Yesterday Telefilm Canada announced the latest round of funding in the English market under the Production Program’s big budget stream. The 13 projects selected include Nyla Innuksuk’s In the Heart of the South, Wi Ding Ho’s House of Stairs, and Michael Dowse’s The Stunt Driver.
Telefilm Canada will announce more funding decisions including projects from the lower budget streams in the English market in the coming weeks
Keep on reading for Telefilm Canada’s announcement.
Telefilm Canada is announcing its investment of $26.4 million in 13 projects in the English market under the Production Program, as part of the first round of decisions in the big budget stream including international coproductions.
111 (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Mauro Mueller
Production: Auguste Content Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: Nova Scotia
Languages: English, German and French
*Switzerland/Canada coproduction
Dear World (drama)
Director: Kim Nguyen
Screenwriters: Lara Alameddine and Kim Nguyen
Production: Item 7 Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: Quebec
Language: Mainly in Arabic
Dreams of the Moon (family drama)
Director: Alfons Adetuyi
Screenwriter: Dennis Foon
Production: Big Nickel Films Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: Ontario
*Canada/South Africa coproduction
Heather of the Valley (comedy)
Director: Sheri Elwood
Screenwriter: Kate Spurgeon
Production: First Generation Media Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: Ontario
*Ireland/Canada coproduction
Holy Days (family comedy)
Director and screenwriter: Nathalie Boltt
Production: Snow Globe Pictures Ltd.
Distribution: Photon Films
Province: British Columbia
Languages: English and Māori
*New Zealand/Canada coproduction
House of Stairs (science fiction)
Director: Wi Ding Ho
Screenwriter: Matthew McInerney-Lacombe
Production: Band With Pictures Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: Quebec
*Canada/Belgium/France coproduction
In Alaska (drama)
Directors and screenwriters: Jaap van Heusden and Vincent Karetak
Production: Experimental Forest Films Inc. and Uuktumiaq Studios Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: British Columbia
Languages: English and Inuktitut
*Netherlands/Canada coproduction
In the Heart of the South (drama)
Director: Nyla Innuksuk
Screenwriters: Ryan Cavan and Nyla Innuksuk
Production: Sphere Media Toronto Inc. and Mixtape VR Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: Ontario
Mizeria (comedy)
Director and screenwriter: Eva Michon
Production: Film Forge Productions Inc.
Distribution: Photon Films
Province: Ontario
Languages: English and Polish
*Belgium/Poland/Canada coproduction
The Falling Man (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Mathieu Denis
Production: Rhombus Media Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: Ontario
Languages: English and Spanish
The Keeper (thriller)
Director: Helen Shaver
Screenwriter: Graeme Manson
Production: Screen Siren Pictures Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: British Columbia
The Stunt Driver (comedy)
Director and screenwriter: Michael Dowse
Production: Film Cardinal Inc.
Distribution: Mongrel Media
Province: Quebec
*Ireland/Canada coproduction
Together (thriller)
Director: Colm McCarthy
Screenwriters: Mike Carey and Camille Gatin
Production: Omni Film Drama Development Ltd.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures
Province: British Columbia
*Canada/UK coproduction
Telefilm received an increasingly high volume of applications under the Production Program this year. In this first intake, 57 projects were assessed in the big budget stream including international coproductions, representing $128.5 million in funding requests. Telefilm met with all the teams from each of the projects. A shortlist was then created, and clients were informed before Berlinale. The project submissions were considered by the Advisory Committee.
More funding decisions, including projects from the lower budget streams in the English market, will be announced in the coming weeks. Statistics on all films funded in the year will be released once all funding decisions have been made.
An advisory committee of external and internal representatives assessed the projects and made recommendations to Telefilm. The decision-making process considered Telefilm’s goal of fostering a diversity of voices in the industry, ensuring that Telefilm funds a balanced portfolio of productions that reflect a variety of genres, budgets and company sizes, regions of the country and points of view. Names of selection committee members will be published on the Project Financing Advisory Committees webpage once all funding decisions have been made.