2b meetings, panels and keynote speakers at one of the world’s pre-eminent international co-production markets.
About Trans Atlantic Partners
Tap offers a unique combination of intensive, hands-on training with effective networking among potential partners, and targeted project feedback from resource trainers.
Tap alumni include internationally acclaimed producers such as Sol Bondy, Germany (Youth – bfi Award-nomination 2013), Peter Bouckaert, Belgium (Bullhead – Oscar®-nomination 2012), Marc- Daniel Dichant, Germany (In Darkness – Oscar®-nomination 2012), Anne-Marie Gelinas, Canada (Mars and Avril – Canadian Screen Awards 4 nominations 2013), Alexandra Johnes, USA (The House I Live in – Sundance Grand Jury Prize 2012), Bob Moore, Canada (China Heavyweight – Sundance Grand Jury Prize nomination 2012), Guneet Monga, India (Gangs of Wasseypur– Toronto & Cannes 2012, The Lunchbox – 2013 Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Rail d’ Or), and Ryan Zacharias, USA (I Used to Be Darker – Sundance & Berlin 2013). Presenting
Partners
The Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) is one of the leading centers in Europe for media law, media management, and media research. As a non-profit independent institute, our curriculum follows the process of media convergence through research, consultation and advanced training. Each year, Epi organizes and hosts close to 40 seminars, workshops, conferences and panels – for the German as well as the European media industry. www.epi-medieninstitut.de
The Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) is Canada's leading trade association for independent producers. The Cmpa represents more than 350 companies engaged in the production and distribution of English-language television programs, feature films and digital media. Together, the production sector generates almost $6 billion of activity annually and sustains 127,700 high-quality, full-time jobs. The Cmpa works on behalf of members to promote and stimulate the Canadian production industry to ensure the continued success of Canada's independent production sector and a future for Canadian content. www.cmpa.ca
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) is the U.S.'s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Ifp represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world, with a mission of ensuring that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness and fostering activism. www.ifp.org
Tap is supported by Telefilm Canada, Vff (Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film- und Fernsehproduzenten mbH) Germany, and Creative BC, Canada. Associate partner: Strategic Partners...
- 9/7/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
So many films are devoted to chronicling the coming-of-age of teenage outcasts that these dramas may as well be their own genre. As filmmakers and screenwriters adapt elements of his or her own upbringing to the screen, the genre is often a tough one to tire from, since each creator lends their own perspectives to these stories of curiosity, heartbreak, new friendships and social pressures. Writer/director Lindsay MacKay has made a variety of shorts focused on youths; now, for her feature debut, Wet Bum, she focuses on both the delicate beauty and the danger associated with growing up.
In the Canadian coming-of-age drama, Julia Sarah Stone gives a performance of tremendous depth, spark and dramatic range. (The Toronto Film Festival crowned Stone as one of the festival’s four Rising Stars this year.) The young actor plays Sam, a pale, lonely teen that does not have many friends. After school,...
In the Canadian coming-of-age drama, Julia Sarah Stone gives a performance of tremendous depth, spark and dramatic range. (The Toronto Film Festival crowned Stone as one of the festival’s four Rising Stars this year.) The young actor plays Sam, a pale, lonely teen that does not have many friends. After school,...
- 9/5/2014
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
For the first time ever, Toronto International Film Festival along with Telefilm Canada had a pre-Toronto reception for the trade. Held at Soho House on a flawless L.A. day, with views of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the trade had the happy hours to greet and catch up with each other and to preview trailers of the films Canada will be showing at the festival. And best of all, Tiff gave everyone a 2 lb. 4 oz. catalog (even more than one to gift to other colleagues) to take home instead of having to pack them into our suitcases to take back from Toronto.
Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.
Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.
Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.
In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).
Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.
Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.
Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.
New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.
Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.
Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.
Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.
Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.
Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.
Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”
Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.
There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.
Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.
Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.
See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:
Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.
Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.
Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.
Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.
In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).
Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.
Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.
Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.
New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.
Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.
Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.
Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.
Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.
Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.
Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”
Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.
There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.
Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.
Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.
See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:
Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.
- 9/1/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
We’ve all been there. The awkward early teenage years that come with crushing insecurities and self-conscious thoughts. For fourteen-year-old Sam, that self-consciousness is magnified by a swimsuit that encapsulates the unease of what it feels like to be a late bloomer.
Screening as part of Tiff’s Next Wave programme which features selections from the youth-driven Tiff Next Wave Committee, Wet Bum is a Canadian coming-of-age story set in a small town.
Unhappy amongst her classmates, Sam finds herself drawn to the companionship offered by two residents at the seniors home where she works part-time. The silent Judith and the ranting Ed open Sam’s eyes to a world much more complex than her peers in the pool and the older swimming instructor Lucas can offer her.
Julia Sarah Stone, who plays teenage outcast Sam, was named one of Tiff’s Rising Stars, a special accolade that highlights the...
Screening as part of Tiff’s Next Wave programme which features selections from the youth-driven Tiff Next Wave Committee, Wet Bum is a Canadian coming-of-age story set in a small town.
Unhappy amongst her classmates, Sam finds herself drawn to the companionship offered by two residents at the seniors home where she works part-time. The silent Judith and the ranting Ed open Sam’s eyes to a world much more complex than her peers in the pool and the older swimming instructor Lucas can offer her.
Julia Sarah Stone, who plays teenage outcast Sam, was named one of Tiff’s Rising Stars, a special accolade that highlights the...
- 8/29/2014
- by Rachel West
- Cineplex
The fifth edition of Producers Lab Toronto is set to launch during the Toronto International Film Festival® from September 3 to 6, 2014. Ten producers each from Europe and Canada and four participants coming from Australia and New Zealand will meet at Tiff to exchange ideas and information on funding and co-production on both sides of the Atlantic and Down Under. Each year, this successful networking platform facilitates the development of several trans-Atlantic co-productions. Sixty-six of the 96 previous participants are working on 82 projects at different stages of production, with some of the films having since been completed.
The international networking event is organized by European Film Promotion (Efp) in collaboration with the Ontario Media Development Corporation (Omdc) and the Toronto International Film Festival®. For the second time, Screen Australia and the New Zealand Film Commission (Nzfc) will be supporting the event. Additional financial backing comes from Eurimages and Telefilm Canada and the associated Efp member organizations.
On the look-out for projects with a wider scope regarding financing, creativity and distribution, the 24 participants will be taking part in pitching sessions, case studies, roundtables and various networking events with key people from the film industry and film funds.
The participants of the Producers Lab Toronto 2014 program have prior co-production experience and high-quality projects in the pipeline which could be interesting for the international market. The Europeans are selected by the Efp network from the alumni of their prestigious Cannes-based networking platform Producers On The Move. Canadian producers are selected by Omdc and Tiff from an open call across Canada, while Screen Australia and New Zealand Film Commission each selected two participants from their countries.
This year, four participants will see their films included in official sections at the Toronto International Film Festival®: two Canadian world premieres - "Wet Bum," produced by Paula Devonshire, and "Backcountry," produced by Thomas Michael - have been selected for Tiff. In addition, Italy's Alessandro Borrelli co-produced "La Sapienza," which will have its North American premiere in Toronto, and New Zealand’s producer Tom Hern is present at Tiff with "The Dark Horse."
European participants
Nuno Bernardo , beActive Entertainment (Portugal)
Alessandro Borrelli , La Sarraz Pictures (Italy)
Daniel Burlac , Elefant Films (Romania)
Alise Ģelze , Tasse Film (Latvia)
Henning Kamm , DETAiLFILM (Germany)
Mark Lwoff , Bufo (Finland)
Radim Procházka ; Produkce Radim Procházka
(Czech Republic)
Xavier Ruiz , Rce Ruiz Cardinaux Entertainment (Switzerland)
Isabelle Stead , Human Films (United Kingdom)
Marta Velasco , Áralan Films (Spain)
Australian participants
Kristian Moliere , Triptych Pictures
Anna Vincent , Southern Light Alliance
Canadian participants
George Ayoub , Ramaco Media
Bev Bliss , Moving Films
Paula Devonshire , Devonshire Productions
Borga Dorter , Gearshift Films
Walter Forsyth , Gorgeous Mistake Productions
Judy Holm , Markham Street Films
Mehernaz Lentin , Industry Pictures
Thomas Michael , Fella Films
Geordie Sabbagh , Geordie Sabbagh Productions
Marc Stephenson , Sheep Noir Films
New Zealand's participants
John Barnett , South Pacific Pictures
Tom Hern , Four Knights Film...
The international networking event is organized by European Film Promotion (Efp) in collaboration with the Ontario Media Development Corporation (Omdc) and the Toronto International Film Festival®. For the second time, Screen Australia and the New Zealand Film Commission (Nzfc) will be supporting the event. Additional financial backing comes from Eurimages and Telefilm Canada and the associated Efp member organizations.
On the look-out for projects with a wider scope regarding financing, creativity and distribution, the 24 participants will be taking part in pitching sessions, case studies, roundtables and various networking events with key people from the film industry and film funds.
The participants of the Producers Lab Toronto 2014 program have prior co-production experience and high-quality projects in the pipeline which could be interesting for the international market. The Europeans are selected by the Efp network from the alumni of their prestigious Cannes-based networking platform Producers On The Move. Canadian producers are selected by Omdc and Tiff from an open call across Canada, while Screen Australia and New Zealand Film Commission each selected two participants from their countries.
This year, four participants will see their films included in official sections at the Toronto International Film Festival®: two Canadian world premieres - "Wet Bum," produced by Paula Devonshire, and "Backcountry," produced by Thomas Michael - have been selected for Tiff. In addition, Italy's Alessandro Borrelli co-produced "La Sapienza," which will have its North American premiere in Toronto, and New Zealand’s producer Tom Hern is present at Tiff with "The Dark Horse."
European participants
Nuno Bernardo , beActive Entertainment (Portugal)
Alessandro Borrelli , La Sarraz Pictures (Italy)
Daniel Burlac , Elefant Films (Romania)
Alise Ģelze , Tasse Film (Latvia)
Henning Kamm , DETAiLFILM (Germany)
Mark Lwoff , Bufo (Finland)
Radim Procházka ; Produkce Radim Procházka
(Czech Republic)
Xavier Ruiz , Rce Ruiz Cardinaux Entertainment (Switzerland)
Isabelle Stead , Human Films (United Kingdom)
Marta Velasco , Áralan Films (Spain)
Australian participants
Kristian Moliere , Triptych Pictures
Anna Vincent , Southern Light Alliance
Canadian participants
George Ayoub , Ramaco Media
Bev Bliss , Moving Films
Paula Devonshire , Devonshire Productions
Borga Dorter , Gearshift Films
Walter Forsyth , Gorgeous Mistake Productions
Judy Holm , Markham Street Films
Mehernaz Lentin , Industry Pictures
Thomas Michael , Fella Films
Geordie Sabbagh , Geordie Sabbagh Productions
Marc Stephenson , Sheep Noir Films
New Zealand's participants
John Barnett , South Pacific Pictures
Tom Hern , Four Knights Film...
- 8/26/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The UK’s Isabelle Stead, Canada’s George Ayoub and Australia’s Kristian Moliere are among those selected for this year’s Producers Lab Toronto.
The24 producers from Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will participate in the fifth edition of the networking platform, which runs Sept 3-6 during the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 4-14).
Plt is targeted at producers who have had previous experience in working on international co-productions and now have projects in the pipeline that could be interesting for the international market.
European producers
The ten European producers were selected by European Film Promotion’s member organisations from previous participants of its Cannes-based initiative Producers on the Move. They include:
Human Films’ co-founder Isabelle Stead, who has played a key role in the new wave of Iraqi cinema by producing such award-winning films as Mohamed Al-Daradji’s Son Of Babylon and In The Sands Of Babylon. She is now...
The24 producers from Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will participate in the fifth edition of the networking platform, which runs Sept 3-6 during the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 4-14).
Plt is targeted at producers who have had previous experience in working on international co-productions and now have projects in the pipeline that could be interesting for the international market.
European producers
The ten European producers were selected by European Film Promotion’s member organisations from previous participants of its Cannes-based initiative Producers on the Move. They include:
Human Films’ co-founder Isabelle Stead, who has played a key role in the new wave of Iraqi cinema by producing such award-winning films as Mohamed Al-Daradji’s Son Of Babylon and In The Sands Of Babylon. She is now...
- 8/20/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Bill Murray starrer St. Vincent will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of this week’s wave of programming that includes Discovery.
The Discovery section includes the upcoming world premiere of Stories Of Our Lives, a portmanteau of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex testimonies by anonymous filmmakers from Kenya.
Selections include first-looks of Ross Katz’s Us comedy Adult Beginners, Sarah Leonor’s French Legion drama The Great Man, Isidora Marras’ Chile-Argentinian psychothriller I Am Not Lorena and UK drama X + Y.
“Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen, Lynne Ramsay and David Gordon Green all presented their first features in our Discovery section,” said Tiff artistic director Cameron Bailey. “It’s a great place to spot new talent first.”
Besides St. Vincent, Festival Additions includes concert film cum road movie Roger Waters The Wall, while the world premiere of Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body takes its place among the Masters strand.
Tiff Docs arrivals...
The Discovery section includes the upcoming world premiere of Stories Of Our Lives, a portmanteau of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex testimonies by anonymous filmmakers from Kenya.
Selections include first-looks of Ross Katz’s Us comedy Adult Beginners, Sarah Leonor’s French Legion drama The Great Man, Isidora Marras’ Chile-Argentinian psychothriller I Am Not Lorena and UK drama X + Y.
“Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen, Lynne Ramsay and David Gordon Green all presented their first features in our Discovery section,” said Tiff artistic director Cameron Bailey. “It’s a great place to spot new talent first.”
Besides St. Vincent, Festival Additions includes concert film cum road movie Roger Waters The Wall, while the world premiere of Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body takes its place among the Masters strand.
Tiff Docs arrivals...
- 8/19/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The luxurious banquet hall in Toronto’s Royal York hotel was electric with excitement as Tiff senior programmers including Steve Gravestock and Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo announced the robust lineup of Canadian films (several world preems) at this year’s Tiff plus the 40+ short titles (out of an astounding 840 short films — an increase of over 200 titles from last year) that will screen at the prestigious festival. With features populating almost every section at the fest, among the headliner items from English Canada, Cairo Time‘s Ruba Nadda returns to the fest with October Gale, while also world preeming is Bang Bang Baby — Jeffrey St. Jules marks his feature film debut with a film that is equal parts Rocky Horror Picture Show and early Cronenberg. Starring Jane Levy of the recent About Alex, it revolves around a small-town teenager in the ’60s whose dream of becoming a famous singer is dashed...
- 8/6/2014
- by Leora Heilbronn
- IONCINEMA.com
New work by Sturla Gunnarsson, Denys Arcand, Ruba Nadda and Xavier Dolan are among the selection set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) next month.
“These are filmmakers at the top of their craft, bringing fresh perspectives to traditional genres like comedies and less traditionally Canadian genres, such as musicals,” said Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “This year’s slate truly showcases the diversity of talent in our country, featuring films from coast to coast.”
“We are inspired by the number of exceptional debut features from Canadian directors, reflecting the depth of talent in this country,” said Tiff’s Canadian features programmer Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo.
“Extremely exciting is also the fact that female-driven narratives play a significant part in this year’s programming, highlighting the strong, rich tapestry of our storytelling.”
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film is up for grabs, as is the...
“These are filmmakers at the top of their craft, bringing fresh perspectives to traditional genres like comedies and less traditionally Canadian genres, such as musicals,” said Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “This year’s slate truly showcases the diversity of talent in our country, featuring films from coast to coast.”
“We are inspired by the number of exceptional debut features from Canadian directors, reflecting the depth of talent in this country,” said Tiff’s Canadian features programmer Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo.
“Extremely exciting is also the fact that female-driven narratives play a significant part in this year’s programming, highlighting the strong, rich tapestry of our storytelling.”
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film is up for grabs, as is the...
- 8/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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