Second annual OUTspoken Documentary Film Financing Fund recipients named (EXCLUSIVE)

LGBTQ+ network OUTtv and the Inside Out film festival have named documentary films A Queer’s Guide to Spiritual Living and D!XON: Pause. Play. Rewind as the recipients of the second annual OUTspoken Documentary Film Financing Fund. The joint initiative awards $18,000 to two documentary films by Canadian filmmakers from the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Directed by Michal Heuston and Em Lubbers, and produced by Wayne Burns, A Queer’s Guide to Spiritual Living examines how members of various faith communities reconcile their queer identities with their religious beliefs. D!XON: Pause. Play. Rewind, directed by Dan LeMoyne and produced by Sheldon Dixon, follows Dixon as he tries to put together a live performance that celebrates his Black and queer identity while facing obstacles from the pandemic and the industry. In addition to the fund, the projects will receive production support and mentorship from OUTtv and Inside Out. They will also be broadcast on OUTtv and available to stream on OUTtvGO.

Death of a Ladies’ Man earns jury prize at Cinequest

Canada/Ireland copro Death of a Ladies’ Man took home the jury prize for best dramatic narrative feature at the virtual Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival. The film, written and directed by Matthew Bissonnette, stars Gabriel Byrne as a womanizing college professor whose life takes a turn after experiencing hallucinations. Death of a Ladies’ Man was produced by Corey Marr, Don Carmody, Marie-Claude Poulin and Ireland’s Martina Niland and served as the opening film of the Cinequest festival. The feature has been sold to a number of territories by international sales rights holder Celluloid Dreams, including Australia, China, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, the Middle East and the Balkans.

FIN Partners presents FIN Partners CNXN, waives producer registration fees

Celebrating its 24th anniversary this year, coproduction and co-financing market FIN Partners is heading online and waiving producer registration fees.

Presenting FIN Partners CNXN from Sept. 20 to 22, the three-day event will include pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings, roundtable sessions, keynote speakers, live digital panels as well as networking events. Now open for submissions and industry registrations, the market’s focus will be on spotlight producers and funding executives from Benelux and the U.S. Previously, the 2020 edition of FIN Partners move online, offering FIN Partners CNXN.

Featuring a selection of dramatic feature film projects, television and digital fiction series, including projects at all stages of development looking for essential partnerships and financing, the registration deadline is July 23.