European And Canadian Producers Network

by Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor

The Toronto Producers Lab is the high-powered mixer where 12 European film producers and a dozen of their Canadian colleagues have a chance to network and powwow on possible co-productions and other cooperative ventures. The initiative is organized by the Toronto International Film Festival, the Ontario Media Development Corporation and European Film Promotion, a pan-European organization that represents the film industries of its European members.

The Lab organizers have used their match making skills to pair up European and Canadian producers based on their track record, their current film slates and where they’d like to draw additional film financing based on their shooting priorities. In this day and age, where almost any European city can be a stand-in for any city in the world, and Canadian production represents an entrée into the lucrative North American market, the Lab is fulfilling an important function. While many Europeans have their sights set on possible financing and distribution in the United States, the truth is that the U.S. does not have any co-production treaties with other countries, whereas Canada has them with virtually every European nation. For more information on the participants and their projects, visit: www.efp-online.com