A wide range of Canadian and international producers are set to participate in Immersion Europe: 2003, the ninth annual Canada-Europe feature film financing forum to be held in Paris November 17-20.

The line-up of 36 Canadian and 38 European producers will be looking for partners to get their projects financed and completed, an increasingly challenging proposition in a competitive marketplace.

Originally conceived by initiator Telefilm Canada as a forum between Canadian and UK documentary producers, the event has expanded into feature films and, in 2001, embraced Europe.

The European expansion, says Telefilm Canada director of international development and promotion Sheila de La Varende, "reflects the increased cooperation amongst independent European producers, not just in production, but development and distribution, and the necessity for any producer to bring more to the table than a strong bilateral coproduction partner."

Says La Varende, "It's a pivotal moment in the calendar for Telefilm and Canadian producers and to assess and gain better access to the European situation. It's removed from the hype and other distractions, wonderful as they are, of going to Cannes or Berlin. As well, it's been a good year for Canadian films, so we have a lot of visibility.

The 2003 program, featuring conferences, mini-markets and case studies, will be available in early November at www.telefilm.gc.ca, in the European Office section.

Immersion Europe: 2003 is produced by Telefilm Canada, the single largest financial contributor, and organized by Paris-based consultancy Vision-in-Motion, in partnership with ACE-Ateliers du Cinema Europeen, Centre du Cinema et de l'Audiovisuel-Communaute Francaise de Belgique, Centre National de la Cinematographie, CineMart-Rotterdam International Film Festival, Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen.

Sponsorship is provided by National Bank of Canada, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Grosvenor Park, Magelis, Manitoba Film and Sound, Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Radio-Canada and the National Film Board of Canada with the additional participation of Alberta Film, British Columbia Film, Ex-Centris and SaskFilm and Video Development Corporation.



Participants - Immersion Europe: 2003

CANADIAN PARTICIPANTS

Alberta
Burns Film Ltd-Shirley Vercruysse
DB Entertainment-Douglas Berquist
Voice Pictures Inc-Wendy Hill Tout

British Columbia
Brightlight Pictures-Andrew Boutilier
Insight Film & Video Production Ltd-Kirk Shaw
Perfect Circle-Dean English
Producers on Davie-Harry Sutherland
Screen Siren Pictures-Trish Dolman
The May Street Group Film, Video & Animation Ltd-Hilary Pryor
Trilogy Entertainment North Ltd-Pen Densham
True West Films Ltd-Elizabeth Yake

Newfoundland
Pope Productions Ltd-Paul Pope
Red Ochre Productions Ltd-Ken Pittman

Nova Scotia
Emotion Pictures-Bryan Hofbauer
Picture Plant Ltd-Terry Greenlaw
Straight Edge Films Inc-Jan Nathanson

Manitoba
Dragonfly Motion Pictures Inc.-Brendon Sawatzky

Quebec
Cirrus Productions Inc-Pierre Even
Coop Video de Montreal-Real Chabot
Galafilm Productions Inc.-Arnie Gelbart or Francine Allaire
Megafun Productions Inc -Paul Cadieux
micro_scope-Luc Dery
Productions La Fete-Rock Demers or Chantal Lafleur
Productions Thalie Inc.-Yves Fortin
Zuno Films-Samuel Gagnon

Ontario
Capri Films Inc.-Gabriella Martinelli
Igloolik Isuma Productions Inc.-Norman Cohn
Travesty Productions-S. Wyeth Clarkson
Sienna Films Inc.-Jennifer Kawaja or Julia Sereny
Shaftesbury Films Inc.-Scott Garvie
TL Boulton Productions Ltd-Tracey Boulton
Strada Films Inc.-Sandra Cunningham
Conquering Lion Pictures-Damon D'Oliveira
Carte Blanche Productions-Mehernaz Lentin or Andre Bennett
Triptych Media-Louise Garfield

Saskatchewan
Independent Moving Pictures-Gail Tilson


EUROPEAN PARTICIPANTS

Belgium
Banana Films-Jean-Luc van Damme
Entre chien et loup-Diana Elbaum
Need Productions-Denis Delcampe

Finland
Mandart Entertainment Inc.-Jan Wellmann

France
Aeternam Films-Francesca Feder
Agat Films & Cie-Dominique Barneaud
CDP-Catherine Dussart
Euro American Films SA-Pierre Assouline
Extravaganza-Joël Leyendecker
Gloria Films-Laurent Lavole or Isabelle Pragier
Les Films de la Croisade-Emmanuel Giraud or Catherine Hannoun
Les Films d'Ici-Serge Lalou
Les Petites Lumieres-Joel Farges or Natacha Devillers
MICA-Jean-Luc Ayach
Nord-Ouest Productions-Christophe Rossignon, Philip Boeffard or Marielle Duigou
Palm Productions-Yvan Gauthier
Pan-Europeenne Productions-Nathalie Gastaldo or Emilien Bignon
Sombrero Productions-Alain Benguigui

Germany
Cameo Film-Ole Landsjoaasen
Cine Plus Media Service GmbH & CoKG-Richard Lehunh
Dramaworks-Dr. Michael Esser
Egoli Tossell Film AG-Jens Meurer
K5 Film -Oliver Simon
MTM Medien & Television Munchen -Andreas Bareiss
Thoke Moebius Filmcompany-Christoph Thoke

Greece
Argonauts Productions S.A.-Athena Sakellariou

Italy
A.B. Film Distributors-Lydia Genchi

Sweden
G0taFilm AB-Christer Nilson

United Kingdom
Crowfoot Films Limited-Beth Sanders
Cyclops Vision-Stuart Urban
Definition Films-Marsha Nuriya Lee
Film and General Productions Ltd-Clive Parsons
Golconda Films Ltd-Gregory Mackenzie or Brett Walsh
Head Gear Hunt-Phil Hunt
Holy Cow Productions-Gavin Emerson
Sterling Pictures-Michael Riley
The Film Consortium-Neil Peplow
Zephyr Films-Chris Curling