Coming Soon, an ongoing editorial feature from Playback, highlights the distribution strategies for soon-to-be-released Canadian films. Here, we speak to Raven Banner managing partner Andrew Hunt about the distribution strategy for The Dark Stranger.

The film: The Dark Stranger tells the story of a graphic novelist, Leah Garrison, who is suffering from depression and anxiety following her mother’s suicide. When her father is visited by a suspicious art curator who looks into the Garrison family’s past, Leah begins to draw a graphic novel featuring the Dark Stranger. The film stars Katie Findlay (How to Get Away with Murder), Mark O’Brien (Republic of Doyle), Stephen McHattie (The Strain) and Enrico Colantoni  (Person of Interest). 

Production/distribution credits: The feature is produced by Devonshire Productions, Prodigy Pictures (Lost Girl), Viddywell Films and Vigilante Productions. Directed by Chris Trebilcock, The Dark Stranger was shot in Toronto in April 2014. The film is distributed in Canada by Raven Banner. In the U.S., the film is being distributed by Terror Films, which has planned an October release. Executive producers on the project are Vanessa Piazza, Mark Gingras and Jay Firestone, with Jackie Adiwinata serving as associate producer.

Theatrical: The film opens on  Cineplex Theatre’s Event Screens in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Halifax on July 15, following a pair of advance screenings at Mayfair Theatre in Ottawa on July 6 and 7. The Toronto screening will also feature a Q&A session with the director. Screening on Cineplex Event Screens means the film does not have to wait the typical 90 days before heading to post-theatrical platforms, said Raven Banner’s managing partner Andrew Hunt, with the film launching on VOD on July 29.

Additional windows: Two weeks after the film’s theatrical release, the title heads to VOD. Super Channel owns the broadcast rights to the film, with the film set to air on Oct. 1. Super Channel’s operator Allarco Entertainment recently filed for creditor protection, though Hunt said the broadcast deal for The Dark Stranger will not be affected.

Marketing: Promoted through a combination of TV, social media and street postering, ad spots for the film launch today on Bell Media’s Space channel. Ads will run alongside TV shows such as Killjoys, Doctor Who and Innerspace, which Hunt says is the “perfect demographic for the film: for those who like fantastical programming, sci-fi, comics and graphic novels.” The national ad campaign will promote the the theatrical and VOD releases, which are only separated by two weeks. In terms of the breakdown on spend, Hunt said approximately 40% of the total marketing spend went toward TV, while the remainder was split between social marketing ads and street postering, which will appear in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Halifax. The street postering is a deceptively important component, added Hunt, with 1000 27 x 40-inch posters being posted around Toronto. When combined with the TV spots and social marketing ads, the street postering is crucial in consolidating the awareness of the film, he said.

Target audience: The film targets a 18-to-35 year-old demographic, and should appeal equally to male and female audiences, said Hunt.

Budget/financing: The budget for the feature was just over $1 million and was financed by Telefilm Canada, OMDC Film Fund, Super Channel, Ontario Film and Video Tax Credit, Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit and private equity.