A coproduction in the making?

The meet-market at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival is growing on news that 24 Canadian and European producers have been chosen to identify and hammer out possible joint projects.

The 12 European and 12 Canadian producers will meet at the OMDC’s Producers Lab between Sept. 7 and 10, just as TIFF kicks into gear.

Flying the flag for Canada will be Alison Reid of Free Spirit Films,  Muniré Armstrong of YN Films, Byron A. Martin of Byron  A. Martin Productions, Joseph Berger of Pitchstream Media and Chantal Lafleur of Productions La Fete.

Rounding out the Canuck contingent, chosen after an open call to producers with films in the pipeline, is Sean Buckley at Buck Productions, Leah Jaunzems of Darius Films, Nicolas Comeau of 1976 Productions, Michael Dobbin of Quiet Revolution Pictures, Cher Hawrysh at Phenomenal Films, Jean du Toit of Buffalo Gal Pictures, and Felize Frappier at Max Films.

The Canadians will speed-date with a dozen European producers, led by Ireland’s Tristan Orpen Lynch of Subotica, Britain’s Stella Nwimo of Northpoint Pictures, Anne Walser of Switzerland’s C-Films, and Mariano Vanhoof at Fobic Films in Belgium.

The European contingent includes producers from Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania, Lithuania and Estonia as the coproduction forum organizers look to broaden Canadian participation beyond core partners from the UK, France and Germany.

The OMDC Producers Lab for the second year running will partner with the European Film Promotion and TIFF to lay the groundwork for European-Canadian coproductions through a combination of pitch sessions, workshops and case studies.