Four Canadian genre projects in advanced stages of financing or production have been selected for the Frontières Platform at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The initiative is co-organized by Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival’s market Marché du Film and runs during Marché du Film in May.

The platform includes two sections: Proof of Concept on May 17, for films in the advanced stages of financing; and the Buyers Showcase on May 18, for films in progress or post-production that are looking for sales agents and distribution. The international market and networking platform focuses on the financing and coproduction of genre films between Europe and North America.

The first of two Canadian films taking part in Proof of Concept is Metis filmmaker Tim Riedel’s psychological horror Ancestral Beasts (pictured). The film is backed by Riedel’s Winnipeg prodco Michif Koonteur in collaboration with Winnipeg’s Kistikan Pictures and Buffalo Gals Pictures. Along with Riedel, the producers on the film are Tina Keeper, Phyllis Laing, Edmon Rotea and Fawnda Neckoway.

Ancestral Beasts stars Morgan Holmstrom (The Order), Darla Contois (Little Bird) and Asivak Koostachin (Angela’s Shadow), although the film has another important role yet to be filled. It follows a troubled Indigenous woman who, when she returns to her ancestral home in rural Canada to take care of her mental health, must fight a supernatural spirit to protect herself and her loved ones.

The other Canadian film selected for the Proof of Concept category is Nova Scotia-based Nancy Urich’s Feed.

The horror film, produced by Urich for her prodco Cut/Off/Tail Pictures, tells the story of a new mother who struggles through the realities of breastfeeding and is restored by a malicious old woman’s curse.

Magic: The Gathering illustrator Sebastian McKinnon’s debut feature, The Stolen Child, is the first of two Canadian films selected for Frontières’ Buyers Showcase. The film, also written by McKinnon, is based on his and his brother’s Kin Fables short films produced by McKinnon’s Montreal-based prodco Five Knights Productions.

The Stolen Child, distributed in Canada by Immina Films and with sales handled by Picture Tree International, is produced by McKinnon, Montreal-based Metafilms’ Catherine Boily and Vancouver-based Cowpi Media’s Tara Cowell-Plain.

In the fantasy world-set film, as a war ravages the human kingdom, a poet must lead three heroes to find a prince and restore the peace.

The Stolen Child stars Stephen McHattie (Come to Daddy), Jax James (I’ll Play Mother), Charlotte Loseth and Teddy Van Ee (The Girl in the Woods). It is planned for a 2026 theatrical release.

The second Canadian selection for the Buyers Showcase is Sam Scott’s horror comedy Turn It Up! Produced by Jesse Thomas Cook and Liv Collins of Collingwood Film Company and Mike Gillespie of Toronto’s Last Frame Pictures, Turn it Up! follows an indie rock band that steals a melody with universe-warping potential.

Justine Nelson (Mind Fudge), Gwenlyn Cumyn (Slo Pitch), Jonathan Craig (The Hyperborean) and Xavier Lopez (We Forgot to Break Up) star in the film.

Marché du Film runs in Cannes, France from May 13 to 21.

Image courtesy of Michif Koonteur