TV5Unis series La Terre appelle Mathilde will make its world premiere as one of three Canadian short-form series selected to compete at Canneseries next month.

The annual television series in Cannes, France announced its official selection on Tuesday (March 12). La Terre appelle Mathilde, CBC Gem’s How to Fail as a Popstar, and Noovo’s Saint-Jean-du-Lac will all run in the Short Form Competition program, while Télé-Québec’s Teenagers (Être ado) has been selected for the Documentary Series Competition.

La Terre appelle Mathilde (6 x 12 minutes) is written and directed by Anthony Coveney, with Lélia Nevert serving as co-writer, and is produced by Montreal’s Romeo & Fils. The series centres on a teenage girl (played by Éléonore Delvaux-Beaudoin) adjusting to her circumstances after an attempt to build a homemade rocket prototype leads to her losing an arm.

The short-form title will make its digital debut on TV5Unis this spring, with a linear broadcast set for Unis TV in summer. Quebec’s HG Distribution is handling sales for the series.

How to Fail as a Popstar (Sphere Media) will make its international premiere at Canneseries. The 8 x 10-minute series is based on creator and star Vivek Shraya’s play of the same name, and is directed by Vanessa Matsui.

The digital series follows a young queer boy from Edmonton whose dreams of becoming a popstar don’t quite come to fruition. Sphere Media Distribution is handling sales.

Saint-Jean-du-Lac (Pimiento Medias) is also making its international premiere in the Short Form Competition program. The 7 x 17-minute series is directed by Alexandre Pelletier, who co-wrote with Emma-Jeanne Robitaille, and sees two city hall employees fake a sea monster in an attempt to attract tourists. HG Distribution is also attached to handle sales.

Teenagers (KOTV) will have its international premiere as part of the Documentary Series Competition program. The 12 x 45 minute series is written and directed by Marisol Aubé, with Ève Déziel as co-writer.

The docuseries depicts the lives of ten teenagers over the course of five years, at three different points in their changing lives. KO Distribution is handling the series’ sales.

Meanwhile, CBC and the CW original series Wild Cards will make its international debut as part of Canneseries’ Rendez-vous program, which offers free screenings and conversations with creatives and talent.

The series is created by Michael Konyes, and produced by Blink49 Studios and Front Street Pictures, with Fifth Season handling distribution. Stars Jason Priestley, Vanessa Morgan and Giacomo Gianniotti will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

Canneseries runs from April 5 to 10.

Image courtesy of Romeo & Fils