19 feature documentaries have received funding through the Theatrical Documentary Stream of Telefilm Canada. The list represents a coast-to-coast snapshot of Canadian talent and international co-productions with veterans, emerging filmmakers, and Oscar nominees. Eight films represent the French market, while eleven represent the English side.
Projects tapped for funding include Nicholas de Pencier and Jennifer Baichwal’s latest documentary. The untitled wildfires doc features de Pencier as director and Baichwal as producer. Meanwhile, veteran film critic turned filmmaker Brian D. Johnson will follow his acclaimed The Colour of Ink, which won a Canadian Screen Award for de Pencier’s cinematography, with Deep Time.
Indigenous productions in the slate include an untitled project from Lisa Jackson (Wilfred Buck) and Barbara Hagar’s Tomson Highway: Permanent Astonishment about the acclaimed author and playwright.
Meanwhile, Oscar nominees Pedro Kos and Ina Fichman join forces for the co-production Rufus, Requiem about acclaimed musician and artist Rufus Wainwright. Kos, who serves as director, scored an Oscar nomination for the short doc Lead Me Home, while Fichman, nominated for the feature Fire of Love, serves as producer and screenwriter alongside Sophie Farkas Bolla.
The full slate of selected projects represent a funding commitment of $4.6 million and were drawn from a pool of 109 submissions.
The 19 projects tapped for funding are:
Bulletin 442-126-128
Director: Louise Leroux
Screenwriters: Dr. Richard Blackburn and Louise Leroux
Production: Les Productions Shootfilms Inc.
Distribution: Immina Films
Province: Quebec | Language: French, English and Ukrainian
Désobéissantes
Directors and screenwriters: Arnaud Bouquet and Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
Production: Babel Films 01 inc.
Distribution: National Film Board of Canada
Province: Quebec | Language: French
En Orbite
Director and screenwriter: François Jacob
Production: 9256-8658 QUEBEC INC.
Distribution: Les Films du 3 Mars
Province: Quebec | Language: French and English
Les yeux fermés
Director and screenwriter: Julien Faraut
Production: Films Portage inc. and Velouria Pictures
Distribution: H264
Province: Quebec | Language: French and English
*France/Canada co-production
Marquer le Congo
Director and screenwriter: Mathieu Roy
Production: MR2 Films Inc.
Distribution: Filmoption International
Province: Quebec | Language: French and Swahili
Projet Laurentides
Director and screenwriter: Benoit Massé
Production: A Media Inc.
Distribution: Les Films du 3 Mars
Province: Quebec | Language: French
Renaître
Directors: Sylvie Van Brabant and Katerine Giguère
Screenwriter: Sylvie Van Brabant
Production: Films du Rapide-Blanc Inc.
Distribution: Noble Arts Inc.
Province: Quebec | Language: French and English
Transcendance
Directors and screenwriters: Sébastien Rist and Aude Leroux-Lévesque
Production: Les Films Extérieur Jour Inc.
Distribution: Les Films du 3 Mars
Province: Quebec | Language: French and English
Cancún
Director and screenwriter: Nadine Gomez
Production: Les Productions des Films de l’Autre Inc.
Distribution: Les Films du 3 Mars
Province: Quebec | Language: French and Spanish
Carnies
Director: Leah Schulli
Screenwriters: Leah Schulli and Sean O’Neill
Production: 2709836 Ontario Inc.
Distribution: Blue Ice Docs
Province: Ontario | Language: English
Deep Time
Director and screenwriter: Brian Johnson
Production: 136469 Canada Limited o/a Sphinx Productions
Distribution: Films We Like
Province: Ontario | Language: English
Facing the Future: The Art and Life of Antony Clavet
Director: Clem McIntoch
Screenwriter: Taylor Alison
Production: Cazador Inc.
Distribution: Blue Ice Docs
Province: New Brunswick | Language: English and French
GAWLO
Director and screenwriter: Aïcha Diop
Production: Studio Tokosel Inc. and Lantern Films Inc.
Distribution: Studio H264
Province: Ontario and British Columbia | Language: English, French and Fulah
Invasivore
Directors and screenwriters: Amanda Bulman and Michael Peers
Production: BetterLate Films
Province: Newfoundland and Labrador | Language: English
Rufus, Requiem
Director: Pedro Kos
Screenwriters: Sophie Farkas Bolla and Ina Fichman
Production: Rufus Films Productions Inc. and sounding images GmbH
Province: Quebec | Language: English and French
*Canada/Germany co-production
The Gymnasts of Machar Colony
Director and screenwriter: Habiba Nosheen
Production: PK GYMNASTS PRODUCTIONS INC.
Distribution: Blue Ice Docs
Province: Ontario | Language: English and Urdu
Tomson Highway: Permanent Astonishment
Director and screenwriter: Barbara Hagar
Production: TH Documentary Productions Inc.
Province: Ontario and British Columbia | Language: English and Cree
Untitled Ceremony Film Director and screenwriter: Lisa Jackson
Production: DOOR NUMBER 3 PRODUCTIONS INC.
Distribution: Blue Ice Docs
Province: Ontario | Language: English
Untitled Fire Documentary (f/k/a Incendiary)
Director: Nicholas de Pencier
Screenwriter: Jennifer Baichwal
Production: Wildfire Productions Inc.
Distribution: Elevation Pictures Corp
Province: Ontario | Language: English
