Directed by Bill Dow, THIS stars Loretta Walsh, Benjamin Ratner, Zak Santiago, Karen Holness and Brad Dryborough.

For Immediate Release: Kindred Entertainment is pleased to present THIS, an original play written by Vancouver raised Playwright and House of Cards Showrunner Melissa James Gibson. The production will run from April 26^th (Opening night) to May 5^th, 2018 at Studio 16, 1555 West 7^th Ave, Vancouver. THIS is directed by Bill Dow, with Barbara Pollard as his Assistant Director and stars some of Canada’s most in demand actors, including Loretta Walsh, Benjamin Ratner, Zak Santiago, Karen Holness and Brad Dryborough.

Loretta Walsh (When Calls the Heart) plays Jane, award-winning actor Benjamin Ratner (Wonder, Travelers) plays Alan, Zak Santiago (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, The X-Files) plays Jean Pierre, Brad Dryborough (Prodigal Dad, A Christmas to Remember) plays Tom, and Karen Holness (Make It Pop, Chicago) plays Marrell.

An ‘un-romantic comedy’, THIS, by Canadian-born playwright Melissa James Gibson, is an unapologetic and fiercely intelligent glimpse into the lives of five friends approaching middle-age and grappling with where they’ve found themselves and what could, or should, come next. Funny and honest, Gibson’s script rides the edge between comedic and deeply painful, revealing the grit underneath the surface of her characters and their relationships, and lying bare the imperfections and insecurities that make them (and us) human. THIS examines urban existence in midlife, including parenthood, loneliness, loss and adultery. In the play, Jane is a widowed mother whose witty and well-meaning friends try to fix her up with an eligible bachelor.

THIS is a smart, sexy play with crackling humor about contemporary and complicated people.  THIS is a thrilling ride about the messiness of heading face first into middle age. THIS rides the edge between comedic and deeply painful. “It’s the best new comedy I’ve seen in many a season……They’re us.” The New York Observer

Melissa James Gibson is the current show runner on the hit Netflix series House of Cards. Born in Ottawa, Melissa grew up in North Vancouver and is now based in New York. “For me, the best writing comes from grappling with something – often on a very unconscious level – grappling with something on the page,” Gibson told the Globe and Mail in August 2012. “I’m definitely attracted to writing that really sits on the edge of comic and deeply painful. That, to me, is where life exists most fully. So that’s the edge I’m most attracted to exploring.”

Kindred Entertainment is an ensemble theatre company in Vancouver BC, where great plays meet fresh design ideas. Our passion is to tell stories about how we live today. Our mission is to engage with our audiences, keeping them on the edge of their seats – to make them think, laugh and feel, sometimes all at once.

THIS runs from April 26^th (Opening night) to May 5^th, 2018 at Studio 16, 1555 West 7^th Ave, Vancouver. Tickets here: https://kindredpresentsthis.bpt.me

For more information, interviews, media attendance and photographs please contact:

Lesley Diana | Lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca | 604-726-5575

Tickets and info: www.kindredentertainment.com

Twitter: @kindredent

Facebook: @kindredentertainment

Press quotes:

“Gibson graduates into the theatrical big leagues with this beautifully conceived, confidently executed and wholly accessible work.” New York Times

” . . . not just her finest to date, but also the best new play to open Off Broadway this fall.”—The New York Times

“As a title, “This” may sound disconcertingly vague. But it actually evokes something that feels quite right about the characters Gibson so intelligently conjures, and their belief that their own mess is the only one that matters.” – Washington Post

“It’s the best new comedy I’ve seen in many a season…… They’re us.” The New York Observer

“I thought I wanted to write a play about adultery,” Gibson says, “but then really discovered that I was writing about mortality and grief and, yes, middle age, and what we all live with.” – Globe and Mail

The Promotion People

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The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, a new feature film co-written and co-directed by award-winning filmmakers Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn, begins principal photography in Vancouver, Canada. Canadian Screen Award winning Tailfeathers will co-star alongside newcomer Violet Nelson, in her debut acting role.

Marking the feature-length directorial debut for Tailfeathers, who was awarded the Sundance Institute’s 2018 Merata Mita Fellowship, the film is inspired by a very real and transformative moment in her life. The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open weaves an intricately complex, while at the same time very simple, story of a chance encounter between two Indigenous women with drastically different lived experience, navigating the aftermath of domestic abuse.

Her co-writer and co-director, Hepburn, whose first feature Never Steady, Never Still (2017) premiered at TIFF and was recently nominated for 8 Canadian Screen Awards including Best Film, Best Director. Norm Li, who was nominated for Best Cinematography for Never Steady, Never Still, has also come on board as Director of Photography and will be shooting The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open on 16mm film.

In concert with the production, TELUS STORYHIVE has provided support to launch an Indigenous Youth Mentorship program which will see eleven Indigenous youth, ages 16–28, working with key creatives through all departments to gain creative and practical filmmaking experience.

One of the youth mentees, Jade Baxter from the Nlaka’pamux Nation, whose short films that have played at festivals such as imagineNATIVE and RIDM, will be working closely with both co-directors Tailfeathers and Hepburn to learn the ropes of directing a feature film.

A Canada-Norway co-production, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open is produced by Tyler Hagan of Experimental Forest Films, Lori Lozinski of Violator Films, and Alan R. Milligan of  Tannhauser Gate and Film Farms. The feature is funded by Telefilm’s new Indigenous Screen Office, CBC’s Breaking Barriers Film Fund, and the Norwegian Film Institute.

###

About Violator Films

Violator Films Inc. is a Vancouver-based independent production company that has been telling maverick stories since 2007. Owned and operated by Lori Lozinski, Violator Films is recognized for producing socially-conscious, high-quality, character-driven stories with emerging female creatives. www.violatorfilms.com

About Experimental Forest Films

Experimental Forest is the collaborative home of film and video works by Kathleen Hepburn and Tyler Hagan. Their first feature film NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL premiered at TIFF 2017 and was nominated for 8 Canadian Screen Awards.  Working through cinema to tell stories firmly rooted in their environment, Experimental Forest is a namesake and a reminder. It represents our connection to the land and a history of the place we call home. Projects include Never Steady, Never Still and Similkameen Crossroads (NFB Interactive). http://experimentalforest.ca/ 

About Film Farms

Film Farms is a Norway-based production company focused on development and co-production of international projects with some of the most exciting talents in filmmaking today. Titles include Rams (co-production IS/DK/NO) directed by Grímur Hákonarson won Un Certain Regard prize in 2015, and Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere (2014) which was screened at TIFF. http://www.film-farms.com/

About TELUS STORYHIVE

STORYHIVE offers production grants, career training and distribution opportunities for filmmakers, musicians, storytellers and creators in BC and Alberta. storyhive.com 

About Telefilm Canada

Celebrating 50 years in 2017, Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada’s audiovisual industry. Through funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2013, the Talent Fund accepts private donations to principally support emerging talent. Telefilm.ca

About CBC’s Breaking Barriers Film Fund

CBC Breaking Barriers Film Fund helps finance English-language feature film projects that are written or directed by Canadian women, Indigenous persons, visible minorities and persons with a disability who have had at least one feature-length film showcased at a recognized film festival. Unlike other funds targeted towards emerging talent, CBC’s fund is geared towards underrepresented Canadian creators. The Fund complements CBC’s existing and continued commitment to Canadian film, including licensing more than 50 Canadian feature films since 2014. http://www.cbc.ca/breakingbarriers/

About the Norwegian Film Institute

The Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) is the Norwegian government administrative body for the film sector and advisor on film policy issues. NFI support audiovisual development, production, coproductions and marketing. It also offers grants, training and talent development for the film industry. https://www.nfi.no/eng

The Body Remembers Social Media Handles 

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The eleven-city release that includes Toronto and Vancouver opens March 29th

The independent documentary making big waves, ‘Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick,’ has signed on with Cineplex Odeon for a Canada-wide theatrical tour. The award- winning feature documentary will screen in eleven cities across Canada on March 29^th and April 1^st in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Oakville, Sudbury, Windsor, Halifax, Petersborough, Calgary, Winnipeg and Cote Saint-Luc, Quebec.

“It is amazing and a huge honour to see our small independent film get recognized by so many people and have the opportunity to have a Canada-wide release with Cineplex”, says producer Natalie Boll.

‘Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick’ is a portrait of Canadian art legend Beau Dick, an enigmatic carver from a small remote village on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. His remarkable masks have been celebrated across the global art scene as vibrant expressions of West Coast Indigenous culture and a sophisticated crossover into the contemporary art world. Dick had an unprecedented ability to tap into the collective memory of his people and breathe new life into age-old traditions. In 2017, his Undersea Kingdom series was listed as one of the top highlights to see at documenta 14 (Kassel and Athens).

‘Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick’ strives to capture the essence of Beau Dick and his mysterious enigma as an artist who symbolized Canada’s history with the First Nations and the ethical dilemmas faced in reconciling with that colonialist history. Dick was able to use his celebrity to call attention to the injustices done to his people and the environment. Weaving together the personal and cultural until both become inseparable, ‘Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick’ presents an artist who succeeded in reconciling the two.

The film illuminates a man whose art and life continue to transcend expectations and boundaries. Natalie Boll explains, “We wanted to tell a story of both the artist and the world that informed his work. We aimed to present Beau in an intuitive and authentic tone, and to define his position within Canada’s complex colonial history and the larger struggle for Indigenous rights.”

LaTiesha Fazakas, Beau’s longtime friend and gallerist, conceived the film in 2010. After meeting film producer Natalie Boll in 2012, LaTiesha and Natalie began filming with Beau. “I just had the feeling everyone should meet Beau Dick, and a film seemed like the perfect way for that to happen,” says LaTiesha Fazakas.

In the beginning, the filmmakers tried to secure grants and broadcaster interest to help with funding. “We literally applied for funding everywhere and to everyone,” says Natalie Boll. However, after exhausting all funding avenues, these determined women persevered and continued filming with only the help of friends and family. They describe their crew volunteering or working for small honorariums to keep the project going. In 2015, Randall Perry came on as an Executive Producer and helped secure financing to complete the project. The film shot for a total of five years.

“It was so challenging, but it was like an obsession for me. I had to see it through,” says LaTiesha. “And we weren’t the only ones with true commitment. Our editor, Steve Bowyer, was with us since the beginning in 2012. He went through hundreds of hours of footage to help create the final story.”

Shortly after completion, the film was selected for the 2017 Vancouver International Film Festival where it experienced three sold-out screenings and an additional six screenings after the festival as part of the VIFF Repeats. The film recently won the Cultural Currents Award at the Victoria International Film Festival and is slated to screen at various other festivals and cities within BC in the coming months.

The project caught the eye of Brad LaDouceur from Cineplex Odeon after meeting with Natalie Boll at AFM in Los Angeles in 2012. After recently viewing the completed film, Brad decided to partner with the filmmakers and their distributor Dfilms to host a series of special screenings in 11 cities across Canada as part of Cineplex Events.

Beau Dick worked within an ancient tradition and rose to the ranks of international success. In 1986, Dick was commissioned to carve a mask to be showcased in Expo 86 in Vancouver. The Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) in Gatineau, Quebec, acquired Dick’s mask, and it remains on display there. In 1998, he was one of only seven Canadian artists to be invited to the reopening of Canada House in London, England, in the presence of Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Queen Elizabeth II.

Sadly, Beau passed away in March 2017 shortly after the film was completed. The theatrical tour with Cineplex will begin two days after the anniversary of his death. Beau Dick daughter Linnea Dick has been invited to Australia by the High Commission of Canada to showcase the film in three cities: Brisbane, Canberra, and Melbourne.

“The film could not have been completed at a more fitting time with critical issues Beau talks about in the film like the Kinder Morgan pipeline, fish farms, and Indigenous rights are currently being brought to the forefront of Canada’s political landscape,” says Boll.

‘Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick’ opens across Canada has one screening at Cineplex Odeon in each city on March 29^th and again on April 1^st.  Tickets are limited so advance bookings are suggested to avoid disappointment. Purchase advance tickets here. https://www.cineplex.com/Movie/maker-of-monsters-the-extraordinary-life-of-beau-dick

For more information, photos and interviews please contact:

Lesley Diana | Lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca | 604-726-5575

www.makerofmonsters.ca

For film requests please contact: Natalie Boll: natalielizboll@gmail.com

For Beau Dick Art requests please contact: LaTiesha Fazakas: latiesha37@gmail.com

Social Media Handles:

Instagram: @MeetBeauDick

Facebook: @MakersofMonsters

Tickets at the following Cineplex Cinemas available through the following link:

https://www.cineplex.com/Movie/maker-of-monsters-the-extraordinary-life-of-beau-dick

• Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas and VIP
  • 10 Dundas St E #402, Toronto, ON M5B 2G9

• The Park Theatre
  • 3440 Cambie St., Vancouver, BC, V5Z 2W8

• SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas
  • 355 Barrydowne Road, Sudbury, ON, P3B 4K4

• SilverCity Theaters
  • 4611 Walker Road, Windsor, Ontario N8W 3T6

• Cineplex South Keys
  • 2214 Bank St, Ottawa, Ontario K1V1J6

• Galaxy
  • 320 Water St, Peterborough, Ontario K9H 7N9

• Park Lane Mall
  • 5657 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3R4

• AMC Theatres Winston Churchill
  • 2081 Winston Park Dr, Oakville, Ontario L6H 6P5

• Cineplex Odeon Eau Claire Market Cinemas
  • 200 Barclay Parade Southwest #200, Calgary, Alberta

• Cineplex Odeon McGillivray and VIP Cinemas
  • 2190 McGillivray Boulevard, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3Y 1S6

• Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Cavendish Mall
  • Le Mail Cavendish, 5800 boulevard Cavendish, 5800 boulevard Cavendish, Cote Saint-Luc, QC, H4W 2T5

 Paul McGillion has been cast in recurring roles on the hit CW series The Flash and in Discovery’s original historical drama, Frontier​

Award-winning veteran actor Paul McGillion will be seen in several upcoming features due for release in 2018, including a starring role in the music-driven drama Heartbeats. The film, which follows a journey of love, redemption, and dance, is written and directed by Duane Adler (Step Up, Save the Last Dance), and is already receiving rave reviews across the globe.

Heartbeats follows an American dancer (Krystal Ellsworth) who travels to India with her parents (McGillion, Daphne Zuniga) for a week-long Indian wedding where she meets a young man who teaches her a new style of dance.

The film, which features new music from Jay-Z, opens in theatres in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver this month, and in the US on iTunes/VOD on March 20th, 2018.  It will be released for home entertainment in Canada on April 3^rd, 2018 on iTunes/VOD/DVD.

Paul will also be co-starring in the feature film Midnight Sun, in theatres on March 23rd, 2018. He plays the role of entrepreneur Blake Jones in the romantic drama, which stars Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

And this summer, he will be appearing alongside Dwayne Johnson in the highly anticipated blockbuster, Skyscraper, hitting theatres in July.

On television, Paul was recently cast in a recurring role as the lovable rogue P.I. Earl Cox in the popular CW superhero series, The Flash, starring Grant Gustin and Tom Cavanagh. He has also be cast in a recurring role on the action-filled Discovery series Frontier, starring Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, Justice League). McGillion will be playing the character of Major Vinnicombe, a pivotal role in Season 3.

Paul is not only passionate about his work in front of the camera, but behind it as well. He recently directed and starred in the short film Before The Day. The film is set for its world premiere at the Canadian Film Fest on March 24^th, 2018.  The short follows brothers Ray (McGillion) and Danny (Steve Belford) the day before a life-changing event.

With over 100 credits to his name, Paul’s career spans with roles in such successful hit series as Supernatural, 24, The Killing, Once Upon a Time, A Girlfriends Guide to Divorce and Stargate: Atlantis. His previous feature film work includes performances in the TIFF festival gem Hello Destroyer, Tomorrowland, and Star Trek, along with many other critically acclaimed films.

For more information, photos and interviews please contact: Lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca | 604-726-5575

Vancouver Cineplex Screening Info:

• Friday, March 16^th at 6:30pm
• The Park Theatre
• 3440 Cambie St.
• Tickets: https://www.cineplex.com/Theatre/the-park-theatre

Ontario Cineplex Theatre Info:

• Starting March 9^th
• Toronto: Yonge & Dundas
• Oakville: Winston Churchill
• Richmond Hill: York Cinemas

TRAILER: Heartbeats Trailer

Paul McGillion Social Media Handles:

• Twitter: @PaulyMcGillion ‏
• IMDb: Paul McGillion ‏

The Promotion People

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @promotion.people

 14-year-old Molly Annelle Launches Her First CD, MELODY

Silver Lining Management is pleased to announce that fourteen-year-old singer/songwriter sensation Molly Annelle’s first CD entitled MELODY has been released. The album is produced by Bryant Olender, co-produced by Molly Annelle and recorded at Really Grateful Music Studio in Vancouver BC, Canada.

Beverly Delich, who worked with Michael Bublé and wrote the book, “Come Fly With Me, Michael Bublé’s Rise to Stardom”, manages Molly. She worked with Michael for seven years before introducing him to David Foster.

“I was literally blown away by Molly,” says Beverly. ”In all my time working with entertainers, I’ve never met anyone with that level of lyrical skills, performance charisma and musicality all rolled into one package.”

What inspires this extraordinarily precocious youngster to write such mature, deep lyrics and catchy melodies? Molly sees herself as a “musical magpie” that uses words, emotions and expressions that sparkle and grab her attention.

Molly is an astonishing artist who is influenced by all genres of music… classic rock, jazz, rap, pop, R&B. Mostly, she enjoys discovering that emotions such as frustration, joy, pain and anger can be expressed in words and melodies.

“When I sit at the piano, ideas flood into my mind like a river. Most of my songs are written in a stream of consciousness,” she says.

According to Beverly, what separate Molly from other young singer/songwriters is the universality, depth and poetry of her lyrics. “This is what grabbed my attention,” says Beverly. “She has a rare gift of writing songs that are really open to interpretation and open up the world of the listener.”

Molly is extremely prolific. For someone so young, she is a keen observer of our social, cultural and political climate. One of her songs, “Sunflower,” was written after watching the news of Ku Klux Klan marches in Charlottetown. “Kids” talks about the rise of social media and how it has ruined many young people’s lives and “A Line Inside” is a song about ambition and pursuing your goal even when no one gives you a chance.

Molly began learning to play the piano when she was three. At nine, she won Young Composer of the Year for her adaptation of a poem by Rudyard Kipling into a four-piece harmony for the Vancouver Chamber Choir. She recorded her first EP when she was ten.

Molly resides with her family in Vancouver, B.C., and is attending an Arts school as she continues to build her piano, song writing and performing skills. Molly looks forward to the exciting road ahead as she continues to write more songs, perform in front of large audiences and have her songs picked up and performed by other artists.

For interviews, media appearances, photos and more information please contact:

Lesley Diana | Lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca | 604-726-5575

www.mollyannelle.com

For bookings and performances please contact –

Beverly Delich | beverly@silverliningmanagement.com | 604-739-3900 | www.silverliningmanagement.com

Photograph by Kevin Clark

MELODY – http://www.mollyannelle.com/albums/

All songs written and composed by Molly Annelle

Available on iTunes, cdbaby, Amazon music and Spotify

1. Kids  4:18
2. Goodbye Blue  2:54
3. Sunflower  5:06
4. Alphabet  3:02
5. Four Walls  4:30
6. Feeding My Fantasy  4:41
7. Far Away  3:47
8. Line Inside  3:41
9. Melody  3:26
10. Lune  4:43
11. Found  4:48

The Promotion People

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GANJY, a short film written and directed by Benjamin Ratner, is screening on CBC television on Thursday March 8th at 11:30 pm ET/PT.

The film will also be available for streaming as of March 8th at:

http://www.cbc.ca/reflections/ganjy-1.4514488

GANJY

Contending with dementia pugilistica, a reclusive former boxer is on the ropes until he’s visited by three old friends.

• Nominated for “Best Actor” ACTRA/UBCP Awards, 2017
• Official Selection of the Kerry International Film Festival, 2017
• Official Selection of the Vancouver International Film Festival, 2016
• Screened internationally on British Airways

Starring: Benjamin Ratner, Aleks Paunovic, Zak Santiago & Donny Lucas

Produced by: Tony Pantages

Associate Producer: Helena Marie

Executive Producers: Aleks Paunovic & Benjamin Ratner

Cinematography: by Pieter Stathis

Edited by: Franco Pante

Thank you to all our Indiegogo supporters!

• Facebook: @GanjyMovie
• Twitter: @GanjyMovie
• Website: http://www.cbc.ca/reflections/ganjy-1.4514488

The Promotion People

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @promotion.people

Donald is also set for the big screen in the feature film Fatal Visit slated for a 2018 release in Hong Kong and China

Actor Donald Heng is thrilled to have two upcoming roles that he is proud of on both the big and small screens. Donald treasures his experience playing the character of Deputy Larry Foon on the thrilling new series Ghost Wars, just released on Netflix in Canada and available on demand via SYFY and iTunes in the USA. Donald’s character, along with most of the town’s population, is wary of the intention of protagonist Roman Mercer (Avan Jogia). Deputy Larry takes a larger interest in antagonizing Roman after his mother dies in a paranormal accident, which he blames Roman for.

“Ghost Wars is a project that checked so many boxes for me. I wanted to be a police officer growing up and I finally got to play one while working with so many actors that I admire,” says Donald. “Working with Vincent D’Onofrio was like having a crash course in acting. He is the most warm, inviting, human being. He talked us through his process and gave us advice. I also have memories off- camera with Vincent. It was such a fulfilling education to watch him work.”

In the world of film, Donald recently completed his first feature film role alongside some of the biggest stars in Asia for the project Fatal Visit. Donald plays Ming in the feature film, slated for a mid/late 2018 release in Hong Kong and China with a limited release in Canada and the United States. Fatal Visit was extra challenging because his character had to speak Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taiwanese.

Fatal Visit follows Yanny (Charlene Choi) as she leaves Hong Kong to escape a love affair gone wrong. She goes to San Jose to visit Ling (Sammy Cheng), an old friend she hasn’t seen in years. It seems like Ling and her husband Tang (Dawei Tong) lead an ideal, carefree existence. But during the short span of five days, Yanny uncovers the truth hidden behind the facade as she discovers the unspeakable secrets that propel all three down a fatal path shattering their American dreams and imperiling their lives. Heng’s character Ming is a friend of Ling (Sammi Cheng), who introduces Ming to Yanny (Charlene Choi) in attempt to set them up after Yanny’s break up.

Donald has also had guest-starring roles on Season 4 of The Flash and CBS’ Ransom, and has appeared in a number of sci-fi TV series including Arrow, Supernatural, and Van Helsing. He also has a significant role on the Disney TV movie Girl Vs. Monster.

Donald wanted to be an actor at a young age, but his goal was cemented when he started studying acting under Jeb Beach six years ago. He has also trained with Matthew Harrison, Andrew McIlroy, Ben Ratner and Robin Nielsen.

For the past five years Donald has contributed to his high school by performing on stage in their annual community Bare Bones Theatre. Outside of the realm of entertainment, Donald is a dog lover and knows his way around the kitchen.

Donald resides in Vancouver focusing on his acting career.

Donald is available for interviews upon request.

Please contact: Lesley Diana | Lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca | 604-726-5575

Social media links:

• Imdb
• Twitter
• Instagram

The Promotion People

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
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THE NEW FEATURE FROM WRITER/DIRECTOR PETER LYNCH, STARRING KATHLEEN MUNROE, DAVID ALPAY, BENJAMIN AYRES, JORIS JARSKY, CARA GEE, MELANIE SCROFANO AND STEPHEN McHATTIE

Vancouver, B.C. — 108 Media, in association with MEI: Media Events Innovation, is pleased to announce Vancouver has been added to the theatrical rollout  for the premiere of Birdland, a post-noir thriller directed by award-winning Peter Lynch (Cyberman, Project Grizzly, Arrowhead).

Birdland will play at The Cinemateque in Vancouver on March 6, 9, 11 and 17. We are pleased to confirm that award winning directors Mina Shum (March 6th), Bruce Sweeney (March 9th) and Carl Bessai (March 11th) will be the moderators for each Birdland screenings with director Peter Lynch in attendance. Tickets for Dinner and a Movie at participating restaurants in Vancouver and Calgary are available through this link Click Here.

Birdland stars Kathleen Munroe (Patriot, Resurrection, Flashpoint, Call Me Fitz), Melanie Scrofano (Letterkenny, Wynonna Earp, Designated Survivor), David Alpay (The Tudors, Quantico, The Lottery, Ararat), Benjamin Ayres(Saving Hope, Bitten, Less Than Kind), Joris Jarsky (First Response, Numb Chucks, The Art of More, Toronto Stories), Stephen McHattie (Orphan Black, The Strain, Pontypool), and Cara Gee (The Expanse, The Empire of Dirt, Strange Empire).

Birdland is written by Peter Lynch and Lee Gowan (Paris or Somewhere), produced by Peter Lynch and Katarina Gligorijevic (He Never Died, Mark of the Witch, The Demon’s Rook), with Ryan Reaney (Born to Be Blue, Portal to Hell!!!, Distilled Love) as Co-Producer and Daniel Iron (Madiba, The Book of Negroes, Away From Her, Manufactured Landscapes) serving as Executive Producer.

Birdland was filmed entirely on location in Toronto, Canada.

In a story told through surveillance, memories and flashbacks, we meet ex-cop Sheila Hood (Kathleen Munroe) as she is being interrogated about two deaths by Calvin (Benjamin Ayres), her former partner on the police force. Sheila’s husband, Tom (David Alpay), an ornithologist, had been having an affair with his ex-girlfriend, Merle James (Melanie Scrofano), whose fragile beauty echoes that of the birds he studies. Rather than confronting him, Sheila hides surveillance cameras in her home to watch his transgressions and ultimately becomes a voyeur of her own life. Sheila conducts her own rogue investigation and discovers Merle has more than one lover. The other man is Ray Starling (Joris Jarsky), a Machiavellian hotelier with business ties to Merle’s father, John James (Stephen McHattie), a wealthy oil man who operates in the shadows. When Merle falls to her death from a bridge and Ray Starling ends up dead in his own hotel, Hood is pulled into a dark world of corruption, sex and death and her surveillance footage forms the backbone of a police investigation that threatens to incriminate her and destroy her marriage.

Cinematography by Adam Swica (The Art of the Steal, Casino Jack), edited by Caroline Christie (Frankie Drake, Private Eyes, Republic of Doyle), production design by Patricia Christie (The Disappearance, Cyberbully), hair/costume design by Chanel Croker (Grimes ft. Janelle Monae: Venus Fly), music by Laura Barrett (Porch Stories) and José Miguel Contreras (By Divine Right, Porch Stories).

Birdland is produced by Acqua Film Inc. and Ultra 8 Pictures with the participation of Telefilm Canada, through the Canada Feature Film Fund.

ABOUT PETER LYNCH:
Peter Lynch is responsible for several internationally acclaimed feature films and shorts. His first dramatic short Arrowhead received a Genie Award in 1994. In 1996, Lynch made the wildly successful Project Grizzly, one of the most acclaimed Canadian documentaries of all time, and spoofed the next year on The Simpsons. Fans of the film include Quentin Tarantino. This was followed by his Genie-nominated docudrama The Herd (1998), a festival hit worldwide. In 2001, Cyberman, a portrait of cyborg Steve Mann, played to critical acclaim at over 50 international film festivals and was listed as one of the Top 10 Feature Films of 2002 by Film Comment. This was followed by the documentary, A Whale of Tale (2004), and The National Parks Project (2011) which earned a CSC nomination for Best Cinematography in Documentary and a Genie Award for Best Short Documentary.

Before he turned to filmmaking, Lynch was a major player in the early video/new media revolution and chronicler of punk, new wave music, hip-hop, dancehall, and the avant-garde music scene. Lynch co-founded, co-produced and co-directed “Video Culture International”, a landmark video new media festival he produced. He was also a creative director and vice president at Sony Creative Video, a Sony initiative to develop cultural markets for new Sony technology.

Birdland is his first narrative feature film, a contemporary noir which he has written, directed and co-produced. It belongs to a chapter of new digital, theatrical and television works Lynch is developing over the next several years including Galveston, a film adaption of Paul Quarrington’s best-selling novel which is being adapted for the screen by Lynch who will direct along with producer Marty Katz and actor/producer Gil Bellows.

ABOUT 108 MEDIA:
108 Media is redefining and revolutionizing the way content is created, curated and distributed. Empowering visionary creators and championing bold new voices to satisfy the demand for unique, diverse and compelling content. Connecting and developing high quality content from emerging markets, such as Asia, to global audiences. Going beyond traditional channels and leveraging new technology to deliver comprehensive programming and experiences across all media platforms. 108: changing what the world is watching.

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Media Contact: Western Canada
Lesley Diana, The Promotion People
Email: lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
Tel: 604-726-5575

Julie Giles, greenHAT digital
Email: julie@greenhatdigital.com
Tel: 416-878-5328