Peter Raymont and Michèle Hozer’s latest project may be a documentary about an artist who died in 1917, but the directors believe it can also serve as a contemporary example of success in feature film financing.

West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson premiered this Saturday at the Vancouver International Film Festival. And aside from its award-winning directors (Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire), what made the doc stand out is that nearly one third of its $1-million budget came from private sources.

The filmmakers were able to raise approximately $300,000, or 30%, of the film’s budget from private corporations, foundations and individuals – an achievement Raymont and Hozer attribute to the iconic nature of Thomson and the Group of Seven.

“Corporations stepped up, foundations stepped up – we got $50,000 from Power Corporation just the other day as we were in the last stages of finishing the film, which came in at an opportune time and helped us pay the bills,” Raymont says.

“I think more and more, the private sector in Canada realizes it’s important to help finance these types of artistic endeavors,” he adds.

While it doesn’t hurt that he and Hozer are internationally recognized directors with decades of experience under their belt, the subject of the doc is one that has resonated with private investors for almost a century.

“I think there are certain people who understand the value of art. It’s not necessarily that they’re giving money for films because it’s a good investment or good return – I think sometimes [people realize] pieces of work have lasting value and they’re meaningful in our society,” Hozer says.

One of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven’s most ardent supporters over the years was billionaire Ken Thomson, whose son David the directors gained unprecedented access to for the making of the film.

“He’s very reclusive and doesn’t do interviews, so we were very delighted and honoured that he chose to be part of our film,” says Raymont. “He grew up with a lot of the paintings that are now housed at the AGO. He’s very close to these sketches,” he says.

After VIFF, the film will open a Group of Seven exhibition in England, and then will return to Canada for a series of gallery screenings before it enters the festival circuit. It will open in Toronto on Nov. 9 at the Isabel Bader Theatre. After the film circuit, the doc is expected to air on Bravo, and later broadcast on TVO, Knowledge, and SRC.

Because it’s a very Canadian story, the directors don’t think the movie will have very much traction internationally, which is another reason why they had to work so hard to get money from Canadian donors. But Raymont is proud of how successful the pair’s unorthodox approach to financing has been.

“There’s a lot of wealth in this country, and a lot of untapped wealth and people who are looking to use their money in a good way. So it’s out there, you just have to be able to find it,” Raymont says.