Telefilm Canada names Ten Canadians to Watch at 2015 Berlin International Film Festival

Telefilm Canada announces its list of the Ten Canadians to Watch who will be taking part in the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Market. This list, presented for a second year running, comprises Canadians working in the film industry—emerging talents as well as seasoned professionals—who, through their creative talent or business acumen, are making their mark on the national and international scene.

We are so proud to see VIFF 2014 alums Mathieu Denis and Yassmina Karajah make the list, bravo!

Yosef Baraki (Toronto), director—Mina Walking, world premiere, Generation section, nominated for Best First Feature Award at the Berlinale
Yosef Baraki is a young and audacious director who shot his film in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 19 days with non-professional actors. In 2013, he won the Montreal World Film Festival’s Norman McLaren Award for Best Student Film for his short, Der Kandidat.

François Delisle (Montreal), director—Chorus, European premiere, Panorama section. The 2015 edition marks a return to the Festival for François Delisle, whose feature Le Météore was included in the Forum section at the 2013 Berlinale. Chorus recently screened at the Sundance Film Festival, where it had its world premiere screening in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section. The film stars well-known Quebec actressFanny Mallette.

Mathieu Denis (Montreal), director—Corbo, European premiere, Generation section. This debut solo feature by Mathieu Denis had its world premiere at the most recent Toronto International Film Festival. It also screened in official competition at the International Film Festival of India in Goa in November 2014.

Bernard Émond (Montreal), director—Le Journal d’un vieil homme, world premiere, inaugural Critics’ Week Berlin. The first two narrative features by this esteemed documentary filmmaker, La femme qui boit (2001) and 20 h 17, rue Darling(2003), were selected for the International Critics’ Week at Cannes. La Neuvaine (2005) screened in more than 30 festivals and won three prizes at the Locarno International Film Festival, including the Ecumenical Jury Award.

Anne-Marie Gélinas (Montreal), producer—Turbo Kid, presented during Perspective Canada, a Telefilm initiative at the European Film Market; also taking part in Producers Without Borders at the Berlinale Co-Production Market
Anne-Marie Gélinas was one of the producers of Kim Nguyen’s feature Rebelle (2012), which was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2013 and for which its star, Rachel Mwamza, won the Best Actress Award at the Berlinale in 2012. Anne-Marie Gélinas has just returned from the Sundance Film Festival, where her coproductionTurbo Kid (Canada–New Zealand) screened in the Park City at Midnight section.

Yassmina Karajah (Vancouver), director—Light, presented as part of the Telefilm initiative Not Short on Talent at the European Film Market. Karajah’s film won the award for Best Short Film and Achievement in Direction at the 2014 Air Canada enRoute Film Festival. In addition, the short was included in the Toronto International Film Festival’s 2015 Top Ten Student Shorts.

Guy Maddin (Winnipeg), director—The Forbidden Room, European premiere, opening film of the Forum section. This film by the cult filmmaker features a galaxy of stars, among them Charlotte Rampling, Roy Dupuis, Karine Vanasse, Mathieu Almaric, Caroline Dhavernas and Geraldine Chaplin. A regular at the Berlin International Film Festival, Guy Maddin was a member of the international jury for the official competition in 2011.

Fanny Mallette (Montreal), actress—Chorus, by François Delisle
A highly sought-after actress, Fanny Mallette has won numerous awards, including the Jutra Prize for Best Supporting Actress for Patrice Sauvé’s Cheech, in 2007, the Best Actress Award at the Vladivostok International Film Festival for Stéphane Lafleur’s En terrains connus, in 2011, and the Best Actress Gémeau for the TV seriesMensonges, in 2014.

Christina Piovesan (Toronto), producer—Life, world premiere, Berlinale Special section. Known for producing works that draw such A-list stars as Rachel Weisz and Robert De Niro, Christina Piovesan’slatest film brings together Robert Pattison, Sir Ben Kingsley and Joel Edgerton. Another of her soon-to-be-released projects is the Canada–Spain coproduction Regression (2015), by Alejandro Amenábar, which stars Ethan Hawke andEmma Watson.

Wim Wenders, director—Every Thing Will Be Fine, world premiere, Out of Competition. The legendary filmmaker will receive an Honourary Golden Bear for his life’s work at the Festival. His latest feature is a Germany/Canada/France/Sweden/Norway coproduction. Although definitely not a Canadian, Wenders shot Every Thing Will Be Fine entirely in Montreal and in other parts of Quebec.