The film: Portrait of a Serial Monogamist tells the story of a woman named Elsie, a serial monogamist who has left a long string of broken hearts in her wake. She breaks up with her long-term girlfriend to pursue another woman, despite the protestations of her friends and family. As Elsie tries to woo her new love interest – who doesn’t seem to be looking for a relationship – she considers her own relationship patters and begins to have a nagging suspicion she made a big mistake. The film stars Diane Flacks, Carolyn Taylor, Sabrina Jalees, Gaven Crawford and Robin Duke. 

Production credits: Serial Monogamist is written and directed by Christina Zeidler and John Mitchell, and produced by Mehernaz Lentin. Marina Cordoni Entertainment is working in collaboration with the filmmakers to distribute the film in Canada. 

Theatrical: The film will have its theatrical premiere at Toronto’s Carlton Cinema on Feb. 12, leading up to a release on VOD and iTunes on Feb. 23. A number of special events will be held during the opening weekend, including a live Q and A on the Friday night screening with directors and actors Vanessa Dunn, Shoshana Sperling, Dawn Whitwell, Carolyn Taylor, Raoul Bhaneja and Kaleb Robertson. The Q and A will also feature a live improv session with the actors after the screening. The Feb. 13 screening will involve a live Q and A with the film’s music composer, Don Pyle, and a musical performance, with the Feb. 14 screening to showcase a Q and A with some actors from the film and the directors. On Tuesday, Feb. 16, Spacing will also be hosting the Q & A session after the screening, with Matthew Blackett hosting the evening with an undisclosed “special guest” and the directors. Following the opening weekend at the Carlton, Cordoni said she will reach out to theatres in other major urban centers such as Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

The city of Toronto plays a major role in the film, Cordoni said, which made it a natural premiere city for the project. In addition, she said many of the actors in the film are well known in Toronto’s comedy community, which could entice audiences to come see the film in theatres. Cordoni also noted she wanted to give the indie film some “room to breathe” in the theatrical window, rather than do a day-and-date release on iTunes.

“I see working with Hollywood studio pictures, because everyone may want to see it immediately but may not be able to get to the theatre. For me, I wanted it to be current – so we can say it’s out on Feb. 12 and you have some time go see it, and then it is out on Feb. 23 on iTunes for those of you who didn’t make it within the first few weeks,” Cordoni said.

Marketing: In lieu of a traditional ad buy, the filmmakers decided to go with a more grassroots approach to market the film. The team hired a company to put up promotional posters in a number of Toronto neighbourhoods, as well as a more targeted campaign in the downtown core with postering, as well as handing out flyers and newsletters. The goal was to get more impact from an on-the-ground, in-your-face promotional campaign, Cordoni said. Cordoni and the filmmakers have also hired GAT PR to drum up press coverage and publicity for the film ahead of its release.

Target audience: The LBGT community is the primary target demographic, with audiences in the 25-plus crowd as the secondary demo. While the film does have a definite LBGT theme, its overall commentary on relationships also speaks to a wide audience, Cordoni said. “I think it’s a date movie, whether you’re gay or not. Hitting the relationship storyline aspect – that was the first thing I got from watching the film,” Cordoni said.”It’s something I believe that every human being who is of dating age and over can identify with.”

Additional windows: The film will be available on iTunes on Feb. 23, followed by a pay TV window on The Movie Network this summer. It was also picked up for U.S. distribution by Wolfe Releasing, which opened the film in L.A. on Jan. 29.

Budget/financing: The low-budget film was privately financed, and was also supported by federal and provincial tax credits.