The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) has announced its Special Presentations lineup, which includes three Canadian titles.

Robert McCallum’s Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils and Chelsea McMullan’s Swan Song were among eight films unveiled in the first round of Special Presentations.

McCallum’s feature-length doc Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe (pictured) centres on the life and work of the iconic Canadian children’s TV personality, Ernie Coombs. Toronto’s Marblemedia produced the film, in association with CBC, Hawkeye Pictures and Pyre Productions.

McMullan’s Swan Song is an inside look at the National Ballet of Canada’s 2022 production of Swan Lake, which was directed and staged by Karen Kain. The film is produced by Visitor Media, in association with Mercury Films and Quiet Ghost. Canadian star Neve Campbell recently boarded the film as an executive producer.

Atom Egoyan’s psychodrama Seven Veils follows the story of a young theatre director “forced to re-examine her own trauma” as she remounts the opera Salome. The film is produced by Rhombus Media and Egoyan’s Ego Film Arts.

The 42nd edition of VIFF runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8.

Eric K. Boulianne wins Pardi di domani – Best Direction award at Locarno

Quebec writer-actor-director Eric K. Boulianne’s short film Making Babies has won the Pardi di domani – Best Direction Award at Switzerland’s Locarno International Film Festival.

Making Babies is written and directed by Boulianne and produced by Sport’s Johannie Deschambault and Jean-Sébastien Gagnon. Quebec-based Travelling  is the film’s distributor.

The French-language film will make its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the official competition of the Short Cuts section.

Making Babies is described in a release as a “minimalist dramedy” that centres on a couple who decides to have a baby after many years together. It stars Florence Blain Mbaye and Eric K. Boulianne

Max Films Media rebrands 

Montreal-based prodco Max Films Media has rebranded to Azimut Films.

Félize Frappier, who founded the company in 2013, said in a statement that the move “points up my commitment to auteur films and visionary filmmakers who have a unique approach to storytelling.”

Recent productions by Azimut include the film adaptation of the play La meute. The film is written by Catherine-Anne Toupin, directed by Anne Émond, and stars Toupin, Guillaume Cyr, Lise Roy and Marjorie Armstrong. La meute is a coproduction between Azimut Films and K.O. 24 is scheduled for a 2024 release.

Made | Nous campaign expands to digital content creators

Canadian screen sector promotional initiative Made | Nous is aiming to “bridge the gap” between the film and TV world and digital creators. The Canada Media Fund (CMF), one of the industry collaborators behind the initiative, has called for digital content creators to become its next ambassadors.

The initiative is seeking established English- and French-speaking content creators from Instagram, TikTok or YouTube to appear on-camera at live events and red carpets. “We want people who are not watching the larger screens to discover that there is a rich Canadian entertainment industry that they can enjoy and support — and they can be part of it,” said CMF’s Mathieu Chantelois, EVP of marketing and public affairs, in a statement.

OUTtv sets first South African original series

LGBTQ+ television and streaming service OUTtv has commissioned its first South African original unscripted series, The G-List, which is set to start production this month.

Produced by The Red Pill Productions, the series will follow three of South Africa’s top queer influencers and media personalities as they explore the social scene of Johannesburg, and touch on such topics as identity, love, friendship, fame and success. The project is produced in partnership with Y, South Africa’s largest youth radio and lifestyle brand, which gives the show access to the capital’s most happening hotspots and personalities.

The G-List marks OUTtv’s first original content venture in South Africa since the company launched a branded linear channel on the territorial subscription platform Openview in March of this year. The series will premiere in fall 2023 on Openview’s Ultraview service, as well as on OUTtv’s own broadcasting and streaming services worldwide.

With files from Kelly Townsend and Realscreen

Image courtesy of Prime Video. Photo credit: CBC Still Photo Collection/Paul Smith