Corner Gas: The Movie Kickstarter Campaign Reaches its Initial Goal After One Day as Nearly 1,000 Fans Sign Up to be Part of History

- Campaign continues to welcome new backers over next 29 days -

- On Day One of the campaign, Corner Gas: The Movie was the most popular Kickstarter project in Canada and second most popular film project in the world -

- Contributing fans can become members of the Corner Gas Backers' Club, an exclusive, online, all-access backstage pass to the making and release of the movie -

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/cgkickstarterupdate

TORONTO, May 21, 2014 /CNW/ - The Corner Gas: The Movie Kickstarter campaign has reached 100% of its initial goal in just one day, Prairie Pants Distribution has confirmed. Launched yesterday, the 30-day campaign to promote fan engagement and raise funds for once-in-a-lifetime fan rewards and experiences surpassed its initial goal at 9:26 a.m. ET with 723 fans world-wide pledging $100,000 to be part of movie-making history.

**Media Note**
Download artwork for Corner Gas: The Movie at BellMediaPR.ca.
Click on the link for Brent Butt's Milestone Video.

Support came from around the world - dozens of countries in all, including Canada, the US, UK, Europe, Australia and as far afield as Oman, India, China, and Kyrgyzstan.

"The way people have responded to this show has been blowing me away since that first episode. I thought nothing the fans could do would surprise me anymore. But to reach a month long target in one day is beyond incredible. CORNER GAS fans blow my mind yet again," said Creator/Star/Writer and Executive Producer Brent Butt.

"This campaign has put us directly in touch with fans across Canada and around the world. We are so thankful for their support and are looking forward to engaging with them during production and all the way to the release of the movie coming to theatres, then TV, then DVD this holiday season," said Virginia Thompson, Executive Producer.

At 4 pm ET, the time this release was distributed, the campaign has reached 842 backers and is 125% over its initial goal. The first backer was a Canadian - Maaike de Lint from Toronto. Jack Wheat from Kentucky provided the lucky pledge that pushed the campaign past $100,000. To date, backers have pledged up to $6000. Some of the rewards purchased include:

• For $6000, one backer purchased a brief speaking role in the movie
• For $2500, 10 backers purchased the opportunity to play a background role in the movie
• For $1500, six backers purchased a VIP set visit and opportunity to meet the cast
• For $750, three backers purchased the opportunity to provide the first and last name of a character in the movie
• For $750, one backer purchased a personalized voice message from Brent Butt
• The rewards packages listed above included a host of additional items including exclusive 'backers-only' t-shirts, hats, DVDs, movie tickets, membership to the Corner Gas Backers' Club and much more

Continuing through to June 18, the campaign's next goal is to raise additional funds to enhance special and visual effects in the production, fly the cast to Cineplex premieres across Canada, create a behind-the-scenes documentary for the DVD, and maintain the CORNER GAS set in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, as a tourist destination for one year. Fans can access the campaign at cornergasthemovie.com.

Kickstarter pledges to Corner Gas: The Movie range from $5 to $300 for collectable, 'backers-only' items, and from $500 to $8,000 for limited, personalized one-of-a kind experiences. Contributions may be made securely by credit card through Kickstarter via cornergasthemovie.com.

Rewards include a chance for backers to get their name in the movie credits, exclusive 'backers-only' t-shirts, ball caps, posters and DVDs, autographed scripts, rare collectables from the set, and VIP tickets to red carpet screenings. There are also opportunities to spend a day on set and meet the cast, name a character in the movie, appear in the movie - or, the ultimate experience - host the private, world-debut screening of the movie with Brent Butt at the backer's local theatre.

Backers can obtain entry to the Corner Gas Backers' Club, an exclusive, online, all-access backstage pass where they will receive video messages from the cast and crew, interviews with fans that visit the set, the latest behind-the-scenes updates, photos, and footage - from the cast reunion, to the making-of process, to red carpet premieres.

Corner Gas: The Movie begins production in Saskatchewan on June 23, 2014. The 90-minute feature film will be delivered to Canadians as a national event on multiple screens. The first-ever release strategy of its kind, the film will open with a Cineplex exclusive theatrical debut followed by premieres on The Movie Network, CTV, and The Comedy Network, complemented by a special collector's edition DVD available for purchase before the holidays.

Corner Gas: The Movie is an inter-provincial co-production produced by Corner Gas The Movie (ON) Inc. and Corner Gas The Movie (SK) Inc. in association with CTV, Telefilm Canada, Cineplex Inc., Tourism Saskatchewan, Creative Saskatchewan, the Canada Media Fund and Prairie Pants Distribution Inc. CORNER GAS is distributed world-wide by Prairie Pants Distribution Inc.

WEBSITE:

cornergasthemovie.com

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:
@CornerGas
#CornerGasMovie
@VirginiaTV - Virginia Thompson
@BrentButt - Brent Butt
@MillerGabrielle - Gabrielle Miller
@FredEwanuick - Fred Ewanuick
@janetwstorm - Janet Wright
@LorneCardinal - Lorne Cardinal
@TSpencerNairn - Tara Spencer Nairn

Facebook:
Facebook.com/cornergasthemovie

Instagram:
Brent Butt

About Prairie Pants Distribution
Prairie Pants Distribution Inc. is the world-wide distributor of CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE. Owned by Corner Gas Executive Producers Brent Butt (Sparrow Media), David Storey (Aslan Entertainment) and Virginia Thompson (Vérité Films), Prairie Pants Distribution is responsible for creating, managing and fulfilling the CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE Kickstarter Campaign.

About Vérité Films
Vérité Films Inc. is a boutique production company committed to incubating great ideas and championing creative talent. Founded in 1994 by Producer/Series Creator Virginia Thompson and Writer/Director/Series creator Robert de Lint, the company has established a reputation for producing quality prime-time dramas and comedies, as well as children's, youth and family programming — with smash hit successes including: CORNER GAS, INSECURITY, RENEGADEPRESS.COM and INCREDIBLE STORY STUDIO. Vérité has created and produced over 250 episodes of critically acclaimed television that has sold worldwide. The company has won or been nominated for 114 national and international awards including an International Emmy, several Gemini Awards and The Prix Jeunesse. Vérité is developing a dynamic slate of hour-long drama series, half-hour comedies and features for Canadian and world markets. For more information, please visit www.veritefilms.ca.

About Sparrow Media
Sparrow Media Co. is comprised of hard-working, no-nonsense, rough-and-tumble go-getters with a knack for hyphenated phrasing. Brent Butt, the creator, head writer, showrunner, executive producer, and sometime director of the top-rated sitcom in Canadian television history, CORNER GAS, is President and Executive Producer of Sparrow Media. Laura Lightbrown of DA VINCI'S INQUEST and INTELLIGENCE is VP, Business Affairs and Executive Producer. Together they co-executive produced with David Storey, the television comedy series HICCUPS; Butt was also creator, writer, and show runner for the series. They recently co-executive produced the feature film NO CLUE, a comedy noir detective tale written by and starring Brent Butt. Carl Bessai was recently awarded Best Director for NO CLUE at the LAComedyFest. More information is available at sparrowmedia.com.

About Aslan Entertainment
David Storey, an award-winning executive producer, director and show developer, is President of Aslan Entertainment Inc., an independent production company creating quality digital, television and feature entertainment. Best known for co-executive producing and directing the runaway hit television series CORNER GAS, he also co-executive produced and directed Brent Butt's follow-up series HICCUPS. With Pier 21 he co-executive produced the two-part mini-series KEEP YOUR HEAD UP KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY and co-created and directed the Ron James' series BLACKFLY. He also directed THE SEÁN CULLEN SHOW and the standup comedy series COMICS where he worked with some of Canada's best and brightest funny men, including Brent Butt, Ron James and Mark Farrell. Storey is the recipient of six Leos, three Geminis, two Canadian Comedy and two Director's Guild Awards. He is currently in development as Executive Producer on two features, one is a co-production with Vérité Films. More information is available at aslanentertainment.ca.

Image with caption: "Corner Gas: The Movie (CNW Group/Executive Producers, Corner Gas: The Movie)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140521_C9354_PHOTO_EN_40603.jpg

SOURCE: Executive Producers, Corner Gas: The Movie

For further information:

Margaret Sirotich, Unit Publicity, 647.466.1746 or [email protected]