Canadian stars will get their chance to shine alongside the flashy trailers for upcoming Hollywood fare at ShowCanada 2007, April 24-27 in Niagara Falls, ON. Local talent is being booked to promote upcoming domestic fare at the annual convention of theater owners, although Telefilm Canada, sponsor of the April 26 Canadian gala, couldn’t confirm names by press time.

Sarah Polley’s highly anticipated Away from Her from Capri Releasing and Mongrel Media is scheduled to screen that night. Other films slated for the event include Odeon Films’ It’s a Boy Girl Thing, a Canada/U.K. comedy directed by Nick Hurran, and TVA Films’ Gracie, a Hollywood drama starring Elisabeth Shue. Paramount Pictures is bringing Shrek the Third.

‘Telefilm has a really interesting evening planned filled with Canadian stars,’ notes Adina Lebo, executive director of the Motion Picture Theatre Associations of Canada, which organizes ShowCanada.

Also on tap are seminars on current industry issues, including D-cinema, piracy, alternative programming and marketing and branding using new technologies and the Internet.

Odeon Films’ Mark Slone, Mongrel Media’s Tom Alexander, Christal Films’ Joanne Senecal, Equinoxe Films’ Marie-Claude Poulin and Kinosmith’s Robin Smith will discuss their marketing campaigns for Canadian films in Wednesday’s seminar ‘Great Trailers, Great Posters.’

Thursday’s keynote speakers are Twist Image president Mitch Joel and Twentieth Century Fox EVP of digital exhibition and non-theatrical sales and distribution Julian Levin. Joel will give his take on consumer-generated content, social media, and online marketing. Levin will discuss the opportunities, changes and challenges on the horizon as D-cinema rolls out.

Lightning Group president Howard Lichtman will deliver his annual state of the industry address on April 26, dissecting 2006 box-office figures (see story, opposite).

National Association of Theater Owners president and CEO John Fithian headlines a panel on new digital captioning technologies that also includes Sightline’s Nanci Linke-Ellis and Alan Grobard, ProActive Community cofounder Paul Good, and eMagine VP of sales and marketing Bruce Ridley.

Fithian also will give an industry address on April 27 encompassing everything from upcoming product to shrinking windows, piracy and alternative programming.

According to Lebo, about 600 people have registered for the conference so far, and she expects the number to rise to more than 700 with the on-site sale of day passes. Scheduling information is available at the ShowCanada website.

www.showcanada.ca