Projects from Lisa Jackson, Darlene Naponse and Yung Chang are among the 22 feature documentaries to pick up funding from Telefilm Canada.
The funder selected 14 English-language and eight French-language to receive a shared total of $3 million through its Theatrical Documentary Program.
Of the projects chosen, nine are from Quebec, eight from Ontario, three from B.C. and one from Manitoba, as well as an Ontario/B.C. coproduction.
Among the English-language projects are Aki (Baswewe Films and Night Market Films), written and directed by Naponse; Red Stars (Iceball and Flying Sparrow), written by Rahul Parekh and directed by Chang; and Wilfred Buck (Door Number 3 Productions), written and directed by Jackson. All three are Ontario productions.
The additional Ontario-based productions selected include Buffy Sainte Marie: Power in the Blood (Buffy Documentary Productions), written and directed by Michelle Derosier; Doug Henning: Magic Man (Insight Productions), written and directed by Martha Kehoe; Black Ice (First Take Entertainment), written by George Fosty and directed by Hubert Davis; Tramps! (Low End), written and directed by Kevin Hegge; and B.C. copro Untitled Rock n’ Roll Revival Documentary (Screen Siren Pictures, Chapman Productions, and Films a Cinq), written by Phyllis Ellis and directed by Ron Chapman.
The three English-language projects from B.C. are Satan Wants You (Nootka Street Film Company), written and directed by Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams; Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story (Black Moon Media), written and directed by Kate Kroll; and Yintah (Yintah Film), directed by Michael Toledano.
Rounding out the English-language selections are Quebec projects Rediscovering Reality (EyeSteelFilm), written and directed by Van Royko, and Rebirth of a Nation (Bunbury Films), written and directed by Kacim Steets; and Manitoba-based Everest Dark (Everest Dark Films, Killawatt Productions, and Michael Bodnarchuk Productions), written by Michael Bodnarchuk and directed by Jereme Watt.
Seven of the eight selected French-language documentaries are from Quebec, including Fredy (Périphéria), written and directed by Will Prosper; La garde blanche (Metafilms), written and directed by Julien Elie; La dignité des êtres chers (Némésis Films), written and directed by Jonah Malak; Au lendemain de l’odyssée (Productions Tatouages de la mémoire), written and directed by Helen Doyle; Boisbouscache (Corporation de développement et de production ACPAV), written and directed by Jean-Claude Coulbois; and Saigon, Liberté, Bonheur (Les films de l’autre), written and directed by Khoa Lê.
Rounding out the selections is Canada/France/Belgium copro Quand les Sprakkars se lèvent (Films Extérieur Jour), written and directed by Doris Buttignol, and Ontario doc Forêts urbaines : une planche de salut (Productions Testa), written and directed by Anne-Marie Rocher.
The selections were made by an advisory committee made up of internal and external representatives. The names of the committee will be made public after all funding decisions have been announced.
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