The New York Film Festival is set to screen the U.S. premieres of features by Canadian filmmakers David Cronenberg and Philippe Lesage.
Quebec writer-director Lesage’s coming-of-age drama Who by Fire (Comme le feu, pictured) is having its U.S. debut as part of the fest’s main slate program. The film won the Grand Prix du Jury Generation at the Berlinale last February.
The feature is a Canada-France copro, produced by Galilé Marion-Gauvin under his Montreal-headquartered company Unité centrale and Thomas Ordonneau under his Marseille-based prodco Shellac Sud.
The feature is set during a getaway at a secluded log cabin in the forest, which becomes the site of escalating, multigenerational tensions. The film stars Noah Parker (Six Degres), Aurélia Arandi-Longpré (Détective Surprenant: la fille aux yeux de pierre) and Irène Jacob (Three Colours: Red).
Who by Fire is produced with the financial participation of SODEC, Telefilm Canada and provincial and federal tax credit programs, in collaboration with Radio-Canada and Crave, and the support of Région Sud Provence, Alpes and Côte d’Azur in partnership with CNC.
International sales are handled by Be for Films and the film is distributed in Canada by Maison 4:3. It will have its theatrical debut in Quebec on Dec. 6.
Also screening in the main slate is Cronenberg’s The Shrouds, who serves as writer and director on the feature.
The film is produced by Martin Katz of Toronto’s Prospero Pictures, Saïd Ben Saïd of Paris-based SBS Productions and Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent Productions, a subsidiary of the French luxury fashion brand. Sphere Films is the Canadian distributor.
The Shrouds centres on a businessman who channels his grief over his late wife into the development of technology that allows people to watch their loved ones in their graves. It stars Vincent Cassel (Black Swan; pictured), as well as Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker) and Sandrine Holt (House of Cards).
The film is produced in association with Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, Eurimages and Canal+.
The New York Film Festival runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 14.
Image courtesy of Maison 4:3