Toronto's IFF selects 41 features including Terence Davies' Dickinson biopic

The Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) has selected 20 Canadian producers and 21 international producers to attend its seventh International Financing Forum (IFF), which runs Sept 9-10 in Toronto.

The two-day event has selected 41 feature projects this year, of which 15 are Ontario co-productions.

The international projects (full list below) include Terence Davies’ biopic of Emily Dickinson, A Quiet Passion; Uli Edel (The Baader Meinhof Complex) directing Gemma Arterton in suspense thriller Baptism (from The Infidel producer Uzma Hasan; Iron Sky producer Tero Kaukomaa’s thriller Human to be directed by AJ Annila; Eyes Wide Shut DoP Larry Smith directing Danish producer Lene Borglum’s Trafficker; the Avalon team returning with Under The Pyramid; the Julian Assange dating comedy Leaks; and Kiwi actor Cliff Curtis’ directorial debut Always The Sun.

Canadian projects (full list below) include Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder starring in Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede from producers David Cormican and Kevin De Walt; Maude Lewis biopic Maudie to be directed by Jean-Francois Pouliot and to star Rachel McAdams; producer Cher Hawrysh’s dark comedy Be a Man with Bruce McDonald directing and Sarah Gadon starring; and Simon Pegg-starring Hector and the Search for Happiness.

Dozens of industry executives also attend. IFF includes one-on-one producer meetings, a panel discussion, roundtable meetings, and networking opportunities.

“OMDC is proud to produce IFF during TIFF  to encourage co-production partnerships and possibilities for our producers to connect with international partners. Now in its seventh year, IFF has proven to be an invaluable B2B event for producers looking to finance their films. We are proud that two films supported by OMDC and past IFF projects, will be screening at TIFF  this year: Home Again and Midnight’s Children. We look forward to creating new connections that will bring more of our stories to a global audience at TIFF in years to come,” said Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO, Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Projects to have come through the IFF in recent years include David Michod’s Animal Kingdom, Ralph Fiennes’ Coriolanus, Denis Velleneuve’s Incendies, and Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children, having its gala premiere at TIFF this year, which was launched by producer David Hamilton at IFF two years ago.

IFF’s partners also include Telefilm Canada, UK Trade and Investment, The Toronto Film and Television Office, the Department of Foreign Affairs, International Trade Canada and Canada Film Capital.

IFF 2012 selected International projects

• A Quiet Passion, wr/dir Terence Davies, prod Sol Papadopoulos, biopic (UK)
• Adverse Reaction, wr/dir Dean Alioto, prod Diana Williams, found footage thriller (US)     
• Always the Sun, dir Cliff Curtis, wr Neil Cross, prod Richard Fletcher, psychological thriller (New Zealand)     
• Baptism, dir Uli Edel, wr Clive Bradley, prod Uzma Hasan, thriller (UK)         
• Coldsleep Lullaby, wr/dir Jonathan Wacks, prod Brigid Olen crime thriller (South Africa)   
• Human, dir AJ Annila, wr Doug Taylor, prod Tero Kaukomaa, thriller (Finland)
• Immortal, wr Steve Hudson, prods Martina Niland and David Collins, horror thriller (Ireland)       
• Leaks, dir Cyril Tuschi, wr Michael Gaster, prod Jan Krüger (Germany)       
• Tell Me The Truth About Love, dir Margaret Williams, wr Neil Bartlett, prod Anne Beresford, drama (UK)  
• The Boda Boda Thieves, dir Donald Mugisha, wr James Tayler, prod James Tayler, drama (South Africa)        
• The Ghosts of Père Lachaise, dirs  Antoine Colomb and Guillaume Rio, prods Carole Lambert & Carine Ruszniewski, 3D animation (France) 
• The Scratchroom, wr/dir David Howard, prod Rik Hall, horror (UK)      
• Trafficker, dir Larry Smith, wr Glen Goei, prod Lene Borglum, action/drama (Denmark)    
• Under the Pyramid, wr/dir Axel Petersen, prod Erika Wasserman, thriller (Sweden)
• Water the Bush dir/prod Ash Baron-Cohen, wr Deepti Datt, comedy drama (India)
• Wounded, wr Bradford Haami, prod Trevor Haysom, drama (New Zealand)

IFF 2012 selected Canadian projects

• Afterlands, wr/dir Páll Grimsson, prod Paul Barkin, psychological thriller        (Ontario)
• The Blow Up Dolls , wr/dir Jonathan Sobol, prod Lee Kim, comedy (Ontario)
• Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede. Dir Robert Rugan, wrs Robert Rugan & Steve Tomlin, prods David Cormican and Kevin De Walt, comedy/sci-fi/fantasy (Saskatchewan)
• Dowry Kings dir James Dunnison, wr Belle Mott, prod Andrew Boutilier Comedy (British Columbia)
• Hector and the Search for Happiness, dir Peter Chelsom, wr Maria von Heland, prod Trish Dolman, comedy/drama/romance (British Columbia)
• In Between, wr/dir: Steven Hoban, prod Mark Smith, psychological thriller (Ontario)
• The King of Thieves, wr Ryan Redrod, prods Eric Jordan and Paul Stephens action/thriller (Ontario)         
• A Man Of No Consequence, wr Will Ingli, prod Michael Dobbin, political drama (Ontario)
• Maudie, wr Shery White, dir Jean-Francois Pouliot, prod Mary Young, biopic (Ontario)
• Night Has Fallen dir Akin Omotoso, wrs Mark Johnston & Akin Omotoso, prod Anna Stratton, political drama (Ontario) 
• The Return of the Fabulous 7, dir Michael McNamara, wr/prod July Holm, romantic comedy (Ontario)     
• A Royal Day, dir Clement Virgo, wr Gerald Wexler, prod   Damon D’Oliveira, drama thriller (Ontario)         
• Time Bender, dir Patrice Sauve, wr Kim Nguyen, prod Chantal Lafleur, sci-fi (Quebec)      
• Tupelo 77, dir Julie Dash, wr Rich Mancuso, prod Bob Crowe, drama (Saskatchewan)