Los Angeles-based XYZ Films plans to introduce Canadian filmmaker Matt Johnson’s upcoming film about the saga of the BlackBerry smartphone to buyers at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The film sales and production company co-financed, executive produced and is selling world rights to BlackBerry, which just wrapped production in Toronto and Waterloo, Ont., and will be distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures, according to a news release.

Johnson (The Dirties) directed and also stars in BlackBerry, produced by Niv Fichman (Enemy), Matthew Miller (The Dirties), Fraser Ash (Possessor) and Kevin Krikst (Possessor). The feature is a Rhombus Media and Zapruder Films production, with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates, in association with CBC Films and Finland’s IPR.VC, and XYZ Films.

Johnson and Miller adapted the screenplay from the 2015 book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff. The film chronicles “the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise” of the company behind the BlackBerry — Waterloo-based Research In Motion, now known as BlackBerry Ltd. — said the release.

The ensemble cast also includes Jay Baruchel (This Is The End), Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Saul Rubinek (Hunters), Rich Sommer (The Devil Wears Prada), Martin Donovan (Tenet) and Michael Ironside (Total Recall).

Johnson and Miller are behind Toronto-based Zapruder Films, which has credits including Viceland series nirvanna the band the show and the features Operation Avalanche and The Dirties. The duo are represented by 3 Arts Entertainment.

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