Ontario Creates’ International Financing Forum (IFF) will feature 40 projects from Canadian and international teams bringing new work from Malcolm McDowell, Clement Virgo, and Rafael Kapelinski, director of 2017 Berlin Crystal Bear winner Butterfly Kisses.
The forum, now in its 19th year, runs September 8-9 in Toronto in association with Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It brings together jury-selected producers looking to find co-producers and secure financing for upcoming projects.
Canadian projects include The Benefactor starring McDowell from A Clockwork Orange and Mozart In The Jungle in the story of a widower who believes his house is haunted.
Ontario’s Byron A. Martin (The Chronicles Of Riddick, Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D) of Byron A. Martin Productions is producing, and the UK’s David Parfitt (The Father, Shakespeare In Love) is co-producing.
Virgo, the director behind films like Brother and Poor Boy’s Game, will direct Half-Blood Blues. Virgo’s partner at Ontario-based Conquering Lion Pictures, Damon D’Oliveira, is producing with Caitlin Grabham.
Based on Esi Edugyan’s Man Booker finalist, Half-Blood Blues follows the plight of Black jazz musicians in Nazi Germany who attempt to flee the country.
The roster of Canadian projects includes Swiss-Canadian co-production Taking The Waters about a wellness centre in the Alps. British Columbia producers Sara Blake of Ceroma Films and Magali Gillon-Krizaj of Reign Films, and Swiss producer Michela Pini of Cinédokké (La Chimera) all reunite with Swiss-Canadian director-writer Sophie Jarvis after 2022 TIFF and Tallinn selection Until Branches Bend.
Ontario producers Jason Aita and Emily Harris of OPC Films, Rosalie Chichoine Perreault and Sylvain Corbeil of Quebec’s Metafilms (Mommy, Universal Language) are teaming up with Serbian producer Milan Stojanovič of Sense Productions (Barbarians), and Jean-Christophe Reymond of France’s Kazak Productions (Titane) on Import, a psychological sports drama about an American basketball player in Serbia, to be directed by Paul Shkordoff (Benjamin, Benny, Ben).
The international projects include Kapelinski directing The Distant Near, a sports drama about the greatest German runner of his generation and a former Nazi, from Indian producer Arfi Laamba and German producer Katharina Suckale of Bombay Berlin Film Productions (Loev, The Road To Mandalay). August Diehl from Salt and Inglourious Basterds will star.
Bulgarian producer Kamen Velkovsky and Serbo-Hungarian producer Sofija Sztepanov of Alaz Film are preparing sci-fi comedy drama Foreigners’ Club, about a woman who escapes her miserable life to join a group of misfits. Kim Bodnia from Killing Eve will star alongside Cristo Fernandez from Ted Lasso, and Moon Lee from Terrorizers. Sofija Sztepanov (Antifeminist) will direct.
Danish Producer Lene Borglum (God Only Forgives, The Neon Demon) of Space Rocket will be discussing psychological thriller Sigalert, a revenge story about PTSD and a childhood kidnapping. Danish filmmaker Vibeke Muasya directs.
Since 2006, close to 150 projects launched at IFF have been successfully financed. Among the prior participants are 40 Acres, Measures For A Funeral, Sharp Corner, Maudie, and Night Raiders.
The Forum agenda includes one-on-one producer and executive meetings, an exclusive industry panel discussion with top financiers discussing new models, and networking opportunities.
New companies represented this year include Amazon Studios, Canoe Film, The Exchange, Hanway Films, LevelFilm, Searchlight Pictures, and Umbrella Entertainment. Returning are Bankside Films, Beta Cinema, Film Constellation, Mister Smith, mk2 International, Radiant Films International, Visit Films, and XYZ Films.
Ontario Creates’ founding partners are Telefilm Canada and UK’s Department for Business and Trade. The returning sponsor is Canadian Media Producers Association, and provincial support comes from Creative BC, SODEC, and Manitoba Film & Music.
Click here to see all the participating projects.
No comments yet