OMDC Presents 7th ANNUAL CO-FINANCING MARKET DURING TIFF®

15 Ontario Co-Production Projects Selected for International Film Financing Forum

TORONTO, Aug. 28, 2012 /CNW/ -

NEWS

Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) is proud to present the seventh annual International Financing Forum (IFF), a two-day event held in association with the Toronto International Film Festival(TIFF)® from September 9 -10. IFF brings together selected international and Canadian producers to network with high-level film industry executives including international sales agents, financiers, distributors, agents, and executive producers.

IFF 2012's competitive program includes forty-one feature film producers and projects of which 15 are Ontario co-production projects. Twenty Canadian producers and 21 international producers represent countries such as: Denmark, Germany, India, Finland, France, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Canadian producers/projects include:

• 2012 Academy Award® nominated producers, Eric Jordan and Paul Stephens with the action-thriller, The King of Car Thieves
• A comedy/sci-fi/fantasy project, Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede, from producers David Cormican and Kevin De Walt, starring Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite)
• Producer Mary Young Leckie with Maudie, based on the true story of Canadian artist, Maude Lewis, to be directed by Jean-François Pouliot (Seducing Dr. Lewis) and set to star Rachel McAdams (Midnight in Paris, Sherlock Holmes)
• Producer Trish Dolman with comedy/romance, Hector and the Search for Happiness, based on the best-selling book series of the same name, with Simon Pegg (Paul, Hot Fuzz) to star in the leading role and Peter Chelsom (Shall We Dance) on board to direct

International projects include:

• U.K. producer Sol Papadopoulos with A Quiet Passion, a bio-pic on the life of American poet, Emily Dickinson, written and directed by Cannes Film Festival FIPRESCI award winner, Terence Davies (The Deep Blue Sea, The House of Mirth)
• Suspense thriller, Baptism, from Uzma Hasan, producer of the comedy The Infidel, to be directed by 2009 Academy Award® nominated director, Uli Edel (The Baader Meinhof Complex) starring Gemma Arterton (Tamara Drewe, Clash of the Titans)
• Producer Erika Wasserman with Under The Pyramid, by writer/director, Axel Petersén, the producing/directing team of Avalon, winner of the TIFF® 2011 FIPRESCI award for best first feature

QUOTES

"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."

• Karen Thorne-Stone, President & Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Media Development Corporation.

"OMDC's IFF has been extremely useful in keeping me current with contacts in the international marketplace.  We launched Midnight's Children at OMDC's IFF two years ago and we are thrilled that it is having its gala premiere at TIFF® 2012.  We all know it's a relationship business and there is little question that the connections we have made were instrumental in the success we have had to date."

• David Hamilton, President Hamilton-Mehta Productions Inc. / Producer of Midnight's Children

QUICK FACTS

• The International Financing Forum (IFF) will take place September 9^th and 10^th during the 37^th Toronto International Film Festival®. IFF includes one-on-one producer to producer meetings, a state-of-the-industry panel discussion, roundtable meetings, and networking luncheon.
• Up to 700 meetings are in the midst of being scheduled for IFF 2012:  270 producer-to-producer meetings; 420 executive-to-producer meetings; 135 executive-to-producer roundtable meetings.
• 20 Canadian feature film projects have been selected for IFF 2012 including 15 projects from Ontario.
• 21 international feature film projects have been selected for IFF 2012.
• 30-35 international industry executives are scheduled to attend, including international sales agents, financiers, agents, and executive producers. Amongst the high profile companies confirmed to date are: eOne Entertainment, Film 4, Film Nation, IFC Films, TF1, Trust Nordisk and Studio Canal.
• Since 2006, IFF has presented a total of 291 feature films. Features previously supported by IFF include two OMDC supported Canadian features: Deepa Mehta's Midnight's Children (TIFF® 2012 Gala Presentation) and Christina Piovesan produced acclaimed feature The Whistleblower, starring Academy Award® winner, Rachel Weisz. Other highly regarded films include Denis Villeneuve's 2011 Academy Award® nominated Incendies and international projects: Ralph Fiennes directorial debut, Coriolanus; and Academy Award® nominated Australian feature, Animal Kingdom, directed by David Michôd.

LEARN MORE

Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), an agency of Ontario's Ministry of Tourism and Culture, facilitates economic development opportunities for Ontario's cultural media industries including film and television, book and magazine publishing, music and interactive digital media industries.

Funding for IFF 2012 is supported by the following returning partners: Telefilm Canada and U.K. Trade and Investment, The Toronto Film and Television Office (TFTO), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), with returning sponsor Canada Film Capital.

 

SOURCE: Ontario Media Development Corporation

Contact for OMDC:
Sharon Wilson, OMDC Communications
T. [phone] E-mail: [email protected]

www.omdc.on.ca

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