Looking to boost coproductions between Canada and Europe, the Toronto International Film Festival will host the new Producers Lab Toronto this fall. The three-day event, a collaboration with European Film Promotion and the Ontario Media Development Corporation, will join select producers from Canada and Europe in a series of pitching sessions, roundtable meetings and case studies to exchange ideas and discuss potential future copro projects.

‘More than ever [producers] need to partner, particularly if you’re looking to make films that travel outside of Europe or of a linguistic territory. Canada is a natural partner because we’re the gateway to North America,’ notes OMDC’s manager of industry initiatives James Weyman.

He says the program builds on the OMDC’s strategy to have a broader reach into Europe, including territories Canada may not have worked with, pointing out that EFP is connected to every film commission in the European Union. The initiative is backed by the EU’s new Media International Programme, and will accommodate 12 producers from Canada and 12 from Europe.

Canuck participants – who will be picked by TIFF and the OMDC – must have a valid producer credit on a film that’s been released in Canada, and a proven track record in international copros. Producers can apply at the OMDC site by June 1. The group of 24 participants will be announced in July. Producers Lab Toronto will run from Sept. 10-12.