Coming Soon, an ongoing editorial feature from Playback, highlights the distribution strategies for soon-to-be-released Canadian films. Here, we speak to IndieCan Entertainment’s Avi Federgreen about the distribution strategy for End of Days, Inc.

The film: End of Days, Inc. follows the story of a group of employees who are bribed by their boss, Mr. Godfrey, to work one last night at the office after it is announced the company is shutting down. The employees soon learn their final task of processing “inventory” may bring cataclysmic consequences. The film stars Mark O’Brien (Republic of Doyle), Carolyne Maraghi (Picture Day), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience), Janet Porter (The Listener), Anna Ferguson (Heartland), Yulia Petrauskas (Nikita), and Paulino Nunes (The Strain).

Production/distribution credits: End of Days, Inc. is directed by Jennifer Liao, with Christina Ray penning the script. The film was produced by Sandy Kellerman and Liao. IndieCan Entertainment is distributing the film in Canada and the U.S.

Theatrical: End of Days, Inc. will open at Toronto’s Carlton Cinema on Feb. 18, following a run on the festival circuit that included screenings at the Calgary International Film Festival and the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival. The opening weekend screenings will feature Q&A sessions with cast and crew from End of Days, Inc. The film is currently confirmed to have a week-long run at The Carlton, with possibility for holdover dependant on performance. IndieCan founder and president Avi Federgreen said he has reached out to theatres in other Canadian cities about screening the film, but many will likely wait to see how it performs in Toronto before making a decision to pick it up.

Marketing: IndieCan has been working with The First Weekend Club to promote End of Days, Inc, and have hired a publicist to do a heavy PR push for the film ahead of its theatrical bow. For example, leading up to the release, director Liao was featured on a podcast hosted by NOW Magazine writer Norm Wilner. IndieCan is also running a ticket contest with NOW for opening night screenings of the film, as well as promoting Ends of Days on various social media outlets and allowing audiences to pre-buy tickets to the show (the Friday night screening is now sold out.)

When IndieCan picked up the film, Federgreen said he also worked closely with the filmmakers to package the film in the best way possible. The film was originally titled The End of Days at Godfrey Global Inventory. Federgreen said he thought the title was too long and too obtuse to engage audiences. The filmmakers had not yet cut a trailer or made a poster for the film, so were open to changing the name, Federgreen said. They eventually landed on the title End of Days, Inc., and developed a poster which Federgreen believes is particularly engaging for both theatrical and online audiences. The poster also features a tagline – “the devil is in the details” – that Federgreen said encapsulates the tone of the film. “By changing the title and doing the artwork like we did, it gives the filmmakers the best shot at all the platforms, which is what you want,” Federgreen told Playback Daily.

Additional windows: Following the theatrical release, the film will be available on digital platforms in Canada by the end of April, as well as on DVD. IndieCan will also be doing a day-and-date digital release for End of Days, Inc. in the U.S. market via iTunes, but are still aiming to give the film a theatrical release stateside.

Target audience: End of Days, Inc. has both sci-fi and comedic elements, although at its core it is a comedy, Federgreen said. End of Days, Inc. has a broad appeal, with Federgreen saying jokingly his target audience for the film is “anybody that breathes” and those who enjoy a good, quirky comedy. He noted the film does has a Wes Anderson-type feel, and features particularly strong art direction and performances from the cast.

Budget/financing: End of Days Inc. was shot on a budget of $250,000, with financing raised privately, as well as some financial support from Telefilm.