Telefilm Canada Announces Six Canadian Films Selected for Sundance 2011

MONTREAL, Dec. 2 /CNW Telbec/ - Telefilm Canada is pleased to announce that six Canadian feature films have been selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 20-30, 2011. Recognized as the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent cinema, Sundance spotlights some of the most original storytellers and artists from around the world.

The six Canadian features, five of which are world premieres, are among 42 international films of the total 115 feature-length films selected this year. 

"Telefilm Canada has been partnering with the Sundance Film Festival for over 15 years," stated Sheila de La Varende, Director, International & National Business Development at Telefilm. "Year after year, our Canadian producers, directors and distributors benefit from the festival's prestigious platform to introduce their talent and original content to the U.S. and the world."

"I'm delighted to see that my film has reached an American audience through this highly prestigious competition," remarked Le Vendeur director Sébastien Pilote, his feature film directorial debut. "Indeed, there is a real American feel to the film. There are several references - that Dylan song, the economic situation - after all, it is about an American car salesman." 

"This Quebec movie has strong universal undertones along with the depth and humanity that were on display in his earlier short, Dust Bowl Ha!Ha!, an award winner at Locarno," said Anick Poirier, vice-president international sales at eOne Entertainment International. "The social solidarity values and authentic vision of the world of men depicted in the film, as well as its distinct visual style will garner it much acclaim."

Producer Bernadette Payeur highlighted the importance of the visibility that Sundance brings to a young producer: "The Sundance Competition is the perfect international launching pad for Sebastien Pilote, especially when I think of past Festival award winners such as Frozen River (2009) and Winter's Bones (2010)."

"To have Hobo with a Shotgun show at that mecca of independent cinema is an amazing reward. The distinction that our short film, Treevenge, received at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival opened many doors for us in the Canadian film industry and in the U.S., and, as genre filmmakers, gave us the assurance that the stories we tell have the ability to reach a wider audience," said Rob Cottrell, producer of the film.

"Having experienced Sundance in 2009 inspired us to go back to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and work very hard on making a feature that lives up to the promise that we made with Treevenge. People from around the world who live and breathe movies come together at Sundance and I'm excited to be back and do what we all love to do, which is celebrate cinema," acknowledged director Jason Eisener.

For the 2011 edition, Telefilm will host the annual Canadian "Meet & Greet" event for filmmakers, distributors, media and other industry professionals.

The Canadian feature film selection at Sundance 2011 includes: 

World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Title	Producer				Director		Description
Le Vendeur   (The Salesman) World Premiere Telefilm-financed Sales: eOne Entertainment International, Canada Film's Facebook Page	Bernadette Payeur, Marc Daigle (ACPAV, Montréal)				Sébastien Pilote Debut feature		Car salesman Marcel Lévesque operates by the rules of a bygone era, turning on the charm to make his quota. But the increasing decline of his fading industrial town threatens to plummet this peddler of dreams into an unfriendly reality.
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Title		Producer			Director		Description
Family Portrait in Black and White World Premiere Official Film Website		Boris Ivanov (Interfilm, Vancouver)			Julia Ivanova		Olga Nenya, from a small Ukrainian town, is raising sixteen black orphans in a country of Slavic blue-eyed blonds. The reality of growing up as a bi-racial child in Eastern Europe, a rare and truly visible minority, is not for the faint of heart.
Park City At Midnight Section
Title				Producer	Director		Description
Hobo with a Shotgun World Premiere Telefilm-financed Sales: TFI, France Official Film Website				Niv Fichman, Paul Gross, Rob Cottrell (Rhombus Media, Toronto, Whizbang Films , Toronto, Yer Dead Productions, Halifax)	Jason Eisener Debut feature		A vigilante homeless man pulls into a new city and finds himself trapped in urban chaos, a city where crime rules and where the city's crime boss reigns. The Hobo goes about bringing justice to the city the best way he knows how - with a 20-gauge shotgun. Street justice will indeed prevail.
Spotlight Section
Title			Producer		Director	Description
Incendies Telefilm-financed US Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics Sales: eOne Entertainment International, Canada Official Film Website Canada's nomination: Best Foreign Language Film, 83rd Annual Academy Awards			Luc Déry, Kim McCraw (micro_scope, Montréal) in association with the PHI Group (Montréal)co-produced by TS Productions (Paris)		Denis Villeneuve	Twins Jeanne and Simon are stunned by their mother's last wishes - to hand deliver letters to the father they thought dead and to the brother they never knew existed. In carrying out this final request, they piece together their mother's story defined by hatred and war.

Also in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Vampire (USA, Japan, Canada co-venture), the first English-language film of Japanese director Iwai Shunji, that was shot in Vancouver and stars Canadians Kevin Zegers, Kristin Kreuk and Katherine Isabel. The Festival is also featuring a second co-venture with the U.S. in the Premiere section, Mark Pellington's I Melt with You.

Canadian short films selected for screening at Sundance as well as the films selected for Slamdance will be released on or after December 8.

About Telefilm Canada  Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian productions that appeal to domestic and international audiences. Telefilm also administers the Canada Media Fund's programs. Visit www.telefilm.gc.ca.

For further information:

Media inquiries: 
Élise Proulx  
Telefilm Canada  
514-283-0838 or 1-800-567-0890, ext. 2090 
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