TORONTO, Aug. 5 /CNW/ - Astral Media is pleased to have 21 of the Canadian feature and short films that it has supported through its networks The Movie Network and Super Ecran and its production fund Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund/Le Fonds Harold Greenberg, selected for the 30th annual Toronto International Film Festival(R). Astral Media is also pleased to confirm that 15 out of 16 Canadian English-language feature films selected for this year's Festival were supported by The Movie Network, while Super Ecran supported five out of six French-language Canadian feature films selected for the Festival.
"We are thrilled to have 21 Canadian films which were supported by Astral Media at this year's Toronto International Film Festival and congratulate each of the respective filmmakers on their achievement," says John Riley, President, Astral Television Networks and Astral Télé Réseaux. "As the largest private supporters of and investors in Canadian feature film through our pay-TV networks and production fund, we are committed to the development and production of homegrown films and are very proud to have contributed more than $60 million toward Canadian original series, feature films, variety shows and documentaries in the past year."
The Canadian films supported by Astral Media, through script development, pre-licencing, equity investments, exhibition and promotion, include the Festival's Opening Night World Premiere Gala Presentation of Deepa Mehta's Water and the North American Gala Presentation for Atom Egoyan's Where the Truth Lies.
Water, the final film in Mehta's trilogy, follows the story of an eight- year old child bride in India. The film represents an equity investment and pre-buy for The Movie Network and Super Ecran and has Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund as an equity investor. Starring Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas and John Abraham, Water is a David Hamilton Production.
Where the Truth Lies, based on the novel by Rupert Holmes, follows a former comedy duo who offer an ambitious writer different versions of an unsolved murder. The Movie Network and Super Ecran are a major equity investor and pre-licensor of this film. Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund supported Where the Truth Lies through script development and equity investment. Starring Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, Alison Lohman and Rachel Blanchard, the film is produced by Robert Lantos and Serendipity Point Films.
Additional Astral Media-supported films selected for the 30th Toronto International Film Festival(R) include:
Feature Films
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- Beowulf and Grendel - Directed by Sturla Gunnarsson
- Equity investment and pre-buy by The Movie Network and Super Ecran
- Script development and equity investment by Astral Media The
Harold Greenberg Fund
- C.R.A.Z.Y. - Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
- Equity investment and pre-buy by Super Ecran and The Movie Network
- Equity investment by Astral Media Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
- Eve & The Firehorse - Directed by Julia Kwan
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network
- Script development and equity investment by Astral Media The
Harold Greenberg Fund
- Familia - Directed by Louise Archambault
- Pre-buy by Super Ecran
- Script development and equity investment by Astral Media Le Fonds
Harold Greenberg
- Fetching Cody - Directed by David Ray
- Acquisition by The Movie Network
- Script development by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund
- The French Guy - Directed by Ann Marie Fleming
- Acquisition by The Movie Network
- Horloge Biologique - Directed by Ricardo Trogi
- Pre-buy by Super Ecran
- Equity investment by Astral Media Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
- Lie with Me - Directed by Clement Virgo
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network
- Script development by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund
- The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico - Directed by Michael Mabbott
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network
- Equity investment by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund
- Lucid - Directed by Sean Garrity
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network
- Script development and equity investment by Astral Media The
Harold Greenberg Fund
- La Neauvaine - Directed by Bernard Emond
- Pre-buy by Super Ecran
- Equity investment by Astral Media Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
- Saint-Martyrs-Damnés - Directed by Robin Aubert
- Pre-buy by Super Ecran
- A Simple Curve - Directed by Aubrey Nealon
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network
- Six Figures - Directed by David Christensen
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network
- Script development by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund
- These Girls - Directed by John Hazlett
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network and Super Ecran
- Script development by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund
- Three Needles - Directed by Thom Fitzgerald
- Equity investment and pre-buy by The Movie Network and Super Ecran
- Tideland - Directed by Terry Gilliam
- Equity investment and pre-buy by The Movie Network and Super Ecran
(The Movie Network also co-financed the companion original
documentary Getting Gilliam by Vincenzo Natali with CBC. Getting
Gilliam will premiere on The Movie Network in conjunction with the
theatrical release of Tideland)
- Equity investment by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund
- Whole New Thing - Directed by Amnon Buchbinder
- Pre-buy by The Movie Network
- Equity investment by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund
Short Films
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- Big Girl - Directed by Renuka Jeyapalan
- Recipient of Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund training grant
sponsorship of the Canadian Film Centre 2005 Short Dramatic
Programme
The Festival's Canadian films were announced on Tuesday, August 2 at the Toronto International Film Festival's press conference in Toronto. For further information on these and other Festival films, please visit http://www.tiffg.ca/content/mediacentre/newsreleases.asp.
The Movie Network is an Astral Media network available in eastern Canada. With premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, critically-acclaimed HBO and Showtime series and first-rate Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television entertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels - M, MMore, MExcess, MFun! and MFest - which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and commercial-free television environment. The Movie Network also offers The Movie Network OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern Canada. As a major supporter of Canadian original programming, The Movie Network has contributed over $250 million toward Canadian content since the launch of the channel in 1983. For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca.
Super Ecran is an Astral Media network. Super Ecran is Canada's only French-language pay-television network offering first-run movies, exclusive series and variety shows on four 24-hour channels, uncut and commercial free. Super Ecran is also offering Super Ecran Sur Demande, a Subscription Video On Demand service (SVOD). For more information, please visit www.superecran.com.
Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund/Le Fonds Harold Greenberg is a national funding organization established to contribute to the development and production of high-calibre film and television productions while encouraging the emergence of new talent. Since its inception in 1986, The Fund/Le Fonds has invested close to $41.5 million in the Canadian film and television industry. For more information, please visit www.astralmedia.com.
Astral Media is one of Canada's leading media companies, active in specialty, pay and pay-per-view television, radio and outdoor advertising. Astral Media's solid and dynamic presence in the country's major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences. www.astralmedia.com.
For further information: Media contact: Roopa Shah, Astral Television Networks, (416) 956-8584, rshah@tv.astral.com
© CNW Group
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