® FALL 2022 LOCATIONSCANADIAN2022SHOWCASE Constructing+ diverse crews 10 to WatchFILM MARKET STRUGGLES TO ADAPT TO A NEW MODEL
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‘peace’ TIFF 2022 tales Playback
return NFB endings How
two festival debuts HGTV Canada
The outgoing Telefilm head reflects on the last four years
Christa Dickenson exit interview
Programmer profile APTN lumi reveals the original and transformative storytelling it’s looking for Telefilm’s Talent Fund How the career-igniting program is looking to expand its investment Actor Aaron Pierre and filmmaker Clement Virgo behind the scenes of Brother, which is making its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
New movie matrix How producers, sales agents, and distributors are wading through the uncertainty 10 to Watch Meet emerging2022’sfilmandTVtalent Workforce development Advocating for a more diverse industry at all levels 3021 35
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The streamers and stories helping the fest fully outgoing head Claude Joli-Coeur is leaving in dissects the origin stories to turns Entertainment execs reflect on its successful
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While there’s a question mark hanging over the industry in terms of what it will look like in the next couple of years, the leadership changes represent the dawn of a new era with fresh ideas, perspectives and diversity. As one film producer told me, it feels “like a rebirth” with the possibility for Theinnovation.changes also offer the opportunity for greater representation and unity. Joli-Coeur told me he sees the organizational shifts “very positively” and hopes it will lead to more diversity and that “those new leaders will be able to sit down together and work closely.”
vp, publisher - playback executive director, banff world media festival Jenn Kuzmyk jkuzmyk@brunico.com editor, playback Victoria Ahearn vahearn@brunico.com news editor Kelly Townsend ktownsend@brunico.com reporter Angelica Babiera ababiera@brunico.com contributors Mark Dillon, Amber Dowling ADVERTISING SALES (416) 408-2300 FAX (416) 1-888-278-6426408-0870 associate publisher Kristina Ejem kejem@brunico.com senior account manager Brian Boudreau bboudreau@brunico.com BRUNICO CREATIVE art director Andrew Glowala aglowala@brunico.com production & distribution supervisor Adriana Ortiz aortiz@brunico.com BRUNICO AUDIENCE SERVICES manager Christine McNalley cmcnalley@brunico.com CORPORATE president and ceo Russell Goldstein rgoldstein@brunico.com evp, canadian media brands and editorial director Mary Maddever mmaddever@brunico.com Playback is published by Brunico Communications Ltd., 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9 (416) 408-2300; FAX: (416) 408-0870 Web address: www.playbackonline.ca Editorial e-mail: vahearn@brunico.com Sales e-mail: sales@brunico.com Sales FAX: (416) 408-0870 © 2022 Brunico Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Canadian Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Playback PO BOX 369 Beeton ON, L0G 1A0 U.S. Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Playback PO BOX 1103, Niagara Falls NY, playbackcustomercare@brunico.com14304CanadaPostAgreementNo.40050265.ISSN:0836-2114PrintedinCanada. Changing faces, changing spaces
We also look at HGTV Canada’s efforts to develop new talent while digging deeper into the lives of its established star system as it celebrates it 25th anniversary (pg. 39); how APTN lumi wants to bring transformative Indigenous storytelling to its audience (pg. 16); and the decade-long journey of Telefilm’s Talent Fund (pg. 24) and the future of its Talent to Watch program, which has supported scores of acclaimed first-time features.
THE TERM “IN FLUX” HAS BEEN A COMMON DESCRIPTOR FOR THE DOMESTIC FILM INDUSTRY IN RECENT YEARS, but I’ve heard it quite a bit from industry folks lately and it’s perhaps no more relevant than right now. Beyond the market uncertainty ignited by factors such as the ongoing pandemic, theatrical upheaval, inflation, streamers and new consumption habits (see our film market feature on pg. 21), there’s a big changing of the guard happening at major organizations.
The CRTC is seeking a new chair to replace outgoing Ian Scott. Christa Dickenson (interviewed on pg. 11) is stepping down as CEO and executive director of Telefilm Canada, with Francesca Accinelli named interim head. Claude Joli-Coeur’s tenure as government film commissioner and chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada is up in November (see pg. 15). And Simon Brault’s term as director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts ends next year.
Speaking of new talent, don’t miss the reveal of this year’s 10 to Watch cohort (pg. 35) – an industrious bunch poised to fire up the industry with an avalanche of exciting projects on the horizon, not to mention some big ideas on how to improve the industry. Perhaps some of them will lead their own changing of the guard in the future.
Over on the festival circuit, TIFF is entering a new phase with Cameron Bailey as CEO, among other changes at the organization. Hot Docs has seen the departure of director of operations Alan Black and the transition of co-president and executive director Heather Conway to a new advisory role. And the Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival appointed Andrew Murphy and Elie Chivi as interim co-heads after executive director Lauren Howes left in February.
This changing faces, changing spaces theme bleeds through this entire TIFF issue.
Victoria Ahearn Playback
Our feature on workforce development (pg. 30) explores how the industry is facing a labour shortage, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives must be implemented into training programs designed to build up the sector. Efforts are underway in that regard but they need to go beyond ensuring employment so that the new crews also have a chance to climb the ladder.
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Also look out for individual 10 to Watch profiles on the Playback website in the coming weeks. And mark your calendars for our virtual Playback Film Summit, set for Nov. 15 to 16, where we’ll explore the labyrinth that is the industry right now. Or, what we call on the cover, the Movie Matrix.
Editor,
Back to business: After two pandemic-spurred virtual and hybrid festivals, this year’s TIFF will be fully in-person and include a return to major venues, the Tribute Awards gala, brand-friendly Festival Street and the five-day Industry Conference running Sept. 9 to 13. The federal government recently gave a huge boost to this rebound year, announcing a nonrepayable investment of $10 million to support the in-person return.
Talent to Watch: There’s a tide of debut features from Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program in this year’s lineup, including the world premiere of Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s When Morning Comes (Sunflower Studios); This Place by directorproducer-co-writer V.T. Nayani; I Like Movies from writer-director Chandler Levack, produced by Lindsay Blair Goeldner; Pussy (Push Pictures) by Joseph Amenta; and Concrete Valley by writer-director Antoine Bourges, produced by Shehrezade Mian and Meelad Moaphi.
New leadership: The 47th edition marks Cameron Bailey ’s first festival since becoming TIFF CEO last November, after 25 years in various roles at the organization. The entire operation has seen many changes in the past few months, including former Canadian Academy CEO Beth Janson becoming COO, and Anita Lee joining as chief programming officer after being executive producer of the National Film Board of Canada’s Ontario Studio.
Market madness: All eyes will be on TIFF to see if the return to form will translate to a higher volume of buyersSpanishdelegationtoInstituteAudiovisualandForeignInstitutewithatforparticularonedeals.distributionSpainiscountryinlookingopportunitiesTIFFthisyear,theSpanishforTradeitsFilmandArtsplanningbringalargeofproducers,andfilmmakers.
Pulling year.comebackFilmInternationalthethreadstheonTorontoFestival’s Photo: Jag Photo:GunduMattBarnes
watchtotrendsandstories2022TIFF
Steady streamers:with TIFF continues to warmly embrace digital giants, giving Netflix another prominent spot this year with The Swimmers by Sally El Hosaini as the opening-night film. This is the second time a Netflix film is opening TIFF, after David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King in 2018. In 2019, Crave original documentary Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band by Daniel Roher opened. Other streaming titles in this year’s lineup include Prime Video’s Catherine Called Birdy by Lena Dunham and CBC Gem original Lido TV Teen tales: Many Canadian filmmakers are also diving into adolescent years, showing myriad and nuanced perspectives. Queens of the Qing Dynasty sees a neurodiverse teen bond with a genderqueer international student; Clement Virgo’s Brother is about two Jamaican-Canadian brothers maturing into young men in Toronto; I Like Movies features a teenager pursuing his dreams; three queer Toronto adolescents are the focus of Amenta’s Pussy ; and a group of teen girls are featured in The Young Arsonists.
Photo: Connie Tsang
musicIndigenousicons: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On , directed by Madison Thomas, takes an intimate look at the life of the Cree, Oscar-winning songwriter, musician and activist. Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson, and Alanis Obomsawin are among the interviewees. And award-winning Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq is featured in the National Film Board of Canada’s documentary Ever Deadly, made in collaboration with Toronto filmmaker Chelsea McMullan and filmed in Nunavut.
Canadian pride: Queer perspectives abound from Canuck talent this year, in Ashley Mackenzie’s Queens of the Qing Dynasty and Pussy, as well as Maurice’s ROSIE, in which an Indigenous orphan girl is taken under the wing of her francophone aunt and her two “gender-bending” best friends. Then there’s the Canada/ Switzerland copro Something You Said Last Night by Luis De Filippis, which follows a trans woman in her mid-20s and her Canadian-Italian family on a beach trip.
Rich on nostalgia: The past 40 years have been fertile creative ground for Canadian filmmakers, with several of the 47 Canuck titles in the lineup set in the 1980s through the early 2000s. The Young Arsonists by Sheila Pye unfolds in 1980s rural Canada; Brother by Clement Virgo takes place in the early 1990s in Toronto; I Like Movies transpires in early 2000s suburban Ontario; ROSIE by Gail Maurice is a 1980s Montreal tale; and Anthony Shim’s Riceboy Sleeps fixes its lens on 1990s Canada.
cmpa.ca
On set of Trembling Void Studio’s Synthesis trailer (Photo by Jamie Poh)
From development, to production, to IP monetization — all while running a business — the action never stops for Canada’s independent media producers. How does the CMPA support producers and promote the success of the Canadian production sector? With action.
Audienceliterally:appetite, The media giant behind Food Network Canada is serving up premium brand integration opportunities with the new food festival Graze Toronto. Set for Corus Entertainment’s downtown waterfront headquarters in fall 2023, the event promises a mix of local chefs and some “big names in the food scene,” as well as activations bringing attendees up close and personal with Corus brands.
Crazy / Brilliant New adventures in audience (and ROI) building 120 000 costumes in stock 450 productions a year Research, pulling and shipping services Fully equiped workshop for tailoring On site or remotely grandcostumier.com T H E C O S T U M E R E N T A L H O U S TE H E C O S T U M E R E N T A L H O U S E T H A T F E E L S L I K E H O M TE H A T F E E L S L I K E H O M E 9
Revolutionary Reclaim(ed): historyEagleWinnipeg-basedVisionhasmadewith Reclaim(ed), Canada’s first original series for Snapchat, to connect with Gen Z. Hosts Marika Sila and Kairyn Potts traverse the country to highlight Indigenous cultural traditions and social issues to Snapchat’s more than 10 million users in Canada, with more than 80% between ages 13 to 24. Snap, crackle, pop: Corus-owned social digital agency so.da has clinched a partnership with Snapchat to provide original, short-form content for its Discover platform in Canada. The lineup is packed with bite-sized lifestyle fare on food, fashion, home, and design, including Go Here Meet Her (pictured) and Baking Therapy. Each episode is vertical full-screen and averages three to five minutes in length.
TIFF x TikTok: TIFF is also appealing to Gen Z with its first TikTok partnership, bringing the platform on as a presenter of the Short Cuts lineup. There’s also the TikTok Effect House x TIFF Future of Filmmaking Challenge, offering a VIP festival experience to the TikTok creator who makes a winning, cinema-centric effect in the platform’s Efffect House. The winner also gets featured on TIFF’s TikTok account.
BY VICTORIA AHEARN
Culinary QR: Just in time for Thanksgiving menu planning, Gusto TV is using on-screen QR codes to push recipes to viewers. Viewers can also get food tips and enter contests via a customized QR code in nearly every act of every show — all from the comfort of their couch. Gusto says the codes offer real-time, rollouttoengagementsecond-platformasaprologueitsbespoke,e-commercesetforlaterthisyear.
“I looked at Kingston like, ‘This is like a Hollywood backlot. Why is there no industry here?’” he tells Playback . “I don’t think there’s a city as uniquely positioned in all of North America, where you’re 2.5 hours from your nation’s two biggest centres [Toronto and Montreal] and two hours from the nation’s capital.”
Langlois and Sinclair were the lead investors in B2F’s founders’ round, Joly says, noting they “have a meaningful stake and interest.” Sinclair points to other advantages Kingston offers, including crew affordability, “a vibrant social scene and unique blend of historical and modern locations.”
B2F is focused on genre films, the first of which is Den Mother Crimson , set to shoot on a $1 million budget in Kingston in mid-September. Siluck Saysanasy will direct the AI drama, which Joly says will serve as a beta feature case study for his white paper. “In the next 10 years, if I can move the needle a little so the next J. Joly ... might not have to move Toronto to continue her career, might be able to do it here and help build this industry in her own image –that’s pretty cool.”
B2F is targeting between $20-$30 million in financing over the next three years across 10 highconcept genre films. The financing will come from a combination of private equity, tax credits, economies of scale, provincial and federal grants and debt.
Joly is writing a white paper on the model, feeling it could be applied to other smaller city centres. Sponsoring the white paper are the Kingston Film Office, Kingston Economic Development, County of Frontenac, Frontenac CFDC, Upper Canada Equity Fund, and Ontario Creates.
L-R: Gord Sinclair, J. Joly, and Paul Langlois. Joly is a founder of Kingston, Ont.-based prodco Branded to Film, which counts Langlois and Sinclair of The Tragically Hip as investors.
Credit: Peter Hendra/Kingston Whig-Standard, a division of Postmedia Network Inc
attended Queen’s University and toured in a rock band that opened for acts including the Hip.
YOU COULD SAY PRODUCER J. JOLY IS AHEAD BY A CENTURY – well, at least ahead of the curve – with a “pioneering hyperlocal” production model for his new Kingston, Ont.-based prodco that counts musicians Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair of The Tragically Hip as investors.
Branded to Film (B2F), founded by CEO Joly, COO George Assimakopoulos and CFO Brian Wideen, plans to train and grow a local workforce in Kingston, while also shooting productions in the region and exploring ways to build studio space, in order to build a $100 million production sector in South Eastern Ontario.
Joly says he came up with the idea about 18 months ago when he moved back to Kingston, where he
BY VICTORIA AHEARN cities.majorhubslocalworksmodelhasproducerKingston-basedJ.JolyaproductioninthetocreatefilmingoutsideofCanadian
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Hyperlocal and Hip
Playback: Let’s start on a positive note. What are some of your proudest moments?
I’m proud of how we did a number of big, bold moves… I think it took this combination of strength and vulnerability that is counterintuitive for a Crown agency, to be perfectly frank. It wasn’t easy. I was at the Banff World Media Festival [in June] and an industry friend said that he saw that mix of strength and vulnerability in me – what he didn’t realize is that for me, that was the greatest compliment he could have given me. I tried to put myself out there in a human way and as a leader simultaneously in a number of very public storms these past four years.
The outgoing CEO and executive director of Telefilm reflects on her turbulent tenure.
In an interview with Playback , Dickenson reflects on the “culture shock” of 2020 and its impact on Telefilm as she readies for her new role as president and CEO of CPAC.
HEAVY IS ALWAYS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN, but outgoing Telefilm CEO and executive director Christa Dickenson certainly felt its weight during her four years at the helm.
The organization underwent massive change in 2020 as it faced scrutiny over systemic racism, leading to the end of its controversial Fast Track stream and Success Index amid an overhaul of its programs – all while helping the industry survive a global pandemic.
BY KELLY TOWNSEND
The exit interview: Christa Dickenson
Christa Dickenson: The cultural change that occurred at Telefilm… We became more united than ever and the end result is that we now work way more collaboratively. That was the key to unlocking everything that came next. It was a surreal amount of work that we had to do with the industry so everybody felt that they wanted to participate in that modernization of Telefilm.
Photo: Helen Tansey
Telefilm has been criticized for not being forward-thinking and strategic enough. What is your response to that? I disagree with it and, to use very plain language, I think that it’s nonsense. Telefilm has taken necessary steps to do some heavy lifting [to break down barriers] that have collectively been avoided [to] modernize a half-century-old institution, while at the same time doubling the financial support. And when? During a global pandemic.
In the blink of an eye we went from having four lines of business to six. We’re talking temporary relief measures through emergency funds, then reopening, then recovering, and all of that to alleviate pressures on different parts of the ecosystem: festivals, training schools, theatres, production, you name it – and that has meant $167.7 million of relief funding in the last two and a half to three years. Above and beyond that, we established with the government, and administered, a first-of-itskind insurance scheme, the Short-Term Compensation Fund. It started as $50 million and we were able to find a way to get it to $100 million. A lot of behind-the-scenes work to get it there, which was instrumental. Now it’s $150 million. What does that mean in concrete results? It means 900 cameraready projects worth $3.2 billion supporting 20,000 jobs.
What are your thoughts on the state of indie distribution?
Several leadership changes are happening at organizations such as the NFB, the CRTC and the Canadian Academy, as well as Telefilm. How would you characterize this industry shift? Some of that is coincidental due to term appointments, but some aren’t. What’s happening in our industry is happening in every industry… I feel like a leader has more responsibility to make way for new, fresh faces to fill these important roles as heads of agencies. Seeing someone for a decade or more in the same role, to me, that’s not true leadership. What are your hopes for your successor?
About half of your four years at Telefilm took place during a pandemic amid huge industry disruption. How did that affect your approach to leadership?
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Without a doubt, 2020 was a pivotal moment. There was the winter of 2020 with the start of the pandemic, and then there was the summer of 2020. It was very publicized, we faced harsh criticism and acknowledged the fact that systemic racism existed within our institution. The pandemic was the catalyst for that true cultural change. However, I think that approach was necessary… [for] greater transparency, greater accountability, consistency of language, of effort, of timeliness and, truthfully, our efforts to eliminate a modus operandi of exceptions, which had been omnipresent… exceptions [such as around supporting foreign language films] were the norm and it wasn’t sustainable anymore.
Not to mention you’re still providing relief funding to this day.
What we’ve learned time and time again is that change and disruption opens up a new model and a new opportunity. The evolution of eOne’s business model is certainly a big one. Did everybody open their eyes? 100%. It presents a space in which some smaller or new companies could emerge.
I absolutely hope that the next head of Telefilm will be someone completely different than any of the former CEOs, including myself. There’s no question that we’re living in a time of great complexity. It’s going to be harder and harder to fill these roles and my instinct is that you do not need someone from the industry.
happeningWhat’s in our industry is happening in ofrolesimportanttofreshfortoresponsibilityhasaIindustry…everyfeellikeleadermoremakewaynew,facesfilltheseasheadsagencies.
This summer Entertainment One ended its theatrical business in Canada.
This interview has been edited and condensed
ON BEHALF OF TELEFILM, THANK YOU FOR TAKING US TO NEW HEIGHTS AND EQUIPPING THE INDUSTRY TO BE FUTURE READY! TELEFILM WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK CLAUDE JOLI-COEUR, CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA AND BOARD MEMBER OF TELEFILM, FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO THE CANADIAN CULTURAL SECTOR FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.
TELEFILM.CA THE LEADERSHIP OF CHRISTA DICKENSON IS ONE TO BE RECOGNIZED AND CELEBRATED! OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, CHRISTA HAS LED TELEFILM CANADA INTO A TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY OF MODERNIZATION. HER VISION AND DETERMINATION IN BUILDING AND FOSTERING A MORE REPRESENTATIVE, SUSTAINABLE AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY IS A TESTAMENT TO HER UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR CANADIAN CREATORS.
AFM ®22 SANTA MONICA | NOV. 1-6 A MERICAN F ILM M ARKET . COM | B RINGING F ILM T O L IFE®
countered that there was actually an increase in productions for 2018/19. But in July, he scrapped the strategic plan that was scheduled to be released that month so the institution could do national consultations with creators and collaborators. That initial dispute “was difficult” but the consultations were eye-opening and “very good for the NFB,” he “Fromsays.allof that, the strategic plan that we have, I’m very proud of it,” he says. “It’s much stronger because of all that Withconfrontation.”acareerspanning the audiovisual and legal industries, Joli-Coeur joined the NFB in 2003 and
In its 2020-2023 strategic plan, the NFB vowed to spend more money on production, which it did in 20212022 ($40.6 million compared to $38.2 million the year prior, although the amount of original productions was down by nearly half from the 84 in the previous year).
The NFB now needs more financial stability to further pursue its mandate, Joli-Coeur says. “Our parliamentary allocation is very small, but what we bring in the ecosystem is unique. We are an ignition for talent.”
Claude Joli-Coeur bids adieu
he’satleavingcommissionerlongest-servingsayshe’stheorganization“peace”withwhataccomplished.
Claude Joli-Coeur, who leaves his position as the National Film Board of Canada’s government film commissioner and chairperson in November.
The National Film Board of Canada’s
“Now, I’m leaving totally in peace,” he says. “We have a great strategic plan. The three pillars that I have imagined — of gender parity, Indigenous reconciliation, and the diversity, equity and inclusion — are now there. Some are more strongly in motion than others, but at least we have those pillars and the organization can build on that.”
was first appointed government film commissioner and chair in November 2014, taking over from Tom Perlmutter. He says he decided to pursue a second term, becoming the NFB’s longest-serving commissioner in its history, because he hadn’t accomplished all of his goals, such as a diversity, equity and inclusion plan.
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Photo: Stephan Ballard
AS HE PREPARES TO EXIT AS GOVERNMENT FILM COMMISSIONER AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA (NFB) in November, Claude Joli-Coeur has some key advice for whomever replaces him. “Be humble, listen a lot, be connected, always seek different points of views,” he says. Being open to feedback was key when Joli-Coeur was reappointed to his position in June 2019. At the time, a group of more than 250 freelance directors known as ONF/NFB Creation had raised concerns over the NFB’s budget expenditures, claiming only a small portion of the organization’s budget was going toward makingJoli-Coeurfilms.
BY VICTORIA AHEARN
Other fiscal 2021–2022 gains included a gender-parity rise (54% of works completed were directed by women vs. 40% the year prior).
Lisa Ducharme Director of online content at APTN Querencia is written, directed by and stars Mary Galloway.
How does a genre series like Shadow of the Rougarou fit into that?
Digital originals are short-form scripted or unscripted series… We want producers to tell us a story that we’ve never heard before, that explores different dimensions of Indigeneity. These shortform formats really give us an opportunity to experiment.
Lisa Ducharme: The audiences that we’re serving are really expectant of new and transformative storytelling that reflects who they are: past, present and future. It’s a unique opportunity for our storytellers to dig into something that’s edgy.
APTN lumi
Lisa Ducharme, director of online content, tells Playback that while roughly 50% of the programming on lumi comes from originals on APTN’s linear channel, they’re always on the lookout for unique short-form content to bring exclusively to the streamer.
APTN is banking on streaming platform lumi as a place to experiment with Indigenous storytelling.
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It began with the 2SLGBTQ+ romance Querencia (Pass Through Productions/Bright Shadow Productions) as its first original in 2021 with a $200,000 budget, released less than two years after lumi’s initial October 2019 launch. The streamer has continued its originals momentum this year with the comedy DJ Burnt Bannock (Eagle Vision) and horror series Shadow of the Rougarou, produced by Sean Ronan and James Kingstone, with an average six to eight episodes per season.
Shadow of the Rougarou is a great example of a high production value story as an 1800s Métis horror. With short-form series, we’re able to play in that and say, ‘Yes, let’s do it, let’s see what this looks like and bring this story to life.’ We’re not too shy of anything that a producer wants to pitch.
Playback: How would you describe APTN lumi’s overall originals strategy?
PROGRAMMER PROFILE BY KELLY TOWNSEND
Anything is a possibility. At this point, with the means that we have, we’re really focused on what we’re doing with [short-form] originals. It’s working really well and we want to continue to celebrate those new producers and their stories. A lot of what we get in the longer format is already coming in from [APTN’s] TV originals team, so we’re just trying to optimize our resources and ensure that we are working together as a whole group.
Are there any plans to expand the lumi strategy to include features or more long-form content?
If you incorporate [Indigenous] language into [the pitch], it’s a beautiful thing. I’m a huge advocate for language reclamation. With an example like Shadow of the Rougarou, there is a lot of language incorporated into that particular series [with Michif, Cree and Chinook Wawa], and we absolutely loved that.
Obviously we want to continue to build volume through the acquired content that we bring onto the lumi platform, which is very important for any streaming service to have a wide variety and a high volume of fresh content. But originals are a big, important piece of our overall content strategy.
Moving forward, how much of a balance are you going to see between acquisitions and the originals?
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CBC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with APTN earlier this year. Is there a possibility for a collaboration between lumi and CBC Gem down the road?
The way we decide how much goes to [acquisitions and originals] is dependent on each year. What we’re looking at in terms of how we’re trying to deliver content and what gaps we need to fill on the platform – I really couldn’t give you a breakdown, it’s a moving target year to year.
Are you also commissioning original content in Indigenous languages?
I think the focus right now on that MOU, in terms of how we’re working together, is on the linear formats, but they do find their way to the lumi platform. We haven’t started working too heavily in our originals for digital.
The Indigenous language programming that we currently have on lumi is primarily coming in from our TV originals team. We do like to boast that we have such a significant volume of languages on the platform, but it’s not necessarily specific to our [digital] originals. We like to see it, but it’s not going to make or break the greenlight on it. What is the best way to submit a pitch for lumi?
We have an annual web series RFP. [The next round] will probably launch in January or February [2023]. We also take pitches through the APTN/imagineNATIVE Web Series Pitch Competition, which happens in October. Those are our two main intakes for originals. This interview has been edited and condensed. Shadow of the Rougarou premiered on May 9 and uses real Métis mythology to craft its horror story.
Darcy Waite created and stars in the comedy DJ Burnt Bannock, which premiered on April 11.
Virgo wrote and directed the film adaptation, produced under his and D’Oliveira’s prodco Conquering Lion Pictures, which is set to world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The Jamaican-born Virgo calls it his “most personal film to date” and an homage to the Canadian immigrant experience.
D’Oliveira connected with Bron Releasing for the film’s international sales, while Elevation Pictures will handle Canadian distribution. Bron aims to secure U.S. and international distribution sales during TIFF.
“It’s going to be a question of what the buyers are looking for, but I feel that we’ve made an exceptionally strong film with some great awards-worthy performances,” says D’Oliveira.
Canadian actor Lamar Johnson with English actor Aaron Pierre in Clement Virgo’s Brother Photo: Guy Godfree
Clement Virgo’s personal Brother
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With a goal experience.ofunderstandingwithcastD’OliveiraproducerVirgoauthenticity,ofandDamonactorsadeeptheimmigrant
BORN IN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES and acclimated to the growing pains of being first-generation Canadians, filmmaker Clement Virgo and producer Damon D’Oliveira deeply connected to David Chariandy’s award-winning 2017 novel Brother.
The coming-of-age film about two JamaicanCanadian brothers in the 1990s began five years ago when Virgo and Guyana-born D’Oliveira were approached about the novel on separate occasions. Virgo was at a birthday party when maxine bailey, now the Canadian Film Centre’s executive director, recommended he turn it into a film. Aeschylus Poulos and Sonya Di Rienzo of Toronto’s Hawkeye Pictures approached D’Oliveira about it after looking for a project on which they could work together.
The road to world premieres for two Canadian immigrant tales.
miniseries, which debuted to record-breaking numbers on CBC in Canada and also aired on BET in the U.S. Initial financing from the Harold Greenberg Fund allowed them to option the rights to the story in 2018.
By October 2020, Conquering Lion Pictures, along with Poulos and Di Rienzo, had locked in financial commitments from Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, Ontario Creates and the Shaw Rocket Fund, in association with Bell Media’s Crave and CBC Films. (The filmmakers did not disclose the budget to Playback). They waited until summer of 2021 to begin production so they could spend more time scouting Toronto locations. They cast actors who had a “deep understanding of the immigrant experience,” said Virgo. The cast includes Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give), Aaron Pierre (Underground Railroad ), and Marsha Stephanie Blake (When They See Us), who inspired Virgo to depart from Chariandy’s original Trinidadian family to a Jamaican one.
“[Chariandy] trusted us to make the story authentic because of the reputation that we have built for ourselves as a company creating projects the majority of the Canadian population typically don’t see on screen,” says D’Oliveira. They previously adapted Lawrence Hill’s novel The Book of Negroes into an award-winning 2015 BY ANGELICA BABIERA
The Vancouver filmmaker tells Playback he was eager to build on the momentum of his directorial debut, Daughter, which had a world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2019. He wanted his sophomore film to be loosely based on his own upbringing as a Korean immigrant growing up in Canada in the 1990s and to partially film it in South Korea, which required a much larger budget than Daughter ’s $150,000. Shim wrote the script in six months to make the deadline for Telefilm’s 2020 Production Program for features below $2.5 million, and submitted under his banner Lonesome Heroes Productions along with producers Rebecca Steele and Bryan Demore. The rest involved a “tremendous amount of luck,” says Shim. That good fortune included getting on the radar of Gosia Kamela, who was at Bell Media at the time as the production executive for drama series and feature film.
BY KELLY TOWNSEND
Now heading to TIFF, Shim hopes to attract buyer interest in the U.S., and Hart says the release strategy will be done in tandem with a U.S. partner. “Hopefully that luck hasn’t dried out yet,” says Shim.
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“She read my script by mistake,” admits Shim, who says she “took to it immediately” and offered a pre-licensing deal with Crave. In another stroke of luck, producers would later secure a licensing deal with CBC, where Kamela now
BRINGING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF RICEBOY SLEEPS TO THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL’s (TIFF) Platform competition has involved tenacity and sheer luck, according to writer, director, producer and star Anthony Shim.
Riceboy Sleeps is one of two Canadian features to be selected for TIFF’s prestigious Platform program, including Stéphane Lafleur’s Viking
dramaonfinancialsecuringsharesAnthonyFilmmakerShimhowcriticalpartnerssophomore
Riceboy Sleeps kept the integrity of his vision. serves as head of CBC Films. “She’s the biggest champion of… this project,” says Shim. If Crave hadn’t come on board “we would’ve been forced to make compromises in certain areas and make deals and scramble for additional financing,” says Shim. That allowed him to keep three crucial production elements for Riceboy Sleeps: shooting on 16 mm film, ensuring all Korean characters were played by Korean actors, and that every scene set in South Korea would be shotThethere.film went to camera in B.C. and South Korea in August 2021 with the aid of tax credits and private equity. As they had to spend the majority of the budget in Canada, keeping costs low in South Korea meant the “catering team was made up of my mother, cousins, aunts and uncles, and our drivers were my uncles and cousins,” says Shim with a laugh. Riceboy Sleeps hit the radar of Canadian distributor Game Theory Films at the same time as Crave, says copresident Hilary Hart, when the producers applied to its Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour distribution fund. Game Theory picked up distribution rights when they became available. Producers have also secured Sphere Films International as its sales agent.
FEEL AGAIN AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU.
Meanwhile, the acceleration of streamers in the past two years has made it more competitive to carve out Canada from a global or North American distribution deal.
“You’ve seen it at Sundance over the last couple years – streamers coming in and taking worldwide rights, or companies like IFC, who have these complementary parts to their distribution business, working in tandem with one another to provide multi-platform releases,” says Orenstein.
Fluctuating theatrical windows and the ups and downs of the streaming world have created more uncertainty for producers, sales agents and distributors, who see the return of in-person film festivals and a higher box office as a hopeful sign of potential stability. “We’re living in this period of unknown,” says Lorne Price, SVP of Montreal’s Sphere Films International.
THE FILM MARKET IS EVOLVING FASTER THAN EVEN THE MOST SEASONED PROS CAN KEEP PACE WITH.
BY VICTORIA AHEARN AND KELLY TOWNSEND
SPENDING,EXPERTSAROUNDUNCERTAINTYTHEATRICAL,LOOKTOSTRATEGICCREATIVERELEASESANDTHEREBOUNDINGFESTIVALCIRCUITASAWAYFORWARD.
MARKET CHANGES Matt Orenstein, VP of acquisitions and strategy at Toronto-based Vortex Media, says it’s been “a much different environment,” noting buyers have been “evaluating films in a vacuum from home” at virtual festivals that have seen fewer films programmed and have lacked the important in-person, word-of-mouth buzz and organic deal-making.
AS THE FILM INDUSTRY CONTENDS WITH
At the same time, there have been higher prices amid inflation, general increases across the board, uncertainty around theatrical, and a lack of box office to inform the pay-TV scale, resulting in “a lot of conservatism generally from buyers.”
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Distributors need to have a clear criteria for the films they believe in and want to support early because “there’s going to be a bunch of films that are ‘wait and see’ still,” which means reduced opportunities for presales before going into production, Segal adds.
The number of industry players has also shrunk. This past June, Entertainment One (eOne) ceased theatrical distribution in Canada and Spain, leaving a gap in that sector in Quebec, where eOne subsidiary Les Films Séville was one of the province’s largest film distributors.
A prime example is when Apple TV+ spent $25 million to obtain worldwide rights to eventual Oscar Best Picture winner CODA at Sundance in 2021.
“I’m constantly at Whistler, I’m in Halifax, I’m at all of the different labs meeting with filmmakers at all stages in their development,” says co-president Hilary Hart.
“That’s really the ideal time for us to connect when we can still have a real [creative] input.”
Elevation Pictures co-president Noah Segal says the “overly aggressive” acquisitions from streamers showed signs of cooling at the Cannes Film Festival with more international distribution activity. With the market being so tricky, any approach to financing “feels continually like six months to a year behind,” says Toronto-based Clique Pictures founder Lauren Grant. “On the film side with financing, you usually had a 10%, maybe 20% gap that needed to be producer deferral or market money or something. And that market money, obviously on presales, has basically gone away, especially on dramas – probably anything but genre films.”
“The wind-down speaks to the broader market realities of theatrically distributing films at a certain level and scale, in addition to eOne placing a greater focus on other areas of their business with more upside,” says Orenstein. “Though they have not acted as a theatrical distributor in earnest in Canada over the last few years, the films that they would have once considered for theatrical distribution will end up securing distribution elsewhere.”
DISTRIBUTOR SHUFFLE
Everyone in the industry is taking less risk, Grant notes, “which means in order to close your financing, producers and directors are putting in their fees. If we’re talking about trying to build a sustainable industry, that’s not sustainable.” Segal says the collapse of the medium-budget drama or comedy feature in the theatrical market has forced distributors to be strategic with presales. While blockbusters such as Top Gun: Maverick have dominated ticket sales, there are still lightning-in-a-bottle successes such as A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once. The film was a presale for Elevation, but Segal says at the time “everyone thought we were nuts.”
Co-president William Woods says Game Theory has ambitions to be the next major theatrical distributor in Everything Everywhere All at Once is the rare indie film that could, grossing more than US$100 million worldwide since its release in March.
CONTINUALLYFINANCING‘FEELSLIKESIXMONTHSTOAYEARBEHIND’
inspiring Indigenous stories and storytellers stream anytime, anywhere visit watchaptnlumi.ca to start your free trial 22
– Lauren Grant CliqueFounder,Pictures
Meanwhile, Toronto-based distributor Game Theory Films is scaling up its capacity, bringing in additional equity to increase its acquisitions, with a particular interest in boarding projects at the development stage.
“It’s an attention economy,” says Orenstein. “Working with our [U.S.] partners to identify the best possible timing in service of a film is key to setting it up for success. By taking a case-by-case approach to distributing the films we acquire, it allows us to meaningfully consider as much context as possible around a release plan.”
ATOECONOMY...ATTENTIONANWORKINGWITHOUR[U.S.]PARTNERSIDENTIFYTHEBESTPOSSIBLETIMINGINSERVICEOFFILMISKEYTOSETTINGITUPFORSUCCESS.
Vortex plans to attend festivals “in earnest with [the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)] and then going forward,” although the overhead of travelling to festivals might be too much for smaller companies, so a continuing virtual industry component would help, he adds.
STAYING NIMBLE
IT’S
“Festivals are exciting if you’re [one of] the top five films,” says Elevation’s Segal. “My advice to anyone dealing with festivals is to be extremely strategic.”
A scene from Stéphane Lafleur’s Viking, which will world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival with Sphere Films International as the sales agent.
He says in the case of a major festival such as TIFF, a distributor is likely going to have up to 15 films on their radar for sales potential, despite the presence of more than 100 titles all vying for market buzz. “If you aren’t going to be one of the chosen few [films], just fly to L.A. and work with international salespeople.”
Orenstein says sales agents still feel many films need a festival platform to drive deals, impact audiences and ultimately succeed. In-person festivals, in particular, are essential in making a film relevant and stick to the culture, which translates to greater theatrical success.
REMAIN RELEVANT
Overall, everyone has to be “very smart” about the way they spend their money, and distributors need to be more creative and thoughtful in the way they release films and target audiences, such as mixing theatrical with digital or eventizing releases, saysDistributorsOrenstein. also have to contemplate not just what else is releasing in theatres, where films have a narrow release window, but also what’s competing for eyeballs in the wider market – on digital, streaming platforms and television, which is “so much more sticky than film these days.”
OUR FOCUS IS STILL ON CANADIAN CONTENT, TRYING TO LEVERAGE OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH CANADIAN PRODUCERS AND FILMMAKERS AND COMBINE THAT WITH OUR [CONNECTIONS] WITH AMERICAN AGENTS FOR CASTING AND OUR OWN CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT SKILLSET. – William Woods GameCo-president,Theory Films
– Matt Orenstein VP of Vortexandacquisitionsstrategy,Media
Based on the buyers Sphere’s Price has spoken with, he foresees a busy market for TIFF, where his company
Canada, with a goal of triggering funding as a distributor for Telefilm features with a budget of more than $3.5 million. “Our focus is still on Canadian content, trying to leverage our relationships with Canadian producers and filmmakers and combine that with our [connections] with American agents for casting and our own creative development skillset,” he says
will be the sales agent for Riceboy Sleeps and Viking. Cannes was also busy but felt like “just a feeling out, a reintroduction,” he says.
As the amount of programming rises to pre-pandemic levels, however, so too does the volume of competition.
FESTIVALS
Andrew Gillis and Breagh MacNeil in writerdirector Ashley McKenzie’s film Werewolf, which received funding from Telefilm’s Talent Fund under theProductionthen-Micro-BudgetProgram.
The future of the Talent Fund
“At 10 years, we have to say, ‘What’s that next iteration?’” she says, adding that the “focus as we move forward will be spending much more time with those benefactors, for lack of a better word,” through experiential things like attending a film festival with the fund“Werecipients.haveacouple of long-standing contributors who are ready to start making greater contributions, so I’m hoping as we get into the late fall, we’ll be able to make some announcements,” Accinelli adds.
Other award-winning films that have come out of the program and been distributed in other territories include Kirsten Carthew’s 2016 Northwest Territories-shot coming-of-age story The Sun at Midnight; Phil Connell’s 2020 LGBTQ family drama Jump, Darling; 2021 drama Learn to Swim by Thyrone Tommy; and Chase Joynt’s innovative doc Framing Agnes, among many others.
BY VICTORIA AHEARN Francesca Accinelli, Telefilm Canada’s interim executive director and CEO
August 2020 saw the maximum amount of funds available to each project increased to $150,000. That shot up to $250,000 for fiction feature films and remained at $150,000 for documentaries in September 2021, after Telefilm conducted pan-Canadian consultations.
Now the focus is on nurturing and increasing the Talent Fund’s investment pool, and seeking contributions from donors to support the mentorship side, says Accinelli.
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decade
WHEN NOVA SCOTIA-RAISED WRITERDIRECTOR ASHLEY MCKENZIE AND FELLOW PRODUCER NELSON MACDONALD WERE PLANNING THEIR FIRST FEATURE A DECADE AGO, they weren’t sure whether the Telefilm system would fit their model of filmmaking. Then the federal funder launched the Micro-Budget Production Program, supported by the Talent Fund, and the duo became intrigued.
Telefilm
That film was 2016’s Werewolf, one of many awardwinning first-time features that have come out of what’s now called the Talent to Watch program, which has evolved as much as the careers of its participants have over the years. Now into its 10th year, the Talent Fund is supported through private donations from individuals, Canadian companies and industry partners. Current supporters include Royal Bank, the National Bank of Canada and CIBC. Previous partners have included Bell Media and CorusTheEntertainment.fundwas“agroundbreaking moment” when it launched with a budget of $1 million in March 2012, says Francesca Accinelli, Telefilm Canada’s interim executive director and CEO. Back then, Telefilm wanted to diversify its funding without being reliant on Heritage amid federal budget cuts that had led to layoffs, while also changing the narrative around access to the funder, she says.
Using the Talent Fund and the then-Micro-Budget program together allowed Telefilm to spend more time discovering new talent and ensure private companies and philanthropists “saw the importance of making sure that the next generation had a place in the industry, while also not taxing Telefilm’s budget in terms of all those second, third, fourth features.” The fund has since raised $17 million and subsidized more than 100 films in every province and territory except for Nunavut.
Talent to Watch has gone through many iterations already, after criticism that not enough funding was being provided, not enough underrepresented directors were chosen, and that the eligibility process wasn’t accessible enough. The original Micro-Budget offered around $125,000 and determined recipients through a selection committee that made recommendations based on talent nominations from the film institutions Telefilm worked with.
In November 2017, the program was rebranded to Talent to Watch and implemented changes such as the added eligibility of short filmmakers who had won a prize at select international festivals. Helping advise on the changes were Zapruder Films’ Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller, who became ambassadors for the program.
“It felt like the answer to what we were looking for, because you’re able to combine Micro-Budget funding with Canada Council funding,” McKenzie recalls, noting they closed financing for their $250,000 budget feature with about $125,000 from the program alongside $60,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and support from the provincial tax incentive program. “It felt a bit unprecedented to get Telefilm and Canada Council working together.”
A in, is looking at “the next iteration” of the fund that supports Talent to Watch.
Accinelli says the Talent Fund is using the 10th anniversary as “this moment of really shifting,” adding that the phasing out of the Bell Media and Corus Entertainment benefits took a toll on the fund. “Ideally, we would want to be bringing in $1 million to $2 million a year in funding to be able to, as much as possible, offset the Talent to Watch program.”
crew members took a pay cut on the film and the actors were non-union. She reinvested her fee into the awardwinning film and didn’t get paid until years later when they recouped some of the money in film sales.
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The program “makes it a lot easier for people to get their feet wet in feature filmmaking,” Edralin says. “I know there are complaints that it’s not a lot of money, but it was money that wasn’t available before in Canada, and it was money I didn’t have access to prior.”
Writer-director Jasmin Mozaffari and producer Caitlin Grabham got $125,000 in Talent Fund support through the Micro-Budget Production Program in 2016 for Firecrackers when their alma mater, Toronto Metropolitan University, nominated them. Mozaffari says their film’s budget was $250,000 and making up the difference was difficult, so she’s happy the program offers more funding now.
Mozaffari praises the program for starting careers and offering creative freedom, adding “it’s one of the only programs probably in the world that allows first feature filmmakers to get this chunk of money and run withMcKenzieit.”
“For your first feature that might sound like a lot to some people, but it’s really not because you want to pay people properly, and we couldn’t,” she says, noting
Rogelio Balagtas in writer-director-producer Martin Edralin’s feature Islands, which received Talent Fund support through Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program.
Other changes included doubling the production budget maximum to $500,000, and the introduction of a new Filmmaker Apply-Direct Stream for underrepresented filmmakers as well as a new mentorship program administered by the National Screen Institute and the National Institute of Image and Sound.
Toronto-based writer-director-producer Martin Edralin didn’t go to film school and therefore didn’t have access to Talent to Watch until the eligibility doors widened, enabling him to qualify when his short film Hole screened at several festivals. He got $125,000 to make his debut feature, Islands, for which he also had arts council funding of around $100,000, laddering up to a production budget of $230,000.
Michaela Kurimsky and Karena Evans in writer-director Jasmin Mozaffari’s feature Firecrackers, which received Talent Fund support through Telefilm’s Micro-Budget Production Program.
The changes are having the desired impact.
says Talent to Watch funding can be 100% of a film’s financing, which is “a really powerful detail, because you can get that funding and you can just go make your film.”
“One of the reasons why the most interesting films coming out of the country in the past 10 years have been Micro-Budget films is because your hands aren’t tied as much and it allows for more risky films to be made, different perspectives to come to the table,” says“IMcKenzie.thinkthere are steps that need to follow [for Telefilm] so that all the filmmakers that are getting to make their first feature don’t get stuck trying to make their next film,” she adds. “But it was a pretty big shift in the filmmaking landscape.”
Disappointment
“We are seeing more high-end projects, including series and blockbusters. Foreign producers are tapping into our creative and technical talent, and our incentives which we want to make sure will grow,” says Christine Maestracci, President and CEO of the Quebec Film and Television Council.
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The province of Quebec’s world-class credentials are sweetened by a vibrant VFX & animation industry, as well as competitive tax credits that offer productions up to 43% cash back - no minimum spent, no cap.
Playback’s 2022 Canadian Locations Showcase takes you to high-growth regions, studios and service-providers from across
Quebec Film and Television Council Phone: 514.499.7070 Toll free: 1 866.320.3456 www.qftc.ca
MELS 4, a massive new 160,000-square-foot facility that should be ready next year. Courtesy of MELS.
Quebec’s expanding infrastructure of studio and virtual production spaces like MELS and Grandé Studios - along with versatile settings such as the 17th-century Old Montreal neighbourhood – continue to attract major productions, that include Amazon mystery series Three Pines, A24 horror-comedy Blvd. starring Joaquin Phoenix, and Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Sandwiched between Alaska and British Columbia the Yukon offers tremendous flexibility for incoming crews, boasts more hours of natural light from April to September than any of its southern counterparts, and features natural wonders like Mount Logan - the second highest peak in North America - and Kluane National Park, home to the largest non-polar ice field in the world.
Development T 867-667-5678 Cindy Billingham Media DepartmentAdvisorof Economic Development | Yukon Media Development T 867- 667-9094 Andrew Seymour Media DepartmentAdvisorof Economic Development | Yukon Media Development T 867-667-8285 SPONSORED CONTENT
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Christine Maestracci Chief Executive Officer christine@qftc.ca Chanelle Routhier Commissioner, Film & TV, Province of chanelle@qftc.caQuebec Valerie Daigneault Director, Secretariat of the Audiovisual Cluster valerie@qftc.ca the country.
“We offer the Alaska look at a Canadian price,” notes Iris Merritt, Media Development Manager for the Yukon’s Department of Economic Development. “We have wide open vistas and we are known for our snow and for our wilderness. We have spectacular Temperatures can spike locations.”upto 35°C (95°F) during the summer, with the Discovery Channel’s popular Gold Rush TV series filming annually in the Yukon during those warmer months and into October.
Development | Yukon
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And while the Yukon does not offer production tax credits, Merrit says their newly announced Media Production Fund “can provide up to 40% of your total Yukon spend. There are also programs to support development and pre-development where there are Yukon producers attached to the project.”
PRODUCTIONVIRTUAL WFW’s virtual production stage in B.C. is one of the largest in the world and was built in the shape of a circle with 310-degress of LED screens to work with.
SPONSORED CONTENT TORONTO STUDIOS & SERVICES
“The technology is still foreign to a lot of producers,” says Edward Hanrahan, WFW’s Director of Virtual Production and a former designer at PXO. “Using WFW’s experience with physical production and PXO’s experience with VFX, content generation and real-time rendering, we can guide productions through the entire process.”
Boasting a 30-year history, Dufferin Gate has housed over 500 film and television productions since its inception, including CBC’s Sort Of, Netflix’s 13: The Musical, CTV’s Children Ruin Everything, Amazon’s Reacher and CBS’ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “2021 was a record-breaking year for Toronto’s industry…we plan to continue our expansion of studio and support spaces to ensure productions always have a variety of options to choose from,” says Phillips. “No matter the budget size, we intend to consistently accommodate productions with a home for their project that best suits their needs.”
The virtual production studio is a collaboration between WFW, a Sunbelt Rentals company, and Hollywood-based VFX company Pixomondo (PXO), and both provide on-set expertise to productions.
“Since 2018, Dufferin Gate Studios has expanded its original 80,000 sq.ft. footprint to over 700,000 sq.ft,” states the facilities’ GM Noël Phillips. “We pride ourselves on being client-focused and finding options for productions that match their requirements and expectations. Our team is available at all times to address any and all issues.”
At Dufferin Gate, space matters – because they have plenty of it.
Virtual production has fast become a major component of filmmaking, and William F. White International’s (WFW) newest virtual production studio in Toronto looks to satisfy the growing demand.
Completed last year in Stage 6 at the Port Lands Studio City facility, it features a 62′ semi-circular LED wall on which filmmakers can display virtual interior or exterior environments for in-camera shooting. The 2,000 sq. ft LED volume consists of 720 ROE BP2 panels forming the wall and 175 ROE CB5 panels on four articulating ceiling sections.
Edward Hanrahan Director, Virtual ehanrahan@whites.comProduction
SALES INQUIRIES Noël Phillips General noel@dufferingate.com647-403-7775Manager
Trevor Huys VP, Camera and Virtual Production thuys@whites.com
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Toronto’s new virtual production studio wants to make its filmmaker-first technology accessible at a cost that smaller productions can afford.
“We’re rebuilding the technologies with a filmmaker-first approach, so it can do more of what filmmakers would expect and better,” says Boers. “We hope to help larger studios improve their LED volumes so they can get that capability too.”
Mike
Set the scene without the green screen in Canada’s Yukon Yukon.ca/filming-yukon reelyukon@yukon.ca
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“When your budget is low, time is a major constraint,” says Head of Studio Operations Matthew Nayman, noting that with an extensive background library Immersion Room offers plenty of high-quality visual options. “Here, you can just get your shots, walk out with your footage and you’re done, saving time and money on both unit moves and VFX work.”
And while Immersion Room remains committed to democratizing virtual production, the company also has an eye toward filling bigger studio needs.
General inquiries, bookings, and sales 647-955-8192 | immersionroom.comcontact@
Adds the company’s CxO and leader, Mike Boers: “Because it’s an LED wall, you immediately see the results and make changes on the fly. We can move the sun. We can change the colour of a chair. It can be magic hour all day.”
Boers mike@immersionroom.comCxO Tanya Stemberger Business tanya@immersionroom.comDevelopment Matthew Nayman Studio matt@immersionroom.comOperations SPONSORED CONTENT
BY
MARK DILLON
film While unions look to recruit more Black, Indigenous and people of colour workers, the production community agrees change must start at the top.
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Building more diverse
Lewis wants more federal and provincial funding for training, recognizing there’s also a need to ensure equal opportunity for all up-and-coming workers.
One avenue for growth could be found in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), but there is still much work to be “Everyonedone.istrying to find the talent, but [producers] need to build in training,” says Tonya Williams, who in 2000 founded the non-profit Reelworld, which two years ago launched its Access Reelworld recruitment platform for Canadian screen industry creatives and crew who are Black, Indigenous, Asian, and people of colour.
It seems those findings are being acted upon. Last September saw the announcement of an additional $800,000 grant from the federal and provincial governments to Toronto’s xoTO Screen Industry Pathways stream. The funding was earmarked for training more than 200 Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) participants through programs run by the Toronto Film Office and Employment & Social Services.
IT’S BEEN ANOTHER BUSY SUMMER OF SHOOTING IN CANADA, with productions from global broadcasters, streamers and studios stretching local crew infrastructure thin. To deal with the ongoing crunch, IATSE – the union representing film, TV and live event employees – says it is doing what it can to train new workers, although resources are“Welimited.face a labour shortage and that has to change,” says John Lewis, IATSE international VP and director of Canadian affairs. “We’re going to get very vocal, because it’s not sustainable. And it’s an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds and having to address technology changes.”
Tonya Williams, founder of the non-profit Reelworld.
A major challenge in addressing the problem is that the sector has not traditionally tracked diversity information, although that has begun to change. In July, the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) – which represents directors, ADs and employees in art, picture, sound and post departments –released the results of its first-ever national census.
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It revealed that approximately 83% of participating members identified as Caucasian, while about 18% identified as Black, Indigenous or a person of colour. Those figures are poised to grow: Statistics Canada’s population projections released in 2017 showed between 34.7% and 39.9% of the working-age population (15 to 64 years) could belong to a visible minority group by Meanwhile,2036. according to the Breaking In report from youth media network POV and the Toronto Screen Office, 75% of industry respondents in the 2019 study cited a lack of advancement opportunities as the most significant barrier to industry equity, while training programs are deemed inadequate in terms of educating participants on how to get the jobs they are being taught to do.
and TV crews
Students from the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals get training with IATSE 873 set decorator Alexx Hooper.
“We have the most influence on the leadership and creative roles, so that’s where we’re putting a lot of our focus,” says Trish Williams, CBC executive director, scripted content. “We make it part of our weekly conversations with our production partners.
Part of our approval process is going through hiring heads of department. It has an important place in all ourNextconversations.”fallthepubcaster plans to air the five-part miniseries Bones of Crows, a century-spanning tale of a Cree matriarch who survives the residential school system and becomes a Second World War code talker. (A feature-length version will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.) It is written, produced and directed by Métis creator Marie Clements, who says the production employed 54 Indigenous crew and 61 Indigenous cast members.
While unions are actively putting forward BIPOC candidates to accommodate the crew needs of scripted productions, most unscripted projects are non-union, so the hiring comes down to producers and the influence of the commissioning broadcasters or streamers.
Marblemedia similarly believes that diversifying film and TV crews works from the top on down. The prodco, which operates in the scripted and unscripted spaces, has a portfolio of programs featuring BIPOC performers front and centre, from A Cut Above to Overlord and the Underwoods and youth-oriented Marie Clements, creator of the Indigenous miniseries and feature film Bones of Crows
Step one is employing diverse crew workers; step two is “helping them accelerate through the ranks to a point CBC’s The Great Canadian Baking Show, on which Black youth have an opportunity to get paid post-production internships. where they are ready to be department heads,” Pigott says. “We’re working towards training for leadership roleNotpreparedness.”onlyisgreater BIPOC representation among department heads needed for its own sake, but the thinking is they would hire more BIPOC crew members on their teams. The same can be said for hiring more racialized and minority individuals as key creatives.
Toronto film commissioner Marguerite Pigott says her office’s primary focus is workforce development with an emphasis on DEI. It wants to attract potential workers when they are young through a relationship with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).
“We had a mandate to hire as many Indigenous and culturally diverse crew members as possible,” says Clements. “We shot on Indigenous territories, so we were able to access people and skills and resources from the community. A large percentage hadn’t worked in TV. But if they did have the skills but never held [a particular] job title, we matched them with nonIndigenous people who could support them as they moved through the production.”
“It talks about how we make our unions a welcoming place for all people,” Lewis says. “And it talks about microaggressions and how we make our workplaces respectful and safe for everybody.”
CBC has moved on this, last year announcing that at least 30% of key creative roles on new scripted and unscripted series commissioned from indie producers would be held by BIPOC individuals or persons with disabilities. And as part of the pubcaster’s latest licence renewal, the CRTC stipulated that 30%+ of CBC’s programming expenditures go to indie producers identifying as part of various minority communities or Indigenous groups.
“We have a co-op program with [the TDSB] whereby students can get credits for learning on film sets,” she explains. “We do outreach to make sure students are aware of the opportunities in the production industry, and we need to work with more with colleges and universities to accelerate the amount of crew that are graduating.”
CBC says it asks for detailed inclusion plans as early as the development phase for unscripted projects as well.
“It’s one of the main deliverables, along with creative, budget and financing,” says Jennifer Dettman, CBC executive director of unscripted content.
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One of those is the Entertainment Trades Training Program for construction, grip, electric and set decoration, which sees IATSE Local 873 and union NABET 700-M UNIFOR partnering with the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals. But the industry must ensure a non-threatening environment for these new workers. The most alarming statistic in Breaking In has 100% of diverse-identifying respondents reporting workplace harassment. Lewis sees retention as just as important as recruitment, and points to a mandatory training course for all members to be implemented by Local 873.
“Perdita’s involved in those conversations,” says Mark Bishop, marblemedia co-CEO. “She’ll say, ‘Let’s make sure we have BIPOC representation in the hair and makeup department, and among our drivers and within our art department.’ She will sometimes introduce new people to our crew. We want to make sure we’re not just talking the talk and doing this just because some broadcasters say, ‘Make sure you hit this quota.’ We do it because we believe it’s important to nurture new talent.”
33 sports competition All-Round Champion, hosted by Black Canadian Olympian Perdita Felicien.
“I felt like I was on a soapbox for 20 years screaming, but people just walked past,” says Williams, an actress and producer whose organization provides training programs for producers and screenwriters who are Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian and people of colour, and a film festival featuring works by racialized Canadians.
“Then, all of a sudden, the crowd stopped,” she continues. “And it’s overwhelming. Their hunger for more information can’t be satisfied. And now there’s just so much to do.”
Williams it feels like she is finally seeing progress on her longtime mission.
Much of that work will have to be done through the willingness, patience and foresight of the production community.
Producers can seek out BIPOC and minority workers through resources such as Access Reelworld and HireBIPOC.ca, another online creative and crewFordatabase.Reelworld’s
“These [racialized] workers haven’t had the access,” Williams says. “There’s no point in hiring someone and then saying, ‘They’re not doing a good job.’ You can’t compare them to someone who’s had 20 years of opportunity. You have to give them 20 years to be able to fail and succeed until they’re polished like others who have had the opportunity.”
Mark
marblemediaBishop,co-CEOPerditaFelicien,host of marblemedia’s All-Round Champion, who is involved in diverse representation on the show’s crew.
rockies.banffmediafestival.com Recognizing excellence in global screen content. 2023 CALL FOR ENTRIES SUBMISSIONS OPEN: OCTOBER 12, 2022 EARLY BIRD: NOVEMBER 18, 2022
PLAYBACK ’S ANNUAL 10 TO WATCH IS ALWAYS A TREASURE TROVE OF EMERGING VOICES AND THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION, WITH A WHOPPING
PLAYBACK WEBSITE FOR A DEEPER DIVE INTO THEIR PROMISING CAREERS.
Upcoming projects include the doc Words Left Unspoken and scripted series Hotel Beyrouth.
Writer-director
COHORT.ENTERPRISINGTHEPLEASEDSUBMISSIONS.217WE’RETOINTRODUCEDIVERSEAND2022CHECKOUTTHE
The co-founder of Oakville, Ont.-based Sahkosh Productions who hails from Montreal has been a star in short form, with credits including web series Ainsi va Manu (Hogtown) for TV5 and TFO and doc Tales of Ordinary Fatphobia
Josiane Blanc BY KELLY TOWNSEND, VICTORIA AHEARN, ANGELICA BABIERA
A TikTok creator with over 2.1 million followers, the Winnipeg-born Babalola is also a creative executive at Toronto’s Little Engine Moving Pictures, where he’s developing a coming-of-age tween mystery series and a 3D-animated preschool series on which he’s also writer and director.
The most exciting content trend right now is… The increase in interest in limited series. I love a good, solid and character-driven narrative wrapped up in 10 episodes or less.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? To find my voice, my niche. Not to try to be someone else or to make projects according to what I think people are looking for. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? Create more of a bridge between emerging filmmakers and established people in the industry.
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If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? Create more serialized narrative television geared toward tweens and young teens.
Tope Babalola Writer-director-producer
A Toronto-born executive producer for Toronto’s Sunflower Studios and Hamilton, Ont.-based Admiral Productions, Henry has produced acclaimed shorts including Black Bodies. She’s also producer on Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s debut feature, When Morning Comes, debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, and showrunning the first season of Crave original Bria Mack Gets A Life.
As development producer of unscripted entertainment and formats at Toronto-based marblemedia, Espensen has created and developed series including Best In Miniature (CBC Gem, Discovery+ U.K. & Ireland), and ideated and developed Race Against The Tide (CBC, CBC Gem). She also co-developed Netflix’s Drink Masters, debuting in fall.
Productionexecutive
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? At a young age my dad taught me that no matter what project or what size of task, to always give it your all. When you’re done, ask what else you can do to lend a helping hand.
Creative executive, producer
producerDevelopment EspensenKelsey
Head of development at Toronto’s Film Forge, Toronto-born Bobkin has also been an associate producer and production coordinator on features such as Haya Waseem’s Quickening, and has lined up a slew of roles, including associate producer on Brandon Cronenberg’s forthcoming Infinity Pool If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? I would make the process of hiring and finding work within the industry more transparent and open.
This Hamilton, Ont.-born production executive for drama and feature film on Bell Media’s original programming team has a laundry list of credits, including CTV’s Transplant and Lindsay MacKay’s TIFFbound The Swearing Jar. Future projects include Crave/APTN’s original limited series Little Bird What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “Staple well.” It was a short, but meaningful, piece of advice that has stuck with me. It’s a reminder to always output your best work regardless of the scope or reach of the project, as you never know who may take notice.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? We should continue to double down on the creation of meaningful, sustainable, capacity-building talent incubation and fellowship systems for emerging and underrepresented talent, both for our creative and production teams.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Rejection hurts, but it’s part of the game, so don’t let it take you off the field.
GeddesMitch
Writer-director-showrunner
The most exciting content trend right now is… The sustained power of weekly episodic releases. While many binged series throughout COVID, I found myself gravitating towards episodic content (mostly HBO) that would release episodes on a weekly basis.
The most exciting content trend right now is… The big push into dating and social experiments. While dating series have always been trendy, the additional element of a social experiment has added a new layer of authenticity.
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Ryan Bobkin
Sasha Leigh Henry
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? The level of overwork that we present as a rite of passage. Not enough effort is being done to find another way to creatively achieve success without draining all the energy of our crews and teams.
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What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Time is the most valuable asset and non-renewable resource that you have – until you don’t. Assets like people and technology come and go, but time is gone forever once it’s used. Create with all that you have in the now.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? In addition to creating more accessibility to project funds and opportunities for first-time coloured creatives in directing and producing, I would make a strenuous effort to get more racialized bodies behind the decision-making at every tier of the industry.
This Calgary-born talent has racked up major credits including co-creator, director and cinematographer of OUTtv and IFC’s Slo Pitch, and director on Syfy’s Astrid & Lilly Save The World. Their future looks even brighter, with production about to begin on their first feature film as a writer-director.
Wallace
Producer
Kristina Wong
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? The unwillingness of a lot of producers and networks to take chances on newer talent. I get it, when you start working in the union, the budgets go up and so risk for producers goes up. But I would love to see more mentorship programs.
Writer-director-actor
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? I would love to see more research done on individual diverse groups – especially behind the scenes –so we have a baseline for their growth.
Toronto-born Wong’s talents spread wide. She’s currently assistant to the EVP of current at Boat Rocker Studios (L.A.), had made short films on the Asian experience, was associate producer on Amy Jo Johnson’s film Tammy’s Always Dying, and is working on an Asian-Canadian crew database as well as a feature adaptation of Ann Hui’s book Chop Suey Nation.
The most exciting content trend right now is… The rise of LGBTQ+ characters that are complex and serve a purpose other than coming out or supporting a straight lead character.
J
The most exciting content trend right now is... Complex, literary series and miniseries like Station Eleven and The Bear From his Canadian Screen Award-winning documentary Black Sun, to his lauded web series Courtside and a writer credit on Paramount+/MTV’s Hip Hop My House, Toronto-based Wallace’s star is already soaring. He’s now developing a short film billed as a Black rom-com, as well as an original television series and his directorial debut feature film.
As co-writer on Jonathan Keijser’s film Peace by Chocolate, director of development at Toronto/L.A-based Fae Pictures and writer on CTV’s Transplant, Malik has already made a big mark. But the Edmonton-based scribe is just getting started, with many upcoming projects including the feature Queen Tut
Screenwriter
Abdul Malik
Adrian
Stevens
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? Eliminate the scarcity mindset that’s often drilled into young creatives. There are thousands of shows in development, hundreds being shot, and if work feels scarce, that’s a structural problem to be collectively addressed with, not against, your colleagues and peers.
Filmmaker
The most exciting content trend right now is… LED volumes. It’s going to, if not already, change the way we make films.
Make a gift to the Talent Fund today, in support and celebration of your local filmmakers. TEN YEARS FILMMAKINGIGNITINGOF CAREERS.ScanthisQRcodetomakeadonation to the Talent Fund or visit: THETALENTFUND.CA
THE EXACT MOMENT the specialty network turned the lights on in October 1997. The kickoff series was Primevista Television’s Savoir Faire, with host Nik Manojlovich, and Richardson was there as a set decorator. A year later she pitched her own project to the prodco, Room Service, igniting a two-decade career spanning 350 episodes and eight hit series. Today the Canadian personality is an integral part of what Daniel Eves, Corus Entertainment’s SVP of broadcast networks, calls the specialty station’s internal star system. Her peers include Scott McGillivray, Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, Sebastian Clovis and — as of 2017, following Corus’s decision to retool the W Network — personalities like the Property Brothers and Kortney Wilson.
In addition to a solid international platform and content that travels well, Eves cites strong partnerships with founding partner Scripps Networks Interactive and current HGTV owner Warner Bros. Discovery as pillars to overall success.
That star system has shone around the world. Corus says 379.5 hours of Corus Studios Originals for HGTV Canada programming have been sold to 16 territories. Each broadcast year sees 10 to 12 new shows or seasons launched, with an average of four brand new series. Biggest homegrown hits have included Masters of Flip, Island of Bryan (called Renovation Island Discovery in the U.S.), Home To Win and Scott’s Vacation House Rules
“Unlike a lot of other networks, Canadian content is what people were coming for and continue to come for even more so today,” says Eves. “They’re the shows that ended up driving the network. Over the years we’ve introduced new talent while growing the old talent, ultimately building a star system.”
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“Canada has a real history here in producing lifestyle content and because we have those connections, they’re happy to pick up the content they know would work and drive their viewership,” he says. That has also proved beneficial given Discovery+’s recent entry to the Canadian streaming landscape and its strategic partnership with Corus.
The ability to adapt to current trends is another pillar of success. Lisa Godfrey, SVP of original content and Corus Studios for Corus Entertainment, has been with HGTV Canada in various capacities since
HGTV CANADA HITMAKER SARAH RICHARDSON RECALLS
BY AMBER DOWLING
The team from Home To Win, which offers viewers a chance to compete to win their own home restored by HGTV Canada stars.
HGTV Canada at 25
How an internal star system propelled the specialty station to new heights.
TRIBUTEPLAYBACK
HGTV CANADA AT 25
“HGTV Canada allows its talent to be themselves,” he says. “There’s a lot of guidance from the network in terms
In recent years that has included following the Baeumlers as they renovated a Bahamas resort (Island of Bryan; Si Entertainment); the McGillivrays as they transformed a cottage complex in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes (Scott’s Own Vacation House; McGillivray Entertainment Media); and Richardson and her husband, Alexander Younger, as they renovate a bed-and-breakfast in Whistler, B.C., for the upcoming Sarah’s Mountain Escape (Insight Productions). Some personalities are also producers. McGillivray, for instance, is CEO of McGillivray Entertainment, which is also behind the upcoming Renovation Resort; while Property Brothers stars Drew and Jonathan Scott run Scott Brothers Entertainment, which produced titles including Making It Home with Kortney and Kenny McGillivray says he’s always had a strong relationship with the network, with both sides often looking to build opportunities from what he’s up to in his own life and career, which was the case with Scott’s Own Vacation House.
40HGTV Canada star Scott McGillivray, his wife, Sabrina, and their family in Scott’s Own Vacation House.
its conception and has seen the content shift from instructional to aspirational.
“It was always about the best talent in our three pillars: design, renovation and real estate,” she says. “Being able to take chances with our talent and getting more involved in their family lives is one way our brand has evolved from that episodic, traditional show to more of an experience.”
“I don’t collaborate with any company or any products I don’t believe in or that I don’t support or don’t use,” she says. “I’ve said no, a lot. It takes a special relationship to find that sweet spot where a business and a brand feel that they have a tremendous amount of overlap.”
Godfrey says the specialty station has always had a strong diversity and inclusion focus with the homeowners on their shows, but is committed to investing in front of and behind the camera on diverse talent going forward. Godfrey points to recently launched series like Trading Up with Mandy Rennehan (Scott Brothers Entertainment) and Styled (Great Pacific Media), starring Nicole Babb and Caffery Vanhorne, as examples of those efforts.
Godfrey reveals they’re keeping an eye on home and lifestyle trends on social media and exploring deals with younger talent (such as Alexandra Gater of Corus’ Kin Community creator agency), to potentially develop their content into linear programming.
41FALL 2022 of what’s working and how we can help the network and our own businesses thrive. But there’s also this authenticity that’s always been there. Nobody tells you what you have to say, there are no scripts.” According to Richardson, that authenticity extends from show development all the way to key product integrations and sponsorships.
“I’ll give Mike his credit, in the early years of HGTV, Holmes on Homes was a very successful show that helped to grow HGTV and introduced a lot of viewers to that brand,” Eves says. “But we can’t keep every talent forever. It’s just not part of any channel’s ability and that’s what the past 25 years have been about: who else on top of Mike can we make into stars?”
especially when a longstanding talent leaves, like in 2019 when Mike Holmes and his family exited the specialty station to star in and develop series with Bell Media.
Corus touts success on social media with short-form content that is relatable, accessible, and budget-friendly, such as sustainability, upcycling (i.e. furniture thrift flips) and plant/garden. The broadcaster wants to reach millennials and Gen Z on social media, expand content on TikTok and Pinterest, and increase representation for underrepresented groups in the home and garden space by diversifying and growing their roster on the social and digital agency so.da.
HGTV Canada has also turned to collaborative formats to show new sides of established talent while bolstering new personalities, with series such as Home to Win (Nikki Ray Media Agency) and Family Home Overhaul (Proper Television). That continuous development is key, HGTV SebastianCanada’sClovis helps homeowners through big renovations in Gut Job
“Our production company has to be hiring as much diverse talent as they can, in lead positions as well,” Godrey says. “Our producing partners know to come to us with new, amazing, diverse talent. We’ll develop talent or do a development deal without a show. Don’t bring us a show – bring us talent.”
Construction experts Mike Holmes and his son, MJ, who bought, renovated and sold houses in Holmes and Holmes Designer and construction mogul Mandy Rennehan of Trading Up with Mandy Rennehan, in which she overhauls properties in her hometown of Yarmouth, N.S.
HGTV Canada also plans to continue to grow and foster more diversity and inclusion within their star system.
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BuildingBUZZ101
The period between when a film is finished and its festival world premiere can be fruitful in building momentum and leveraging sales. But how to do that in a complicated market? We asked four Canadian filmmakers about setting a film up for success.
“The best time to start building your buzz is the two-to-threemonth window between festival submission and the programmers’ decision … it may help sway the programmers to decide that your film should be included in the festival. For our film The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw, we had a special screening at the Art Gallery of Ontario, inviting the press and special guests. With Angelique’s Isle, we had local screenings in various Indigenous communities. Both served well to create buzz around the films.”
“In the digital era, it’s important to begin early on to make sure you have a presence and fan base even before you begin production. This could be through partnerships, crowdfunding campaigns, social media presence, outreach, and digital marketing. Engaging a digital marketer before a festival run is also a good way to draw in your audience, but make sure you have your marketing materials in place prior to that.”
“Great publicists bring the right kind of coverage for a project and help position it for success. Good artwork and a trailer are very important in building pre-festival success. We’ve seen this aspect of marketing really build with the ever-changing landscape of social media. [First-time filmmakers should] watch movies and meet other filmmakers. I’ve found lifelong friends at festivals.”
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Shehrezade Mian, producer of Concrete Valley, which will world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
Amos Adetuyi, CEO and founder of Circle Blue Entertainment, whose latest feature film Café Daughter will be released in 2023
“It always helps when the [sales agents, distributors and publicists] you’re working with are genuinely passionate about the project. Whoever they pass it on to, I think that sincerity and that passion is translated.”
Anthony Shim, writer, director, producer and star of Riceboy Sleeps
Lindsay MacKay, director of Ontario-shot musical romance The Swearing Jar, which will also world premiere at TIFF
Meet 100 of the brightest talents in Canadian film & TV A market access program for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour creators & producers. Get to know all 2022 participants here: SUPPORTING PARTNERS
