Canada's big on talent: Telefilm Canada reveals its '10 Canadians to Watch at Cannes'

• Chloé Robichaud's Sarah préfère la course selected to the Un certain regard section of the official selection

• Jefferson Moneo's Going South one of 18 Cinéfondation films

MONTREAL, April 18, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - On the occasion of the upcoming 66^th Cannes Film Festival (May 15 to 26, 2013), Telefilm Canada announces its list of '10 Canadians to Watch at Cannes'. In no particular order, the diverse list is composed of talented Canadians who promise to make a splash at the Festival on the creative and business sides of filmmaking.

Sophie Desmarais, actor (Quebec)
Although in her twenties Sophie Desmarais has already built an enviable career with numerous roles in film (Funkytown, Curling), television and theatre. She took home Théâtre du Nouveau Monde's 2009 Olivier Reichenbach honour for emerging talent for her stage role in Beaucoup de bruit pour rien.

Cannes buzz: A rising star known in Quebec and set to make an impact on the international scene with the lead in Chloé Robichaud's Sarah préfère la course, which has been selected to the Un certain regard section of the official selection.

Martin Katz, producer, Prospero Pictures (Ontario)
Prospero Pictures Founder and President Martin Katz has produced or executive produced numerous award-winning feature film and television productions, notably the Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominee Hotel Rwanda and David Cronenberg's award-winning Spider, which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. Katz's long-term collaboration with Cronenberg continued with A Dangerous Method, starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender, and Cosmopolis, starring Robert Pattinson, Paul Giamatti and Juliette Binoche.

Cannes buzz: Katz will be announcing the start of production of his newest collaboration with renowned director David Cronenberg, Maps to the Stars, starring Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Sarah Gadon and Robert Pattinson. Filming commences this summer in Toronto and Los Angeles. The film is co-financed by Prospero Pictures and Entertainment One.

Kim McCraw and Luc Déry, producers, micro_scope (Quebec)
Kim McCraw and Luc Déry are the creative forces behind Montreal-based production company micro_scope. Their last project, director Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette's Inch'Allah, was presented in the Special Presentations programme at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and was featured in the Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama program in 2013. micro_scope's other productions include two Oscar nominees, Denis Villeneuve's Incendies and Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar.

Cannes buzz: McCraw and Déry will be in Cannes to promote Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais' Whitewash, starring Thomas Haden Church. The film is part of Telefilm's Perspective Canada market screenings.

Charlotte Mickie, sales executive, Entertainment One (Ontario)
Charlotte Mickie is the Executive Vice President of International Film Sales at Entertainment One, a multi-national, vertically integrated Canada-based media company. Mickie was previously the Managing Director of Maximum Film and earlier, of Paris-based Celluloid Dreams. Before that, Mickie had headed up Alliance Independent, the specialized international sales wing of Alliance Entertainment.

Cannes buzz: Internationally esteemed international sales agent with a reputation for recognizing talent, and a Cannes veteran of over 20 years, Charlotte Mickie, on behalf of Entertainment One, will notably be representing Chloé Robichaud's Sarah préfère la course as well as David Cronenberg's Maps To The Stars, Atom Egoyan's Queen of the Night, Michael Dowse's F Word and Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais' Whitewash.

Jefferson Moneo, director (Saskatchewan)
Jefferson Moneo is a filmmaker from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In 2004, Jefferson received the Drama Prize from the National Screen Institute of Canada. In 2010, Jeff received a Hollywood Foreign Press Award for his work as a first year student in the Columbia University Graduate Film Program.

Cannes buzz: Moneo's latest short Going South will be one of 18 Cinéfondation films. Cinéfondation was created to inspire and support the next generation of international filmmakers. Going South is also part of Telefilm's Not Short On Talent screenings at the Cannes Market and the Short Film Corner venue.

Stephane Rituit, producer (Quebec)
Stephane Rituit is a producer with Kunuk-Cohn Productions. Zacharius Kunuk and Norman Cohn were behind Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner), which in 2001 won the prestigious Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes buzz: Rituit is one of the producers of the feature Uvanga, co-directed by Marie-Hélène Cousineau (also a producer) and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu and shot entirely on location in Igloolik, Nunavut. Uvanga will have its world premiere during Telefilm's Perspective Canada market screenings.

Chloé Robichaud, director (Quebec)
Chloé Robichaud has directed several short films including Chef de meute (Herd Leader), which was part of the official selection at Cannes 2012. In 2013, she was named in the Toronto International Film Festival 12^th annual Canada's Top Ten list.

Cannes buzz: Sarah préfère la course is Robichaud's debut feature and is part of the Un certain regard section of the official selection. Sarah préfère la course is produced by Fanny-Laure Malo (La Boîte à Fanny) and distributed by Les Films Séville/Entertainment One.

Rob Stewart, director (Ontario)
Rob Stewart is an award-winning biologist, photographer, conservationist and filmmaker. His first feature doc, Sharkwater (2007), was hugely successful and went on to be the most honoured documentary of that year with 30 prizes. Sharkwater also made history with the largest opening weekend of any Canadian documentary and the third largest opening weekend of a documentary in Canadian history, second only to Fahrenheit 911 and Supersize Me.

Cannes buzz: Stewart's follow-up documentary, Revolution, recently launched in Canada and will be part of Telefilm's Perspective Canada screenings at the Cannes Market.

Kyle Thomas, director (Alberta)
Kyle Thomas' last short film, Not Far From The Abattoir (2011), was awarded top directing prizes at the Calgary and Edmonton International Film Festivals . NFFTA also reached international audiences through screenings at SXSW 2012. Thomas is a successful finalist in Telefilm's new Micro-Budget Production Program which is geared to emerging feature film talent leveraging digital technologies.

Cannes buzz: Thomas' newest short, The Post, is part of Telefilm's Not Short On Talent screenings at the Cannes Market and the Short Film Corner venue.

About Telefilm Canada
Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada's audiovisual industry. Through its various funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent here at home and around the world. Telefilm also administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TelefilmCanada.

SOURCE: TELEFILM CANADA

Douglas Chow, Manager, External Communications
Telefilm Canada
[phone] ext. 2225, or 1-800-567-0890
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