Toronto’s Alliance Atlantis Communications has promised the largest launch ever for a Canadian film and it appears poised to deliver, with partners CHUM and Famous Players in tow.

The object of this vigorous effort is Foolproof, the sophomore feature from director William Phillips (Treed Murray). Jim Sherry, president of AAC’s Canadian theatrical distribution department, says the P&A budget for the film in Canada will be north of $2 million.

The AAC-produced film has already benefited from a strong opening weekend for The Matrix Reloaded’, which grossed a reported $14 million in Canada. Famous Players attached a Foolproof teaser at the beginning of the sequel to The Matrix and left an estimated two million impressions. Famous Players, alone, is contributing $500,000 worth of in-theatre promotion and an extensive trailer campaign to the Foolproof cause.

Famous’ VP, corporate affairs, Nuria Bronfman, says the promotion reaffirms the exhibitor’s stance on backing indigenous work.

‘What we feel is lacking is the audience for these films and we think one of the key ingredients for the success of our indigenous film industry is to create audiences and a market for the films,’ says Bronfman. ‘We like to raise the level of the marketing of these films and we have the ability to use our screens and the in-theatre environment to do that.’

In addition to in-house theatrical exposure, CHUM and AAC have worked out a deal whereby there will be extensive promotion done on the CHUM channels (MuchMusic in particular) and the broadcaster, in turn, will acquire the free-TV rights for the movie.

‘It’s possibly one of the largest composite deals ever structured in Canada,’ says Sherry. ‘There will be extensive promotional support throughout the CHUM brands… and stars of this motion picture floating throughout the CHUM editorial properties to promote Foolproof.’

Sherry adds that a ‘making of’ documentary will also be produced and broadcast during primetime.

The film stars Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder) and Sherry foresees Foolproof as hitting its target demo (16 to 34) square on the head, which is just one of the reasons the film is receiving this kind of extensive backing from its producers. He also calls the film’s quality ‘exceptional,’ and says it has tested well with audiences.

More than anything, perhaps, Sherry sees this as the next step in a movement for Canadian film. Based on the returns of recent flicks, he believes there is a market for indigenous movies, if they are marketed properly, and AAC will use as many financial and human resources as it can afford to help indigenous products along, with proven reason. Ginger Snaps (a copro between 49th Parallel and Combustion which had a reported $1-million P&A campaign) and AAC’s Men With Brooms ($1.5 million) are two of the top-grossing Canadian films in recent history.

‘The industry has moved and Men With Brooms certainly moved the industry to another level and we’re taking on that success and the lessons that were learned through it and bringing it out a bit further,’ says Sherry.

Foolproof opens across Canada on Oct. 3.

-www.allianceatlantis.com