Maybe it’s the geographic distance, but Australian and New Zealand film producers, for all their cinematic talent and achievements, haven’t collaborated much with Canadians over the years.

That could change after TIFF’s Producers Lab Toronto announced it will invite Aussie and Kiwi producers to its upcoming fourth annual co-production forum.

James Weyman, OMDC manager of industry initiatives, tells Playback it was only a matter of time before the Australian and New Zealand industries joined Canadian and European producers to hot house relationships and possibly structure international co-productions.

“Their industries are similar to our own, and we were looking for an incubator opportunity to work together,” Weyman explains.

The Sept. 4 to 7 event at TIFF will see ten handpicked Canadian producers meet ten producers from Europe and another four  from Australia and New Zealand.

The idea is to forge geographical ties and possible film co-productions that share risk and resources to cut production costs and boost box office overseas.

Weyman says PLT gives Aussie and Kiwi producers a reason to hop on an airplane for the long flight to Canada to take a chance on a co-production.

“You have to be motivated to work on a project that makes sense,” he explains.

In addition, PLT gives the Australians and New Zealanders access not only to the major European co-producers like the British, French and Germans that they regularly meet at Cannes, Berlin and Venice.

They will also meet at the Toronto co-production forum potential partners from smaller European countries, especially in Eastern Europe, that Canadians are increasingly pacting with on indie co-productions.

What’s more, Australia and New Zealand have fewer international co-production treaties than Canada, a pioneer in the field.

So a three-way co-production down the road could include a Canadian partner tying together a European producer and another down under that don’t have a required international co-production treaty at hand for their two countries.

Besides new backers Screen Australia and New Zealand Film Commission, PLT is supported by Telefilm Canada, the OMDC, TIFF, the EU’s Media Mundus program and Eurimages.

Timed to coincide with TIFF, PLT takes advantage of the presence of American and international buyers, European and Canadian film funds, and agents and financiers gathered at the prestigious film festival.