Olivier Assayas And Stephen Woolley Plus 22 Emerging Filmmaker Participants Confirmed For Fifth-Annual Talent Lab

Toronto - The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival announced today a lineup of esteemed governors and 22 filmmaker participants who will be taking part in this year's Talent Lab. Now in its fifth year, Canadian Initiatives' Talent Lab offers invaluable artistic development opportunities to emerging filmmakers in a four-day intensive programme. This year's governors include celebrated French director Olivier Assayas (Chacun Son Cinema, Paris, je t'aime, Clean) and internationally acclaimed British producer Stephen Woolley (Breakfast on Pluto, The Crying Game).

"Our fifth-annual Talent Lab is delighted to open its doors to an outstanding group of talented emerging filmmakers," said Karen Black, Acting Director, Canadian Initiatives. "The programme provides an invaluable opportunity for participants to interact with and learn from internationally acclaimed filmmakers and artists."

Talent Lab is an artistic development initiative that provides emerging filmmakers with the opportunity to build networks in a creative environment and to learn from some of the most esteemed filmmakers and artists in the world during the Toronto International Film Festival. This year's participants are: Mark Adam (Director, Montreal, QC); A.J. Bond (Director/Producer/Writer, Vancouver, BC); Sean Carley (Director/Writer, Toronto, ON); Matthew Cervi (Producer, Vancouver, BC); Chris Chong Chan Fui (Director, Toronto, ON); Katherine Collins (Writer, Vancouver, BC); Mike Downie (Director/Writer, Toronto, ON); Igor Drljaca (Director, Toronto, ON); Tony Elliot (Writer/Director, Toronto, ON); Larissa Giroux (Producer, Toronto, ON); Oliver Irving (Director, Sevenoaks, UK); John Christou (Producer, Montreal, QC); Sami Khan (Director/Writer, Sarnia, ON); Kris Lefcoe (Director, Toronto, ON); Renata Mohamed (Director/Cinematographer/Producer, Brampton, ON); Lucie Pagé (Director/Writer, Toronto, ON); Ngozi Paul (Producer/Writer/Actor, Toronto, ON); Tom Quinn (Director, Philadelphia, USA); Marlene Rogers (Producer/Writer, Vancouver, BC); Craig Wallace (Director/Writer, Toronto, ON); Adrian Wills (Director, Montreal, QC) and Aonan Yang (Director/Cinematographer, Montreal, QC).

The 2008 Talent Lab initiative is facilitated by Strada Films producers Sandra Cunningham and Brad Fox. Strada Films has produced works by some of Canada 's most notable directors, and is currently in production on the feature music documentary 27. Talent Lab filmmakers are provided with video-capture mobile phones by Motorola in order to experiment with mobile movie filmmaking first hand. Talent Lab participants receive support through the RBC Emerging Artist Bursary programme.

Ticket Packages now on sale. Purchase online at tiff08.ca, by phone at 416-968-FILM or 1-877-968-FILM or in person at the Festival Box Office at Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor Street West (main floor, north entrance). Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

Talent Lab is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Motorola.
Thanks to Skillset and NOW Magazine for their support.

Bell Lightbox
Construction of Bell Lightbox, soon to be one of the world’s leading innovative cultural institutions – a truly global “home for film” – began on February 1, 2007. A five-storey podium building located on Reitman Square in the heart of Toronto’s downtown entertainment district, Bell Lightbox is designed by world-renowned Toronto-based architectural firm KPMB. The building includes five cinemas, two galleries, three learning studios, and an enhanced film reference library and archive. Visit belllightbox.ca for more information.

The campaign to build Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell. The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario each have contributed $25 million to realize Bell Lightbox. A gift of more than $22 million has been confirmed from the Reitman family – acclaimed filmmaker Ivan Reitman and his sisters Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels – and The Daniels Corporation, who together form the King and John Festival Corporation. The project is also supported by RBC as Major Sponsor and Official Bank, Visa†, Copyright Collective of Canada, NBC Universal Canada, The Allan Slaight Family, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, CIBC, and many other individuals and corporations. The TIFFG Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals have also contributed to the campaign. The total amount raised to date is $147 million, three quarters of the total campaign of $196 million.

We are a charitable, not-for-profit, cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image.

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For information, contact the Communications Department at 416- 934-3200 or email proffice@tiffg.ca