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2007 Sundance Film Festival: A Stellar Year for Canadian Films
Montreal, November
30, 2006 – Telefilm Canada is proud
to announce that seven Canadian feature-length films have been officially
selected at the prestigious 2007 Sundance Film Festival – the strongest Canadian
line-up since 2003. Four of the Canadian filmmakers will be returning to the
Festival for their sophomore year: Jennifer Baichwal (The True Meaning
of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adam’s Appalachia; 2003), S. Wyeth Clarkson (deadend.com;
2003), Sarah Polley (I Shout Love; 2002) and Ian Iqbal Rashid (Touch
of Pink; 2004). The 2007 Sundance Film Festival takes place in Park
City, Utah, January 18–28.
“It’s a great honour having
such an incredible year for Canadian cinema at Sundance,” enthused Wayne
Clarkson, who will be attending the Festival for the first time
in his capacity as Executive Director at Telefilm Canada. “Canada is also
pleased to be at Sundance to take advantage of the sales, promotion, financing
and networking opportunities.”
The Canadian contingent for the 2007 Sundance Film Festival is comprised of:
(short film line-up will be announced by the Festival on December 6, 2006)
Premieres
Away From Her (US premiere)
Directed by Sarah Polley; produced by The Film Farm and Foundry Films Inc.;
Canadian distribution by Capri Releasing; US distribution by Lionsgate Films;
world sales by Hanway Films
Away From Her is a screen adaptation of Alice Munro’s short story,
The Bear Came Over the Mountain. Grant moves his wife Fiona into a nursing
home specializing in Alzheimer’s disease. But when he sees her again, she has
forgotten him and turned her affection to another resident. Fiona becomes deeply
depressed, prompting Grant to embark on his greatest act of self-sacrifice. Film
premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival as a Gala.
World
Cinema Competition: Dramatic
How She Move (World premiere)
Directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid; produced by Sienna Films Inc.; Canadian distribution
by Mongrel Media; world sales by Celluloid Dreams
16-year-old stellar student Raya is on the fast track to success until the
unexpected death of her sister, a drug addict, changes everything. Scrambling
for a way to clear her family’s financial hurdles, she turns to a most unlikely
arena: the electrifying world of step dancing, a type of dance that combines
jazz and hip-hop, with cheerleading, tap dancing and stomp moves.
Rêves de poussière (France/ Canada/ Burkina Faso
coproduction; US premiere)
Directed by Laurent Salgues; produced by Athenaïse productions, Corporation
ACPAV Inc., and Sahélis Production; world sales by Wide Management
Mocktar, a Nigerian peasant, comes looking for work in a gold mine
in Northeast Burkina Faso. In this cage made of wind and dust, he hopes to forget
the past that haunts him. While becoming familiar with his new life, Mocktar
starts to loose his roots. Film premiered at the 2006 Venice Film Festival and
has since garnered awards in Belgium and France.
World Cinema Competition: Documentary
Manufactured Landscapes (International premiere)
Directed by Jennifer Baichwal; produced by Mercury Films Inc., Foundry
Films Inc., and the National Film Board of Canada; Canadian distribution by Mongrel
Media; US distribution by Zeitgeist Films
Manufactured Landscapes follows Edward Burtynsky through
China as he photographs the country’s massive industrial revolution. The film
leads us to meditate on our impact on the planet, and shifts our consciousness
about the world and the way we live in it. Winner of The Toronto City Award for
Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.
On a Tightrope (Norway/Canada coproduction; North American premiere)
Directed by Petr Lom; produced by Piraya Film, Lom Films; world sales
by Films Transit International
The daily lives of four children living in an orphanage who are learning the
ancient art of tightrope walking becomes a metaphor for the struggle of the
Uighur’s, China’s largest Muslim minority, who are torn between religion and
the teachings of communism. World premiered in the Silver Wolf Competition of
the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
Hothouse (Israel/Canada coproduction)
Directed by Shimon Dotan; produced by Cinequest Films Inc. and Alma Films
Ltd.; world sales by Alma Films Ltd.
Almost ten thousand Palestinians are incarcerated in Israel today. Granted
rare permission to film inside the country’s highest security facilities,
Israeli filmmaker Shimon Dotan shows everyday prison life.
Park City at Midnight
Sk8 Life (International premiere)
Directed by S. Wyeth Clarkson; produced by Travesty Productions; Canadian distribution
and world sales by Travesty Productions+Releasing
Eight sk8rs are brought together to make the ultimate “sk8 tape.” Crashing
at the legendary “Crashpad,” they soon discover its days are numbered and band
together to save it. Landing tricks, evading security guards, and wild road trips
fill their days, but it will all be for nothing if they can’t save the place they
call home. World premiere at the 2006 Whistler Film Festival.
Fido (US premiere)
Directed by Andrew Currie; produced by Anagram Pictures Inc.; Canadian distribution
by TVA Films; US distribution and world sales by Lionsgate Films
Welcome to Willard, a small town lost in the idyllic world of the 1950s,
where the sun shines every day, everybody knows their neighbour, and rotting
zombies carry the mail. What begins as a small town story about a boy and his
best friend becomes a biting satare about our world, the price of fear, and
the rewards of risking love. Fido will rip your heart out. Fido
premiered in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Canada First! Programme.
Telefilm Canada
is once again spearheading the Canadian business and press lounge located
at the Festival’s headquarters. Designed to foster visibility and business
opportunities for the Canadian film industry, the lounge is a vital hub for
American and international professionals seeking to meet Canadian filmmakers
and talent.
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to the development
and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial
support to the private sector to create Canadian productions that appeal to audiences
domestically and internationally. The Corporation also administers the funding
programs of the Canadian Television Fund.
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Media enquiries:
Douglas Chow, Deputy Director – Strategic Communications
(514) 283-6363 or 1-800-567-0890
chowd@telefilm.ca
Telefilm at Sundance
The International Lounge
Park City Marriott Hotel, Suite 240
1895 Sidewinder Drive, Park City, UT 84060
T (435) 649-2900
Contacts at Sundance
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