Laughing it up

Just For Laughs: The Montreal International Comedy Festival and New World Entertainment in the u.s. have signed an exclusive two-year agreement whereby New World will develop tv properties featuring new talent from the festival.

The deal was brokered by Creative Artists Agency, which will package broadcast, cable and first-run syndication programs resulting from the arrangement.

Fox Broadcasting has first right of refusal on all programs developed.

In a press release, New World chairman Brandon Tartikoff said six to eight festival performers will be targeted for development projects. Of the eight, three are likely to make a pilot and one will receive a series tryout.

A huge volume of broadcast output originated with this year’s festival, including six half-hours for cbc, a 90-minute and a 60-minute special for Showtime in the u.s., three 60-minute specials for Channel Four in the u.k., six one-hour programs for Radio-Canada, and a 90-minute special for France 2.

Mario Bourdon produced the tv specials for Les Distributions Rozon. tv production services in Montreal were furnished by Pixart’s VideoCar and the Reference Video mobile.

This year’s July 21-31 festival featured 445 artists, including 125 English-speaking performers, from 13 countries.

Alliance sets record

The special effects comedy The Mask, distributed in Canada by Alliance Vivafilm, earned $3,126,938 in its first four days, setting a new Canadian box office record.

The previous record was established in 1990 by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which grossed $2.4 million at the box office after its first four days. Turtles, also distributed by Alliance, went on to a cumulative gross of $15 million.

Suit settled

Producer Claude Heroux and La Presse have reached an out-of-court settlement in a $1.3 million defamation case brought against the newspaper and one of its writers, Nathalie Petrowski.

La Presse issued an Aug. 1 retraction and clarification of remarks about the use of public funds for the Rene Levesque miniseries made in two articles published in April. La Presse has agreed to pay damages to Heroux, but the amount has not been divulged.

Tricker takes gold

Michael Rubbo’s The Return of Tommy Tricker has won two major awards at the Giffoni International Young People’s Film Festival in Italy. A jury of 100 young people awarded the film one of the festival’s two gold medals for best film, while lead actor Michael Stevens picked up best male actor honors.

Written and directed by Rubbo, The Return of Tommy Tricker is the 15th film in Productions La Fete and producer Rock Demers’ Tales for All series.

Rubbo won the 1986 Giffoni Gold for The Peanut Butter Solution.

Canada Post and The Dairy Bureau of Canada are sponsoring the film’s Canada-wide Oct. 7 theatrical release.

The film will be travelling to myriad festivals around the globe over the next few months.

Distributor is Malofilm Distribution.