Always a presence at tiff, Canadian distributor Malofilm has what senior vp and managing director Andy Myers calls their ‘strongest festival slate in history.’

Among the list of recently acquired titles for Canadian distribution by Malo, the distribution arm of Montreal-based parent company Behaviour Communications, are the festival entrants Nil By Mouth (Gary Oldman), Canadian director Mina Shum’s Drive, She Said, John Sayles’ Men With Guns and Le Siege De L’Ame from director Olivier Asselin, for which the company also has worldwide rights.

Backed by an output deal with Sony Classics, New York-based In Pictures and Shooting Gallery, Malo is looking to increase its distribution market share domestically and worldwide. Rooted by its challenging mix of titles that include previous champions Margaret’s Museum – domestic and worldwide – Angels and Insects, The Madness of King George, and the recently released and controversial In The Company of Men, Myers says Malo plans to augment its principal eclectic focus with such mainstream offerings as Air Bud, Liar and the upcoming Free Money, which is in production in Montreal.

Myers, who joined Malo from Norstar after a major restructuring in late April that saw the loss of 60 staff and a write-down of $25.5 million, also points to the recent appointment of president Pierre Brousseau, who recently joined the company following the departure of distribution president Yves Dion in August, as an indication of Malo’s intention to strengthen its French-Canadian and European operations and acquisitions.

‘Pierre is well connected to the French-Canadian and European talent and as such has brought a number of highly regarded French-Canadian filmmakers to the fold and will be initiating coproductions with various European partners,’ says Myers.

Among the Malo entrants at tiff that Myers is applauding, is the recut print of Clockwatchers from American director Jill Sprecher. The film, starring Parker Posey and Lisa Kudrow, has been receiving good notice from the press in attendance at the Toronto festival.

And while most of the films on Malo’s tiff slate have received positive press, there is always a concern for any Canadian distributor with films at the festival that a negative revue for a festival entrant can hurt the eventual Canadian release.

Myers cites a strategy of not holding press screenings for titles they feel might not fair well with critics, and the utilization of the strong work and media relationships of Malo pr and communications director Bonnie Smith to combat the problem.

‘You can’t prevent the press from ultimately seeing the film, but you do everything humanly possible to minimize the effect,’ says Myers, who admits, ‘They [the press] will print whatever they feel, and it’s not something we can totally safeguard ourselves from.’

Another Malo offering that has received extremely good notice with the press is American independent director John Sayles’ Men With Guns. The film is shot entirely in Spanish and Indian dialects, and will present a difficult marketing challenge for Canadian distribution.

Myers says he plans to market the film based on Sayles’ proven track record as one of the most respected independent filmmakers in North America.

‘The film will require clever marketing on the part of Sony Picture Classics and ourselves,’ says Myers. ‘It doesn’t skew to as wide an audience as Lonestar did, but nonetheless we feel it delivers on its promise and will get sufficient critical acclaim to give it the prominence we need.’

Myers says Sayles’ film will probably be given a limited release in Canada as opposed to Lonestar, which played on approximately 15 screens across the country. ‘I suspect we’ll debut it in Toronto and perhaps Vancouver and fan out from there,’ he says. ‘It’s a big-city film.’

Myers feels Men With Guns’ subtitles will have little effect on its theatrical release in Canada, but may present a challenge in video and television sales. ‘Theatrically, subtitles are not a big handicap here like they are in the States,’ he says.

Speaking of subtitles, the shrinking performance of and demand for foreign-language films in North America is a prominent concern to Myers and Malo. Myers points to the continent’s broadcasters and their unwillingness to play foreign-language titles (save Academy Award winners) as one reason for the sharp decline. ‘Pay-television has not been supportive of foreign-language films,’ Myers says, and yet he applauds the cbc and Showcase for their willingness to broadcast foreign titles in many instances as a ‘saving grace.’

Malo’s main competitor in the Canadian distribution arena is the dominant Alliance Releasing, whose lucrative deals with Miramax and New Line and ability to distribute the studio blockbusters, have given it the leverage necessary to virtually control the Canadian cinema circuit.

Malo is hoping for and predicting an increase in the number of theater venues in Canada like Toronto’s Canada Square and Carlton Cinemas that play first-run independent films. ‘That audience is growing,’ says Myers. ‘The fundamental problem we face in Canada is the absence of these types of venues. We find ourselves booking top-flight independent films in calendar theaters in markets like Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary. These are sophisticated markets that could very easily support a Canada Square.’

Simply surviving is another challenge for Malo. The company reported a loss of $17 million or $1.61 a share for the third quarter ended June 30. Much of the loss, $11.3 million to be exact, came from the distribution end of the company.

As far as acquisitions during the festival, Malo has yet to make any purchases, but Myers says he may be interested in David Mamet’s The Spanish Prisoner and Life During Wartime from first-time feature director Evan Dunsky.