toronto-based distribution company Critical Mass Releasing is expanding beyond its sales activities into production, the arranging of presales and equity financing, as well as expanding on the more than 700 hours in its library through output deals with Red Sky Entertainment, France Films, Cadence Entertainment, The Film Works and Trinity Pictures.

Critical Mass was formed just over six months ago by William Alexander, previously a director of television sales at Alliance Communications, who spent another nine years in tv distribution at Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Astral Television.

While dramatic features, series and tv movies are the focus of its library, Critical Mass is also beginning to acquire more reality-based programming. Over the next six months another 100 hours will be added to the catalogue, says Alexander.

As part of a four-picture deal with Toronto-based Trinity Pictures, Critical Mass will handle theatrical, video and tv sales in Canada for All The Fine Lines. Directed by John Bradshaw, the feature will star Fred Ward, Christopher Plummer, Rachael Ticotin (Total Recall), Kim Coates (Waterworld), and William H. Macy (Fargo). The $3.3-million film is the story of a journalist caught in a dilemma between saving his career or someone’s life. The shoot is scheduled for late May in Toronto.

Another project in development at Trinity is the road movie The Perfect Day in which a pathological liar witnesses a mob hit. The director is dop Mark Irwin, who has shot several of David Cronenberg’s films. Red Sky will release theatrically in Canada, with Critical Mass handling tv and video sales.

Critical Mass also distributed Trinity’s recent projects Water Damage (starring Daniel Baldwin and Leslie Hope) and The Killing Moon (led be Kim Coates, William B. Davies and Penelope Ann Miller).

A deal with Red Sky Entertainment (which operates a Toronto branch out of Critical Mass’ office) to handle English Canada tv sales on its acquisitions, includes: Gillies MacKinnon’s Hideously Kinky starring Kate Winslet, One Tough Cop starring Stephen Baldwin, Touched with Lynn Redgrave, the 1998 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning Slam, and 1998 Edinburgh Film Fest winner Love Is The Devil. Critical Mass also handles sales on Stratosphere’s titles through the Red Sky deal.

The company has aligned itself with Toronto-based The Film Works to represent Canadian and international rights on its projects, which include Clement Virgo’s The Planet of Junior Brown and Sturla Gunnarsson’s Such A Long Journey.

Critical Mass has also formed an alliance with Cadence Entertainment, producer of Rupert’s Land, and Upstart Pictures, producer of soon-to-be-released Top of the Food Chain starring Campbell Scott.

The distribco is currently working with Cadence to sell Channel 92, a series chronicling adventures at a bankrupt sports station which is bought out by a woman’s channel. A pilot was produced for Global affiliate utv.

Critical Mass has also joined forces with Montreal-based France Film/Equinox Entertainment to represent English-Canadian sales on its titles.

Other catalogue suppliers include Trimark, Strand, Shooting Gallery, and Myriad.

A recent acquisition is Black Christmas, a classic Canadian horror film produced 25 years ago. The plan is to do a 25th anniversary theatrical rerelease for Halloween. Directed by Bob Clark, the film stars Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, Olivia Hussey, John Saxon and Art Hindle. Black Christmas was released by Warner Bros. in the u.s. as Silent Night, Evil Night.

The company has also landed Canadian representation of 11 titles from Spanish production/distribution company Sogepaq, and a deal to represent the company’s entire library in Canada is on the table.

Critical Mass’ move into production will begin with the cable movie Storm Warnings: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, to be coproduced with Film Works. The two-hour drama is being scripted by Allan Barnes. Alexander is planning to bring u.s. and European partners on board.

The in-house development slate also includes the 13 half-hour animated series Mercenaries, which tells the separate stories of various intergalactic bounty hunters, all of which come together in the final two episodes. The story concept comes from Geri Bertolo, who is writing the scripts. A coproducer will be attached to the project, says Alexander.

An anthology horror series at the concept/story bible stage titled Hotel Inferno is also being negotiated with potential Spanish and Canadian coproducers.

Critical Mass is also delving into the arrangement of equity financing and presales for Canadian projects, including Imagex’s The Divine Ryans, Clement Virgo’s Love Come Down, Cadence Entertainment’s Shiney’s Head and Agnieszka Holland’s Julie Walking Home.

On the financing front, the latest project Critical Mass is involved with is The Perfect Son (previously titled Real Time), to be executive produced by Peter Simpson and directed by Leonard Farlinger (Collateral Damage). The $2.5-million film will star Colm Feore and Jason Priestley as brothers divided by rivalry. The shoot is scheduled for this summer. France Film is the distributor and a presale has been made to TMN-The Movie Network.