Feature producers lost in the Canadian theatrical distribution fog have a new flare to sail by with the debut of Toronto-based distributor Beacon Releasing.

Headed by company principal Ethan Phillips, Beacon is hoping to release between six to 10 films for the Canadian market per year, handling theatrical, video and television sales.

The company has a twofold objective, according to Phillips. ‘The first objective is to give exposure to foreign-language filmmakers in the Canadian market, and secondarily to play the producer role in Canada,’ he says.

Phillips forecasts that between a half to two-thirds of Beacon’s product will be foreign-language films – such as its first release, the ’96 Palme d’Or finalist Drifting Clouds from Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, slated for an Oct. 23 release at Toronto’s Carlton Cinemas as well as in other major Canadian markets. Brother Mika Kaurismaki’s directorial effort, LA Without A Map, will have its world premiere as a gala presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival.

‘We’re focusing on films that have done well on the film festival circuit,’ says Phillips, who adds, ‘We’re certainly not afraid of picking up a film that was on the ’97 circuit.

‘There are lots of quality foreign-language films winning prizes and awards that didn’t get Canadian rights acquired and never got a release in Canada,’ he says.

While not looking for an output deal with an American distributor, Phillips says Beacon is interested in doing business on a picture-by-picture basis with smaller u.s. or foreign distributors.

‘There’s a market opening, particularly for a firm that isn’t just finding output deals with American distributors, a firm that just picks acquisitions film by film and markets them specifically to the niche and the film-going public for that particular film,’ he says.

‘That was the company’s animating philosophy.’

While in the first year of operation Beacon is sticking to releasing, with theatrical first and foremost, in its second year the business plan calls for some production activity.

‘In years two, three and on, we’d like to do some Canadian producing,’ says Phillips. ‘That’s the secondary objective – to help more filmmakers to make their films.’

At tiff, Beacon hopes to pick up a few titles including a Canadian film. While the purchase price can vary from project to project, Phillips says Beacon has been paying an average of $15,000 for all media rights in Canada to films.

‘We may go higher, but if the commercial possibilities of the movie are a little lower, we’ll go lower, it depends on the film,’ he says.

While Phillips is unwilling to be too specific, it seems that Beacon is looking for culturally relevant films that are socially aware.

‘We like films that draw on the context of a particular society at a particular time and that have some sort of social observation,’ says Phillips. ‘We’re not interested in highly generic films that could take place anywhere or anytime.’