Principal photography has started in Montreal, Canada, on female detective series “Wong & Winchester.” The show is backed by Citytv and Pixcom in association with 3 Arts and Lionsgate Television and will premiere mid-season on Citytv and Citytv+.
Starring Grace Lynn Kung and Sofia Banzhaf the show is set up as a police procedural built around a bitter ex-cop turned private investigator and a naïve but ambitious newcomer.
The series, with showrunner by Chris Pozzebon creator and co-showrunner Hollis Ludlow-Carroll, is produced by Nathalie Cécyre and directed by Stephan Beaudoin. Executive producers are Nicola Merola, Charles Lafortune and Sylvie Desrochers from Pixcom and Trevor Rotenberg and Luke Maxwell from 3 Arts.
The show marks the first collaboration of 3 Arts’ new office in Canada under the Lionsgate-3 Arts partnership. Lionsgate will handle all rights sales outside Canada.
The unlikely partnership stems from the moment when Sarah Winchester (Banzhaf) is accidentally hires as Marissa Wong (Kung)’s driver.
Starring Grace Lynn Kung and Sofia Banzhaf the show is set up as a police procedural built around a bitter ex-cop turned private investigator and a naïve but ambitious newcomer.
The series, with showrunner by Chris Pozzebon creator and co-showrunner Hollis Ludlow-Carroll, is produced by Nathalie Cécyre and directed by Stephan Beaudoin. Executive producers are Nicola Merola, Charles Lafortune and Sylvie Desrochers from Pixcom and Trevor Rotenberg and Luke Maxwell from 3 Arts.
The show marks the first collaboration of 3 Arts’ new office in Canada under the Lionsgate-3 Arts partnership. Lionsgate will handle all rights sales outside Canada.
The unlikely partnership stems from the moment when Sarah Winchester (Banzhaf) is accidentally hires as Marissa Wong (Kung)’s driver.
- 8/16/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s film news roundup, Bill Bellamy and Julie Gonzalo join “The Great Illusion,” Tommy Ragen gets the lead in “Chasing,” and shooting wraps on human-trafficking drama “Natalie.”
Castings
Bill Bellamy, Julie Gonzalo, Ireland Basinger-Baldwin, and Ava Locklear are rounding out the cast of the horror-thriller “The Great Illusion,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Previously announced cast includes Graham Greene, Selma Blair, Glenn Morshower, Tokala Black Elk, Jon Lindstrom, Kenzie Dalton, and newcomer Oscar Cardenas. “The Great Illusion” is co-written by Cardenas and daughter Maria Gabriela Cardenas, who will direct as her feature film debut. Amy Williams is producing.
“The Great Illusion” follows a tortured FBI agent suffering from an irrational fear of darkness, as he investigates a mysterious former prostitute in order to catch a vicious serial killer. Production starts on June 4 in Los Angeles.
Bellamy hosts “Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes?” Gonzalo starred in TNT’s “Dallas.
Castings
Bill Bellamy, Julie Gonzalo, Ireland Basinger-Baldwin, and Ava Locklear are rounding out the cast of the horror-thriller “The Great Illusion,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Previously announced cast includes Graham Greene, Selma Blair, Glenn Morshower, Tokala Black Elk, Jon Lindstrom, Kenzie Dalton, and newcomer Oscar Cardenas. “The Great Illusion” is co-written by Cardenas and daughter Maria Gabriela Cardenas, who will direct as her feature film debut. Amy Williams is producing.
“The Great Illusion” follows a tortured FBI agent suffering from an irrational fear of darkness, as he investigates a mysterious former prostitute in order to catch a vicious serial killer. Production starts on June 4 in Los Angeles.
Bellamy hosts “Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes?” Gonzalo starred in TNT’s “Dallas.
- 6/2/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
This weekend New Yorkers will have a change to dive into a selection of the best recent Canadian cinema thanks to a showcase created by Tiff and Telefilm Canada appropriately called "See the North." On April 1, 2 and 3 2016, audiences at the IFC Center in New York City will be treated to this curated program of Canada’s finest creative talent, with directors in attendance for intros and Q+A’s.
The series includes the most recent work my Oscar-nominated filmmaker Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"), an Lgbt-themed debut, and a drama starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.
Here is the full lineup:
"Closet Monster" – Ontario/Newfoundland
A film by Stephen Dunn
Starring Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly, Aliocha Schneider, Sofia Banzhaf, Jack Fulton, Mary Walsh, Isabella Rossellini
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: Strand Releasing
Screening: 4/1 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A from director Stephen Dunn
Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
An East Coast teenager and aspiring special-effects makeup artist (Connor Jessup, Blackbird, 2012 Tiff Rising Star) struggles with both his sexuality and his fear of his macho father, in this imaginative twist on the coming-of-age tale from first-time feature director Stephen Dunn.
"The Demons" (Les démons) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Lesage
Starring: Edouard Tremblay-Grenier, Pier-Luc Funk, Pascale Buissière
Rt: 118min
Sales Agent: FunFilm Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A with director Philippe Lesage
While Montreal is in the throes of a string of kidnappings targeting young boys, 10-year-old Felix is finishing his school year in the seemingly quiet suburb where he lives. A sensitive boy with a vivid imagination, Felix is afraid of everything. Little by little, his imaginary demons begin to mirror those of the increasingly disturbing world around him.
"Into the Fores" – British Columbia/Ontario
A film by Patricia Rozema
Starring Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Eklund, Wendy Crewson
Rt: 101min
U.S. Distributor: A24 Films
Screening: 4/1 at 7:00pm with intro and Q + A from director Patricia Rozema
Two sisters (Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood) struggle to survive in a remote country house after a continent-wide power outage, in this gripping apocalyptic drama by one of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers.
"My Internship in Canda" (Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Falardeau
Starring Patrick Huard, Irdens Exantus, Clémence Dufresne-Deslières and Suzanne Clément
Produced by Luc Déry, Kim Mccraw
Rt: 108min
Sales Agent: Film Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Philippe Falardeau
Guibord is an independent Member of Parliament representing a vast county in Northern Quebec who unwillingly finds himself in the awkward position of determining whether Canada will go to war. Accompanied by his wife, daughter and Souverain (Sovereign) Pascal, an idealistic intern from Haiti, Guibord travels across his district in order to consult his constituents and face his own conscience. This film is a sharp political satire in which politicians, citizens and lobbyists go head-to-head while tearing democracy to shreds.
"Our Loved Ones" (Les Êtres Chers) – Quebec
A film by Anne Émond
Starring: Maxim Gaudette, Karelle Tremblay, Valérie Cadieux, Mickaël Gouin
Rt: 102min
Sales Agent: Wide Management
Screening: 4/3 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Anne Émond
The story begins in 1978 in a small town on the Lower St.-Lawrence where the Leblanc family is rocked by the tragic death of Guy, found dead in the basement of the family home. For many years, the real cause of his death is hidden from certain members of the family, his son David among them. David starts his own family with his wife Marie and lovingly raises his children, Laurence and Frédéric, but deep down he still carries with him a kind of unhappiness. Our Loved Ones is a film of filial love, family secrets, redemption and inherited fate. Featuring 2015 Tiff Rising Star Karelle Tremblay.
"Sleeping Giant" (Le géant endormi) – Ontario
A film by Andrew Cividino
Starring: Jackson Martin, Nick Serino, Reece Moffett, David Disher, Erika Brodzky, Katelyn McKerracher, Lorraine Philp
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: FilmBuff
Screening: 4/3 at 9:30pm with intro and Q+A from director Andrew Cividino
City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
Spending his summer vacation on rugged Lake Superior, teenager Adam befriends Riley and Nate, smart-aleck cousins who pass their ample free time with pranks, vandalism and reckless cliff jumping. The revelation of a hurtful secret sets in motion a series of irreversible events that test the bonds of friendship and change the boys forever.
The series includes the most recent work my Oscar-nominated filmmaker Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"), an Lgbt-themed debut, and a drama starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.
Here is the full lineup:
"Closet Monster" – Ontario/Newfoundland
A film by Stephen Dunn
Starring Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly, Aliocha Schneider, Sofia Banzhaf, Jack Fulton, Mary Walsh, Isabella Rossellini
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: Strand Releasing
Screening: 4/1 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A from director Stephen Dunn
Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
An East Coast teenager and aspiring special-effects makeup artist (Connor Jessup, Blackbird, 2012 Tiff Rising Star) struggles with both his sexuality and his fear of his macho father, in this imaginative twist on the coming-of-age tale from first-time feature director Stephen Dunn.
"The Demons" (Les démons) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Lesage
Starring: Edouard Tremblay-Grenier, Pier-Luc Funk, Pascale Buissière
Rt: 118min
Sales Agent: FunFilm Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A with director Philippe Lesage
While Montreal is in the throes of a string of kidnappings targeting young boys, 10-year-old Felix is finishing his school year in the seemingly quiet suburb where he lives. A sensitive boy with a vivid imagination, Felix is afraid of everything. Little by little, his imaginary demons begin to mirror those of the increasingly disturbing world around him.
"Into the Fores" – British Columbia/Ontario
A film by Patricia Rozema
Starring Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Eklund, Wendy Crewson
Rt: 101min
U.S. Distributor: A24 Films
Screening: 4/1 at 7:00pm with intro and Q + A from director Patricia Rozema
Two sisters (Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood) struggle to survive in a remote country house after a continent-wide power outage, in this gripping apocalyptic drama by one of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers.
"My Internship in Canda" (Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Falardeau
Starring Patrick Huard, Irdens Exantus, Clémence Dufresne-Deslières and Suzanne Clément
Produced by Luc Déry, Kim Mccraw
Rt: 108min
Sales Agent: Film Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Philippe Falardeau
Guibord is an independent Member of Parliament representing a vast county in Northern Quebec who unwillingly finds himself in the awkward position of determining whether Canada will go to war. Accompanied by his wife, daughter and Souverain (Sovereign) Pascal, an idealistic intern from Haiti, Guibord travels across his district in order to consult his constituents and face his own conscience. This film is a sharp political satire in which politicians, citizens and lobbyists go head-to-head while tearing democracy to shreds.
"Our Loved Ones" (Les Êtres Chers) – Quebec
A film by Anne Émond
Starring: Maxim Gaudette, Karelle Tremblay, Valérie Cadieux, Mickaël Gouin
Rt: 102min
Sales Agent: Wide Management
Screening: 4/3 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Anne Émond
The story begins in 1978 in a small town on the Lower St.-Lawrence where the Leblanc family is rocked by the tragic death of Guy, found dead in the basement of the family home. For many years, the real cause of his death is hidden from certain members of the family, his son David among them. David starts his own family with his wife Marie and lovingly raises his children, Laurence and Frédéric, but deep down he still carries with him a kind of unhappiness. Our Loved Ones is a film of filial love, family secrets, redemption and inherited fate. Featuring 2015 Tiff Rising Star Karelle Tremblay.
"Sleeping Giant" (Le géant endormi) – Ontario
A film by Andrew Cividino
Starring: Jackson Martin, Nick Serino, Reece Moffett, David Disher, Erika Brodzky, Katelyn McKerracher, Lorraine Philp
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: FilmBuff
Screening: 4/3 at 9:30pm with intro and Q+A from director Andrew Cividino
City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
Spending his summer vacation on rugged Lake Superior, teenager Adam befriends Riley and Nate, smart-aleck cousins who pass their ample free time with pranks, vandalism and reckless cliff jumping. The revelation of a hurtful secret sets in motion a series of irreversible events that test the bonds of friendship and change the boys forever.
- 4/1/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Writer/director Stephen Dunn’s feature debut Closet Monster cares little about convention to tell the story of Oscar Madly (Connor Jessup) growing up with a psychological revulsion to his sexual urges, all thanks to an extremely disturbing event witnessed as a child. This prologue glimpse at his youth (played by Jack Fulton) is a mash-up of tough coming-of-age-dramatics and a dark-edged imaginative whimsy that intrigues to draw you closer. It will be divisive with an idyllic world’s caring father (Aaron Abrams‘ Peter) “pushing” dreams into his son’s head via a balloon, a talking hamster named Buffy (voiced by Isabella Rossellini), and the horrific teenage assault of a homosexual with a piece of rebar in a cemetery. But this tumultuous roller coaster is worth you sticking around.
The tone takes some getting used to because the fairy tale sheen has you wondering about the film’s goals. To...
The tone takes some getting used to because the fairy tale sheen has you wondering about the film’s goals. To...
- 9/16/2015
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Epistemology of the Closet: Dunn’s Impressive Debut a Pronounced Portrait of Agitated Angst
Notable short filmmaker Stephen Dunn (Pop-up Porno, 2015) makes an impressive feature debut with Closet Monster, a film easily classified as a coming-of-age/coming-out drama but augmented by a masterful sense of tone and visual authority. As ambient as a thriller but without the frills of genre as metaphor, you’d be hard pressed to recall a recent cinematic endeavor that so vividly and compellingly relates the modern queer teen’s terrified angst so effectively. Grappling with familiar yet nevertheless pertinent issues in regards to the heteronormative machinations Lgbt youth struggle to navigate, the Canadian helmer unveils an original and moody psychological portrait of agonized adolescence.
Oscar (Connor Jessup) is an aspiring special effects make-up artist finishing up his last year of high school in small town Newfoundland. Hanging out with his friend Gemma (Sofia Banzhof), who...
Notable short filmmaker Stephen Dunn (Pop-up Porno, 2015) makes an impressive feature debut with Closet Monster, a film easily classified as a coming-of-age/coming-out drama but augmented by a masterful sense of tone and visual authority. As ambient as a thriller but without the frills of genre as metaphor, you’d be hard pressed to recall a recent cinematic endeavor that so vividly and compellingly relates the modern queer teen’s terrified angst so effectively. Grappling with familiar yet nevertheless pertinent issues in regards to the heteronormative machinations Lgbt youth struggle to navigate, the Canadian helmer unveils an original and moody psychological portrait of agonized adolescence.
Oscar (Connor Jessup) is an aspiring special effects make-up artist finishing up his last year of high school in small town Newfoundland. Hanging out with his friend Gemma (Sofia Banzhof), who...
- 9/13/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Next month Canadian fiends will have a chance to check out creature feature Silent Retreat via Black Fawn Distribution. Meanwhile, the rest of us can check out the flick's opening scene right now!
After taking home the prize for Best Canadian Feature at last year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Silent Retreat will be released on Canadian DVD through Black Fawn Distribution on September 2, 2014.
Directed by Tricia Lee, one of the strongest female voices in Canadian horror today, and starring Chelsea Jenish and Sofia Banzhaf, Silent Retreat is ultimately about women finding their voice and refusing to be silent, a theme that resonated with Lee while developing the film. With Silent Retreat, written by Corey Brown, Lee added her own spin to the genre: strong female characters combined with an emotionally resonant theme and classic horror imagery.
The Silent Retreat DVD will include a behind-the-scenes featurette, director and writer commentary,...
After taking home the prize for Best Canadian Feature at last year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Silent Retreat will be released on Canadian DVD through Black Fawn Distribution on September 2, 2014.
Directed by Tricia Lee, one of the strongest female voices in Canadian horror today, and starring Chelsea Jenish and Sofia Banzhaf, Silent Retreat is ultimately about women finding their voice and refusing to be silent, a theme that resonated with Lee while developing the film. With Silent Retreat, written by Corey Brown, Lee added her own spin to the genre: strong female characters combined with an emotionally resonant theme and classic horror imagery.
The Silent Retreat DVD will include a behind-the-scenes featurette, director and writer commentary,...
- 8/27/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
After winning Best Canadian Feature at last year's Toronto After Dark, Silent Retreat is heading to DVD through Black Fawn Distribution. A Film Monkey Production's creature feature will be released in Canada on September 2nd, and we have all the details.
From the Press Release:
Silent Retreat celebrated its World Premiere at the 2013 Toronto After Dark Film Festival and has since gone on to screen at the Nocturna Film Fest in Madrid, Spain.
Directed by Tricia Lee, one of the strongest female voices in Canadian horror today. and starring Chelsea Jenish and Sofia Banzhaf, Silent Retreat is ultimately about women finding their voice and refusing to be silent, a theme that resonated with Lee while developing the film. With Silent Retreat, written by Corey Brown, Lee added her own spin to the genre: strong female characters combined with an emotionally resonant theme and classic horror imagery.
“We really wanted...
From the Press Release:
Silent Retreat celebrated its World Premiere at the 2013 Toronto After Dark Film Festival and has since gone on to screen at the Nocturna Film Fest in Madrid, Spain.
Directed by Tricia Lee, one of the strongest female voices in Canadian horror today. and starring Chelsea Jenish and Sofia Banzhaf, Silent Retreat is ultimately about women finding their voice and refusing to be silent, a theme that resonated with Lee while developing the film. With Silent Retreat, written by Corey Brown, Lee added her own spin to the genre: strong female characters combined with an emotionally resonant theme and classic horror imagery.
“We really wanted...
- 8/4/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
If I learned anything from the Evil Dead remake, it's that rehabbing in a cabin in the woods isn't exactly the best way to try to get clean and sober. Apparently, no one bothered to pass that message along to the protagonist in Silent Retreat, who's got more than addiction to fend off.
Be extra quiet, and check out the trailer below!
Directed by Tricia Lee, the film stars Chelsea Jenish, Robert Nolan, and Sofia Banzhaf.
Synopsis
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees...
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Be quiet in the comments section below!
Be extra quiet, and check out the trailer below!
Directed by Tricia Lee, the film stars Chelsea Jenish, Robert Nolan, and Sofia Banzhaf.
Synopsis
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees...
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Be quiet in the comments section below!
- 12/10/2013
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
Silent Retreat (2013)
Starring: Chelsea Jenish, Sophia Banzhaf, Robert Nolan
Writers: Corey Brown & Tricia Lee
Director: Tricia Lee
Synopsis (From Facebook Page):
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice, and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees…
Review:
Silent Retreat gets off to a really promising start- a bunch of girls in a woodsy rehabilitation center ran by some weirdo and his two boys. Each girl has their own tiny cabin to sleep in. There’s no talking, reading, writing, listening to music, watching movies, internet… no nothing. If these rules are broken, there are repercussions implemented with a 2-strike rule. If you talk, you can forget about eating dinner. 2Nd strike is a bit more severe. There...
Starring: Chelsea Jenish, Sophia Banzhaf, Robert Nolan
Writers: Corey Brown & Tricia Lee
Director: Tricia Lee
Synopsis (From Facebook Page):
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice, and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees…
Review:
Silent Retreat gets off to a really promising start- a bunch of girls in a woodsy rehabilitation center ran by some weirdo and his two boys. Each girl has their own tiny cabin to sleep in. There’s no talking, reading, writing, listening to music, watching movies, internet… no nothing. If these rules are broken, there are repercussions implemented with a 2-strike rule. If you talk, you can forget about eating dinner. 2Nd strike is a bit more severe. There...
- 10/23/2013
- by Eric King
- The Liberal Dead
Last week we brought you the first trailer for the upcoming indie flick Silent Retreat, and now we have the poster to go along with it. Take a look, and expect more soon!
Silent Retreat is directed by Tricia Lee and stars Chelsea Jenish, Robert Nolan, and Sofia Banzhaf.
Synopsis
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees...
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Be quiet in the comments section below!
Silent Retreat is directed by Tricia Lee and stars Chelsea Jenish, Robert Nolan, and Sofia Banzhaf.
Synopsis
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees...
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Be quiet in the comments section below!
- 10/21/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
If you've ever been to rehab, then you are certain of one thing... changing your ways can be a really good thing, but damn it is the road scary along the way. Especially for our troubled hero in Silent Retreat.
Directed by Tricia Lee and starring Chelsea Jenish, Robert Nolan, and Sofia Banzhaf, check out the trailer and more for the flick below.
Synopsis
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees...
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Be quiet in the comments section below!
Directed by Tricia Lee and starring Chelsea Jenish, Robert Nolan, and Sofia Banzhaf, check out the trailer and more for the flick below.
Synopsis
In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are after more than her voice and aren’t afraid to show her what lurks beyond the trees...
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Be quiet in the comments section below!
- 10/16/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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