Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund Announces Support for 27 Script Development Projects

Renowned Canadian Filmmakers Sarah Polley (Alias Grace), Deepa Mehta (Secret Daughter), Jeremiah Chechik (Valleys of the Sea), Patricia Rozema (Via Dolorosa), Troy Nixey (Super Pulp!) and Cannes-bound Jefferson Moneo (Big Muddy) among recipients of development funding

TORONTO, May 15, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund's English-Language Program (Fund) is pleased to announce its latest round of funding for 27 new and ongoing projects through its Script Development Program.

"Our latest round of script development support represents a cross-section of genres and filmmaking teams, both emerging and established, ranging from the 'prairie-gothic' style of Jefferson Moneo to Sarah Polley's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's modern Canadian classic Alias Grace," said John Galway, the Fund's English-Language Program President. "We are proud to support this new crop of incredible projects."

Among the other selections from exciting emerging filmmakers, Closet Monster by Stephen Dunn, recent winner of Tribeca's Student Visionary Prize will be produced by Niv Fichman (Rhombus Media); Hubert Davis' Burden produced by David Miller (A71 Productions), and Jeffrey St. Jules' Bang Bang Baby produced by Daniel Bekerman (Scythia Films).

The Fund is excited to support new works from Canada's established filmmakers such as: Patricia Rozema's Via Dolorosa, produced by Martin Katz's Prospero Pictures; Sarah Polley's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel Alias Grace, to be produced under Polley's Tangled Inc. banner; Deepa Mehta's adaptation of Shilpi Gowda's renowned novel Secret Daughter, produced by Silent Joe's Jody Colero and Hussain Amarshi; Jeremiah Chechik's screenplay, Valleys of the Sea, to be produced by South Creek Pictures' Dave Valleau; and Troy Nixey's Super Pulp!, also produced by Dave Valleau.

Notably, support for Jefferson Moneo's original script for Big Muddy comes in advance of the world premiere of Moneo's short film Going South, an Official Selection in the Cannes Film Festival's Cinefoundation program this month. The story of a modern day outlaw in the prairies of rural Saskatchewan whose violent past resurfaces, Big Muddy received polish and packaging funds and aims to shoot this summer.

Chosen from 136 applications, the projects approved this round are as follows:

SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Treatment to First Draft

Alias Grace
Tangled Inc.
Producer: Sarah Polley
Screenwriter: Sarah Polley

Bonechiller
Apartment 11 Productions Inc.
Producer: Jonathan Finkelstein, Allan Joli-Coeur, Michael Solomon
Screenwriter: Imran Zaidi

Riot
Freddie Films Inc.
Producer: Floyd Kane, Amos Adetuyi
Screenwriter: Floyd Kane

The King's Daughters
First Generation Films Inc.
Producer: Christina Piovesan
Screenwriters: Nicolas Wright, James Woods

First to Second Draft

200 Days
Illana C. Frank Productions Inc.
Producers: Ilana Frank
Screenwriter: Marcus Robinson

Ava Lee
Strada Films Inc.
Producer: Sandra Cunningham, Robin Cass
Screenwriters: Karen Walton

Body
EyeSteelFilm Inc.
Producer: Mila Aung-Thwin
Screenwriter: Halima Ouardiri

Super Pulp!
South Creek Pictures Inc.
Producer: Dave Valleau
Screenwriter: Troy Nixey

Akhavan
Metafilms Inc.
Producer: Sylvain Corbeil
Screenwriters: Matthew Rankin

Closet Monster
Rhombus Media Inc.
Producer: Niv Fichman
Screenwriter: Stephen Dunn

Via Dolorosa
Prospero Pictures Inc.
Producer: Martin Katz
Screenwriter: Patricia Rozema, David Ackerman

Second to Final Draft

A Royal Day
Conquering Lion Pictures and 1976 Productions Inc.
Producer: Damon D'Oliveira, Clement Virgo, Nicholas Comeau
Screenwriter: Gerald Wexler

Envoy
Zephyrus Entertainment Inc. and Flimshow Inc.
Producers: Michael Maclennan, Damon D'Oliveira
Screenwriter: Michael Maclennan

Mimi and Me
Blake Corbet Productions
Producers: Blake Corbet
Screenwriter: Marly Reed

Polish and Packaging

Big Muddy
Angel Entertainment Corp
Producer: Bob Crowe, Wally Start, Coral Aiken, Jefferson Moneo
Screenwriters: Jefferson Moneo
Director: Jefferson Moneo

Burden
A71 Productions Inc.
Producer: David Miller
Screenwriter: Hubert Davis
Director: Hubert Davis

Bang Bang Baby
Scythia Films Inc.
Producers: Daniel Bekerman
Screenwriter: Jeffrey St. Jules
Director: Jeffrey St. Jules

Made in Italy
Berkshire Axis Media and Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc.
Producers: Tyler Levine, Isaac Clements, John G. Carbone, Phyllis Laing
Screenwriter: Anthony Grieco
Director: Jonathan Sobol

Valleys of the Sea
South Creek Pictures Inc.
Producer: Dave Valleau
Screenwriter: Jeremiah Chechik
Director: Jeremiah Chechik

What We Have
What We Have Productions Inc.
Producer: Sally Karam, Maxime Desmons
Screenwriter: Maxime Desmons
Director: Maxime Desmons

Death of a Ladies Man
Corey Marr Productions Inc.
Producer: Corey Marr
Screenwriter: Matthew Bissonnette

Story Option Program

A Complicated Kindness
Sienna Films Inc. and Silent Joe Inc.
Producer: Jennifer Kawaja, Julia Sereny, Jody Colero
Author: Miriam Toews
Screenwriter: Miriam Toews

Secret Daughter
Silent Joe Inc. and Mongrel Media
Producer: Jody Colero and Hussain Amarshi
Author: Shilpi Gowda
Screenwriter: Deepa Mehta

Ava Lee
Strada Films Inc.
Producer: Sandra Cunningham, Robin Cass
Author: Ian Hamilton
Screenwriter: Karen Walton

Bottle Rocket Hearts
Me Three Productions Inc.
Producers: Sonia Hosko, Michelle Mama, Stephanie Markowitz
Author: Zoe Whittall
Screenwriters: Zoe Whittall and Linsey Stewart

Glitch (aka The Terminal Experiment)
Karma Film Inc. and Divani Films Inc.
Producers: Anand Ramayya, Srinivas Krishna
Author: Robert J. Sawyer
Screenwriters: Srinivas Krishna, Peter Lauterman

Needles
Cedar Ave Productions Inc., Reunion Pictures Inc.
Producers: Jordana Aarons, Tom Rowe, Lisa Richardson
Author: William Deverell
Screenwriter: Riel Stone

The Script Development Program was created to assist in the development of quality Canadian feature film scripts. The program receives a yearly contribution of $1.3 million from Astral's The Movie Network. The script development applications are reviewed by the English-Language Committee of Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund, which includes Suzette Couture, Damon D'Oliveira, Melanie Friesen, John Galway, Bryn Matthews, Jane Tattersall and Kevin Wright.

Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund is a member of the Astral family. Founded in 1961, Astral (TSX: ACM.A ACM.B) is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates several of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.

SOURCE: Astral

please contact John Galway at 416-956-5430 or [email protected]