Canada’s newest and hottest independent feature-filmmaking husband-and-wife team, Jennifer Jonas and Leonard Farlinger, are busier than ever these days. Their first feature, The Perfect Son, is set to make its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, while their next two projects are moving forward in development.

Working under the auspices of New Real Films, the couple is in the final draft stage (thanks in part to the Harold Greenberg Fund) of their first ‘romantic, sex comedy,’ I’m Yours, which Farlinger is writing and directing and Jonas is producing.

With Jefferson Lewis (The Perfect Son) attached as story editor, the film, described as the first Ontario road movie, travels from Toronto to North Bay and focuses on the redemptive power of love. ‘The themes are similar to The Perfect Son, but where The Perfect Son is a brother story, [I’m Yours] is about couples – a battle of the sexes,’ explains Jonas.

The film is budgeted at $4 million and Jonas says she’s looking for an international coproducer to help fund the project. ‘Either Germany or the u.k. would be great,’ she says. ‘The language of the script would match well with a British audience.’

A Discovery of Strangers, the couple’s third film, is being adapted from the 1994 Governor General Award-winning novel of the same name, written by Edmonton-based author Rudy Wiebe. Set in 1821 when John Franklin led a group of British officers and Canadian voyageurs on their first expedition through the Northwest Territories to the Polar Sea, the film, based on true events, tells the contact story of the troop’s encounters and the love story of an officer and a native.

‘It’s a true love story,’ says Jonas, adding, ‘When I read the book, it blew my mind.’

Farlinger is currently writing the treatment, which recently received support from Telefilm Canada.

The intent, says Jonas, is to find a u.k. coproducer. ‘Because the story is about British officers, it’s a natural u.k./Canada coproduction.’

Budgeted somewhere between $7 million and $10 million, the film will be produced by Jonas and may be directed by Farlinger.

Later this month, Jonas and Farlinger plan to take a trip to Yellowknife with Wiebe to visit Coppermine River, the original site where the story took place.

The film is set for production in 2003.

Meantime, The Perfect Son has just been completed and will be released this fall by Canadian distrib Equinox Entertainment.

Made on a shoestring of $2 million, and starring Colme Feore (The Insider) and David Cubitt (Traders), the film about the reunion of two estranged brothers was written and directed by Farlinger and produced by Jonas.

*D’Oliveira has two world premieres at TIFF

With two films making their international debut at the Toronto International Film Festival – Clement Virgo’s Love Come Down and John Greyson’s Law of Enclosures – producer Damon D’Oliveira is busier than ever these days with another two major projects in development.

The first, Proteus, is an official Canada/South Africa coproduction. Produced by D’Oliveira (Rude) of Pluck Inc. (the prodco he cofounded with Greyson and under which he produced Law of Enclosures) and coproduced by Steve Markowitz of South Africa’s Big World Cinema, the $3.5-million feature is a historical drama set in 1735 on Robin Island, the infamous prison island off the coast of Cape Town where Nelson Mandela was jailed.

Being written by Greyson (Lilies), who is also directing, and South African scribe Jack Lewis, Proteus is based on the true story of two gay prisoners caught on the island. ‘It’s an international, gay, historical romance – the world’s first,’ says D’Oliveira.

The idea to make a film on the subject transpired when Lewis came across court transcripts of the case that prosecuted the two lovers.

‘The script was developed primarily by the grace of e-mail,’ says D’Oliveira. ‘[Greyson and Lewis] were sending drafts back and forth for two years before they actually met in person at this year’s Cinemart [in Rotterdam in February].’

The casting process is already underway in South Africa and Amsterdam. ‘We’re looking for a Dutch lead and there’s a possibility for a role for an established British actor,’ says D’Oliveira.

The film is set for production in 2001.

Meanwhile, Alliance Atlantis Communications is distributing Law of Enclosures and Equinox has rights to Love Come Down, which has already been presold to France and Germany.

As for the second project in development, D’Oliveira is keeping tight-lipped about any details, which he says he’ll likely be ready to announce before the end of the month.

*Serendipity enlists top Canadian writers

Speaking of tight-lipped, Serendipity Point Films is in development on 10 high-profile features, but is revealing next to nothing about any of them.

What can be reported, however, is that Mordecai Richler is adapting his recent best-seller Barney’s Version for the screen, in a project to be produced by Robert Lantos with a budget falling somewhere between $2 million and $40 million.

Vincenzo Natali (Cube) is cowriting (with partner Toinette Terry) and set to direct Splice, rumored to be Canada’s largest ever sci-fi feature, with an estimated budget of $20 million. C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures is currently pitching Lantos and Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Production’s Bill House on the idea that a credible sci-fi creature – the film’s central character – can be built digitally.

The rest of the slate is being developed with such noted Canadian talent as Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg, Semi Chellas, Paul Gross and Wayne Grigsby.

Meanwhile, the Lantos-produced Stardom, directed by Denys Arcand, is the opening film at this year’s tiff. Lions Gate will be releasing the film in the u.s. on Oct. 27.

*All that glitters shines in Toronto

All That Glitters brings superstar Mariah Carey to Toronto, where the feature production from Columbia Pictures is shooting from July 25 to Sept. 21.

Rumored to be a $40-million, updated version of the well-worn A Star is Born, but described only as a ‘major motion picture…it deals with a singer…it’s a romantic drama, a love story,’ the film is produced by Lawrence Mark (Jerry Maguire) and Carey, and coproduced by E. Bennett Walsh.

Carey also stars, alongside u.k. newcomer Max Beesley, Shawntae Harris (aka Da Brat), Tia Texada (Bait), Ann Magnuson (Making Mr. Right), Terrence Howard (The Best Man) and Dorian Harewood (Full Metal Jacket). Former Chicago Hope principal Vondi Curtis-Hall is directing.

Kate Lanier wrote the original screenplay.

On Sept. 27, the production moves to New York for a final, one-week run.