Telefilm Canada are investing a significant amount of coin towards 11 English feature-length films and part of the new wave of next generation of filmmakers we find Zarrar Kahn, Yung Chang, Sarah Gadon, Matt Johnson and Luis De Filippis. Kahn saw his 2023 film In Flames land in the Directors’ Fortnight section in Cannes and is now working within the dramatic terrain with Suffering Is Optional. Toronto-based filmmaker Yung Chang who worked in docu realm (and is best known perhaps 2007’s Up the Yangtze) is finally moving into production on Eggplant – a project that was part of the 2015’s Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab (see our interview below). Actress Sarah Gadon is finally setting up shop for Lullabies For Little Criminals — the book to film project about a volatile father and daughter relationship. Here are the eleven projects:
Director: Robert Budreau
Screenwriters: Robert Budreau and Grayson Moore
Production: January Media and Lumanity Productions
Eggplant (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Yung Chang
Production: Medium Density Fibreboard Films Inc.
Forgiveness (historical drama)
Director: Deepa Mehta
Screenwriter: Mark Sakamoto
Production: Hamilton-Mehta Productions Inc.
Half-Blood Blues (historical drama)
Director: Clement Virgo
Screenwriters: Patrick Whistler and Clement Virgo
Production: Conquering Lion Pictures Inc.
Lullabies For Little Criminals (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Sarah Gadon
Production: Brightlight Pictures Inc.
Mary, Mary (drama)
Director: Bruce LaBruce
Screenwriters: Bruce LaBruce and Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay
Production: Compass Productions Inc.
Nightingale (historical drama)
Directors and screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson
Production: Thin Stuff Productions Inc.
Rapture (horror)
Director and screenwriter: Jordan Tannahill
Production: Elevation Pictures
Suffering Is Optional (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Zarrar Kahn
Production: CityLights Media Inc., LBG Films Inc., Other Memory Media, and Couronne
Nord Inc.
Untitled Matt Johnson Film (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Matt Johnson
Production: Zapruder Films Inc.
Worse Together (drama)
Director and screenwriter: Luis De Filippis
Production: JA Productions Inc. and Fra Diavolo Films Inc.
