by Staff Editors
(October 7, 2024 – Toronto, ON) Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund are getting behind 17 new film teams through the Talent to Watch Program with an investment of $3.45 million. The new selection of first-feature films from across the country highlights the dynamic and distinctive storytellers from different regions, markets and communities.
“The Talent to Watch Program continues to be a driving force for discovering the remarkable talent that thrives within our country,” said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada. “This year’s teams represent the voices of both the present and future of Canada, and we are excited to see their bold imagination brought to life in every frame. We are proud to champion the next generation of storytellers as they enrich our creative economy.”
“Through the Talent Fund, we get to empower the next generation of storytellers that shape the stories we see on screen,” said Sandi Treliving, Chair of the Talent Fund Advisory Committee. “We’re so thankful to our generous donors – from Vancouver to Regina, Toronto to Halifax – whose steadfast contributions ensure that the Talent Fund can continue its vital mission: investing in the future of Canadian and Indigenous filmmakers.”
Telefilm received a high volume of applications under the Talent to Watch Program for the fiscal year 2024-2025, with 150 projects assessed representing nearly $35 million in funding requests.
Following are the projects selected under the streams of the Talent to Watch Program:
Indigenous Stream
Under this stream, all key members of the creative team must be Indigenous.
Houseboat (science fiction / fantasy)
Director and screenwriter: Jerry Wolf
Producer: Adeline Bird
Province: Ontario
Language: English
Industry Partner Stream
For projects that are recommended by a designated industry partner.
Danse Laurence! (documentary)
Director and screenwriter: Laura Marroquin-Éthier
Producer: Francesca Rubartelli Barcenas
Province: Quebec
Language: French
Partner organization: National Institute of Image and Sound (INIS)
EXP (drama)
Director: Ted Sakowsky
Screenwriter: Ed Sakowsky
Producers: Momo Daud and Katarzyna Anielak
Executive Producer: Joseph Sindaha
Province: Ontario
Language: English
Partner organization: York University
Meat (science fiction/fantasy)
Director: Ryan Steel
Screenwriters: Ryan Steel and Sean Henderson
Producer: Sean Maheux Galway
Province: Manitoba
Language: English
Partner organization: Winnipeg Film Group
Festival Selection Stream
For emerging filmmakers who have directed a short film that was selected at a recognized film festival.
Hair Or No Hair (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Janessa St. Pierre
Producer: Mariam Barry
Province: British Columbia
Language: English
Hue & Cry (drama-comedy)
Director and screenwriter: Maziyar Khatam
Producers: Tyler Mason and Anya Chirkova
Executive Producer: Guy Maddin
Province: Ontario
Language: English
Filmmaker Apply-Direct Stream
Under this stream, all key members of the creative team must be Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, women, gender-diverse individuals, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, persons with disabilities; and/or members of an Official Language Minority Community.
Alice (documentary)
Director and screenwriter: Mélissa Savoie-Soulières
Producer: Sophie Gagnon-Bergeron
Province: Quebec
Language: French
Cette Terre m’appellera Maître (documentary)
Director, screenwriter and producer: Katia Café-Fébrissy
Executive Producer: Alexandrine Torres de Figueiredo
Province: Ontario
Language: French and Creole
Civilian (documentary)
Director and producer: Raya Hamdan
Screenwriters: Mazin Almusharaf and Raya Hamdan
Province: Ontario
Language: English and Sudanese Arabic
External Neighbours (science fiction/fantasy)
Director and screenwriter: Anna Maguire
Producers: Erin Carter and Anna Maguire
Executive Producers: Anaëlle Béglet, Jeanne-Marie Poulain – Art et essai
Province: Ontario
Language: English
Fios da Terra (documentary)
Director and screenwriter: Kayla Fragman
Producer: Amélie Tremblay
Executive Producer: Dominique Dussault
Province: Quebec
Language: Portuguese (Azorean dialect), French and English
Homewrecker (drama)
Director: Simon Paluck
Screenwriter: Caleb Harwood
Producer: Graeme D. Blyth
Province: Ontario
Language: English
Les Priants (documentary)
Director and screenwriter: Martine Gignac
Producer: Evelyne Lafleur Guy
Province: Quebec
Language: French
MARCHEUSES (documentary)
Director and screenwriter: Carlos Cortés
Producers: Hippolyte de Chanlaire and Nathalie Guérard
Province: Quebec
Language: French, English and Algonquin
Puddy Tat (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Kaytlyn Turner
Producers: Kyla Ferrier and Kevin Dong
Province: Alberta
Language: English
Requiem For A Sad Girl (thriller)
Director and screenwriter: Maude Michaud
Producers: Jen Viens and Maude Michaud
Executive Producer: Philip Kalin-Hadju
Province: Quebec
Language: English
Uninvited (documentary)
Director and screenwriter: Rose Katché
Producer: Mérédith Gonzalez-Bayard
Province: Quebec
Language: French and English
An advisory committee of external and internal representatives assessed the projects and made recommendations to Telefilm. The decision-making process considered Telefilm’s goal of fostering a diversity of voices in the industry, ensuring that Telefilm funds a balanced portfolio of productions that reflect a variety of genres, budgets and company sizes, regions of the country and points of view. Names of selection committee members will be published on the Project Financing Advisory Committees webpage once all funding decisions have been made.
Statistics on all films funded in the year will be released once all funding decisions have been made.
Since 2012, the Talent Fund has supported over 199 film projects, brought to life by more than 400 emerging artists (writers, producers, and directors) and has financed films that have earned over 200 awards worldwide. Individual donors, family foundations, corporations and sponsors invest in the Talent Fund as they believe in the power of storytelling through film, and the impact this program has on the careers of emerging artists. Click here to learn more about the Talent Fund or to make a donation.
We look forward to seeing these films and adding these Canadian filmmakers to Northernstars.ca
SOURCE: Telefilm Canada
