Producers Lab Toronto has selected 24 producers from Europe and Canada for the second edition of the lab (Sept 7-10).

The initiative is again being organised by Hamburg-based European Film Promotion (EFP) with the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to foster more co-productions between Europe and Canada.

The 2011 programme of Producers Lab Toronto – which is also supported by the European Union’s MEDIA Mundus programme - includes pitching sessions, case studies and roundtables as well as VIP networking events.

The European contingent includes Romania’s Daniel Mitulescu [pictured] whose production of Loverboy premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard this year; Switzerland’s Anne Walser of C-Films who is currently producing the German-Swiss co-production Klang der Stille by Friederike Jehn; and Belgium’s Mariano Vanhoof who recently served as the executive producer on the German remake of Studio 100’s House Of Anubis for MTV/Nickelodeon.

Meanwhile, Canada will be represented by such producers as Quiet Revolution Pictures’ Michael A. Dobbin who produced Boris Rodriguez’s dark comedy Eddie and Nicolas Comeau of Quebec-based 1976 Productions, the producer of Francois Rotger’s Locarno Competition title Story Of Jen.

The European participants were selected by EFP member organizations from past participants of the Cannes-based Producers on the Move initiative, while the Canadian producers were named by OMDC and TIFF following an open call for submissions.

The complete lineup of the European producers:
Álvaro Alonso, Jaleo Films (Spain)
Gregory Athanasiou, Minus Pictures (Greece)
Mario Gianani, Wildside (Italy)
Tristan Orpen Lynch, Subotica (Ireland)
Daniel Mitulescu, Strada Film (Romania)
Ieva Norviliené, Tremora (Lithuania)
Stella Nwimo, Northpoint Pictures (UK)
Viktória Petrányi, Proton Cinema (Hungary)
Riina Sildos, Amrion Production (Estonia)
Karla Stojáková, Axman Production
(Czech Republic)
Mariano Vanhoof, Fobic Films (Belgium)
Anne Walser, C-Films (Switzerland)

The lineup of Canadian participants for 2011:
Muniré Armstrong, YN Films
Joseph Berger, Pitchstream Media Inc
Sean Buckley, Buck Productions
Nicolas Comeau, 1976 Productions Inc.
Michael A. Dobbin, Quiet Revolution Pictures
Jean du Toit, Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc
Félize Frappier, Max Films
Cher Hawrysh, Phenomenal Films
Leah Jaunzems, Darius Films Inc.
Chantal Lafleur, Productions La Fête
Byron A. Martin, Byron A. Martin Productions
Alison Reid, Free Spirit Films

Apart from having a track record in successful project development and production, the selected participants have also been involved in international co-production and will have concrete projects that could benefit both financially and creatively from partners from Europe or Canada.

OMDC already has experience of bringing its domestic Canadian producers together with potential international partners since it had been staging the International Financing Forum during TIFF since 2006. That event had been aimed at selected Canadian and international producers developing English-language projects.

EFP’s managing director Renate Rose reported that as a result of last year’s first edition of Producers Lab Toronto, one co-production contract had been signed and agreements are near on „many very concrete projects“.

(ends)

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