CFC Celebrates Damon D’Oliveira, Clement Virgo and Acclaimed Conquering Lion Pictures with Fourth Annual
CFC Award for Creative Excellence

Award to be presented by CFC Founder Norman Jewison at
CFC’s annual Los Angeles reception

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is pleased to present CFC alumni producer Damon D’Oliveira, writer/director/producer Clement Virgo and their production company Conquering Lion Pictures with the 2017 CFC Award for Creative Excellence, in recognition of their critically accomplished and notable body of work in film and television (The Book of Negroes, Poor Boy’s Game, Lie with Me). Filmmaker and CFC founder Norman Jewison will present the award at a formal reception in Los Angeles, California on March 22, 2017. The reception will be co-hosted by Fresh TV and Cast & Crew Entertainment Services.

In 1991, D’Oliveira and Virgo first met in the CFC’s inaugural Summer Lab, before being invited to participate in the 1992 film residency program. They went on to produce the award-winning Save My Lost Nigga’ Soul through the CFC’s Short Film Program, before next making Rude with CFC Features (D’Oliveira produced, Virgo wrote and directed). Rude debuted a success at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, and put Conquering Lion Pictures, the production company they formed together while making Rude, on the map.

Under D’Oliveira and Virgo’s leadership, Conquering Lion Pictures has earned a global reputation for developing and producing compelling work for both film and television. High-impact artistically and commercially, their films have been selected for prestigious festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, London, Sundance and Toronto. Their adaptation of the national bestselling novel by Lawrence Hill, The Book of Negroes, was a six-part television miniseries in 2015 that garnered 12 Canadian Screen Awards, two U.S. Critics Choice Award Nominations, the NAACP Award for Best Mini-series, a DGC Award for Best Direction in a Television Movie/Mini-series, a WGC Award for Best TV Drama in a Television Movie/Mini-series and a nomination as a finalist for the prestigious Peabody Award. Co-written by Hill and Virgo, it debuted to record-breaking numbers on the CBC and in the U.S. on BET.

“Nothing makes me happier than seeing our CFC alumni achieve great heights,” said Slawko Klymkiw, CEO, CFC. “Conquering Lion has generated an incredible award-winning body of work that has enriched our screens in Canada and abroad. After their recent massive success with The Book of Negroes, I look forward to seeing what they will create next. We are proud to honour their innovative storytelling and compelling body of work.”

Conquering Lion’s creators share impressive credits. In addition to The Book of Negroes, D’Oliveira produced Poor Boy’s Game (2007), starring Danny Glover, and Lie With Me (2005), both directed by Virgo. He recently coproduced the upcoming feature film, The Grizzlies, starring Ben Schnetzer and Will Sasso, and executive-produced filmmaker Maxine Demons’ first feature, What We Have|Ce Qu’On A. Virgo’s additional TV directing credits include American Crime (ABC), The Wire (HBO), The L-Word (Showtime), The Listener (Bell Media) and the OWN network drama series Greenleaf (2016), on which he is also serving as Executive Producer with Oprah Winfrey.

“It’s an incredible honour and we are thrilled,” D’Oliveira said, speaking on behalf of both men and the company. “I love how the CFC has evolved over the years to become the envy of our professional colleagues around the world. There isn’t really anywhere like it outside of Canada, because it’s not just about post-secondary education; it’s about career building. We’re equally honoured and humbled to accept.”

The CFC hosts an annual event in L.A. to celebrate exceptional talent in the screen-based entertainment industry, as well as its international partners and cross-border opportunities. The event will coincide with a week of activity in L.A., including The L.A. module of the 2017 Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange, in collaboration with Just For Laughs, the Slaight Music Residency LA module and CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST Global Market Exchange. These high-level CFC marketplace initiatives further strengthen Canadian talent’s place in the global entertainment marketplace.

Read our profile of Conquering Lion Pictures here.

Social Media

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Conquering Lion
Website:conqueringlionpictures.com
Twitter:@conqueringlionp
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About CFC
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization whose mission is to invest in and inspire the next generation of world-class Canadian content creators and entrepreneurs in the screen-based entertainment industry. A significant economic and cultural driver in Canada and beyond, CFC delivers a range of multi-disciplinary programs and initiatives in film, television, music, screen acting, and digital media, which provides industry collaborations, strategic partnerships, and business and marketplace opportunities for talent and participants. For more information, visit cfccreates.com.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Margaret DeRosia
Communications Specialist & Digital Writer / Editor, CFC
416.445.1446 x463
mderosia@cfccreates.com

In its 16th year, February Freeze is an annual one-day event in Toronto where top industry manufacturers showcase the latest screen-based technologies. Ironically, this year a same-day ice storm made the event live up to its name. Inside, February Freeze gave me a true taste of what it’s like to be on a movie set, albeit one amplified to the extreme. The showroom floor was lit enough to illuminate a small city.

Lights!

Better Way Lightingwas onsite, showcasing a variety of light strips and panels that included RGBW colour-addressable, super-high output lighting, which could potentially be used for intricate micro-spaceship designs. Dedolight had a projection system with cast custom gobos – including the bat signal! – that could project onto distant surfaces with crisp detail.

Camera!

At the centre of the showroom, a crane and high-speed camera setup captured an exhilarating spectacle of silk aerial and hoop acrobatics. A precision remote guided the crane and camera, revealing the images in crisp detail.

Thanks to the latest crane from White, acting and driving on camera has never been easier. The camera and heavy-duty truck combo, with a trailer that can hold the front wheel, means actors can now safely act while “driving” on the road, without the danger of steering astray.

I was impressed by BOLT, the fastest high-speed camera robot in the world capable of cinematographic wizardry. BOLT accelerates to its maximum velocity almost instantly, supporting 1000+ fps shots coming alive with camera motion. A demo filmed onsite showed boots stomping down in mud with droplets spraying ever so slowly through the air. The camera rotated around the boots, perfectly framing the action.

Action!

Aerial Mob’s latest professional drones included retractable landing gear and gyro-stabilized cinematographic cameras. Vistek had the Freefly MoVI Pro Handheld Bundle on display, mounted to a stabilization vest. The person wearing the stabilized camera rig controls the Z-axis, and the rest can be controlled through a handheld accelerator/gyrometer sensor operated by a second individual, to keep the shot in focus with wireless video transmission.

I also had a chance visit Quantum Capture, which is now in the William F. White’s building. Quantum Capture enables individuals creating extremely precise and detailed models. It’s great for use in AR/VR and computer animation. which can have full skeletal tracking, using a 100+ and growing DSLR rig.

VR Experience Zone

CFC Media Lab showcased two 360 videos. They screened The Closet, produced by our very own Ana Serrano and directed by Ian Tuason, about a young man who investigates strange supernatural forces in his new home. 

Solar System: A 360 Degree Tourwas an animated piece courtesy of Thought Café, a company known for raising critical awareness, social justice and self-education.

It was amazing to see all the leading-edge technology in the film, media and VR industry on display. I already can’t wait for next year’s event. 

The mood was convivial and celebratory last night for the announcement of the six companies that will be part of CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST Accelerator Cohort 6.

Representing Synervoz, Little Robot Friends and Itsme3D

“It was a particularly difficult adjudication process this year,” said Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, CFC, and Managing Director, IDEABOOST. “Our Network Connect community, from which we make selections, is growing stronger than ever. Cohort 6 is made up of the highest potential companies in similar and/or complementary stages of growth in this already remarkable community.”

"We pride ourselves on not being your typical pre-accelerator program," said Amy Davies, Program Director, CFC, IDEABOOST. "Our secret sauce is our customization and a firm focus on helping our companies achieve product-market fit, go-to-market strategies and access to investment. And it’s always a fun journey.”

Congratulations to the chosen six below. The four-month bootcamp for startups in the entertainment and media industries will kick off March 3.

Company: Brinx Software Inc.
Mission: To democratize the creation of 3D artwork.
Description: Launched in early 2015, Brinx has built virtual reality products for major enterprises such as Lockheed Martin and Shopify. Its MasterpieceVR is the world's first collaborative VR platform that dramatically simplifies 3D sculpting and painting.
Founder: Jonathan Gagne (CEO)
Customers: B2C: VR users, artists

Company: DEEP
Mission: Dedicated to exploring and defining the evolving language of cinematic VR.
Description: DEEP is a Canadian/German studio dedicated to exploring and defining the evolving language of cinematic VR. Led by multiple Emmy award-winning filmmaker and innovator Thomas Wallner, DEEP utilizes cutting-edge technologies to create highly immersive stories. To meet this challenge, DEEP is evolving Liquid Cinema, a suite of sophisticated proprietary players and tools that allows the authoring and distribution of story based cinematic VR content across multiple platforms and devices.
Founder: Thomas Wallner
Customers: B2B - Google, Wall Street Journal, ARTE, ZDF, NDR, MDR, BR, 360 Labs, Koncept VR, Cream Productions, Mercury Films, Vienna Tourist Board, University of Southern California; Partnerships - Vimeo, Fraunhofer Institute, Heinrich Hertz Institute, Two Big Ears


Company: Little Robot Friends
Mission: To get kids engaged in learning code and electronics with a focus on three key areas: creativity & expression, social & self-awareness, problem solving & critical thinking.
Description: Creating connected toys and apps for learning code and electronics, designed for age 7 and up.
Founders: Mark Argo (CEO) & Ann Poochareon (COO)
Customers: B2C - parents, teachers; B2B - maker spaces, libraries, schools

Company: Mighty Cast (The Nex Band)
Mission: To democratize wearable technology and empower our community to make their own smart bands every day, hour, or minute.
Description: Mighty Cast’s The Nex Band is the world's first programmable smart band with a focus on the gaming industry. Nex gives complete creative freedom to users to create their own smart band every day, hour or minute. Whether it be double-tapping to open your garage, turning your band into a Spotify controller, or lighting up in celebration every time your team scores a run, it only takes a second or two to program, or “hack” your band. Targeting the GenZ and millennial demographic, Nex is now partnering with many of the top mobile gaming and content companies.
Founders: Adam Adelman (CEO) & Belinda Takahashi
Customers: Partners - Niantic/Ingress, GoPro (controls camera); In-talks - Ghost in Shell (film release March 31), Hawkin game studio, LMFAO

Company: itsme3D
Mission: To be the way we all become avatars.
Description: Itsme creates animated, photo-realistic full-body 3D avatars. Avatars are a valuable, habit-forming social asset that can be used for social VR/AR, online shopping, minimizing business travel, gaming, marketing and personalized emoji. Itsme removes friction from the avatar-creation process and allows us to scale quickly by providing an on-boarding experience that is fast, free and fully automated. Our population of avatars leverages network effects for growth and increases in value as more use cases come online. We have created a secure, private platform to capture transactional avatar-related purchases for years to come.
Founder: Pete Forde (CEO) & Fernando Flores-Mangas (CTO) 
Customers: B2B - Telus, Samsung, Shopify, Cadillac Fairview, Mosaic

Company: Synervoz
Mission: To make people feel and be more connected to who they want, when they want.
Description: Synervoz builds audio and voice communications software. Its flagship app, turnmeup, allows anyone to listen to music and talk at the same time using headphones. The music volume adjusts automatically when somebody speaks so that users can have totally spontaneous conversation while listening to their own, or synchronized music.

Founders: Jim Rand (CEO) & James Meier (CTO)
Customers: B2B partners - Slack, Amazon, IBM

Visit ideaboost.ca for more information on CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST’s Network Connect and Accelerator program.

Founding Partner

Funding Partners

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) recently announced the renewal of funding for The Slaight Family Music Lab, a program that has helped to cultivate and promote Canadian musical talent in onscreen media. Since its inception in 2012, alumni of its residency program have gone on to gain critical recognition, earning nominations and awards in Canada and the world stage. Most recent notable alumni achievements include Michael Peter Olsen’s work on Drake’s 2016 Grammy-nominated Views album, as well as the February 2017 premiere of Erica Procunier’s score for the animated film, DAM! The Story of Kit, commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and TIFF.

The Slaight Music Residency, chaired by Academy Award-winning film composer Mychael Danna and Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Marc Jordan, is a part-time nine-month creative and business initiative that enables Canadian composers and songwriters to expand their skills and professional opportunities. It begins with an intensive bootcamp consisting of workshops with top music and onscreen professionals, as well as business and technical experts. Residents work with acclaimed composers, songwriters, directors and producers to discover new ways of storytelling through various visual and musical perspectives, all while developing their own unique talents.

With the nominations for the 2017 Slaight Music Residency now open to new applicants, past alumni shared how the program has shaped their professional careers.

On the biggest takeaways

“Composing music is so often a solitary craft, so one of the things I’m most grateful for was being able to pick the brains of so many talented artists and filmmakers who so generously share their knowledge with residents of the program, often in a setting that's conducive to free-flow conversations and a genuine back-and-forth. But without a doubt the biggest takeaway for me was the relationships forged with the other emerging filmmakers at the CFC, collaborators I’ve continued to make films with and whom I hope to keep working for years to come.” – Ben Fox

“My biggest takeaway was that I had the resources, external and internal, to do anything that was thrown at me. My application piece was the first thing I ever composed, and I remember feeling like my mentors and administrators were sensitive to the fact that this was a very new landscape for me and some of my fellow residents, while still challenging us to become worthy competitors. That combo of pressure and support encouraged many 4:00 a.m. “How do I do this ridiculously technical thing?” YouTube self-education sessions – and lots of research and listening and pushing through the fear. I credit the program to making me realize, admit and own that I wanted to be a music producer professionally, a title I felt I would never have lived up to prior to my experience in the program.” – Robyn Dell’Unto 

“I felt my biggest takeaway from the Residency was the realization that Canadian music talent can compete anywhere in the world it wants to. We just need the confidence.” – Michael Peter Olsen“

After 15 years of playing shows and making records, music was starting to feel like just one side of the story. I've loved movies and television since I was a child, but the Internet has made video such a central part of day-to-day life for everyone, it just seemed to be the direction we're all headed. I started editing music videos and working with the Prism Prize, and those things gave way to doing some scoring, which led me to the Residency. The CFC has really helped to blow open all the possibilities available for integrating music and video.” – Neil Haverty 

“I really wanted to become an integral part of the movie magic. Ever since I started composing, I found myself intrigued by music's mysterious power to captivate the audience and to completely immerse them in the film world. Out of any music genre, soundtracks communicate extremely vast and diverse ranges of emotion, and I've always loved the challenge of creating those indescribable emotional moments for others.” – Erica Procunier

On the benefits of collaborating and working closely with CFC partners, mentors and fellow Slaight residents

“It was insanely transformational—pitching a song to a screenwriter or director, explaining to them how you interpreted their script, and convincing them that you are the right person to serve it. Those kinds of meetings were so thrilling and terrifying. Music as a ‘service’ was a very new and incredible concept to me. The director or writer has this thing, their baby, and your job is to serve it, bring your own heart to the table and add to its power. I quickly realized it was not about me at all at that point, which was really humbling and integral for me at that point in my career.” – Robyn Dell’Unto

“I think the range of projects I was able to work on at the Residency really pushed me to expand the boundaries of my comfort zone. Outside of actually writing music, working so closely with residents from the other CFC programs certainly made me a better collaborator, a better teammate and reliable ally for the filmmakers I work with – which is a huge part of the job of being a composer.” – Ben Fox

“My Residency colleagues created a support system and taught me so much with their talents. There is such an open, collaborative spirit in the program that is sometimes hard to find. I found it easy to adapt to working on their projects and felt I gained new insight into creating a meaningful score. I can honestly say almost all of the residents in my year in all disciplines are potential collaborators and friends. Already I've worked directly with five to six people. My fellow resident Ben Fox and I are now frequent collaborators and co-writers on many projects as well.” – Michael Peter Olsen

On the professional relationships developed

“My Slaight Music Residency felt like family—there were seven music residents and we got super close really quickly. We all continue to throw work to each other, support each other and collaborate on writing or composing projects. I’ll always know they absolutely have my back, and that really doesn’t happen all that often for me in this industry.” – Robyn Dell’Unto

“They’re invaluable, it really can’t be overstated. I just had a meeting about a new film with a producer who was in my year at the CFC. I think the CFC affords everyone a chance to really get to know each other on a personal level, which I think results in deeper bonds and more comfortable professional collaborations. That’s been my experience.” – Ben Fox

“The program has us working with a lot of talented emerging filmmakers. It remains to be seen who goes on to make feature films or television pilots, but the close working relationship means that we might be taken along for the ride when that happens. The directors in our year were so strong that I will be shocked if they don't go on to make great films in the near future. Everyone at the CFC is there because they take filmmaking seriously, so by the nature of these collaborations, you're bound to get invested in the projects and the vision of the filmmaker with whom you're working. Beyond that, they've given us access to a number of composers, music supervisors and music biz higher-ups that we wouldn't have had access to otherwise. There are now a bunch of people I could directly contact without having to cold-call, and that feels like a pretty lucky thing to me.” – Neil Haverty

On evolving musical interests

“Since the program, I am less interested in what I “gravitate to” and more interested in how to hone in on a specific vibe or sound, as requested by a client, licensing brief or just because I want to try. I came from an acoustic guitar, singer-songwriter, folky world with no training in composition, so at first I leaned on guitar work —slide guitar, electric swell-y stuff, classical stuff and all that. But during and after the program, I felt prepared to force myself to move towards things that don’t come as naturally: synths, programming, developing my own sample bank. These have become an obsession. I realize now that the styles and sounds that scare you can end up being your best secret weapon.” – Robyn Dell’Unto

“I've done a lot of working outside my comfort zone in the Residency. It seems that every piece I've worked on was slightly different than the last, and my music had to shape-shift every time. Obviously it's always going to come out sounding a bit like me, but I think the variety it offers is one of the most exciting things about scoring. This week, I'm making a post-rock song, an acid jazz song, a kooky TV theme song and a classical guitar song. [The Residency] really shakes up your creative practice.” – Neil Haverty

“Since my career has involved so many styles of music, the Residency really had the effect of allowed me to discover a more specific personal style within the context of many genres. I have been able to incorporate many music elements that I gravitate to: classical instruments, electronic experimentation, sound engineering manipulation, and acoustic recording. This has begun to emerge as a kind of unified sound for me.” – Michael Peter Olsen

On the practical and creative skills required to be in the business

“I think the biggest non-musical part of the job is having interpersonal skills. Navigating personalities and being a good collaborator is a huge part of the job. You have to have the emotional awareness to read people and support them where they need it. Music is one of the last links in the production of a film, and sometimes a director is completely thrilled with the film they’ve made, but a lot of the time you’re there to solve problems or add a dimension that the director feels they didn’t quite capture on screen. Whatever the case, you have to have sharp people skills to read situations and understand what each project requires.” – Ben Fox

“As a film composer you have to be a one-stop shop. You not only must be a brilliantly original composer who can run the gamut of current trends or time-tested classic sounds, but you must also have the skills of a pro music producer, customer service connoisseur, tech support guru, PR maven, accounting wiz, social media expert and party-hopping socialite. And also you have to be a nice person to work with!” – Erica Procunier

The 2017 Slaight Music Residency is currently open to new applicants, nominations close on March 31.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

US Media Contact: Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR / 917-562-5670 / katie@kampfirefilmspr.com
CA Media Contact: Margaret DeRosia / Communications Specialist / Digital Writer & Editor, CFC / 416.445.1446 x 463 / mderosia@cfccreates.com

US Premiere of Small Wonders: The VR Experience by CFC MEDIA LAB and SENECA at the Met Cloisters

“Walking through 500-year-old art...Once I put the headset and headphones on, it truly felt like I was transported to another world. You could walk through the levels of sculpture and detail in the bead, which was a frieze of heaven on top, purgatory in the middle, and hell below it. There were easily 20 fully carved objects – humans, demons, and animals – in the five centimetre bead, with multiple layers of objects on top of one another to create a three-dimensional image. I was astounded to be able to see, as close as I wanted to get, the bead in all its detail.”-- Stefan Palios,betakit

New York, NY, February 17, 2017– The Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab), Seneca’s School of Creative Arts and Animation, and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) are pleased to announce their groundbreaking virtual reality (VR) collaboration, Small Wonders: The VR Experience. It will screen for a special four-day limited-run as part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition, Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, February 22-27, 2017 at The Met Cloisters (99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York, NY 10040).

From February 24 to 27 during public hours, visitors can don a VR headset and explore a 3D rendering of a miniature boxwood carving from the AGO’s collection. The experience is free with general admission, reservations required, and marks a significant first for The Met Cloisters—the integrated use of VR to enhance the exhibition experience.

The exhibition Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, which runs through May 21st, brings together for the first time some 50 rare boxwood carvings from museums and private collections across Europe and North America. The exhibition offers new insight into the methods of production and cultural significance of these awe-inspiring works of art. Small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, these tiny masterpieces depict complex scenes with elegance and precision. Without fail, they inspire viewers to ask how a person could have possibly made them, a question that can only be answered today and a challenge perfect for VR technology.

“Much of the success of new VR will hinge upon the quality of experiences being created. Everyone is searching for that sublime encounter one can only have in VR. With the boxwood miniatures and their high-resolution scans, we have found the perfect, transcendent landscape to explore in this medium,” says Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, CFC, and Producer, Small Wonders: The VR Experience.

The AGO, CFC Media Lab and Seneca’s School of Creative Arts and Animation partnered to create Small Wonders: The VR Experience. Using one of the AGO’s micro-computed topography (micro-CT) scans of the miniatures, the creative and technical team led by interactive artist and designer, Priam Givord, developed an experience specifically for the HTC Vive platform. Viewers can explore the intricate carvings of the prayer bead from various angles and in detail otherwise inaccessible to the human eye. The soundtrack, Treasures of Devotion: Spiritual Songs in Northern Europe 1500-1540, echoes the ambience of the wider show. The result: VR enriches the contemplative and immersive experience.

Barbara Drake Boehm, the Paul and Jill Ruddock Senior Curator for The Met Cloisters said: “At first glance, the VR experience might seem anomalous in the medieval ambiance of The Met Cloisters. But, thanks to the efforts of the CFC Media Lab, Seneca and the AGO, VR opens a portal through which our visitors can tumble into a tiny world, and sense the meditative power that these centuries-old works of art were intended to convey.”

Small Wonders: The VR Experience was created by Lisa Ellis, Conservator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts (AGO); VR Creative and Technical Director Priam Givord (Interactive Artist/Designer); VR Producers Ana Serrano (CFC Media Lab) and Mark Jones (Seneca College); VR Technical Team Craig Alguire, Morgan Young (Quantum Capture) and Tyrone Melkitoy (Mobius Interactive); Composer/Vocalist Anne Azema, Artistic Director (The Boston Camerata); Narrator Gillian McIntyre; and Micro-CT Scanner Andrew Nelson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Sustainable Archaeology (Western University).

The exhibition continues at The Met Cloisters through May 21, 2017, but the VR experience will only run during public hours, February 24–27. To learn more about the Small Wonders exhibition and to plan your visit, go to: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/small-wonders

At The Met Cloisters, Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures is made possible by the Michel David-Weill Fund. It was organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Social Media

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
@metmuseum | facebook.com/metmuseum

About CFC

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization whose mission is to invest in and inspire the next generation of world-class Canadian content creators and entrepreneurs in the screen-based entertainment industry. A significant economic and cultural driver in Canada and beyond, CFC delivers a range of multi-disciplinary programs and initiatives in film, television, music, screen acting, and digital media, which provides industry collaborations, strategic partnerships, and business and marketplace opportunities for talent and participants. For more information, visit  cfccreates.com.

About CFC Media Lab

The Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab) is an internationally acclaimed digital media think tank and award-winning production facility. It provides a unique research, training and production environment for digital media content developers and practitioners, as well as acceleration programs and services for digital entertainment start-ups and related SMEs. Program participants have emerged as leaders in the world of digital media, producing groundbreaking projects and innovative, sustainable companies for the digital and virtual age. CFC Media Lab is funded in part by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. For more information, visit  cfccreates.com.

About Seneca

With campuses in Toronto, York Region and Peterborough, Seneca offers degrees, diplomas, certificates and graduate programs renowned for their quality and respected by employers. It is one of the largest comprehensive colleges in Canada, offering nearly 300 full-time, part-time and online programs. Combining the highest academic standards with work-integrated and applied learning, expert teaching faculty and the latest technology ensure Seneca graduates are career-ready. Find out more at  senecacollege.ca.

About AGO

With a collection of more than 90,000 works of art, the Art Gallery of Ontario is among the most distinguished art museums in North America. From the vast body of Group of Seven and signature Canadian works to the African art gallery, from the cutting-edge contemporary art to Peter Paul Rubens’s masterpiece The Massacre of The Innocents, the AGO offers an incredible art experience with each visit. In 2002, Ken Thomson’s generous gift of 2,000 remarkable works of Canadian and European art inspired Transformation AGO, an innovative architectural expansion by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry that in 2008 resulted in one of the most critically acclaimed architectural achievements in North America. Highlights include Galleria Italia, a gleaming showcase of wood and glass running the length of an entire city block, and the often-photographed spiral staircase, beckoning visitors to explore. The AGO has an active membership program offering great value, and the AGO’s Weston Family Learning Centre offers engaging art and creative programs for children, families, youth and adults. Visit ago.net to learn more.

About The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City— The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City— The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.

CFC Media Lab IDEABOOST Company SAM Joins
First Draft’s CrossCheck Project to Fight Fake News During
the French Election.

Tweet this release: http://bit.ly/2lMpnWf

Toronto, Canada (February 10, 2017) – The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Media Lab is pleased to announce that SAM, a CFC Media Lab IDEABOOST company, is partnering with First Draft to support CrossCheck. This collaborative verification project will assist newsrooms in battling fake news during the current French election cycle. SAM, a social media content management system, will support newsrooms as they monitor politicians’ posts across social platforms and fact-check claims.

SAM is one of more than 50 core partners of the First Draft coalition, which includes partners such as Twitter, Facebook and The New York Times. Created in 2015, First Draft is committed to raising awareness and addressing challenges regarding trust and truth in the digital age. CrossCheck represents one of their first major projects. By bringing together journalists from organizations across France to debunk false and misleading articles and social content, CrossCheck will help voters make sense of what to trust online.

“We believe that creating an informed electorate is a shared responsibility across the news industry, whether you are a journalist or developer,” said James Neufeld, Founder & CEO, SAM. “We’re very proud that our platform will play a role in helping CrossCheck and French newsrooms navigate the new world of fake news and alternative facts, and that we can collaborate at scale to tackle these issues during this election. The First Draft team has done an incredible job bringing together the very best minds, technology and social networks to tackle fake news. We’re pleased that our technology will be part of a model we’re certain will be replicated across Europe and the world."

Seventeen newsrooms and major social media sites have already joined CrossCheck, including AFP (Agence France-Presse), BuzzFeed News, France Télévisions, Le Monde and Google News Labs. Each newsroom will contribute its own experience, resources and regional knowledge to ensure that accurate reports reach citizens across the country and beyond.

A recent alumnus of CFC Media Lab IDEABOOST Cohort 5, SAM is also the 2016 winner of the inaugural Cultural Start-up Award, part of Enterprising Culture, a major international forum for Franco-Canadian creative and cultural industry startups. CFC Media Lab and the Cultural Service of the Embassy of France in Canada, in partnership with Forum d’Avignon, produced the event; read more about the Cultural Start-up Award here.

“SAM is exactly the type of company we like to invest in – one whose product vision is to solve complex problems with effective, thoughtful and meaningful technology,” said Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, CFC, and Managing Director, IDEABOOST. “For the current complex global media landscape, only a few startups and founders have both the lived experience and technology chops to find solutions. That’s why IDEABOOST looks beyond the usual suspects to find renaissance founders like James Neufeld, people with a nuanced and deep commitment to media that can lead globally.”

Selma Toprak, Cultural attaché, Consulate General of France in Toronto, concurs. “SAM received an excellent reception in France as part of our first Franco-Canadian program for the exchange of cultural startups. The service it offers skillfully combines the use of innovative technology with the needs of our companies with high quality and checked news.”

Learn more about First Draft and CrossCheck here.

Canadian Film Centre
@cfccreates.com | facebook.com/cfccreates
CFC Media Lab
@cfcmedialab | facebook.com/cfcmedialab
Embassy of France in Canada – Consulate General of France in Toronto
@francetoronto |facebook.com/france.toronto
SAM
@SAM_Desk | facebook.com/samdeskcommunity

CFC
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization whose mission is to invest in and inspire the next generation of world-class Canadian content creators and entrepreneurs in the screen-based entertainment industry. A significant economic and cultural driver in Canada and beyond, CFC delivers a range of multi-disciplinary programs and initiatives in film, television, music, screen acting, and digital media, which provides industry collaborations, strategic partnerships, and business and marketplace opportunities for talent and participants. cfccreates.com

CFC Media Lab
The Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab) is an internationally acclaimed digital media think tank and award-winning production facility. It provides a unique research, training and production environment for digital media content developers and practitioners, as well as acceleration programs and services for digital entertainment start-ups and related SMEs. Program participants have emerged as leaders in the world of digital media, producing groundbreaking projects and innovative, sustainable companies for the digital and virtual age. CFC Media Lab is funded in part by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. cfccreates.com/programs/media-lab

Embassy of France in Canada – Consulate General of France in Toronto
The Cultural Service of the Embassy of France in Canada works through the five Consulates to implement a cultural policy that focuses on three principal areas: inter-university cooperation, cultural cooperation, and French-language initiatives. Canada and France develop a significant partnership in cultural and digital fields. www.francecanadaculture.org

SAM
Social Asset Management Inc. (SAM) has developed a specialized Content Management System used by prominent news and media organizations worldwide to create and publish social media-based content. SAM is emerging as the leading solution that powers social media news search (news-gathering), curation, publishing (storytelling) and workflow. Customers include Associated Press, Thomson Reuters, Press Association, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Guardian, and Toronto Star. Accelerated through CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST, the company is revenue generating, has recently raised 1MM+ in financing, has eight employees and offices in Edmonton, Canada and London, England. samdesk.io/

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Margaret DeRosia
Communications Specialist/Digital Writer & Editor, CFC
(1) 416.445.1446 x 463
mderosia@cfccreates.com

Yann le Borgne
Press attaché, Consulate General of France in Toronto
(1) 416.847.1896
yann.le-borgne@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Goodmans LLP, a program partner of CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST Accelerator, has compiled a handy free legal guide that is a must-read for all startups in the technology sector.

The leading expert in the field of technology law, Goodmans LLP works with everyone from startups looking for seed capital and sound commercial foundations to multinational public corporations.

The full document delves into six areas of key considerations for startups:

1. Choosing the right business structure for your startup, be it sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation

2. Defining different types of intellectual property relevant to tech startups

3. Building a strong foundation and understanding all the different agreements between stakeholders and the capital structure (e.g., articles of incorporation, a shareholders agreement and a founder’s restriction agreement)

4. Choosing the right type of financing when raising capital (e.g., equity, simple agreement for future equity such as SAFE, debt financing, government funding and grants), as well as ensuring your startup complies with securities laws and exemptions

5. Building the right relationships by having a clearly defined contract with employees

6. Interacting with the public, looking at terms of use and privacy policy on startups’ apps or websites, and handling harmonized and provincial sales tax


To download the complete pdf version of this useful legal guide, click here.

Goodmans LLP is internationally recognized as one of Canada’s pre-eminent business law firms. The firm has market-leading expertise in M&A, entertainment and IP Law, corporate and transaction finance, private equity, real estate, tax, restructuring, litigation and other business-related specialties. Based in Toronto, they represent a broad range of Canadian and foreign clients from entrepreneurial businesses to multinational corporations, independent producers to Hollywood studios, investors to technology companies, financial institutions to pension funds and governments. It has a reputation for handling challenging problems that demand creative solutions.

For more information on Goodmans, click here. 

For more information on IDEABOOST and the range of services provided by our program partners, click here. 

CFC CEO Slawko Klymkiw introducing the CBC Actors Conservatory Showcase.

The late, great Alan Rickman once said: “Acting touches nerves you have absolutely no control over.” With the Oscars this week, most of us have films we’re rooting for – films we love in large part because of the people in them.

Skillful actors cast the right tone without a single word. A simple shrug conveys years of defeat. Shy smiles spark romance. In All About Eve, Bette Davis’ rapidly-downed martini and arched eyebrow cue us as much as the dialogue that we’d better fasten our seatbelts for a bumpy night.

On Tuesday, February 21 at TIFF Bell Lightbox, these skills were on full display. We were treated to a panoply of complex, moving performances, courtesy of the CBC Actors Conservatory Showcase. The eight residents of the 2016/2017 program screened their “Close-ups,” three- to four-minute works based on original characters created by the actors themselves. These pieces feature original music and scores from the Slaight Music Residents, as well as collaborations with directors, producers, writers and editors.

The 2016/2017 Residents. Front row seated (l-r): Emily Piggford, Vladimir Alexis, Sophia Walker. Back row (l-r): Kelly Van der Burg, Dan Abramovici, Matthew Gouveia, Ryan Bruce, Harveen Sandhu.

For the past six months, these artists – Dan Abramovici, Vladimir Alexis, Ryan Bruce, Matthew Gouveia,Emily Piggford, Harveen Sandhu, Kelly Van der Burg and Sophia Walker– have been working with acclaimed mentors, guests and acting coaches to strengthen their instrument and craft. They arrived at the CFC with already-impressive credits and talent, talent they have enhanced by working on their performance, audition and creative storytelling skills. They’ve gained a competitive advantage – a comprehensive understanding of the screen-based entertainment industry and how to navigate it for professional success.

The evening got underway with introductory remarks by Kathryn Emslie, Chief Programs Officer, CFC. She noted that since the CFC launched the Conservatory eight years ago, its 66 acting alumni have performed more than 350 roles in features, movies of the week, TV and digital series, more and more as leads. They work in everything from the truly independent to network TV, international co-productions to studio films, and on work that spans five of the seven continents. Emslie added, “There is a lot to be proud of here, and this year’s group is no exception. They are distinct, unique, talented professionals who have a great deal to offer any role, collaborator and project.”

Slawko Klymkiw, CEO, CFC, took to the podium next, thanking the Conservatory’s title sponsor, CBC, the Government of Ontario, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and the RBC Emerging Artists Project for supporting this program and nurturing Canadian talent.

Tara Ellis, Executive Director of Scripted Content, CBC Television, spoke next, saying that the CBC was “thrilled to be partners,” and that both CBC and CFC have a “longstanding commitment to supporting talent on and off the screen,” and “investing in the stars of tomorrow.” Michael Levine, Foundation Director, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, added that by “living in the shadow of America,” the Foundation and its partners like the CFC have shared a key goal: that it has been “important to establish our own brand” here in Canada. Programs like the Conservatory “go a long way” toward achieving this goal.

Since its inception, the Actors Conservatory has helped launch the careers of 66 truly talented and diverse actors. Alumni have gone on to work on acclaimed TV series, hit feature films and popular webseries. Some of our recent successful graduates of the Conservatory include Giacomo Gianniotti(Grey’s Anatomy), Emmanuel Kabongo (21 Thunder), Nathalie Krill, (Below Her Mouth), Patrick Kwok-Choon (Shoot the Messenger), Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek), Matt Murray(Eyewitness), Alex Paxton-Beesley (Pure), Cara Ricketts (The Book of Negroes) and Varun Saranga (Workin’ Moms), among many more.

CFC's Executive in Charge of Music and Acting Programs Larissa Giroux introducing this year's residents.

Before screening the Close-ups, Larissa Giroux, Executive in Charge of Music and Acting Programs, CFC, introduced all of the eight residents, bringing them onstage. She also reminded us that nominations for next year’s program have just opened; learn more here.

Each year, the CBC Actors Conservatory Showcase screening demonstrates rich talent, and last night was no exception. Their Close-ups prove we will certainly be seeing them onscreen in the years to come. Check out their pieces here:

Special thanks to our title sponsor, CBC, for supporting this program, the Government of Ontario, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and RBC Emerging Artists Project. 

Extra special thanks also to all of the 2016/2017 CBC Actors Conservatory guests and mentors who worked with our talented actors this year.

Enjoy our full gallery of images of the evening here.

All photos courtesy of Sam Santos / George Pimentel Photography.

The Canadian Film Centre’s (CFC) IDEABOOST accelerator has welcomed five cohorts of startups since its inception in 2012. Over the years, there has been an increasing number of virtual reality (VR) startup applicants. Half the companies in current cohort 6 are VR-focused startups.

To better serve this growing community, the CFC Media Lab is hosting its first IDEABOOST Network Connect VR Summit from February 28 to March 1, which is aimed at building a strong network of Canadian VR startups. The Summit hopes to strengthen this network by sharing common market insights and honing pitches to strategic partners and investors.

The roots of Canada in the nascent VR space run deep, one example being CAE Montréal’s decades-long lead in advanced simulation. One could say that VR is as Canadian as maple syrup!

Provincial and federal research and development tax credits are key building blocks in a burgeoning network of startups coast to coast. They position Canada as a hub of innovation for the next global interaction medium. This medium is less than five years old, but the impact of VR is already being felt across many sectors and industries, including entertainment, with a new generation of gaming experiences, as well as tourism, education, healthcare and more.

The invitation-only three-day IDEABOOST Network Connect VR Summit will bring together diverse startups from SpherePlay (Montréal) to FilmTyme (Toronto). The companies in attendance will represent a diverse, complementary network of contenders to build the next great visual medium. Speakers such as Adam Lipper (Samsung) and Prashant Matta (OMERS) will join the startups over the three days.

“The most exciting horizon that we can cross is when the average VR experience is social,” says Pete Forde, CEO of Toronto’s Itsme3D. “Today's concept experiments will quickly become how people work and play together, especially over great distances."

Forde’s colleague Vlad Dalescu of PinchVR concurs. “VR is the next evolutionary step in computing, as it aims to make the human-to-computer symbiosis more intuitive and intimate by transcending the limitations of the mouse, keyboard and two-dimensional screen.” PinchVR is an end-to-end mobile solution allowing content creators, marketers and brands to deliver interactive virtual reality to audiences worldwide.

“VR has already proven that it has role to play in supporting patient populations,” says Mark Thorburn, founder of Mobio Interactive. “We’re working with researchers to support pain and cancer survivors, and to scale our products into the mainstream.” Mobio is a wellness company that blends user experience design with mindfulness practices.

“"I remember the day we received those ski goggles with display and lens attached [the Oculus Rift DK1],” says Montreal’s Christian Eve-Lévesque. “We were so wowed [that] we passionately had to pursue the quest to deliver those kind of immersive video experiences to everyone. That's when we started SpherePlay."

Waterloo’sLens Immersive sees itself as “the destination for premium VR storytelling powered by the world's best streaming technology.” David Fedirchuk, also of Lens Immersive, adds that VR is great not only for the business opportunity, but also to see where the world's best storytellers will go with this new art form. “At the moment, no one has any idea what might be possible.”.

The Summit will enable these VR startups to come together for the first time. It already looks to be a productive gathering, with a number of exciting projects ideal for possible collaboration.


CFC Media Lab will bring you in-depth reporting from the Summit. 

Frédéric Guarino is a 20-year veteran of digital disruption and a Virtual Reality evangelist/strategist. He is also the guest programmer of the IDEABOOST Network Connect VR Summit.

Visit ideaboost.ca to join IDEABOOST Network Connect, our community affiliates program for companies that are building the next generation of technology-based media and entertainment products, services and brands. Network Connect provides access to mentors and experts, peer collaboration and networking, resources and perks and selected investor review.

The CFC is excited to share that eight talented alumni from TV and film are up for 2017 Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) Screenwriting Awards.

The WGC announced the full list of finalists yesterday, adding that this year they were introducing a new category, Best Script from a Rookie Series – a category in which two CFC alumni are nominated.

We congratulate all the following alumni who made the final cut. 

CHILDREN’S

• Numb Chucks, Season 2 
  “The Chucks Get Stuck in a Hole”

Written by Josh Gal

DOCUMENTARY

• Quebec My Country Mon Pays
  Written by John Walker
  

FEATURE FILM

• ARQ
  Written by Tony Elliott

• Maudie
  Written by Sherry White
  

MOW AND MINISERIES

• Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool
  Written by Adam Barken
  

BEST SCRIPT FROM A ROOKIE SERIES

• Private Eyes, Season 1 “Family Jewels”
  Written by Shelley Eriksen

• Wynonna Earp, Season 1 “Bury Me With M Guns On”
  Written by Alexandra Zarowny
  

TV DRAMA

• 19-2, Season 3 “Fall" 
  Written by Nikolijne Troubetzkoy

The WGC Screenwriting Awards will be held April 24, 2017 at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning’s Koerner Hall in Toronto.  

See the full list of WGC Screenwriting Awards HERE. 

The sixth cohort of CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST Accelerator kicked off this weekend. As the six startups begin their intensive four-month journey, we sat down with each of the founders to find out what makes them tick.

Jonathan Gagne, Brinx Software Inc. -- Brinx’s MasterpieceVR is the world's first collaborative VR platform that dramatically simplifies 3D sculpting and painting.

What led you to become a startup founder?

I’ve always liked to innovate and do my own things. I could create excellent novel things as one person, but great things are never created by one person alone. So instead I wanted to build a team of great people to come together and really change the way things are done.

How do you handle the uncertainty of being a founder?

(It can be an) emotional is a roller coaster. Two or three times a week I’ll get something that puts me on this high and shows me that this can be a billion-dollar company. That makes you feel great. Then it can be literally 10 minutes later and everything’s crashing down, and it appears that unless you solve the problem in the next two days, you’ll be bankrupt. So after going through this multiple times a week and being so stressed, you really have to emotionally find ways to manage that, to disconnect from that rollercoaster and just observe it. Spending half a dozen times a day being conscious of this helps me stay grounded. Because ultimately if that emotional factor takes over, then that prevents my rational thinking from making good judgements for the company.

How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

There is no final success – there’s only success at each milestone along the way. But if I had to put it on one thing, success would be to enable people to easily create 3D content and to permanently change how the majority of these people do it. That’s a goal in terms of creating the product, but if you want to talk financial success, then being able to do that will provide financial success as well.

We talk a lot about product-market fit. Talk to me about founder-product fit.

There are three components. Do you have the skills to build that product, both in terms of technology and business side, and is this something that you want to do? I think for really great success, these components must align. The passion must be there to create that product, you need to have the skills to create that product, and the product needs to fit the market.

Thomas Wallner, DEEP Inc. -- DEEP's Liquid Cinema utilizes cutting-edge technologies to create highly immersive stories.

What led you to become a startup founder?

When I realized we could actually play a role in innovating the grammar of a new medium.

How do you handle the uncertainty of being a founder?

I don’t want to say I thrive on uncertainty, but I like the unknown. I get very impatient doing the same thing over and over. I feel that I have such a strong vision about how this medium should go that I just don’t think about the uncertainties. When you’re driven by passion and figuring something out, it makes it easier to deal with the uncertainty. But you have to have the stomach for it, for sure.

How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

I’m of the mentality that you ultimately never come to the point where you feel you’ve succeeded because there’s always more to do. From a practical point of view, though, I will feel we’ve succeeded when one, we are making money because we’ve created a product that people use, and two, when we’ve made an indelible and permanent contribution to the grammar of a new medium. In fact there are two things we’ve invented that I actually believe will become a permanent part of this vocabulary. That to me is success on another level that I’m very proud of.

We talk a lot about product-market fit. Talk to me about founder-product fit.

I believe that any medium that uses moving pictures – that literally depicts reality – is going to be held to task to tell a story. If it can’t do that, then it’s not going to be used by people, because that’s what people want. So as a technologist and filmmaker of several decades, it was important for me to figure out how to transfer the discipline of storytelling to this new medium. The product we’ve created is the outcome of that desire.

Pete Forde, itsme3D-- Itsme creates animated, photo-realistic full-body 3D avatars.

What led you to become a startup founder?

I’ve been entrepreneurial since I was a kid. My grandfather was an inventor and I saw my dad start many businesses and release many shareware software products in the 80s. I consider myself fundamentally unemployable, and frankly I have more ideas than I will ever be able to execute.

How do you handle the uncertainty of being a founder?

I keep working. I surround myself with amazing people. I hire people I’d want to go on long road trips with.

How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

Success for this company requires several market conditions to shift, and for several behaviors to shift in the consumer public at large. What excites me is that we might be one of the instrumental technologies in helping VR be adopted. We make VR less lonely, and it turns out there’s a lot of people who would like to see that happen.

We talk a lot about product-market fit. Talk to me about founder-product fit.

For me, you start with your passions. You have a keen understanding of where you fit in to the larger story, and then you have to diligently say no to an awful lot of really interesting opportunities so that you can actually jump in to something and have a fighting chance of making a difference.

Mark Argo, Little Robot Friends-- LRF creates connected toys and apps for learning code and electronics, designed for age seven and up.

What led you to become a startup founder?

I’ve always been more visionary, as opposed to someone who works to support someone else’s vision. So I have the attitudes and personality of a startup founder.

How do you handle the uncertainty of being a founder?

I know I have a very rich skill-set. I’ve been working at the top of my industry for a long time, so if anything blows up, I have strong things to fall back on.

How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

I feel like I’m constantly succeeding, at least on the small goals that I'm setting out for myself and our company. But in terms of the larger goal of how I will know when the company has succeeded, we’ve already had situations where kids have come up to us and told us they’re inspired and they’ve done really cool things with our products. That to me is success.

We talk a lot about product-market fit. Talk to me about founder-product fit.

Gadgets are not necessarily essential to our lives, but they’re charming and they brighten our lives. As we got feedback from people who were buying the product, though, it really started to kickstart this thought process of “How are we preparing kids for this digital world where literacy and technology are going to be a really important part of finding your place?”

Ann Poochareon, Little Robot Friends

What led you to become a startup founder?

Three years ago, we launched a Kickstarter project that we thought was a cute idea. Then it kind of blew up in our faces and we successfully raised money. So then we had a product on our hands. For the past two years after that, we were just treating it as a side project. Then the side project got bigger and bigger and we wanted to see where it would go, so late last year we decided to go full-time on this product business, and these days, a product business leads to having a startup.

How do you handle the uncertainty of being a founder?

We just tackle problems one thing at a time. We compartmentalize. We break down big problems into chunks of little problems. A lot of it is like computer programming.

How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

One metric of success is that I don’t have to worry about my bank account running out any more. That’s not the only one, but that’s a big one. I think the success of this current company would be that I can go to stores and see my products, and go to a school and they tell me they’re using Little Robot Friends.

We talk a lot about product-market fit. Talk to me about founder-product fit.

Passion is kind of where it’s at. If you don’t believe in the product, then I think you give up too quickly and you’re not willing to see it through. I believe kids need to learn how to code, girls need to get in to tech. We want to help facilitate that.

Adam Adelman, Mighty Cast (The Nex Band)-- Mighty Cast’s The Nex Band is the world's first programmable smart band with a focus on the gaming industry.

What led you to become a startup founder?

I used to be a hedge fund portfolio manager and I was evaluating emerging tech and new media. I’d been doing it for many, many years and I started to tire of evaluating other people’s dreams. I wanted to do something on my own. I always had a creative itch, so my wife and I jumped into the startup scene in 2003.

How do you handle the uncertainty of being a founder?

I surround myself with great advisors, great directors and a great team, where we can communicate very easily and openly.

How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

We have very, very big dreams, so I'm not sure we’ll ever know if we’ve succeeded. The obvious ones are when we’ve IPO-ed or when we’ve sold our business to a Google or a Snapchat, something like that – when there’s a final liquidity event. But we‘re thinking about building a brand, so I don’t know that we’ll ever say this is the moment when we’ve succeeded.

We talk a lot about product-market fit. Talk to me about founder-product fit.

This company started as a content company. The product started as a fictitious product in a story world we created. We realized we had something unique when, after several focus groups, everyone was focused on this one fictitious product. Because we come from more of a creative and storytelling background, we think about the product in a very different way than our competitors, which I think is an interesting advantage.

Jim Rand, Synervoz-- Synervoz builds audio and voice communications software and its flagship app, turnmeup, allows anyone to listen to music and talk at the same time using headphones.

What led you to become a startup founder?

It’s based in my personality from birth, I think. My dad was an entrepreneur.

How do you handle the uncertainty of being a founder?

It’s a matter of managing it to a point where the risk is acceptable. It’s managed to the downside so the downside is not unthinkable.

How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

I already feel like we’ve come a long way and learned so much. We introduced a product that hadn’t existed before that actually works. We’ve been taken seriously by a lot of the most serious players in the game right now, so we’ve already achieved some level of success. I’m always going to look back at this as a success in one way or another.

We talk a lot about product-market fit. Talk to me about founder-product fit.

If you’re excited about the thing you’re building, you’ve got fit. I think I’ve found it. I took a whole bunch of ideas that were in my mind for a long, long time and brought them all together into what I think can be a really awesome product. Independent of the ability to make money, I’d want to build this thing.

The interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Virtual Reality is exciting because it is no longer hypothetical. The technology has applications in entertainment, education, and beyond, and it’s poised to deliver on the hype thanks to rapid improvements in the space. The headsets are getting sleeker, the content is becoming more immersive, and the limitless potential has attracted some of the brightest minds in Canada. It won’t be long before Virtual Reality transforms the way we interact with the world around us.

The future, however, remains uncertain for many companies working in VR. The market is still in a nascent stage, and the possibilities are so vast that no one is quite sure what the final form will look like. It can be difficult to generate revenue today, while waiting for a landscape that won’t emerge until tomorrow.

Enter CFC Media Lab’s first Network Connect VR Summit -- a special program providing VR startups in Network Connect with practical services aimed at achieving long-term sustainability in this emerging and exciting space.

“Our goal is to have 50 new startups join our IDEABOOST community every year as part of our pre-accelerator program called Network Connect,” said Ana Serrano, CFC Media Lab’s Chief Digital Officer and Managing Director of IDEABOOST. “This year, a good portion of those companies were in the immersive media space, in VR and AR. So we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to create a new service that seeks to answer those questions particular to that group. In VR, some of those questions include how to take advantage of the frothy funding available, how to remain sustainable while consumers sort out what platforms to invest in, how to bet on the right business models given that the space is still in flux, and more.”

This year’s Network Connect cohort includes almost 35 startups to date, with at least a third of them in the VR and AR spaces. Future summits, according to Serrano could focus on anything from Machine Learning to Artificial Intelligence, but for now they are bullish on VR and the hope was that the conversation would kick start new ideas and generate a more sustainable VR ecosystem.

“We’re building a network of companies, getting them out of their day-to-day tunnel vision and into a collaborative mode,” said Frederic Guarino, guest programmer of the summit. “Many of the companies are meeting for the first time. We can nudge them. They can build projects together that they couldn’t by themselves.”

That collaborative spirit was present throughout the week. The participating companies are all attempting to solve different parts of the VR puzzle. This IDEABOOST Network Connect VR Summit makes it easier to pool resources. And it makes far more sense to collaborate than to handle every problem internally.

Itsme3D is an excellent example of what that looks like in practice. The Toronto-based company has developed technology that can turn anyone into a 3D avatar, as CEO Pete Forde demonstrated with a highlight reel of his own avatar dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. The avatars put a human face on Virtual Reality. That makes the technology a little more welcoming to the public, which can be a boon for companies that are more focused on hardware or software solutions.

“We, as software developers and programmers, don’t get to chat with content folks very often,” said Jeff Ross, the Technical Director at Brinx VR. Brinx is the developer of Masterpiece VR, an artistic suite that allows users to sculpt, paint, and create art in Virtual Reality. Masterpiece VR also has a strong social component, which is why Ross is excited about a possible collaboration with Itsme3D. Brinx has built a virtual art studio. With Itsme3D, the interactions that take place there will feel as if they’re happening face to face.

“In Virtual Reality, you’re representing yourself,” said Ross. “The avatar that you pick is almost the clothes that you wear for the day. It’s great to have a high quality avatar of your real self that you can then bring into games and other social experiences on the platform.”

“Avatars are a fundamental ingredient to social VR. We’re emphasizing the social aspect of our product. I think that’s an area that’s going to grow and it’s something we want to be a part of,” added Ross.

Forde, meanwhile, was equally enthusiastic about Masterpiece VR.

“Early players like Tiltbrush are brilliant but solitary,” said Forde. “Brinx is amazing because they figured out that anything you do in VR is a lot more fun when you do it with other people. I’m excited to work with Jeff and his team to get our avatars working. I’m inspired by the fact that he seems to be asking tough questions about how to make VR more interesting for people who are watching on the couch.”

Forde and Ross both plan to follow up after the summit, and those are exactly the kinds of connections that the CFC Media Lab wants to foster with IDEABOOST and its program offerings. The participants were thrilled to see what other companies are working on, and that bodes well for future initiatives.

“I think we should all be helping each other get ahead and figure out the best path forward,” said Forde. “CFC Media Lab is providing an excellent service to the entrepreneurial community by bringing together such a high quality panel of experts. Everyone I talk to here is really smart.”

“This is a fabulous venue to network with other professionals and find out that you’re not alone,” added Ross. “There’s a lot of validation. Canada is fragmented, and the communities are typically quite small. It’s good to get a perspective on what’s happening in the space.”

That’s the CFC Media Lab’s ultimate goal for IDEABOOST and its program offerings. They want to provide startup companies with a platform where everything that follows helps build on everything that came before. In the case of the Network Connect VR Summit, the ties forged during the week will ensure that the process continues long after the summit. 

Visit ideaboost.ca for more information on CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST’s Network Connect and Accelerator program.

From March 6 to 12, 2017, Canadian film, television and digital media talent were honoured as the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television handed out the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards (CSAs) at various ceremonies across Toronto. The CFC is proud to share that 20 alumni and mentors received CSAs over the course of Canadian Screen Week, which wrapped Sunday evening with a CBC broadcast gala hosted by Howie Mandel. 

As previously announced, a CFC alumnus (Randall Okita) also received this year’s John Dunning Discovery Award, presented to the best micro-budget film of the year. We congratulate Okita on his success with The Lockpicker, which was produced through the Telefilm Canada Micro-Budget Production Program.

A full list of this year’s alumni winners can be seen below. To view a general list of CSA winners, CLICK HERE.

The cast of Weirdos. 

Original Screenplay

Daniel MacIvor (Alumni and Mentor) – Weirdos

Achievement in Music – Original Score

Todor Kobakov– Born to be Blue

Best Dramatic Series 


Orphan Black

Space (Bell Media)

(Temple Street)

John Fawcett, Graeme Manson, Alex Levine

Best Comedy Series

Letterkenny

CraveTV (Bell Media)

(New Metric Media)

Mark Montefiore

Best Animated Program or Series

The Curse of Clara: A Holiday Tale

CBC (CBC)

(Smiley Guy Studios)

Jeremy Diamond, Denny Silverthorne

Best Documentary Program

My Millennial Life

TVO (TVO)

(Makin' Movies Inc.)

Maureen Judge

The cast of Letterkenny.

Best TV Movie or Limited Series 

Murdoch Mysteries - A Merry Murdoch Christmas

CBC (CBC)

(Shaftesbury)

Christina Jennings, Peter Mitchell(Mentor)

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series

Orphan Black– "Transgressive Border Crossing"

Space (Bell Media)

(Temple Street)

John Fawcett

Best Original Music for a Non-Fiction Program or Series

Guantanamo's Child: Omar Khadr

Documentary Channel (CBC)

(White Pine Pictures)

Mark Korven (Mentor)

Best Original Music Score for a Program
 

Murdoch Mysteries - A Merry Murdoch Christmas

CBC (CBC)

(Shaftesbury)

Robert Carli (Mentor)

Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Factual Series

Real Vikings: Age of Invasion

History (Corus Entertainment)

(Take 5 Productions)

Mark Caswell

Best Original Music Score for a Series

Orphan Black– "The Scandal of Altruism"

Space (Bell Media)

(Temple Street)

Trevor Yulle (Mentor)

The cast of Kim's Convenience.

Best Picture Editing in a Comedy Program or Series

Kim's Convenience– "Gay Discount"

CBC (CBC)

(Thunderbird)

Kye Meechan

Best Sound in a Comedy or Dramatic Program or Series

Vikings – The Last Ship

History (Corus Entertainment)

(Take 5 Productions Inc)

David McCallum

Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series

Murdoch Mysteries - A Merry Murdoch Christmas

CBC (CBC)

(Shaftesbury)

Peter Mitchell (Mentor)

Best Writing in a Dramatic Series
Presented with the participation of the Cogeco Program Development Fund

Orphan Black– "The Collapse of Nature"

Space (Bell Media)

(Temple Street)

Graeme Manson

Best Writing in an Animated Program or Series

Nerds and Monsters– "Bee-Hive Yourself"

YTV (Corus Entertainment)

(Slap Happy Cartoons)

Craig Martin

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series

Unclaimed

CBC (CBC)

(Full Flood Productions)

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers

The cast of Murdoch Mysteries - A Very Murdoch Christmas.  

CFC alumni, if we missed your award, please let us know by e-mailing alumni@cfccreates.com.

Karen Walton speaks at the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program Showcase.

In the CFC’s Bell Media Prime Time TV Program, a successful showrunner serves as Executive Producer in residence, guiding a real world TV story room experience for six to eight selected writers. Writers spend two and a half months working as a story department, developing the executive producer’s original series intended for the marketplace and strengthening their writing, story and collaborative skills. Then, in the latter half of the program, building on the story room experience, they develop their own series concepts through a myriad of workshops, story sessions and marketplace meetings with key industry leaders. The program concludes with an industry showcase event.

During the 2017 Bell Media Prime Time TV Program Showcase at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Monday night, the CFC premiered seven new and compelling TV Teasers from Bryce Gamache, Laura Good, Matt Houghton, Emily Hurson, Karen Nielsen, Hayden Simpson and Justin Rawana. These teasers are tantalizing short promos generated from each writer’s original series concept. They are designed to give you a taste of who these writers are, what kind of material they’re drawn to, their unique voice, and to give you a glimpse into the world, the characters and themes of their original series. This year’s lineup demonstrates real range, both in terms of who these writers are, as well as their exciting series concepts.

Award-winning and dynamic creator, screenwriter and executive producer Karen Walton was among the crowd cheering on the writers and their work Monday evening. An alumna of the Writers’ Lab herself with credits in groundbreaking film and television productions like cult fave Ginger Snaps and hit TV series Orphan Black and The Listener, Walton was this year’s Executive Producer in residence running the story room, working with the writers to develop her original new show, Corridor. 

Karen Walton on stage at the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program Showcase. 

During the showcase event, Walton spoke about her experience in the story room portion of the program, saying that it was an “absolute career highlight” and the “best television room [she] had ever participated in.”

“I say this not only because I’m biased as its leader or guide, but because I had the privilege of working with seven leaders and guides, who taught me as much about the craft, the career, and creating excellent television as I could have imparted to them.”

The CFC’s Kathryn Emslie, Chief Programs Officer, and Slawko Klymkiw, CEO, introduced Monday’s screening with a sizzle reel illustrating the impact this program has had in just the last 3 years alone.

“We’re really proud of the talent and content this program has helped develop,” Emslie said. “But none of this would be possible without our amazing and generous mentors, the incredible support from our industry, and the commitment of our partners.”

Tom Hastings, Bell Media's Director, Drama, Independent Production. 

Klymkiw noted how vital our partners are, acknowledging our latest TV sponsor ABC Signature Studios before thanking Bell Media for their longstanding and continued support of the CFC, and specifically this program. He then invited Tom Hastings, Bell Media’s Director, Drama, Independent Production, to the stage. Hastings talked about the rich history of Bell Media as a CFC partner, stating that this program is “the wellspring that nourishes our whole industry.”

“We, on the network side, are only as good as the writers that come to us with ideas, scripts, drive and passion,” he continued. “I just know that many of you will soon be working with us on your own projects and in many rooms, joining many of your alumni who are already in key creative positions at shows across all the networks in this country.”

Walton then joined Hastings onstage for the formal presentation of certificates to the graduating residents. Then the lights dimmed for the screening.

The 2016/2017 Bell Media Prime Time Program residents (left to right): Justin Rawana, Hayden Simpson, Laura Good, Matt Houghton, Karen Nielsen, Emily Hurson and Bryce Gamache.

These seven writers’ concise, entertaining promo pieces illustrated not only their specific series concepts, but also their larger creative vision. The promos demonstrated the high-calibre work these writers are capable of generating across multiple platforms and genres.

Take a look for yourself below and glimpse a future hit. Previous CFC-incubated successes include Travelers and Orphan Black, both developed by executive producers in residence and their teams of writers in the program, and Global’s hot new series, Mary Kills People from alumna Tara Armstrong in the 2014 program.

After the screening, everyone headed over to the Studio Event Theatre for a well-deserved reception to celebrate.

The TV Teasers would not have been possible without the talented directors, producers, editors, cast and crew who brought our writers’ words, characters and worlds to life. Special thanks to the 2016/2017 Slaight Music residents for scoring and composing all of the teasers.

Our sincere gratitude extends to our program partners, Bell Media, the Government of Ontario and ABC Signature Studios, for nurturing Canadian talent and for making this program possible.

The Bell Media Prime Time TV Program has a series of generous supporters – see them listed in full here. We also acknowledge the contributions of our outstanding mentors and guests – see them listed here. 

Photos by: Sam Santos / George Pimentel Photography. 

The CFC is deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Jordan Christianson.

A wonderful writer, a lovely and warm presence, a hard worker and a terrific collaborator, Jordan was an alumnus of the CFC’s 2010/2011 TV Writing program.

After leaving the CFC, Jordan worked on the CBC-TV comedy series, Mr. D for two seasons, later moving on to CBC's popular, long-running TV show, Murdoch Mysteries. Jordan worked as a writer and executive story editor at Murdoch Mysteries for four seasons, creating great friendships and learning from his talented colleagues. He was constantly striving to improve his writing skills, injecting humour, romance, science and mystery into his scripts.

Jordan was a much loved member of Murdoch Mysteries, the Shaftesbury family and the CFC. We will all miss him greatly.

For more information on Jordan: https://www.jordanchristianson.org. 

Over the span of eight years, the Actors Conservatory at the CFC has seen many talented actors develop their craft and go on to dazzle and inspire onscreen. From Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek) to Grey’s Anatomy star Giacomo Gianniotti, past alumni have built their professional and artistic skills to garner both Canadian and international success.

The CBC Actors Conservatory is a six-month full-time program where actors work with mentors to develop their artistic techniques and onscreen body of work, as well as expand their professional opportunities in the entertainment industry. Actors explore different methods and become fully immersed in the film and TV creative processes, while establishing strong professional relationships with other CFC program residents and alumni.

Here, our past alumni – Grace Glowicki, Varun Saranga, Emmanuel Kabongo and Erin Carter– share how the program has shaped their careers.

On learning new techniques

Varun Saranga

Before the Actors Conservatory I never really had a prescribed technique. I was just winging it. I found that it worked well for a time, but having no foundation left me very insecure. The Actors Conservatory was able to give me a range of techniques, allowing me to pick and choose aspects that worked well for me. Whenever I go back to a place of hesitation, I go back to the techniques I learned in the program. –Varun Saranga

Because you are exposed to so many different methods, techniques and people at the Actors Conservatory, it really forces you to decide how you like to work. I now have a firm grasp of what kind of work I want to be doing, how I can best do it, and whom I can best do it with. –Grace Glowicki

In the past, there were times where I struggled with memorizing my lines, but after doing the intensive workshop with the instructor, Lindy Davies, I learned a memorization technique that’s helped me a lot. The program has also allowed me to be more confident in my talent and not overthink the things that don’t really matter all that much. –Emmanuel Kabongo

On working with residents and alumni from other CFC programs

Erin Carter

Working closely with CFC residents and alumni changed my approach to the onscreen storytelling process for the better. There's a sense of security in knowing you can fail and still come out the other side. There are so many CFC residents testing their own boundaries, as well as the industry's, that it pushes you to take risks and ask the right questions. I felt much more confident in my own process after being able to watch everyone else work through the same questions I had. –Erin Carter

After closely working with different professionals, my process has changed tremendously. For example, I attended an editor’s workshop that really impacted how I close off my scenes as an actor. Knowing that an editor’s job is to ensure that the scenes flow, I now make sure that at the end of every scene I have something for the editor to work with. – Emmanuel Kabongo

I think the CFC does an exceptional job of a connecting people. You are able to find people within the program who you gel with and want to collaborate with. To this day I am still working with many of my fellow CFCers. –Varun Saranga

On exploring new genres

Emmanuel Kabongo

I tend to gravitate towards drama and complex characters; however, there’s been a slight shift since I attended the Actors Conservatory. Now, even in material that deals with comedy, I try to find the depth and realness to the characters involved in the piece. –Emmanuel Kabongo

I mainly gravitate towards comedy or characters with a comedic edge, but the Actors Conservatory helped me realize that I am capable of more than just that. It gave me the freedom to demonstrate my range not only to others, but to myself. – Varun Saranga

On the professional relationships developed

During my time at the Actors Conservatory, I made a few personal connections with people from various labs. This led to me putting a creative group together and we made a short film. As a team, we received a BravoFACT grant to make the short film, which went on to premiere at the Toronto Reelworld Film Festival and win the 2016 Impact Award for Best Short Film. I am very grateful for the CFC and continue to look forward to collaborating with CFC alumni on new projects. –Emmanuel Kabongo

Grace Glowicki

My professional network has doubled. I now know more actors, directors, editors and producers — this has been incredibly helpful! –Grace Glowicki

On the biggest takeaways

I learned what it meant to be an autonomous actor. Instead of relying on others for validation, I was able to look inward and understand when I was truly connecting to the material and when I wasn’t. –Varun Saranga

While attending the Actors Conservatory, I formed some great relationships with people throughout the program. I felt then and continue to feel today that I am a part of a very big family. –Emmanuel Kabongo

My biggest takeaway from the Actors Conservatory was self-confidence. I think as actors we look for permission a lot from directors or writers, but the Actors Conservatory was a perfect place to experiment with having an opinion. I had previously spent a lot of time on set waiting for someone to tell me what to do, being fairly insecure when it wasn't a project I was producing. I walked away from the Actors Conservatory finally feeling like I had the knowledge and confidence to step up and be vocal when it was called for, to take risks and not be afraid to fail. –Erin Carter

My intuition is my most valuable tool, as is internalizing the truth that I am driving my career, not the other way around. –Grace Glowicki

A scene from 'Chokeslam', a film made in part through the Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange, which opens nationwide April 7.

The 2016/2017 Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange is in full swing, with our four teams currently in Los Angeles, pitching their projects and taking creative and marketplace meetings with key industry experts.

With the support of lead sponsor/partner Telefilm Canada and associate partner Just For Laughs, the Comedy Exchange is a high-level, cross-border project and business accelerator that supports a customized approach to advanced project development, packaging and strategic marketplace positioning. Up to four feature projects are invited by an international advisory each fall. Producers and their writer/director teams head to Los Angeles in March for targeted one-on-one meetings and sessions on their revised drafts, continuing to access creative counsel, financing and packaging expertise, while building strategic relationships with key decision-makers and comedy experts.

Some recent Comedy Exchange projects are heading our way. Don’t Talk to Irene is writer Pat Mills’ second feature comedy about a misfit teenage girl who rallies the members of a retirement home to join her dance crew. The film stars Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis and Michelle McLeod as plucky Irene. Executive-produced by Ed Gernon and Producers’ Lab alumna Alyson Richards, it will be released in Canada by Search Engine Films this year.

Shooting is underway near Montreal for Birthmarked, a comedy starring Toni Collette and Matthew Goode as scientists raising three children contrary to their genetic disposition. Marc Tulin wrote the script, with Marie-Claude Poulin and Pierre Even are producing.

Chokeslam had its world premiere last October at the Calgary International Film Festival, where it was the closing night film. Directed by Robert Cuffley, and co-written by Cuffley and Jason Long, Chokeslam follows a mild-mannered deli clerk, who gets a second shot at winning back his high school sweetheart-turned-notorious wrestling star. It was picked up by Canadian distributor A71 and will land in theatres Canada-wide on April 7, 2017.

Buzzy new film Public Schooledjust finished principal photography in Vancouver last December. Based on an original script by producer Josh Epstein and director Kyle Rideout, the film got its start in the Exchange in 2013, and went on to be produced by CFC Features. Chronicling the brave new world of public school that a home-schooled tween must enter, Public Schooled boasts a dream cast: critically-acclaimed Judy Greer (Jurassic World, Antman, War for the Planet of the Apes), Russell Peters (Source Code, The Jungle Book) and Grace Park (Hawaii 5-0), alongside winsome newcomer Daniel Donheny in the lead.

With that track record, check out this year’s projects and teams below, who promise more on-screen laughs will be heading our way soon.

A BETTER YOU 

After her slacker husband Jeff gets amnesia in a car accident, Veronica, a type-A successful architect, tries to reprogram him into the ideal man she wishes him to be.

Emily Alden (Producer)heads production, distribution and development for PNP and is executive producer on several of their past and current slate of films, including Ed Gass-Donnelly’s upcoming Lavender, Jason Bourke’s Drone and Robert Carlyle’s feature directorial debut, The Legend of Barney Thomson, starring Emma Thompson.

Jed Rees (Writer) splits his time between Canada and the U.S. as an actor in film and television productions, with appearances in The Chris Isaak Show, Men With Brooms, Luck, DaVinci’s Inquest, CSI, NCIS, Deadpool and American Made. He is studying screenwriting at the University of College Los Angeles Extension.

Jason James (Director) is an award-winning Vancouver-based producer/director. He directed and produced the indie feature, Entanglement (2016), and That Burning Feeling, which won Best First Feature at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival and was released in both the U.S. and Canada by eOne Films and Search Engine Films.

A COLLEGE GIRL’S GUIDE TO PORNOGRAPHY

After a terrible one-night stand, a headstrong college student risks her future to make a feminist pornographic film to challenge her generation's conception of sex – and hopefully result in her first orgasm.

Jordan Walker (Producer) produces films that have screened at festivals in Toronto and Cannes as well as on CBC, TMN and Bravo! His 2015 comedy, How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town, had its U.S. premiere at Slamdance and won Best Film at the Canadian Film Festival.

Mika Rekai (Writer) is a screenwriter and journalist from Toronto. She is the creator of comedy webseries, AntiSocial. A College Girl's Guide to Pornography is her first feature.

Jeremy LaLonde (Director)is a Toronto-based filmmaker whose award-winning films, Sex after Kids and How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town, have screened internationally at Slamdance, Cinequest, Santa Barbara, Toronto, Edmonton and Whistler. In 2015, he was awarded NOW Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Local Filmmaker.

LARRY’S AWESOME KEGGER

Convinced that one single embarrassing night in high school defined his blundered adulthood, a middle-aged man attempts to reset his life by throwing the party in his parents’ house he couldn’t as a teenager.

Tex Antonucci (Producer) has 10+ years’ experience in the feature film and television industry, producing projects from early script development to final delivery. Based in Vancouver, he has experience working internationally, with past experience at Infinity Features, and currently with South Creek Pictures and Screen Siren Pictures on multiple feature film and television projects.

Dennis Heaton (Writer/Director) is an award-winning writer and producer from Vancouver. His work spans animation, webseries, feature films, television comedy and drama. He recently completely showrunner duties on Motive. Other credits include the television series Call Me Fitz, The Listener,JPOD and Blood Ties, and the feature film, Fido.

VIRGIN SUMMER

Ever since his rabbi-father died and his mom started dating again, 16-year-old Ben Feldman has been a mess, but his friends have the cure – a road trip to a Reno brothel. With crazed bouncers, cops and stashed drug money, virginity is the least of these boys’ problems.

Leah Jaunzems (Producer) is VP, Development at Darius Films in Los Angeles and Toronto, with credits in Defendor (2009), A Beginner’s Guide to Endings (2010), The Art of the Steal (2013), The Intruders (2015) and Cold Blooded (2012), which won the Audience Award for Best Canadian Feature at Fantasia (2012).

Ryan W. Smith (Writer) is a Vancouver-based screenwriter, working in various genres, with his historical thriller Jacaranda a Semifinalist in the Austin Film Festival’s Screenplay Competition. Smith has written over 137 episodes for television series, such as ReBoot: The Guardian Code (YTV), Some Assembly Required (Netflix/YTV), and Mr. Young (Disney/YTV).

Learn more about the Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange HERE.

What’s the easiest part of writing for comedy? According to Andrew De Angelis, it’s creating the funny. Maybe that’s because De Angelis is no stranger to comedy, or to funny.

A 2008 alumnus of CFC’s Prime Time TV Program, De Angelis went on to write for several Canadian series, including 18 To Life, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Mr. D, the Teletoon at Night hit show, Fugget About It, and the Emmy-nominated kids’ show, Odd Squad.

Most recently, he wrapped production on his first comedy series, What Would Sal Do? Set to air on Crave TV tomorrow (Friday, March 24), What Would Sal Do? is an eight-episode modern day parable of an entitled underachiever who, for the first time in his life, is challenged to be a good person when he discovers he’s the Second Coming of Jesus. Fellow CFC alumnus Mark Montefiore is one of the show’s executive producers.

We recently caught up with Andrew to get the scoop on his inspiration for What Would Sal Do? We talked about what it’s like to run your own show, and the challenges of writing comedy. Read the full interview below.

You completed CFC’s Prime Time TV Program in 2009. What were your first few TV gigs out the door?

Andrew De Angelis: My first one right out the door was on 18 to Life and that was directly a result of the [Canadian] Film Centre. Virginia Rankin was supposed to be one of our mentors [in the program], and she had to swap out at the last minute and Karen Troubetzkoy (one of the creators of 18 to Life) came in. So by the time the program finished, we got along well. She liked my writing and basically said, “I have this show that might go. If it does, I’d like to hire you on.” CBC greenlit it, she was true to her word, and she hired me as a script coordinator.

You recently wrapped production on your first series, What Would Sal Do? What inspired you to create it?

Well, it was a few things: One, it was just the simple idea of the Second Coming, and what would it be like if the Second Coming was to happen in the contemporary world. And not to treat it as a joke or a wacky sitcom, but really just to genuinely say ‘What would it be like?'

I wanted to see what it would be like to treat the Second Coming honestly, and I wanted the main character to be an asshole. So, here’s this guy who’s been spoiled his whole life by his mom, because she believes him to be the Second Coming, so he’s got to be a really good person, and he’s an asshole. Also, I think in the world we live in right now, even if you are trying to be nice to someone or nice to people, it’s always viewed with skepticism. So I wanted to compound that all: a guy who has no idea what it means to be a good person [and is] trying to be a good person in a world where people are skeptical of good people. [Laughs]

What’s it like running your own show? What did a typical day look like for you on What Would Sal Do?

This show was interesting because we were on a low budget. From the beginning when we had our writers’ room, we only had four weeks [for Season 1], and then from there, we basically all went off and wrote drafts. And then it was just kind of me on my own doing passes, addressing notes, communicating with writers. Once the scripts got to a certain point and we got into prep, I didn’t have a writers’ room anymore. It was really me kind of having to address it all.

Now the other challenge with this show is that we block-shot the whole season. So the eight episodes were written and pretty much polished before prep even started, because we couldn’t still be writing while we were shooting. On any given day, the first scene might be from episode 1, the second from episode 4, and then to 5, 7. So a typical day in our kind of prep was me alone writing. Then once we got into prep and production, a lot of it was scouting locations and trying to make our locations work with the story, because this was entirely a location show. We were in Sudbury and the locations I had written in weren’t available sometimes, so we would have to figure out how to change the story to make it work for that location. And then once we got into production it was: get up, shoot, try to make the day, make any adjustments on the fly that need to be made.

What are the main differences between writing for someone else’s show versus writing for and running your own show?

Writing for your own show is just that: it’s your own show, it’s your own voice. You get to make the decisions you want to make, and you also have to make decisions you never knew you had to. Things with scripts, story, and casting … dealing with questions with wardrobe, which is definitely not my area of expertise, but I would address that as well. It’s just that ability to help dictate what kind of a show you want it to be. Not just what’s on the screen, but also the culture of the show, how you are going to work with people, how you want this experience to be for the people working with you. That was something that was really important to me, aside from the writing and the craft side of it. I wanted it to be an experience people enjoyed and were glad to work on.

What lessons from your time at the CFC have you taken with you as you’ve worked on What Would Sal Do? and other TV series?

I learned so much from Graeme Manson [who was the Showrunner-in-Residence at the time] [and] how he ran a [story] room. He was open to have everybody’s input, which was great. Here was this guy with so much experience actually listening to [the residents of the Prime Time TV Program]. It really made you feel like you were part of it.

Other than that … it’s all about connections. Treat people well, because you never know when those people are going to come back and be there to help you. Every kind of person that you meet in any project or in any job, they are a potential opportunity for other work, other projects. Take advantage of that and treat people accordingly.

The other key lesson was that hard work trumps all. Talent is absolutely important and you need it, but the thing I think has really helped me is my work ethic – I’m a hard worker. I think that’s what has helped me to keep working, and it’s what I look for in other people. This is a dream job – we all love it, we all got into it because it’s all glamorous. But it’s a job and people are paying you. And the harder you work, the more that will pay off for you.

What is the most challenging thing about creating and/or writing for comedy series?

To me, the most challenging thing is not forgetting about jokes, not forgetting about comedy, but realizing that funny stuff and great jokes come from good drama and good conflict. So, the hardest part, and the way I ran the [What Would Sal Do?] room was, we were really hard on every idea, and we were hard on beating out the story, because it all comes from there. If the story is good and the conflict is good, and the beats are right, and you get all that in order, the funny really is the easiest part. [The funny] just comes if you’ve built a really good dramatic/comedic situation that makes sense and flows from one beat to the next. And also have good characters.

What advice would you give to writers who want to work in comedy and perhaps eventually become a showrunner?

Going back to what I said earlier, first and foremost is: work your ass off. Take whatever job you can get. Because the more experiences you have – good, bad, ugly – it all helps you, it all shapes you. Take everything. Don’t be picky, and don’t be entitled. Sometimes I think there can be some entitlement. Just take the job, work the job, do whatever you need to do. That work also extends to you on your own writing scripts, writing whatever ... Just keep getting better and better at it.

What Would Sal Do? premieres on Crave TV this Friday, March 24. It was created by Andrew De Angelis and produced by New Metric Media, in association with DHX Media. Greg Copeland produced the series, with Mark Montefiore and Patrick O’Sullivan as executive producers.

Learn more about the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program HERE. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for length.

The recent The Arts in a Digital World Summit (March 15 to 17) was the perfect culmination of Canada Arts Council’s motto: “Bringing the arts to life.” 

The Summit brought together creators from across Canada to the breathtaking Arsenal space in Montreal, including five CFC Media Lab's IDEABOOST Network Connect companies (BemusedNetwork, Brinx's MasterpieceVR, FilmTyme, Vubble and Wondereur), who showcased their arts-friendly solutions in the CFC Media Lab | IDEABOOST lounge throughout the Summit.

Simon Brault, Director and CEO of Canada Council for the Arts, opened the Summit with a powerful address to the 300 attendees of the Canadian arts sector, stating that the level of digital intelligence is not what it should be in the arts. “It is undeniable that the world we live in, and our future, is a digital one,” said Brault, “For artistic creation and organizations to remain relevant, they must be able to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of the digital age. This Summit and our new $88.5 million commitment is aimed at supporting that regard. By 2021, the Canada Council’s specific investments in digital will represent over 10 per cent of its grants.”

Following Brault’s opening remarks, Sylvie Gilbert, Director of the newly announced $88.5 million Fund for the Arts in the Digital World, spoke in detail about the Fund’s goals and objectives. The Fund will run for four years (2017 to  2021) and is aimed at kickstarting the arts sector’s digital transition in a specific timeframe. It will support projects and initiatives that will support the Fund’s three components: digital literacy and intelligence; public access to the arts and cultural engagement; and the transformation of organizations

Guests speakers, including Ana Serrano, Jackson 2bears, Astra Taylor and Sylvain Carle, explored several important questions. How can Canada’s arts sector better respond to the shifts and disruptions provoked by digital technologies? How can we develop innovative approaches to renew and grow our relationships with citizens in a digitally empowered society? How can we transform our organizational and business models to leverage and optimize digital?

CFC’s Ana Serrano, a member of the Summit’s advisory committee, kicked off the questioning on Day 1 by sharing the committee's insights on how the arts sector should get future-ready. In their view, we are entering another technological (r)evolution as immersive media (VR, MR, AR), artificial intelligence and ubiquitous computing become mainstream. Their call to action is for the arts sector to seize the opportunity to be equal participants at the table with the technology sector to intentionally design what these new futures will bring. She believes that despite our present context, with its ongoing digital divides, privacy and security issues, techno-economic inequalities, with the arts sector's commitment, we can do better as a society.

Jackson 2bear, a Kanien’kehaka (Mohawk) multimedia artist and theorist, spoke about how his ancestors would refer to their “stories being written on the land” — because for indigenous peoples, the landscape is considered to be a living, animate, and embodied archive. A central aspect of Jackson 2bears’ research is the spatiality of storytelling: how story can be dimensional as well as durational, and how narratives are intricately interconnected with place, the landscape, and the environment. His talk during the Summit focussed on the digital divide and whether technology further marginalizes indigenous communities or will serve to amplify rights, traditions and protocols.

Sylvain Carle is a serial entrepreneur, CTO and co-founder since 2000 (Messagia, Interstructure, Praized, Needium). Before joining Real Ventures as a general partner in 2014, Carle was senior developer advocate at Twitter in San Francisco. Sylvain Carle described himself as a socialist, idealist and pragmatist who is convinced that technology will change the world in this era of the networked society. He spoke about how he’d like to see technology evolve into a more urban, local, sustainable, fair, open, transparent and more human world.

Astra Taylor is a writer, documentarian, organizer and, most recently, the author of The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age, which won a 2015 American Book Award. Taylor said that for all that we “tweet” and “like” and “share,” the Internet reflects and amplifies real-world inequities at least as much as it ameliorates them. Online, just as off-line, she argued, attention and influence largely accrue to those who already have plenty of both. She provided the call to action for Day 2 as she asked:

On top of inspiring speakers and contributors, the Summit featured workshops on topics such as: Our Opportunities in a Connected Society and How Do We Bring Our Vision to Life? Its exploration of how the arts can become more immersed in the digital world was summed by Simon Brault’s final words that before we are removed from the process entirely, let’s use our ability and power to make some conscious choices, so that:

●We don’t become tourists in the ruins of our past

●The decrees of digital giants don’t unilaterally determine how art is created and shared

●We can counter the dehumanization of and by digital;

●Art and culture remain central to the destiny of our fellow human beings, as an anchor for society and civilization

●We can work together, in solidarity, as players in a future we insist on being part of.

For more detail on the event visit The Arts in a Digital World Summit.

Damon D'Oliveira and Clement Virgo accept the 2017 CFC Award for Creative Excellence. 

Conquering Lion Pictures received a much-deserved roar of applause from the screen-based entertainment industry yesterday evening, as founders Damon D’Oliveira and Clement Virgo received the fourth annual CFC Award for Creative Excellence during the CFC’s annual L.A. reception at the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills.

Like previous Award for Creative Excellence winners (Mad Men scribe Semi Chellas, Orphan Black creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson, and writer/director/actor Don McKellar), D’Oliveira and Virgo are CFC alumni known for creating engaging, original content for the small and big screen. Their impressive list of collaborative work includes acclaimed films like Poor Boy’s Game and Lie With Me, and the award-winning 2015 CBC/BET miniseries adaptation of Lawrence Hill’s bestselling novel The Book of Negroes.

One of the CFC’s greatest strengths is the collaboration it helps forge between alumni, and Clement and Damon have been a dream team since they first met at the CFC back in 1991. They began working together on their CFC short film SAVE MY LOST NIGGA’ SOUL and formed production company Conquering Lion Pictures while making their first feature at the CFC, RUDE, which went on to premiere to critical acclaim at Cannes.

To read more about Conquering Lion Pictures, CLICK HERE.

Through the years, D’Oliveira and Virgo have engaged both national and international audiences with their commitment to representing untold, yet universal stories. And this was most evident last night, as an overwhelming number of friends and colleagues from both sides of the border came out to honour Conquering Lion Pictures’ most impressive and important creative achievements.

The evening began with a warm welcome from Christina Jennings, CFC Board Chairman and Shaftesbury CEO, who thanked all in attendance, including James Villeneuve, Consul General of Canada, Los Angeles. Following a few words from Villeneuve, CFC CEO Slawko Klymkiw, and Fresh TV President Tom McGillis, CFC founder Norman Jewison and Academy Award winner Louis Gossett Jr. took to the podium to present D’Oliveira and Virgo with the evening’s honour.

Louis Gossett Jr. speaks at the CFC's 2017 L.A. reception. 

Gossett Jr. spoke first, sharing some personal stories from his time working with them—whom he called “two favourite people in this business”—on TheBook of Negroes. “I’m extremely flattered to be asked to speak about these two young men,” he explained.

“It’s called lightning in a bottle. I’ve had a career that’s like that—like lightning in a bottle—where it’s not supposed to be possible for me to get an Oscar, to be doing something in theatre, to be living in Toronto … to get that acceptance. So here, I am, very grateful to be participating in another Roots, which is what [The Book of Negroes] was. They wanted me to play a part called … Daddy Moses. Before they got the Moses out, I said yes. BET, Africa and Canada … that’s five aces in a deck.”

He continued, “As you learn on Broadway, every time you get in front of the people, you must raise the bar. They worked me to death, but really, they were insisting that I raise the bar. That’s the status these two young men have set … and they’re only going to continue to go up and up. I cannot wait to work with them again.”

Esteemed filmmaker Jewison further addressed the importance of D’Oliveira and Virgo’s work, noting how proud he has been to watch them grow as professionals, as storytellers, and as … tenants.

“I’m not only a fan of these two talented filmmakers, but I’m also their landlord,” Jewison explained to the crowd with a smile.

“Clement and [fellow CFC alumnus] Bruce McDonald came years ago and now we’ve got all three of them on the fourth floor of my building in Toronto. I’m on the fifth floor, so I go down to the fourth floor every once and a while, and when we were working on projects, we’d see each other every day. I’d go out and hang out because I liked the way we shared our sensibilities about our hopes and dreams and our stories that we want to tell. I have much respect for them because what they have accomplished is remarkable. They bring so much credit and honour to the Canadian Film Centre as graduates, but they’ve also brought great honour to our country because their films have been shown in Berlin, Cannes, all over the world. These two filmmakers represent, I think, the best of what is coming out of the CFC in Toronto.”

He added, turning to D’Oliveira and Virgo, “I really hope that you stay in the building. I’m not going to raise the rent.”

And with that, D’Oliveira and Virgo were welcomed to accept the 2017 CFC Award for Creative Excellence. Both filmmakers received original artwork by Toronto graphic artist Riad and CFC Writer’s Lab alumna Motion. The artwork is a visual representation of their work, a collage of imagery that illustrates how the influences of culture, roots and stories connect.

Norman Jewison with Damon D'Oliveira and Clement Virgo. 

After accepting their award, D’Oliveira and Virgo took a moment to reflect on the honour, their early years at the CFC and how they want to continue to give back to the community that helped make their dreams a reality.

“Needless to say, we could not have achieved what we have in and out of Canada without their support,” D’Oliveira began. “We were dying to tell stories from a different perspective, and for the CFC’s first Diversity Summit Lab, [CFC Chief Programs Officer] Kathryn Emslie assembled a group of belligerent upstarts who all wanted to break into what already seemed to be an impenetrable industry. The first short dramatic project that Clement and I made tried to change that … a film branded with a title that seems no less charged today than it did in 1993: SAVE MY LOST NIGGA' SOUL. We were given wings to create something provocative, something out of the box. And that came with the support of the entire institution behind us.

A couple of years later, the CFC stepped in and provided financing for our first feature film, RUDE, the first black-written, directed and produced feature film in Canada. Inspired by the end result, RUDE’s message of breaking barriers became our own personal mantra and we started a production company dedicated to that. Twenty years later, we continue to develop projects that give voice to a whole new generation of authors, filmmakers, artists, some of whom are still eclipsed by the unfavourable odds.”

Virgo echoed these sentiments, thanking the CFC for “truly being [their] champions over the last 20 years.”

“When we made RUDE, we had a first cut that wasn’t very good. I remember thinking, ‘What are we going to do? Let’s show it to Norman!’ We brought him and showed him the cut and he said, ‘This is what you’ve got to do.’ We did those things and the film ended up going to Cannes a few weeks later … Even now as a filmmaker, whenever I come across a scene that I’m unsure of what to do with, I think, ‘What would Norman do?’”

Clockwise from top left: Slawko Klymkiw, CEO, CFC, with Board Member Eugene Levy; CFC Actors Conservatory alumnus Emmanuel Kabongo; casting director Jen Euston with actor Alex Karpovsky; and Tamara Gregory, Creative Executive, VIACOM/BET Networks, with Lyriq Bent and CFC Actors Conservatory alumnus Matt Murray. 

Following the award presentation, guests continued to mingle and network, enjoying assorted food, drinks and conversations. Aside from the previously mentioned speakers, attendees included a wide array of film, TV, acting and music talent, as well as CFC mentors and board members including Eugene Levy, Neal Clarance, Roma Khanna, John Morayniss and Suzette Couture.

In addition, we welcomed this year’s four Telefilm Feature Comedy Exchange teams, who have been pitching their projects and taking meetings in L.A. throughout the week, along with the current Slaight Music residents. CFC Media Lab is also here with the five investment-ready startups taking part in the IDEABOOST Global Market Exchange. 

Finally, we thank this year’s event co-hosts, Cast & Crew Entertainment Services and Fresh TV, for their continued support. We are delighted to be working with these companies who share our commitment to building a strong entertainment business of the future.

For more photos of CFC’s 2017 reception in L.A., CLICK HERE. All photos by Jesse Grant.