FUNNY. BUSI NESS. Medi aPar t ner
ABOUT THE COMEDY EXCHANGE: “Going from LOL to LMAO” Since 2009, the Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab/Comedy Exchange has forged creative and business relationships with some of the industry’s top names in comedy creating real momentum for the 16 projects and filmmakers involved to date – the majority of which are in the final stages of packaging, with numerous projects slated to go to camera in 2013.
Take a flip through and look at some of the exciting projects that have come through this initiative…
For more information on the Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange, email: comedy@cfccreates.com
ATLANTIC G
LD
A film by Donald Petrie | Written by John Hazlett Atlantic Gold is a comedy about the fishing village of Lucky Harbour, and what happens when a lost cargo of marijuana washes up on its shore.
*****
When PETER HARRIS, an up‐and‐coming bank executive, is dispatched to his childhood home—the isolated fishing village of Lucky Harbour—to deny the community a loan it needs to restart the cannery, it tests him. First, he finds that MAGGIE THOMPSON, his childhood sweetheart, has grown into a beautiful woman. And second, face‐to‐face with the whole village, he chokes and says ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’. So when bales of marijuana wash up on shore, he is caught in the middle of a divided community. For his estranged father DAVID HARRIS, smuggling has always been part of the impoverished coastal life. But others fear it could jeopardize the cannery plan and they have Peter’s word they will get the loan. But when Peter fails to convince his bank the loan is legit, he finally sees whose side he should be on. He comes clean, and sets in motion a plan to sell the weed and use the profits to restart the cannery. Easier said than done – An unlikely hero, Peter ends up having to win the trust of the community, and evade the Mob, who show up to reclaim the drugs (with the RCMP hot on their heels). The villagers cleverly hide the weed by canning it at the old fish plant, but Peter still needs to get the goods to market, make his father proud and, most importantly, win back his girl.
KEY CREATIVES Director | Donald Petrie Writer | John Hazlett Producers | Antonello Cozzolino & Josée Vallée Executive Producer | Richard Speer
5455, De Gaspé Ave. Suite 804 Montréal, (Qc) H2T 3B3 Contact: Antonello Cozzolino | E: acozzolino@attraction.ca T: 514‐274‐4994 | F: 514‐274‐8998 | W: www.attractionimages.ca
THE STORY In 1976, two respected scientists, BEN MORIN and his wife CATHERINE O’NEAL, quit their jobs at the university to conduct an audacious science experiment they think will revolutionize our understanding of human identity. The project aims to raise three children contrarily to their genetic tendencies to prove the ultimate power of nurture over nature. Their objective is to prove that everyone has the same potential to become anything in life, no one is a prisoner of his or her genetic heritage. MAYA, a newborn girl adopted from two parents with a combined IQ of 89, is raised to be an intellectual prodigy, while MAURICE, a newborn boy adopted from two anger-prone parents, is raised to be serene and zen. Finally, their own biological son LUKE, who comes from a long lineage of scientific brains, is raised to become a revered artist. The outrageous experiments run on the kids will reveal little scientific truth, but rather force Ben and Catherine to come to terms with their true selves. Birthmarked is a quirky comedy about family, selfdiscovery and the quest for truth.
ITEM 7, 5413, Boul. St-Laurent, Suite 301, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2T 1S5 t: 514 526 2772 f: 514 526 3182
SYNOPSIS 1895. In an Old West town full of opportunists in every doorway and shadows around every corner… Jeremy Agnus is a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy and confined to a complicated wheelchair. Hal and Orly, two luckless brothers always on the lookout for exotic items that one day they may have unfathomable uses for, find Jeremy outside the general store, and steal his fancy wheelchair. Unfortunately, Jeremy is in the chair. But with the help of their sleazy friend Zeke, Hal and Orly soon discover Jeremy’s true worth as the son of a rich tycoon, and their confidence in pulling off this difficult ransom is shattered. News of this supposed brilliant kidnapping spreads through a town full of clueless, crazy and sick mercenaries who all recognize this as the greatest opportunity of all time. Julia, Jeremy’s mother, is stricken. The town sheriff wants nothing more than to get the boy back and prove he can finally catch criminals. Zeke has plans of his own to make money as a go-between for a long line of villains; and even Wilf Agnus, Jeremy’s own father, finds this fortuitous event as the perfect opportunity to finally rid himself of the son he has always seen as an unworthy heir to his legacy. But Jeremy is also the smartest of the lot, and with the help of Hal and Orly, who develop a real affection for him, he must try to elude capture from farms and saloons, through wilderness and whorehouses. The story follows a path of treachery and double-kidnappings as career criminals Civilized Frank, twisted outlaws Edgar and Eustice, and Wilf Agnus all try to outwit the witless. But throughout his adventure, Jeremy is developing something that he never had before: a sense of independence. Coddled by his mother for his handicap, Jeremy has never really done anything before, and being kidnapped is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
KEY CREATIVES Nicholas D. Tabarrok Nicholas Tabarrok is a prolific film and television producer whose company, Darius Films, has offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. Leah Jaunzems Leah Jaunzems is a producer and VP of Development at Darius Films. Stephen Kunc Stephen is a recent graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s writers’ lab and a multiple finalist in U.S. screenwriting contests.
WEBSITE http://www.dariusfilms.com
L
eonard Crane is the editor of the Grand Rock Weekly Ledger. It’s a small town newspaper with a staff of misfits whose biggest stories are bake sales and birthday parties. There was a time when Leonard dreamed of writing important stories in the big city – he even got a job at the national paper The Citizen – but when his mother got sick he was forced to move back to his home town to take care of her. And ever since then he’s been dedicated to keeping the Ledger afloat. But it seems that his hard work might be in vain. Like many small town papers, the Ledger is on the ropes. When Leonard’s boss tells him that the paper has lost its biggest advertiser and is going to be shut down, Leonard panics. Then, one night, digging through his notes in search of a story, Leonard is drawn to the movie playing on TV: Larger Than Life, the Bill Murray movie about a man who inherits an elephant. Under the gun to print big stories to win back readers - and
advertisers, he floats the idea at work the next day. Everyone loves it and he puts it on the front page, pretending it happened to a local resident.
what’s going on and she publishes an article in the Citizen, revealing Leonard’s scheme. Leonard is fired from his job and shunned by the town. He’s lost everything.
The newspaper story is a resounding success. But then Leonard is pushed to come up with more. So he does. He starts renting movies from the local video store and printing up their plots as articles. Leonard’s plan is working great but it’s not enough – he needs a really big story to keep the paper from going under. Desperate, he rents Extreme Measures and his article about secret medical experiments causes a scandal in town – and gets national attention.
Locked in despair, he even considers destroying his collection of his own framed articles. But it’s then that Lucy shows up on his door with a shocking revelation: she thinks he might be on to something. Lucy was sticking around Grand Rock to follow up on her article when her motel room was ransacked. Seeing that nothing was stolen, she’s convinced that the culprit must have been searching for something. For her that can only mean one thing, they were onto something. Now Leonard and Lucy are working together to dig up the truth, uncovering a corruption plot that implicates the mayor. But they’re working against the clock as the last issue of the Ledger goes to print in twelve hours.
Soon Lucy, a reporter from the Citizen, shows up in Grand Rock wanting to write a follow-up. Leonard is told to co-operate with her, the Citizen could buy the Ledger and save the paper. Forced to cover his lies, Leonard digs himself into a deeper and deeper hole – making up more and more outrageous lies. Lucy quickly realizes
Will they make it?
PAUL SPRING is a union mediator with the perfect life: a beautiful house on a quiet cul-de-sac, a loving wife and a well-behaved son. But his suburban paradise comes to an abrupt end when a White Trash Family from Hell moves in next door. Pot-bellied JERRY RASKIN arrives with his sultry tattooed wife and emo hellion daughter. Although Paul is an expert at seeing both sides of any issue, he can’t deal with the antagonistic Jerry, who is incredibly direct, often offensive, and takes everything the wrong way. This launches us into an R-rated comedy that turns a peaceful neighourhood into a war zone. The theme is about acceptance, with the metaphor of war explored through the rocky relationship of two neighbours trying to make peace, without killing each other first. Producer: Mary Anne Waterhouse Written by: Andrew Currie and Robert Chomiak Director: Andrew Currie Development Financing: Telefilm Canada, Harold Greenberg Fund, BC Film Selected to participate in the CFC/Just for Laughs/TFC 2010/11 Comedy Lab Currently Packaging
For more information contact: Mary Anne Waterhouse | LA 310 780-7545 | Vancouver 604 868-7169 | maryanne@quadrantmotionpictures.com | www.quadrantmotionpictures.com
ADAM MURPHY thought he had it all: a thriving career as a corporate attorney, an incredible quality of life, an endless parade of gorgeous women, and the charm to make it all look well-earned. One night Adam went to bed with everything he ever wanted, and woke up with the one thing nobody ever wants... Gonorrhea doesn’t have to be a life-changer, but what starts off as a painful (mis)-diagnosis for the golden boy, triggers a series of events that throws his entire sense of self into question. Adam revisits a black book’s worth of bitter ex-lovers, to teach him a multitude of lessons, thereby “upskilling” him into the man he never knew he wanted to be. As Adam balances this life makeover, his budding relationship with girlfriend Liv, and 30 days of crazy-making antibiotics, he finds that gonorrhea may have been the best thing that ever happened to him... and how often have you heard that sentence? THAT BURNING FEELING is a romantic comedy about the least romantic thing possible… Inspired by films like Away We Go, 500 Days of Summer, 50/50, The Kids Are Alright, High Fidelity, and Knocked Up; THAT BURNING FEELING is a romantic comedy with a little more sting to it.
RESONANCE FILMS INC. Jason James - jason@resonancefilms.ca www.resonancefilms.ca
TWO OF ME
When your past sneaks up on you. a film by Mina Shum
Two of Me Screenplay by Mina Shum and Bob Martin Directed by Mina Shum Produced by Stephen Hegyes
Two of Me
When Jennifer Lane, 34 year old overworked and over wound super woman, is granted a wish for “two of me”, she’s confronted with her 24 year old, ten-years-younger self: the irresponsible indie rock musician, JJ. Jen hates JJ, but her family and especially her husband, love her. Doubled up, Jen is finally able to fulfill her duties as wife and mother, work harder to keep her job and even have some time to think. But when Jen meets a cute young guitar clerk, she begins to question her life. It's about who you once were, who you thought you’d become, and the disconnect that often comes with that. An irreverent empowerment comedy, Two of Me is laugh-out-loud funny, genuine, and heart-warming.
The Team: MINA SHUM – Writer/Director She has written and directed three feature films, 'Double Happiness', 'Drive, She Said' and 'Long Life, Happiness, and Prosperity'. Her features were released theatrically by Fine Line/New Line and Film Movement after having their US premieres at Sundance. Her films have won numerous festival awards at Berlin, Toronto, Torino and her work has garnered citations from both Director and Writer’s Guilds, as well as the Genie awards. She has directed numerous shorts, docs and network television, and created site-specific multi-media installations. Back in the day, she even played in the alternative band, Playdoh Republic. BOB MARTIN – Co-writer He is a co-creator of The Drowsy Chaperone, and has performed in many of its incarnations: Toronto Fringe, Theatre Passe Muraille (Toronto), Winter Garden (Toronto), Ahmanson Theatre (Los Angeles), Marquis Theatre (Broadway), Novello (London). Bob won a number of awards for his work on Drowsy including an LA Drama Critics Circle Award, an L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award. He is also co-creator of Slings & Arrows, a critically acclaimed dramatic series about life at a large not for profit theatre company, which was recently named one of the ten best TV shows of the decade by a number of publications including New York Magazine. STEPHEN HEGYES - Producer He has established an impressive career track record in his twenty years in the feature film and television industry, most recently becoming an industry leader in international co-productions. After beginning his producing career with breakout hit Double Happiness directed by Mina Shum and starring Sandra Oh, he later produced international box office success White Noise starring Michael Keaton and released by Universal. His most recent credits include Gunless, a comedy western starring Paul Gross and co-produced with Rhombus Media, and Fifty Dead Men Walking, a UK/Canadian co-production starring Ben Kingsley, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Zegers and Rose McGowan.
TAGLINE:
FAME LASTS FIFTEEN MINUTES, FRIENDSHIP LASTS FOREVER.
LOGLINE:
The Wild Society is a comedic coming of age story about two under achieving homeschooled brothers who, upon discovering that one of them was adopted, set out to find the long lost birth parents but end up finding themselves in the process – after destroying everything in their path of course.
THE STORY:
Home-schooled brothers Ray and Walt Stites, both 30, still live at home with their parents and plan to keep it that way. Their latest distraction is a “movement” they call The Wild Society, for which money and responsibility are taboo, and for which they are the only two members. Their bond seems indestructible until Walt discovers that he was adopted and their tiny bubble begins to vanish around them. In an effort to stay connected to Walt, Ray insists they head out on the road in search of Walt’s birth parents so that he may get closure. They set out on a misadventure that will see them attending their first house party, reconnecting with a famous friend who has fallen on hard times, stealing wild dogs, getting drunk for the first time, running from angry truckers, losing their virginity, finding new found fame for their I’ll conceived movement, nearly killing their long lost friend, and nearly severing their bond forever – imagine cramming all the regrets of your youth into one very long weekend. The Wild Society is a quixotic coming-of-age comedy about friendship inspired by films like DUMB & DUMBER, SUPERBAD, SIDEWAYS, THE ROYAL TENEBAUMS and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.
“WALT: Maybe we should`ve left them a note? RAY: That`s a horrible idea. That`s why you`re the driver and I`m the leader.�
CORPORATE PROFILE:
EL DUO MOTION PICTURES INC. El Duo is a Canadian film production company founded in 2005 by producers Shawn Myrick and Robert Scarborough and writer/director Matthew Atkinson. Their debut feature film Dakota is distributed by Mongrel Media and Film Option International. Their second feature project The Wild Society has been developed with the assistance of Telefilm Canada, The Canadian Film Centre and Just For Laughs. El Duo is also currently producing a web series titled Onwards & Upwards while developing new film and television projects.
WRITER DIRECTOR:
MATTHEW ATKINSON Matt is an award-winning writer and director. His short films have screened around the world and his debut feature Dakota won the Special Jury Prize at the Winnipeg International Film Festival and is distributed by Mongrel Media and Film Option International. He is currently filming the web series Onwards & Upwards while directing commercials for prominent brands and writing for television and film.
COWRITER:
BRENDAN GALL Brendan is an award-winning actor, playwright and screenwriter. His feature screenplay Dakota won the Special Jury Prize at the Winnipeg International Film Festival and is distributed by Mongrel Media and Film Option International. He is currently a writer and co-executive producer on the new series The L.A. Complex, produced by Epitome Pictures for CTV/MuchMusic and the CW Network in the US.
PRODUCER: PAUL SCHIFF Paul is the President of Paul Schiff Productions in Los Angeles California. He is an accomplished producer whose films include My Cousin Vinny, Young Guns, Walking Tall, Mona Lisa Smile, and Rushmore. He has worked with many of the major Hollywood Studios and served as the head of production at Propaganda Films. Most recently Paul produced Date Movie and Epic Movie released by New Regency and 20th Century Fox and the indie hit Solitary Man. His new film Red Machine starring James Marsden and Billy Bob Thornton is due to be released in 2013.
LOVE NEVER DIES…
unless it is shot in the head or burned at the stake. Ever meet the love of your life only to die a week later in a horrible car crash? Smalltown actor Dave Roman did… right after he met landscape architect Jewel Pavinski. Luckily, fate has given them a second chance... When Dave crawls out of the ground as a zombie one year later, Jewel has moved on. She is now engaged to a handsome real-estate developer who jumpstarts her career and seriously impresses her father. But Dave believes it is Jewel’s love that raised him from the grave… and he is determined to win her back. With the help of a skilled embalmer, Dave conceals his rotting complexion and tries to make up for lost time. Soon he has Jewel believing his funeral was all just a big misunderstanding. Dave suppresses his zombie impulses and tries to act human… but when his cravings for human flesh expose him he is forced to come clean. Will Jewel accept him for what he really is? With her wedding only days away and the whole town trying to burn him alive, Dave must prove to Jewel that he likes her for more than just her brains. THE WEDDING SINGER meets ZOMBIELAND in this fresh take on a classic Beauty and the Beast story… the ultimate Rom-Zom-Com that answers the question: Can a Zombie Love? Written by: Jonathan Williams Produced By:Marc Stephenson Sheep Noir Films Inc. www.sheepnoir.com / marc@sheepnoir.com / 604.762.8933
More exciting projects to come! Stay tuned.
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