Alliance goes native

Distrib sets 4-pic slate of Canuck features

By BRENDAN KELLY

TORONTO --- Alliance Independent Films has expanded aggressively into the American indie acquisitions arena in the past couple of years, picking up international rights to titles including "Denise Calls Up" and "In the Company of Men."

But now the Toronto-based international distrib is ramping up its Canadian feature slate with a lineup of four home-grown projects set to shoot over the next year.

The films are John L'Ecuyer's "The Ultimate Good Luck," based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ford; "The Five Senses," the latest pic from "Eclipse" helmer Jeremy Podeswa and "The Sweet Hereafter" producer Camelia Frieberg; and two pics executive produced by Atom Egoyan, the drama "Babyface" and the hip romantic comedy "Jack & Jill."

Alliance has taken all world rights to each of the titles, and the pre-buys mark the company's new willingness to come on board at a very early stage of production. The renewed emphasis on Canadian-content features at Alliance has been spearheaded by Alliance Independent Films senior veepee Charlotte Mickie and longtime Alliance exec Ted East, who has just been appointed vice president of production and acquisitions for Canadian pics at Alliance Pictures.

Alliance will continue to pursue American and British pics, said Mickie, but at the same time the distrib is committed to upping the number of Canadian features it handles.

"We've had tremendous success with Canadian films in the past, and some of our bestselling films have been Canadian, like 'Leolo,' 'When Night is Falling' and all of Atom Egoyan's films," Mickie said. "Sometimes it's more difficult with the American independent directors because they go over to the studios. But here you can really grow filmmakers, and we really want to develop relationships with filmmakers the way we did with Atom and Patricia Rozema."

"The Ultimate Good Luck," based on an early novel by the author of "The Sportswriter" and "Independence Day," is about a Vietnam veteran who goes to Mexico to try to free his ex-girlfriend's brother, jailed on drug-trafficking charges. Helmer L'Ecuyer made a name on the fest circuit with his first feature, "Curtis's Charm," and his new pic is being produced once again by Sandra Cunningham at Toronto-based East Side Films. Lensing is skedded for March in Mexico.

Podeswa's "The Five Senses" is five interconnected stories inspired by the senses that deal with a bunch of quite-different men and women looking for love. Producer Frieberg, who has produced several Egoyan pics, said it is a more upbeat offering than "Eclipse." It also looks set to shoot in the spring.

Podeswa's debut feature, "Eclipse," played several fests, including Berlin and Sundance, and was released in the U.S. by Strand Releasing.

"Babyface" is shooting now in Toronto with helmer Jack Blum, the younger brother of "Private Parts" co-scripter Len Blum. The "Babyface" script, penned by Jack Blum and Sharon Corder, is the chilling tale of a teenage girl involved with her mother's lover. The pic is being produced by Corder and Barbara Tranter. The latter produced Rozema's lesbian love-triangle pic "When Night is Falling."

Then there's "Jack & Jill," a micro-budgeted pic to be directed later this fall by Toronto legit vet John Kalangis. Egoyan handles executive producer duties, with his longtime associate Simone Urdl producing along with co-producers Jennifer Weiss and Meredith Vuchnich. Kalangis' script is a light, funny tale of youthful relationships in hip downtown Toronto.