Telefilm Canada and UniFrance films announce new distribution and promotion partnership

Telefilm Canada

First venture between two organizations to target U.S. market

TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Telefilm Canada and UniFrance films marked the 40^th anniversary of the Canadian and French presence at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) by announcing, yesterday evening, that they would launch a partnership focused on the distribution and promotion of independent films from their respective countries. Film crews from Canada and France attended the event, as did representatives of the media and the international community attending TIFF.

The public agencies stated that their first venture will target the U.S. market and will involve two existing programs: one French movie will be included in Telefilm's recently announced Canada Cool annual film tour, and one Canadian French-language movie will take part in the Young French Cinema tour, a program organized by UniFrance films and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States. The goal of these initiatives is to grow audiences for independent films and to showcase French and Canadian talent through a wide variety of venues across the United States. The selected films do not yet have U.S. distribution or have not yet been launched in the U.S.

"We decided to join forces and launch this partnership at TIFF because the Festival is an outstanding catalyst of talent and success for the industry in North America and elsewhere," said Carolle Brabant, Telefilm's Executive Director. "We want to enhance the visibility of our respective film industries by seeking out new, non-traditional distribution venues, including repertory and art house cinemas, in order to attract audiences interested in discovering new films and artists—a very vibrant segment of the U.S. movie-going public. Ultimately, we expect that several of the movies will make their way onto other viewing platforms."

"I'm delighted with this new partnership, which will make it possible to better showcase our creative film talent," said Isabelle Giordano, Executive Director of UniFrance films. "This initiative also provides a wonderful opportunity to spotlight the diversity of imaginative worlds and sources of inspiration that move our filmmakers—which is essential, I believe, in the context of filmmaking around the world today."

Canada Cool
Canada Cool, an annual tour of Canadian films in the United States, launches this fall. The selected movies—12 critically acclaimed and award-winning comedies—are being offered to the U.S. art-house circuit on a pick-and-choose model, with marketing support provided by Telefilm. According to Laurence Kardish, who is curating the series, Canada Cool highlights clever, lively and mischievous filmmakers, and the films all share an ambitious originality.

Young French Cinema
Young French Cinema, a program organized by UniFrance films and the Cultural Services of the Embassy of France in the United States, targets art-house cinemas, film societies, the Alliance Française network and American universities. It offers American audiences a selection of films by young French filmmakers, a generation with a global vision and an amazing capacity to combine cultural influences.

About Telefilm Canada—Inspired by talent. Viewed everywhere.
Created in 1967, 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 makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund and the Talent Fund, a private donation initiative. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

About UniFrance films
UniFrance films is the organisation in charge of promoting French cinema throughout the world. Created in 1949, in the form of an association under the law of 1901, UniFrance films is administered by French state authorities, in particular the CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée). The association has nearly 1000 members: producers of feature films and shorts, exporters, sales agents, directors, actors, authors (screenwriters) and talent agents.

SOURCE Telefilm Canada

Image with caption: "(L-R) Jean-Paul Salomé (President, UniFrance films); Sheila de La Varende (Director, International Promotion, Telefilm Canada); Atom Egoyan (director); Isabelle Giordano (Executive Director, UniFrance films); Carolle Brabant (Executive Director, Telefilm Canada) (CNW Group/Telefilm Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150915_C5701_PHOTO_EN_497374.jpg

Douglas Chow, Head, Public Relations, Telefilm Canada, [phone] ext. 2548 or 1-800-463-4607, [e-mail]; Sébastien Cauchon, Communications Director, UniFrance films, + 33 1 47 53 27 26 / + 33 6 20 75 13 77, [e-mail]