Reitman Joins Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab...

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The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has confirmed several filmmaking teams and mentors/guests for the 'Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab', a creative/business catalyst for new comedy projects destined for theatrical release, pairing experienced Canadian feature film producers, their writer/or director teams and their scripts, to further develop/package English-language theatrical feature comedies for 2010.

Chaired by actor/writer Eugene "Bobby Bittman" Levy, the Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab, a CFC Film program presented in collaboration with "Just For Laughs", is noted as Canada’s first advanced professional program designed to develop/package theatrical feature-length comedies.

Chosen projects and teams include:

Victory Man Productions’ "Servitude" from writer/producer Michael Sparaga, director Warren P. Sonoda, Resonance Films’ romantic comedy "That Burning Feeling" from writer Nicolas Citton, producer/director Jason James, "Ramington's: Men Of Steel" from writer Sacha Pavlovic, producer Mark Montefiore and the comedy western "Saddlebags" by writer Christine Lippa and producers Elizabeth Yake (True West Films), Angela Heck (Three Bags Full Film, Inc.).

"To me, the Features Comedy Lab is one of the most important building blocks to insure a vibrant future for Canadian film comedy,” said Levy.

Mentors/guests confirmed to date include producer Jimmy "Elf" Miller, Mosaic Media Group, producer/director Ivan "Stripes" Reitman, The Montecito Picture Company, producer Tai "Epic Movie" Duncan, Paul Schiff Productions and producer Alan "Walk The Line" Blomquist, Parallel Entertainment Pictures.


More mentors/guests TBA.

"These developments are a huge vote of confidence in the Comedy Lab concept from the English Canadian feature film community, a response that goes way beyond what we expected," said Sheila de La Varende, Director of National & International Business Development, Telefilm Canada.

"...The Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab seeks to advance the comedy genre in Canada and generate comedies that achieve commercial and critical success. Starting in November 2009, the three-month program will see filmmaking teams and their feature comedy scripts engage in workshops, master classes and intimate one-on-one sessions with leading industry professionals to strengthen their scripts and increase their packaging appeal for investment..."