Greenberg Fund backs new projects including Sarah Polley's Alias Grace

They include Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s award-winning Alias Grace, about a 19th century Canadian murder; Paul Haggis’ political drama Paris written by Dawn Kuisma; and Vicenzo Natali’s Nobody, a high-concept thriller adapted from Shundo Ohkawa’s Japanese film of the same name.

Edwin Boyd filmmakers Nathan Morlando and Allison Black received backing for their new film The Lion’s Share, about two men fighting for their families in the wake of economic disaster. The Trailer Park Boys will play themselves in racing mockumentary Race Dicks, to be filmed at the Newfoundland Targa.

The 29 projects were chosen from 133 applications.

“This was a very competitive round of development, with a number of exceptional projects from some of the greatest filmmakers in Canada,” said John Galway, President of Astral’s Harold Greenberg Fund’s English-Language Program. “Despite that, we were able to support a wide range of projects that accurately represents the diversified portfolio we pride ourselves on.”

Projects approved this quarter for the Script Development Program are:

Story Optioning

Alias Grace
Tangled Inc.
Sarah Polley

The Cellist of Sarajevo
Strident Films Inc.
TBD

Far to Go
House of Films Inc.
Hannah Moscovitz & Rosa Laborde

Ty Conn
Four Seasons Productions Inc.
Marcus Robinson

Treatment to First Draft

Heartbeat
Bad Astronaut Inc.
Andrea Dorfman

Mulan
Gen One Films Inc.
Deborah Chow

Red
Mamaoo Pictures Ltd.
Joseph Boyden

Race Dicks
The Pits Inc.
Robb Wells, Mike Smith & J.P. Tremblay

Southpaw
Mutual Street Productions
Jesse Moss & John Reardon

First to Second Draft

All That Matters
Triptych Media Inc.
Paulo Barzman

Bottle Rocket Hearts
Me Three Productions Inc.
Zoe Whittall & Linsey Stewart

A Death in the Bullfighting Hills
New Real Films Inc.
Martyn Burke

Flop House
John Hazlett & Darren Curtis
Darren Curtis & John Hazlett

The Harder They Come
Conquering Lion Pictures Inc.
Clement Virgo & Douglas Century

Idiot Wind
Corey Marr Productions Inc.
Joseph Kay

Nobody
Copperheart Entertainment
Vincenzo Natali

Sitting on the Edge of Marlene
Rodeo Queen Pictures Inc.
Ana Valine

Torchbearer
Circle Blue Films
David Bradley Halls

What You Need
Picture Plant Ltd.
Sherry White

Second to Final Draft

Beneath Planet Cronenberg
Viddywell Films Inc.
Chris Trebilcock

Don’t Talk to Irene
Alyson Richards Productions Inc.
Pat Mills

Empire of Dirt
Red Cloud Studios
Shannon Masters

Esc
Suki Films Inc.
Robert Higden

The Fifty
Raven West Films
Jim Kouf

Glitch
Karma Film Inc. & Divani Films
Srinivas Krishna & Peter Lauterman

The Outlander
Strada Films Inc. & Triptych Media Inc.
Esta Spalding

Paris
Diamonds to Bullets Entertainment
Dawn Kuisma

Sailor Girl
Markham Street Films Inc.
Johanna Schneller

Polish & Packaging

The Lion’s Share
Euclid 431 Pictures Inc.
Nathan Morlando & Allison Black