Vancouver’s fledgling Talelight Films has inked a copro and distribution deal with Montreal’s Equinoxe Films that will see founders James Upton and Jeff Richards jointly produce three features with Equinoxe COO and SVP Michael Mosca.

Richards will direct two of the three, starting next fall with Notes from a Life, a psychological thriller he wrote. No word yet on budget. The other two titles have yet to be determined.

Shooting is slated for next fall, most likely in eastern Canada. Equinoxe will hold all distribution rights in Canada, including an option on international rights. It will also take the lead on funding.

‘A lot of new filmmakers start out by making low-budget horror films, because there’s a market for them right now and it gets them in the door,’ says Richards. ‘We didn’t want to do that, we are committed to begin and end with excellence.’

Richards and Upton formed Talelight in August 2005 and met Mosca that winter at the Whistler Film Festival. ‘Michael Mosca shares our values in terms of making films with universal appeal – it’s all about telling a great story,’ says Richards.

Talelight’s ‘calling card’ short – Echoes of an Epic – will screen at this year’s Whistler fest, Nov. 30 to Dec. 3.