Future Films from Telefilm Canada & the Talent Fund
by Staff
(June 27, 2018 – Toronto/Montréal) Telefilm Canada, the federal government agency charged with funding Canadian film production, and the Talent Fund have announced the first 45 English- and French-language projects selected under the new Talent to Watch Program. Previous called the Micro-Budget Production Program, 38 feature films and seven narrative web projects from all regions of Canada will receive financial support.
“We were able to increase our support from 15 to 45 projects this year because of the extraordinary contribution of the film schools, coops, and festivals, our program designated partners,” said Jean-Claude Mahé, Acting Executive Director, Telefilm Canada. “In addition, I would like to thank Niv Fichman, of Rhombus Media, Matt Johnson and Matt Miller for their insight and generosity in helping
redesign this program last year – an important legacy that will benefit emerging creators for years to 
come. Together, we discover the next generation of storytellers from across Canada and help ignite their careers.”
The Talent Fund, is a private donation fund that has contributed significantly to the Program, with generous support from principal partners Bell Media and Corus Entertainment, as well as numerous corporate and individual donors.
“The Talent Fund has made tremendous strides in the last six years,” said Hartley T. Richardson, Chair of the Talent Fund. “I’m pleased to report that, since the beginning of the year, we have raised an additional $1 million in commitments. Furthermore, we have added new partners including Québecor and we are determined to continue this momentum.”
Creative teams from across the country submitted potential projects to one of the Program’s designated partners. From there, each partner submitted projects to Telefilm for consideration by the decision jury.
The Festival Selection Stream allows emerging filmmakers whose short films have been selected at a key festival to submit a project directly to Telefilm for jury consideration.
Last month three separate peer-based juries were held comprised of industry representatives from English, French and Indigenous groups across Canada. Each jury strove to maintain a diverse and inclusive portfolio, while also ensuring exceptional quality of content.
Following is the complete list of projects selected for 2018-2019 by province:
Yukon
Thin Ice, Web format, Director and Producer: Kelly Milner, Writer: Kirsten Madsen, Partner: Yukon Film Society
British Columbia
All-in Madonna, Director: Arnold Lim, Producer: Ana De Lara, Writer: Susie Winters, Partner: National Screen Institute – Canada
Be Still, Director and Writer: Elizabeth Lazebnik, Producer: Sara Blake, Partner: Creative Women Workshops Association
Esluna: The World Beyond, Director and Writer: Denver Jackson, Producer: Daniel Hogg, Partner: National Screen Institute – Canada
Q, Director: Benjamin Musgrave, Writer: Dustin Griffin, Producer: Dawn Bird, Partner: CineVic Society Of Independent Filmmakers
The Bannocking, Web format, Director: Carr Sapier, Writer: Mitchell Saddleback, Producer: Damien Eaglebear, Partner: Bosa Centre for Film & Animation Capilano University, Component: Indigenous
Alberta
Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball Game, Director and Writer: Ted Stenson, Producer: Lewis Liski, Partner: Calgary Society Of Independent Filmmakers
Manitoba
Billy, Director: Jordan Molaro, Writer: Kyle Nobess, Producer: Jorge Requena Ramos, Partner: On Screen Manitoba Inc.
Ruthless Souls, Director and Writer: Madison Thomas, Producer: Darcy Waite, Partner: National Screen Institute – Canada, Component: Indigenous
Ontario
40 ACRES, Director: RT!, Writers: RT! and Glenn Taylor, Producer: Lora Campbell, Partner: Caribbean Tales
Easy Land, Director and Writer: Sanja Zivkovic, Producer: Julie Strifler, Partner: Canadian Film Centre
Gay Mean Girls, Director: Heyishi Zhang, Writers: Isabel Putz-Preyra, Sennah Yee, and Mandeq Hassan, Producer: Maddy Falle, Partner: Ryerson University
HATE, Director and Writer: Reem Morsi, Producer: Erica Orofino, Partner: Creative Women Workshops Association
Islands, Director and Writer: Martin Edralin, Producer: Lauren Corber, Festival Selection Stream
JUMP, Director and Writer: Phil Connell, Producers: Katie Corbridge and Hayley Brown, Partner: The Inside Out LGBT Film Festival Inc.
Le Corbeau, Director and Writer: Ho Che Anderson, Producer: Mohammed Hassan, Partner: Toronto Film School
Learn to Swim, Director: Thyrone Tommy, Writer: Marni Van Dyk, Producer: Alona Metzer, Partner: Canadian Film Centre
Once Upon A Time In Tehranto, Director and Writer: Faran Moradi, Producer: Natali Topalovska, Partner: Sheridan College
Québexit, Director and Writer: Joshua Demers, Producer: Shannon Fewster, Partner: York University
Scarborough, Director: Rich Williamson, Writer: Catherine Hernandez, Producer: Shasha Nakhai, Partner: Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
Songs She Sings in Shadows, Director and Writer: Fazila Amiri, Producer: Lesley Johnson, Partner: York University
Spawn & Geezer, Web format, Directors: Louis Taylor and Karl Jason, Writers: Louis and Altair Pflug-Taylor, Producer: Louis Taylor, Partner: Caribbean Tales
Right Between the Eyes, Directors and Writers: Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dustry Mancinelli, Producers: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dustry Mancinelli, Yona Strauss and Hayley Brown, Festival Selection Stream
Stanleyville, Director: Max McCabe-Lokos, Writer: Rob Benvie, Producer: Ashley Shields-Muir, Partner: Festival Selection Stream
The Village Keeper, Director and Writer: Karen Chapman, Producer: Leslie Norville, Partner: Caribbean Tales
There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace, Director and Writer: Lulu Wei, Producers: Lulu Wei and Ali Weinstein, Partner: ReelWorld Film Festival Inc.
This Place, Director: Nayani Thiyagarajah, Writers: Golshan Abdmoulaie and K. Devery Jacobs, Producers: Camaro West and Simone Ince, Partner: ReelWorld Film Festival Inc.
Worms, Director, Writer and Producers: Ben Petrie and Dean Gold, Partner: Festival Selection Stream
Meilleur Avant, Web format, Director and Writer: Laura Bergeron, Producer: Maxime Robin, Partner: Toronto Film School, Component: Official-Language Minority Communities
Québec
Moment One, Director and Writer: Mark Morgenstern, Producer: Carole Bouchard, Partner: Main Film Inc., Component: Official-Language Minority Communities
Bleed With Me, Director and Writer: Amelia Moses, Producer: Mariel Scammell, Partner: Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema Concordia University, Component: Official-Language Minority Communities
Cimes, Director and Writer: Daniel Daigle, Producers: Daniel Daigle and Louis Lavoie Isebaert, Partner: Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema Concordia University
Damascus Dreams, Director and Writer: Émilie Serri, Producer: Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre, Partner: Doc Circuit Montréal
Femmes au Sommet, Web format, Director, Florence Pelletier, Writer: Samuel Trudelle, Producer: Caroline Côté, Partner: Main Film Inc.
Jusqu’au déclin, Director: Patrice Laliberté, Writer: Patrice Laliberté and Nicolas Krief, Producer: Julie Groleau, Partner: Festival Selection Stream
La Marina, Directors and Writers: Christophe Levac and Etienne Galloy, Partner: Main Film Inc.
Le Bruit des Moteurs, Director and Writer: Philippe Grégoire, Producer: Andrew Przybytkowski, Partner: Main Film Inc.
Les Libres, Director and Writer: Nicolas Lévesque, Producers: Nicolas Lévesque and Jean-Phiilippe Archibald, Partner: Coop Spira
Note de passage, Director: Frédérick Neegan Trudel, Writer: Jocelyn Martel-Thibault, Producer: Line Sander Egede, Partner: Institut national de l’image et du son
Tara, Director and Writer: Laurence Turcotte-Fraser, Producer: Katerine Lefrançois, Partner: Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema Concordia University
Nova Scotia
Bone Cage, Director and Writer: Taylor Olson, Producer: Melani Wood, Partner: Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative Limited
CareCroft, Web format, Director: Koumbie, Writer and Producer: Amy Trefry, Partner: WIFT-AT
Murmur, Director and Writer: Heather Young, Producer: Martha Cooley, Partner: NSCAD University
New Brunswick
Queen of the Andes, Director and Writer: Jillian Acreman, Producer: Arianna Martinez, Partner: New Brunswick Filmmakers Co-operative Limited
Newfoundland & Labrador
Little Orphans, Director: Ruth Lawrence, Writer: Emily Bridger, Producer: Jennifer Hawley, Partner: St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Inc.
Click here for more information about The Talent Fund.
