Six Saskatchewan Producers Greenlit for Market Accelerator Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Regina, Saskatchewan
May 6, 2023

Six Saskatchewan Producers Greenlit for Market Accelerator Program

Saskatchewan’s official film commission, Creative Saskatchewan, has partnered with one of Canada’s largest film festivals in Whistler, BC to build an intensive, multi-phased project development and business mentorship program for independent Saskatchewan producers developing projects with strong market potential. Today, the industry celebrates the successful six selected from the shortlist.

“When we opened applications for the program, there was strong interest from both up-and-coming and established local producers,” says Remi Dufour, Director of Film Finance and Economic Reporting, Creative Saskatchewan. “We were elated to see the level of talent put forward. We are very proud of the participants who are about to embark on a journey with unparalleled access to high-level industry experts from across Canada, including senior producers, distributors, broadcasters, financiers, and key decision-makers.”

Over the course of eight months, the below producers will work closely with key media industry advisors and mentors in individual, group, and market-oriented development sessions. The producers will expand on their creative and business skills, and receive project-specific feedback to strengthen their ability to position their project for investment in the lead-up to the Whistler Film Festival (WFF).

Chris Miller (Regina, SK) – RAT RIVER (Feature thriller)
Based on a true story, “Rat River” follows the desperate manhunt of a police-killer across the inhospitable desolation of Northwest Territories during the winter of 1932.

Kaitlyn Van De Woestyne (Regina, SK) – ON THE EDGE (Documentary)
In the face of rising sea levels, melting permafrost, and powerful storms, the Inuvialuit community of Tuktoyaktuk is disappearing into the ocean. Deva-Lynn Pokiak, an Inuk mother, works alongside a team of Southern researchers to document and map the erosion, racing to find solutions and preserve what hasn’t already been lost.

Moniquea Marion (Saskatoon, SK) – FUEL UP (Unscripted)
Fuel Up is an original factual travel series that showcases travel in a whole new light. Host, Moniquea Marion, travels by motorcycle to take viewers on an incredible journey of food, adventure, culture, and the most sought after motorcycle routes around the world.

Natasha Bigeau (Regina, SK) – SHESTRONG (Documentary)
Once strangers separated by thousands of miles, breast cancer survivors Brandy and Laura forge an online connection through a number of parallels; their diagnosis, family situations, and athletic pursuits. Now integral supports to one another, they have set their sights on the Ironman Triathlon finish line.

Shawn Cuthand (Saskatoon, SK) – PRIVATE GIG (Feature horror)
In the open prairie, no one can hear you scream.

Style Dayne Stenberg (Regina, SK) – STAFFED (Comedy Series)
A dramatic fall from grace brings Jacob, a big shot Ottawa political staffer, to the small idyllic town of Konlin Lake, SK, where he is thrown into the tumultuous and absurd world of municipal politics while navigating the antics of local stakeholders.

The mentors and facilitators for the Saskatchewan Market Accelerator are WFF Producer-in-Residence & Program Facilitator Brendon Sawatzky (MB) and WFF Talent Programs Manager, Shelly Quade (MB).

Leading up to the WFF and Content Summit, the producers will participate in a pitching workshop and may apply to participate in the Power Pitch Competition and pitch their project to some of the world’s top sales agents for motion pictures and compete for a prize package worth over $36,000.

About Creative Saskatchewan

Creative Saskatchewan is the economic development agency for Saskatchewan’s creative industries. Creative Saskatchewan unlocks the potential of the creative industries and fuels the economic engine of homegrown talent, converting creativity into cashflow. The agency’s investments propel creative entrepreneurs as they create, perform, innovate, and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

About Whistler Film Festival

The Whistler Film Festival Society is a charitable, cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art and business of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development, and promotion of new talent culminating in the highly respected Whistler Film Festival and Content Summit each December. In all its programs, WFF strives for gender parity, inclusivity, and diversity. The Whistler Film Festival Society is situated on the shared unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Lil̓wat7úl (Lil’wat) Nations.

For more information or to provide commentary, please contact:

Brendon Sawatzky, Producer in Residence, Whistler Film Festival Society
C: (204) 230-5589 | industry@whistlerfilmfestival.com | whistlerfilmfestival.com

Megan Jane, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Creative Saskatchewan
O: (306) 798-2191 | C: (306) 529-7377 | megan.jane@creativesask.ca | creativesask.ca