OMDC unveils 43 projects in International Financing Forum

The fourth annual International Financing Forum (IFF) has announced the 43 projects which have been selected for its annual co-financing event which takes place on Sept 13 and 14 during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

An initiative of the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the event brings together selected international and Canadian producers developing English language projects with high level industry sales agents, financiers, distributors, agents and executive producers.

The Forum includes one-on-one producer meetings, a topical “”In Conversation” discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon and an opening night reception.

Of the 43 producers selected, 22 are Canadian and 21 international from countries such as Australia, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Wales and the US.

Among the more high profile Canadian films are Deepa Mehta’s eagerly awaited film version of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children which is being produced by David Hamilton; Lovecraft, the feature debut of 2005 Oscar winner Chris Landreth (Ryan) being produced by Steve Hoban; dark comedy Longfellow which is the directorial debut of actor Martin Donovan and is being produced by Luca Matrundola and the latest Thom Fitzgerald movie The Thousand Deaths Of Anna May Wong which has Lucy Liu attached to star; Doug Pettigrew is producing that last project.

Among the international projects are directorial projects by Hany Abu-Assad (Arafat), Ralph Fiennes (Corialanus), Terence Davies (Lady Into Ice), Neil Labute (Autobahn), Tony Grisoni (Kingsland) and Kevin Macdonald (Justified Sinner).

A full list of the projects is featured below.

Among the companies represented by executives at IFF are Film4, Entertainment One, Fortissimo Films, Aramid Capital, Backup Films, Quickfire Films, BBC, Overture Films, Filmax, Cinetic Media, IFC Films, Kinowelt, Festival Darlings, Memento, Echo Lake Productions, Pathe Entertainment, Participant Films, Magnolia Films, Apparition Films, ICM, UTA, K5 International, EuropaCorp, Voltage Pictures, William Morris/Endeavor, among others.

An “In Conversation With…” discussion: “Forget Everything You Learned… It’s a New World,” will feature what promises to be a lively conversation between Thomas Mai, the former head of New Business at Trust Nordisk in Denmark and now CEO of new digital distribution company, Festival Darlings, and veteran independent producer, Ted Hope (The Ice Storm, In The Bedroom, 21 Grams, Friends With Money) from award-winning New York production company, This is that. The conversation will be moderated by Screen’s Mike Goodridge.

Funding for IFF 2009 is supported by the following returning partners: Telefilm Canada, Heritage Canada, UK Trade and Investment and new sponsor, Pinewood Toronto Studios.

FULL LIST OF PROJECTS IN IIF 2009

ArafatProducer: Roman Paul, Writer/Director: Hany Abu-Assad (Germany)

AutobahnProducer: Krysanne Katsoolis, Writer/Director: Neil LaBute (USA)

Blood Makes Noise Producer: Arabella Page Croft, Writer/Director: Steve Barker (UK)

BoneProducer: Paul Stevens, Writer/Director: Ryan Redford (Canada)

Breaking into Houses and Stealing Things Producer: Marc Boothe, Writer/Director: Ursula Rani Sarma (UK)

Buddha’s Little Finger Producer: Karsten Stöter, Writer/Director: Tony Pemberton (Germany)

The CircusProducer:  Leah Churchill-Brown; Writer/Director: Emma Freeman (Australia)

CoriolanusProducer: Julia Taylor-Stanley, Director: Ralph Fiennes (UK)

The Darkest Hour Producer: Angus Lamont, Writer: David Greig (UK)

Dying Inside Producer: Cyriac Auriol, Writer/Director: Bruno Merle (France)

Echo Producer: Paula Devonshire, Brian Mosoff & Ari Lantos, Director: Michael DeCarlo (Canada)

Enter The Cipher Producer: Damon D’Oliviera, Director: Clement Virgo   (Canada)

FanfareProducer: Jodi Matterson; Director: Darren Ashton (Australia)

Justified Sinner Producer: Peter Broughan, Director: Kevin Macdonald (UK)

A Killing in the Woods Producer: Al Clarke, Writer: Marcus Shephard (UK)

KingslandProducer:  Kate Ogborn, Writer/Director: Tony Grisoni (UK)

Koofi In Wonderland Producer: Mark Johnston, Writer/Director:  Mazdak Taebi (Canada)

Kush Kush In the Bush Producer: Liz Jarvis, Writer: Reecca Sernasie (Canada)

Lady Into Ice Producer: David Collins, Writer/Director: Terrence Davies (Ireland)

The Lizard Cage Producer: Jennifer Kawaja, Writer: David Vainola (Canada)

LongfellowProducer: Luca Matrundola, Writer/Director: Martin Donovan (Canada)

LovecraftProducer: Steve Hoban, Writer/Director: Chris Landreth (Canada)

Mad Dog and the Weasel Producer: Pierre Sarrazin, Director: Jerry Ciccoritti (Canada)

Malabar Court Producer: Paul Scherzer, Writer/Director: Niara Modi (Canada)

Midnight’s Children Producer: David Hamilton, Director: Deepa Mehta, co-writer with Salman Rushdie (Canada)

The OddsProducer: Michael Dobbin, Director: Matt West (Canada)

OmaProducer: Julia Rosenberg, Director: Erik Canuel (Canada)

The Retreat Producer: Sean Cisterna, Director: Sean Cisterna (Canada)

The Return of the Fabulous 7 Producer:  Judy Holm, Writer: Brian Drader (Canada)

A Scientific Romance Producer: Anna Stratton; Writer: Ryan Knighton (Canada)

Small Town Murder Scenes Producer:  Lee Kim, Writer/Director: Ed Gass-Donnelly (Canada)

Somebody Else Producer: Andrew Boutilier, Writer/Director: Erik Finkel (Canada)

Sugar BabyProducer: Leonardo Monteiro de Barros, Writer/Director: Bruno Murtinho (Brazil)

Ten Thunders Producer:  Sarah Timmons; Director: Craig David Wallace (Canada)

Terminal Care Producer:  Martin Paul-Hus; Writer/Director: Karim Hussain (Canada)

The Thousand Deaths of Anna Mae Wong Producer: Doug Pettigrew, Writer/Director: Thom Fitzgerald (Canada)

The Time of Their Lives Producer:  Sarah Sulick, Writer/Director: Roger Goldby (UK)

Tidy DartsProducer:  Mark John, Writer/Producer: Phillip John (UK)

Twenty Summers Producer: Don Linke, Writer/Director: Jeremy Stanford (Australia)

Untitled Producer: Jamie Hilton; Writer/Director: Michael Petroni (Australia)

The Whistler Producer: Cathy Overett, Writer/Director: Greg Woodland (Australia)

Woman In A Bar Producer: Ignacio Salazar-Simpson, Writer/Director: Rafa Russo (Spain)

The Year Dolly Parton Was My MomProducer: Barbara Shrier, Writer/Director: Tara Johns (Canada)