Tag Archives: comedy

Actor Nicole Oliver keeps busy with roles in Hallmark’s Radio Hype, Lifetime’s Ungodly Acts, and the feature film Marrying the Family

As one of the most respected voice-over actors Nicole continues to be in demand in animation

Multi-faceted Nicole Oliver continues to keep extremely busy with roles on screen as an actor and in the voice-over market. This spring Nicole divides her time with roles on Hallmark (Eone) “Radio Hype,” Lifetime’s “Ungodly Acts” and the feature film “Marrying the Family.” As one of the most respected voice-over actors Nicole continues to be in demand in Animation on Season 5 of “My Little Pony” now airing on Discovery Family and “Kate and Mim Mim” airing on the Disney Channel.

Hallmark’s “Radio Hype” is directed by Kris Tabori and is starring Alison Sweeney. Nicole has the role as Julie, the owner of a fashion boutique and sister to Nick (Jonathan Scarfe – Hell on Wheels). Carl Bessai directs Lifetime’s “Ungodly Acts”. Nicole plays Paula Martin one of the leaders of the Church of the Blessed Light Ministry.

“Marrying the Family” unites Nicole with many of the ensemble cast from the Film Festival darling (VIFF 2013; TIFF Next Wave 2014) “Leap for Your Life”. “Marrying the Family” follows Dylan (Taylor Hill), as she is getting ready for her wedding to her high school sweetheart Corey (Adam Di Marco). However, any plans for a simple wedding are put on hold when her wedding planner mother Kathy, played by Nicole, steps in to design a wedding Dylan will never forget. Marrying the Family is a sweet comedy about love, family, growing up and letting go and is directed by Peter Benson (What An Idiot).

Nicole Oliver has been nominated for several Leo Awards for her work on both the small and big screen. She is the recipient of the UBCP/ACTRA award for Best Voice for her work in animation.

She has guest starred on numerous television series “Supernatural and “Rogue”. She has also starred in many MOW’s including “The Christmas Ornament” starring Cameron Mathison and Kellie Martin, “The Woodcarver” with John Ratzenberger; “Taken Back – Finding Haley” with Amanda Tapping and “Innocent” with Bill Pullman and Marcia Gay Harden. For four seasons, Nicole was also the host on the hit Slice Network series “Crash Test Mommy”. A high light for Nicole was acting along side her young son, William Ainscough, who starred as Billy in City TV’s “Seed” for two seasons.

Well known throughout the world at Brony and Fan Conventions as Princess Celestia and Cheerilee on “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” and Zoe on the cartoon “Littlest Pet Shop”, her voice-over work continues to thrive. In animation, she has popular roles on “Max Steel”, “Martha Speaks”, “Strawberry Shortcake”, and “Superbook”. She is currently the voice for Wireless Wave, and has provided her voice to over 100 companies including American Express, Starbucks, Salon Selectives, Club House, and IKEA.

Nicole Oliver has worked for over twenty years in the entertainment industry as an actor, producer, and director. This multi-talented, incredibly busy mother and professional has mastered the balance between family and work, and has furthered her education with a Masters of Arts in Communication from Royal Roads University (2011). She is the recipient of both the Founders Award for leadership and sustainability and the Chancellors Award for highest academic achievement.

Nicole believes that diversification is the key to success, and that with success in life there can be balance. She resides in Vancouver with her husband and their two sons. Nicole is available for interviews and photographs upon request.

Social Media Handles

Website: nicoleoliver.com
Twitter: @mouthnoize
IMDb: Nicole Oliver

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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

Read Sonja Bennett’s journey to writing her first screenplay for the now popular feature film Preggoland now playing in theatres in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal in Canada and opens in the US on May 8th to a limited release in 10 cities.

By Sonja Bennett

The almost rise, kinda fall, and sorta resurrection of a Canadian actress

In 2001 I was in theatre school getting the dregs of the acting roles. In the last production, I played eight parts – two of which were barnyard animals. My career goal at that point was to be a Bard on the Beach regular and maybe not have to live with three roommates. But my prospects weren’t looking great.

Then something happened. My father, Guy Bennett, was about to direct his first feature, Punch, about a father-daughter relationship. The story goes that the producer said offhandedly, “Too bad your daughter isn’t an actress, that’d be a good hook.” Um, does a proficiency in the back half of a horse costume count? I was “cast” in the movie and my career in film was put in motion.

Headhunters from Fox television were at our TIFF premiere and put me on a contract old-school style like I was Shirley Temple or something. Me and a little unknown comic named Zach Galifianakis. Ever heard of him?

Suddenly I was being groomed as “the next Calista Flockhart.” But my body rebelled against this idea. Somewhere I had read that cashew nuts were a healthy snack and I was eating them by the Dan-D-Pak. I gained 20 pounds, had a stress rash all over my face and had developed an audition-selective stutter. I was completely unprepared for 12-page last minute auditions in LA where I had no support network except my loyal agent, Dylan Collingwood, who came down and tried to help jam lines in my head and figure out the LA highway system.

Needless to say, I didn’t get my Ally McBeal, nothing came of my Fox contract and I slinked back to Vancouver with my tail between my legs. My ego was bruised pretty bad and I took to embarrassing behaviour like hitting gold-level tanning beds to give the town the impression I was “just up from LA for the weekend.”

Six months after my Fox contract had ended, I booked the new lead character on the seventh season of the Canadian series Cold Squad, and despite my whole management team’s disappointment, I was very happy. From that point on I worked steadily for almost a decade. I did comedy, I did drama, I got to work with Atom Egoyan and I won awards and stuff. Life was pretty sweet. I’d once again redefined what my dreams were and could say I was now living it.

And then the recession happened.

Movie stars were turning to shitty TV for work, and the roles I realistically had a shot at were getting smaller and sillier and less lucrative. I had also turned 30 and was apparently no longer the “right kind” of pretty for Smallville. So I did what most actresses do when the work dries up. I decided it’s time to have a baby!

I’m kidding – sort of. Motherhood gave a context to my career. I tried being pickier with roles, but all the good ones went to Oscar winners.

My body was starting to rebel against the slog of being a Vancouver actress in her 30s; to the high probability that the project I was auditioning for had the word “Fatal” or “Tornado” in the title.

I was getting bitter-actress-itis.

I remember my kid saying, “Mama sad, mama have dish-in.” I guess I was sad about my “dish-in” and more importantly I wasn’t a good enough actor to hide it from my son.

So I stopped acting. For almost three years. It was hard. But it was the right decision. I detoxed from the crack that is the highs and lows of the entertainment industry, I had a second child without consulting the UBCP/ACTRA “what’s shooting” list, and I went back to university to seek out another career path cause god knows if I’m not pretty enough for Smallville I’m definitely not getting a job at Cactus Club.

But I still found myself drawn to my husband’s (actor Stephen Lobo) callsheets and scripts. I missed being creative and telling stories and making movies. I wanted back in but knew it had to be different this time round.

I decided to write myself the juicy lead role that no one was going to give me otherwise. The plan was to write a starring vehicle to resuscitate my nearly dead career. I had stories from my motherhood experiences and I came up with the concept for a movie called Preggoland.

And then I wrote. Before my kids woke up, during their naptimes, in the middle of the night if I couldn’t sleep. I channeled all that creative energy into a story. My dear friend Kevin Eastwood agreed to produce. Ironically, by far the most difficult thing about getting the film made was convincing the decision makers to have me star in it. But the producers and the director, Jacob Tierney, supported me entirely – which meant a much smaller budget and a bigger pain in the ass for all involved. They did it anyway and never made me feel guilty.

Now, of course, I would never be so cavalier as to suggest the answer to all out-of-work actresses is to just “go out and make a feature.” It was the simple act of being creative on my own terms and taking control of my own destiny that empowered me. My bitter actress-itis was cured long before Preggoland went into production.

And did all my dreams come true with this film? Has Hollywood come knocking?

I guess the answer is, I don’t know yet. I’m not thinking about it all that much because I’m too busy with my family and the new ideas in my head. In my quest to write a vehicle to launch a “comeback,” I fell in love with writing along the way. And so the parameters of my dream life have shifted once again.

I won’t pretend that it doesn’t twinge my heart a little when I see Zach Galifianakis hosting Saturday Night Live and wonder what could have been if I’d laid off the cashews. But then I move on fast because I’m too busy writing my next feature.

-Sonja Bennett

Social Media Handles

Website: sonjabennett.ca, mongrelmedia.com/film/preggoland.aspx, indiegogo.com/projects/preggoland-help-us-finish-the-movie
Twitter: @sonjabennett123, @Preggoland
Facebook: facebook.com/Preggoland
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm1060641/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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

STAR AND SCREENWRITER SONJA BENNETT’S FEATURE FILM “PREGGOLAND” OPENS MAY 1ST IN CANADA AND MAY 8TH IN THE USA THE FILM SHOWCASES HER MANY TALENTS WITH CO-STARS OSCAR NOMINEE JAMES CAAN AND DANNY TREJO

Taking two years off to make Preggoland Sonja books her first role back on ABC’s “Mistresses”

Star and Screenwriter Sonja Bennett’s Feature Film Preggoland will be released Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal in Canada on May 1st and in the US on May 8^th to a limited release in 10 cities.

Preggoland is very much Sonja Bennett’s baby (pun intended!). The movie marks her foray into screenwriting; in addition to starring in the Canadian indie, the award-winning actress penned the script. Sonja realized there weren’t as many roles for women over 30, so she decided to be proactive about her career by writing herself the juicy lead she’d been craving. “I was interested in exploring of how motherhood changes female friendships, the artifice of this giant clique of motherhood and the pregnancy pedestal,” Sonja shares. Inspiration came from Bennett’s  own experience of becoming pregnant with her now five-year-old son.

Montreal’s Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) directs Preggoland, a laugh-out-loud comedy about a 35-year old woman Ruth (Sonja Bennett) whose high school friends have moved onto motherhood, while she’s still partying in the parking lot. But when Ruth is mistakenly thought to be “with child,”  her life changes – old pals embrace her, strangers give up their seats and her father (James Caan) approves of her for the first time. How can she keep up the ruse? Also starring are Lisa Durupt (Ruth’s baby-wanting sister), Paul Campbell (the  boss Ruth bonds with over a song), Jared Keeso (the doctor she surprises) and  Danny Trejo (the co-worker who surprises her).

Photo by Ed Araquel
BCBGMAXAZRIA

The film opened to a much-hyped premiere as a Special Presentation at TIFF and in Sonja’s hometown at the Vancouver International Film Festival where it won the Most Popular Canadian Feature Film Award and was nominated for best BC film by the VFCC. Preggoland won the Best screenplay award at the Fargo film festival and most recently, on March 15^th, the film won the audience choice award for best feature film at the Omaha Film Fest and screened at Miami 2015. Upcoming festivals include Sonoma International Festival on March 27^th, the Gasparilla Film Festival in Tampa Bay Florida where Preggoland will be the closing night film and the film has also been accepted into the Bejing Film Festival.

Dorkshelf says “Preggoland has a stellar script and a star making performance from writer and lead Sonja Bennett.” Scene Creek billed the film “smart and savvy” while NOW Magazine said “Bennett’s written a sharp comedy that explores the societal pressure on women without children and gives a knockout performance as bad girl Ruth.”

After taking two years off to make Preggoland Sonja books her first role back as a ballerina with a blood disorder in the third season of ABC’s drama/thriller Mistresses. She and her husband (Ed Quinn) get tangled up in the lives of one of the Mistresses in an interesting way. Sonja will join the series stars Jes Macallan, Rochelle Aytes, Yunjin Kim, and Jennifer Esposito.

Acting for more than 10 years, Sonja Bennett has appeared in critically acclaimed films such as Atom Egoyan’s Where the Truth Lies, Elegy starring Ben Kingsley and Penélope Cruz, and TIFF opening night film Young People Fucking – for which she earned a Vancouver Film Critics Circle award. The Vancouver native has kept an equally busy profile on the small screen with recurring roles in Eureka, Battlestar Galatica, Blade: The Series. Her performances in Random Acts of Romance, In No Particular Order, Cole and the TV series Godivas and Cold Squad garnered her Leo Gemini, and Genie nominations.

Shot in Vancouver, the film is produced by Kevin Eastwood (Fido) and Dylan Collingwood, Fake-a-baby Productions, Titlecard Pictures Inc. and Optic

Nerve Films Inc. with the support of Telefilm. Preggoland is being released in Canada by Mongrel Media.

Social Media Handles

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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

William Ainscough is nominated for a Joey Award for his role as Billy on ‘Seed’

Watch William in ‘The Christmas Secret’, a Hallmark Movies World Premiere on Sunday, December 7, 9/8c
And ‘The Haunting Hour’ episode entitled Spores set to air on Discovery Family in November 2014

Young Actor William Ainscough continues to receive nominations for his starring role as Billy in CityTV’s ‘Seed’ at the Joey Awards in the Young Actor age 9 or younger in a TV series Comedy Action Leading Role category. The Joey Awards will be held in New Westminster BC on November 16^th. www.joeyawards.com

The Joey Awards have been established to recognize young performers in Canada through awards, and educate their parents on keeping their young performers safe in the crazy world of Showbiz.” The Joey Awards goal is to reward young actors and actresses in Canada for their hard work and dedication to their craft.

William has received other award nominations for ‘Seed’ including a 2014 Leo Award nomination for best performance in a Comedy, Variety or Musical www.leoawards.com and his 2013 Actor nomination for the ‘BEST NEWCOMER’ category for the UBCP/ACTRA Awards (www.ubcp.com). ‘Seed’ stars a talented ensemble cast headed by Adam Korson (2 Broke Girls).

It was clear after booking his first two auditions that acting for William was a path well chosen. William’s very first attempt at acting was a success, when he landed his first audition in an open casting call for the feature film Hidden’. William was successful in landing the role of Joey, a slightly shy and soulful boy and close friend and neighbor of Zoe’s (Emily Alyn Lind). The feature film, which follows a family hiding in a bomb shelter after a mysterious outbreak devastates civilization, stars Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood, Battleship) and Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion, Never Let Me Go). The film Hidden, directed by The Duffer Brothers is slated for theatrical release.

William has a supporting role as Zach in ‘The Christmas Secret’, a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original World Premiere on Sunday, December 7, 9/8c starring Bethany Joy Lenz and John Reardon. http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/the-most-wonderful-movies-of-christmas/most-wonderful-movies William will also be seen in his Guest Star role as Melvin in ‘The Haunting Hour’ episode entitled Spores set to air on the new Discovery Family in November 2014.

Other recent highlights for William include playing the iconic role of John Darling in ABC’s ‘Once Upon a Time,’ and a major supporting role in ‘Zapped’ the television feature for the new Disney Channel starring the US pop music sensation and actor Zendaya.

Following in his parent’s footsteps (Nicole Oliver, actress; Chris Ainscough, composer/film editor), William Ainscough is making a serious impression in the entertainment industry. It was after watching his mother in action during visits to the sets of some of her film projects that William’s interest in the acting world began. Nicole inspired him to try acting for himself and began taking classes. William has had the chance to act opposite his mother in several episodes of ‘Seed’, when she plays Billy’s teacher and principal, Mrs. Anderson.

Aside from acting, William is an accomplished drummer, loves soccer and baseball, and is a huge fan of the online game Minecraft.

Social Media Handles

Website: citytv.com
Facebook: Seed
Twitter: @Seed_tv

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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

Star and Screenwriter Sonja Bennett’s feature film “Preggoland” showcase her many talents at TIFF and VIFF with co-star Oscar nominee James Caan

Early reviews are in. Critics love Sonja’s edgy comedy-drama

Preggoland is very much Sonja Bennett’s baby (pun intended!). The movie marks her foray into screenwriting; in addition to starring in the Canadian indie, the award-winning actress penned the script. Opening to a much-hyped premiere at TIFF Canadian feature Preggoland will screen in Sonja’s hometown at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Sonja realized there weren’t as many roles for women over 30, so she decided to be proactive about her career by writing herself the juicy lead she’d been craving. “I was interested in exploring of how motherhood changes female friendships, the artifice of this giant clique of motherhood and the pregnancy pedestal,” Sonja shares.

The early reviews are in and critics love the edgy comedy-drama written co-starring Oscar-nominee James Caan and veteran actor Danny Trejo. Dorkshelf says “Preggoland has a stellar script and a star making performance from writer and lead Sonja Bennett.” Scene Creek billed the film “smart and savvy” while NOW Toronto said “Bennett’s written a sharp comedy that explores the societal pressure on women without children and gives a knockout performance as bad girl Ruth.”

Filmed in Vancouver, Preggoland centers on a boozing 35-year-old woman (Bennett) whose life turns upside down when is mistakenly thought to be pregnant. All of a sudden Ruth (whose life was more in tune with a teenager than a 30-something grown woman) earns her father’s approval, nabs the attention of her friends, and saves her job. Ultimately she finds the glorious perks of pregnancy to seductive to ignore.

Laura Harris (24, Defying Gravity), Paul Campbell (Spun Out, Battlestar Galatica), Jared Keeso (Godzilla, Elysium, 19-2), and Lisa Durupt (Shall We Dance, Less Than Kind) round out the talented cast. The Trotsky’s Jacob Tierney directs with Kevin Eastwood and Dylan Collingwood as producers.

Preggoland premiered at TIFF as part of the prestigious Special Presentations programme. The buzzed-about film will have its hometown debut during VIFF.

Acting for more than 10 years, Sonja Bennett has appeared in critically acclaimed films such as Atom Egoyan’s Where the Truth Lies, Elegy starring Ben Kingsley and Penélope Cruz, and TIFF opening night film Young People Fucking – for which she earned a Vancouver Film Critics Circle award. The Vancouver native has kept an equally busy profile on the small screen with recurring roles in Eureka, Battlestar Galatica, Blade: The Series. Her performances in Random Acts of Romance, In No Particular Order, Cole and the TV series Godivas and Cold Squad garnered her Leo Gemini, and Genie nominations.

Preggoland is produced by Fake-a-baby Productions, Titlecard Pictures Inc. and Optic Nerve Films Inc. and with the support of Telefilm.

Social Media Handles

Website: sonjabennett.ca, mongrelmedia.com/film/preggoland.aspx
Twitter: @sonjabennett123, @Preggoland
Facebook: facebook.com/Preggoland
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm1060641/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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

Canadian Corey Large Executive Producer On The November Man In Theatres Now and Revenge Of The Green Dragons Premiering At TIFF

Corey acts and produces in BC film Poker Night premiering December 5, 2014

The year 2014 is proving to be busier than ever for Canadian actor/writer/producer Corey Large. As an executive producer, the B.C. native has a handful of blockbusters screening at prestigious film festivals and in theaters worldwide. Earlier this year “It Follows” premiered at Cannes and more recently, “Revenge of the Green Dragons” was accepted into the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. “The November Man” opens this August and, later this year, “Poker Night” debuts in theatres across North America.

Starring Pierce Brosnan, “The November Man” is the first of Corey’s new slate of films to hit the big screen, debuting on August 27. Corey executive produces and Roger Donaldson (“The Bank Job”) directs. The spy thriller also stars Olga Kurylenko and Luke Bracey.

Alongside famed director Martin Scorsese, Corey executive produced “Revenge of the Green Dragons” starring Ray Liotta, Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr, Shuya Chang, and Geoff Pierson. The film premieres at TIFF on Sept. 10 as part of the festival’s Special Presentations programme. This dizzying, decade-spanning crime saga from directors Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo follows two best friends as they rise through the ranks of New York’s Chinese underworld in the 1980s.

Corey not only produced, but also co-stars in “Poker Night,” a feature film shot in his hometown of Victoria, B.C., starring Beau Mirchoff, Ron Perlman, Giancarlo Esposito, and Titus Welliver. The thriller, which features twists and turns that will leave you guessing till the very end, opens in theaters nationwide on Dec. 5.

Earlier this year Corey produced and acted in the Canadian feature “Kid Cannabis,” which opened to rave reviews on April 20and continues with strong DVD sales.

At the helm of Wingman Productions and Tunnel Post, Corey runs his own studio and post-production company controlling the direction of projects he chooses to work on. His Santa Monica-based companies specialize in creating high-end media content for film, television, live events, commercials and music videos including, “Killing them Softly” with Brad Pitt, “Broken City” starring Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg, and “The Tomb” with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.

Along with his partners, Corey has written, produced, co-starred in and sold a number of full-length features to Hollywood studios, including: “Loaded”, “Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever,” “Toxic,” “The Penthouse,” “The Obama Effect,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” and “The Frozen Ground”. Corey executive produced “Fire with Fire” starring Josh Duhamel, “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn”starring Mila Kunis and the late Robin Williams, and “Broken City” starring Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe. Other features include “Lap Dance” “Zombeavers,” “Don Peyote,” “Unconscious” and “Empire State”. Recently, Corey had a role in the Oscar-nominated “Lone Survivor” starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch and Eric Bana.

Staying true to his Canadian roots, Corey will venture back to British Columbia to produce and act in “The Passenger” with Vancouver director Chad Krowchuk, Corey splits his time between Victoria and Los Angeles. He is available for interviews upon request.

Social Media Handles

Website: wingmanproductions.com, tunnelpost.com
IMDb: Corey Large, Poker Night
Trailers: Revenge Of The Green Dragons, The November Man

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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

Award Winning Local Film ‘Lawrence & Holloman’ Opens in Theatres in Vancouver July 18th presented with The First Weekend Club

“The laughs just kept coming in this must see dark comedy. Perfectly cast … so well written .. audiences are going to love it. Put it on your calendars and get ready for those belly laughs!”
– The Cinequest Film Review, San Jose

“A kind of comic apocalypse … the unlikeliest best buds in the history of buddy comedy.”
– Edmonton Journal

The feel-bad comedy of the year …

LAWRENCE & HOLLOMAN

Directed by Matthew Kowalchuk based on the play by Morris Panych
Starring Ben Cotton, Daniel Arnold, Katharine Isabelle, Amy Matysio

Having swept North America with “must-see” reviews and 11 awards in 11 festivals, this darkly twisted buddy comedy – currently nominated for 4 Canadian Comedy Awards — is now making its theatrical premiere …

Synopsis:
Lawrence is an ever-optimistic suit salesman for whom everything always goes right. That is until he meets Holloman, a cynical and suicidal credit collector, and everything starts to go wrong. Very wrong. Is happiness determined by our outlook on life? Or can our destiny be changed … by another.

PREMIERE: FRIDAY JULY 18
VIFF VANCITY THEATRE
1181 Seymour Street
Reception at 6:45 | Screening at 7:45.
Presented with First Weekend Club
Reception with live musical performance by Jessica Harvey and Daniel Doerksen

Film followed by Q&A with filmmakers and after-party at Subeez
THEN:
July 19 @ 6:30 | July 21 @ 6:30 | July 22 @ 8:30 | July 23 @ 6:30
Tickets & Info: viff.org/theatre/films/fc8165-lawrence-holloman | 604 683 3456
Join the FB event at: facebook.com/events/851610758257396

CONTINUED RUN @
THE RIO THEATRE
1660 E Broadway @ Commercial
Thursday July 24 @ 9:30pm
Friday July 25 @ 7pm
Tickets & Info: www.riotheatre.ca | 604 878 3456

“A must-see! … the sleeper hit of the entire festival.” – The Gazette, EIFF
“Dark, twisted, and really very funny … a multi-dimensional screamer. One of the events top flicks.” – The Province
“Debuted to waves of laughter… a darkly funny, sometimes insane buddy comedy.” – YVR Shoots
“The writing is witty … the actors’ comedic timing is fantastic.” – The Examiner, Washington DC
“Clever, witty, and playful … This film is just dark enough that I feel a bit guilty about having enjoyed it as much as I did!” – AlienatedinVancouver
“Enjoyable to anyone … this film will please. It could also inspire you to choose to be optimistic and happy!” – Reellife
“Morbidly hilarious! … and that is sickly awesome.” – JasonWatchesMovies
“BEST BC FILMS AT VIFF” List – Vancouver Magazine
“TOP CANADIAN FILMS TO SEE AT VIFF” – The Huffington Post
“Rich humor … appealing performances … and something remarkable happens: the story starts to resonate in your heart — and when the dust settles this richly dark film may very well force you to re-examine your perspective.” – GayVancouver.net

Awards
Best Feature Comedy – RxSM
Best Canadian Feature – EIFF
Rising Star: Filmmaker – EIFF
Rising Star: Actor (Ben Cotton) – EIFF
Best Emerging Director – VIFF
Best Director of a Comedy – VTXIFF
Best Actor in a Comedy (Daniel Arnold) – VTXIFF
Best Canadian Film – BNFF
Best Comedic Acting (Ben Cotton) – BNFF
Excellence Award – Rincon, Puerto Rico
Best Casting – Leo Award

8 more Leo Award nominations (BC Film Awards):
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay
Best Lead Actor (Daniel Arnold), Best Lead Actor (Ben Cotton), Best Supporting Actress (Katharine Isabelle)
Best Editing, Best Sound Editing

4 Canadian Comedy Award nominations:
Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay

Cast & Creatives
This debut feature from director Matthew Kowalchuk is based on the highly successful stage play by two-time Governor General’s Award winner Morris Panych. Adapted for the screen by Daniel Arnold & Matthew Kowalchuk, the script received story editing from Kyle Hunter & Ariel Shaffir (Seth Rogen’s co-writer/producers on 50/50, This is the End), and story consultation from Daniel Petrie Jr (Academy Award nominated writer of Beverly Hills Cop and The Big Easy).

Starring: Ben Cotton, Daniel Arnold, Katharine Isabelle, Amy Matysio
The film stars four-time Leo Award-nominated BEN COTTON (Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, The Killing) who for this role has won Rising Star Actor (EIFF) and Best Comedic Acting (BNFF); Gemini and Leo Award-winning KATHARINE ISABELLE (American Mary, Ginger Snaps) who was also nominated for a Leo Award for this role; 7-time Canadian Comedy Awards nominee AMY MATYSIO (Single White Spenny, inSAYSHAble); and introduces the internationally acclaimed theatre actor DANIEL ARNOLD in his debut starring role in a feature film, for which he has been nominated for “Best Actor” (Leo Awards) and won “Best Actor in a Comedy” (VTXIFF).

Executive Producers Mary Anne Waterhouse & Andrew Currie of Quadrant Motion Pictures have produced numerous features including Donovan’s Echo starring Danny Glover, The Thaw starring Val Kilmer, and FIDO starring Carrie Ann Moss, while producer Paul Armstrong of Ameland Films, Crazy8s Film Event and the Celluloid Social Club has produced the multi award-winning features See Grace Fly, Ill Fated, and Moving Malcolm starring Elizabeth Berkley, and co-producer Robyn Wiener has co-produced or line produced numerous films including Amazon Falls, The Wingman, and American Mary. Don Thompson of Finale Editworks is the Associate Producer.

The film was funded by Telefilm Canada, Super Channel and OUTtv and developed with the participation of Creative BC, Astral the Harold Greenberg Fund and Movie Central. Support also from Finale Editworks, Bridge Studios and William F White.

Distributor John Bain of Search Engine Films is the former Senior VP of Distribution at Lions Gate Films and Maple Pictures, and has overseen the Canadian release of movies such as Drive, Our Idiot Brother, Winter’s Bone, Hurt Locker, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Hunger, and Biutiful.

Search Engine will be releasing Lawrence & Holloman theatrically in at least 3 Canadian cities, starting in the film’s hometown of Vancouver.

We encourage you to get your tickets, and invite your friends! If you saw it at VIFF, try seeing it again for the very first time …

Social Media Handles

Website: lawrenceandholloman.com, firstweekendclub.ca, searchenginefilms.com
Twitter: @LHthemovie
Facebook: facebook.com/lawrenceandholloman

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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

William Ainscough stars in City TV’s series “Seed” set to premiere on the CW Network in July, co-stars in Disney Channel’s ‘Zapped’ out June 27th and was a nominee for a 2014 Leo Award

In the past year, William Ainscough has been recognized for his hard work on “SEED”; being nominated for the 2013 UBCP Best Newcomer and most recently for a 2014 Leo Award Best Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series category. William was also thrilled to attend the CSAs in Toronto in March to celebrate Seed’s 8 CSA nominations including Best Comedic Series.

The first season of “SEED” was hailed as both a critical and commercial success and has been picked up by U.S. network The CW set to debut on the CW Monday July 14. William returned to his starring role of Billy Jones-Krasnoff in the second season of “SEED” and is just wrapping up airing Thursday nights at 9pm on CityTV. The series stars Adam Korson (2 Broke Girls) as Harry, a bachelor-bartender and sperm donor. Harry discovers that his foray into the world of sperm donation has resulted in kids – lots of kids! This ill-equipped bachelor finds himself entangled in the lives of his newfound children and their less-than-thrilled families with whom he’ll come to share more than just his DNA.

William Ainscough has been busy with other several acting gigs; having played the iconic role of John Darling in ABC’s “Once Upon a Time”, completing a major supporting role in “The Christmas Ornament” for Hallmark Channel coming out this December, and a leading role on “The Haunting Hour”, which will air on the HUB Network later this year.

Continuously pursuing his acting ambitions, William also booked a role in the comedic Disney Channel Original Movie “Zapped”, set to debut June 27, 2014. He has been working with multi-talented recording artist/actress Zendaya (“Dancing with the Stars,” “Shake It Up”), who will be headlining “Zapped,” the story of Zoey, a girl whose well-ordered life is up-ended when her mother remarries and she finds herself part of a family composed of rambunctious, chaotic – and most of all – messy boys and a male dog, to boot. William plays Ben, the youngest and messiest of Zendaya’s step-brothers.

After booking his first two auditions, it was clear that acting was a path well chosen for William. He has been thrilled to be able to add actor and his new bookings to his resume of accomplishments. Following in his parent’s footsteps (Nicole Oliver, actress; Chris Ainscough, composer/film editor), William Ainscough is making a serious impression in the entertainment industry. William has had the chance to act opposite his mother in several episodes of SEED , when she plays Billy’s teacher/Vice Principal, Mrs. Anderson.

It was after watching his mother in action during visits to the sets of some of her film projects that William’s interest in the acting world began. Nicole inspired him to try acting for himself and his very first attempt at acting was a success, when he landed his first audition in May 2012—an open casting call for a new feature film “Hidden”. The feature film, which follows a family hiding in a bomb shelter after a mysterious outbreak devastates civilization, stars Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood, Battleship) and Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion, Never Let Me Go). William was successful in landing the role of Joey, a slightly shy and soulful boy and close friend and neighbor of Zoe’s (Emily Alyn Lind). The film Hidden, directed by The Duffer Brothers, and is set to hit theatres in 2014.

Aside from acting, William is an accomplished drummer, loves soccer and baseball, and is a huge fan of the online game Minecraft.

Social Media Handles

Website: citytv.com
Facebook: Seed
Twitter: @Seed_tv

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
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Congratulations to our many talented clients who have been nominated for 2014 Leo Awards

Good luck this weekend!

Gabrielle Rose

– 3 Nominations

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Television Movie
Let It Snow

Best Performance by a Female in a Short Drama
The Corpse and The Courier

Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture
The Dick Knost Show

William Ainscough

– 1 Nomination

Best Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series
Seed – Ill Conceived

Down River

– 13 Nominations

Best Motion Picture
James Brown, Ben Ratner, Andrew Halliwell, Jack Ong – Producers

Best Direction in a Motion Picture
Ben Ratner

Best Screenwriting in a Motion Picture
Ben Ratner

Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture
Larry Lynn

Best Picture Editing in a Motion Picture
Rob Wenzek

Best Overall Sound in a Motion Picture
Randy Kiss, Michael Mcdonald, Brian Lyster

Best Musical Score in a Motion Picture
Chris Ainscough, Kevin House

Best Production Design in a Motion Picture
Josh Plaw

Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture
Gloria Tsui

Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture
Brian Markinson

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture
Jennifer Spence, Colleen Rennison

Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture
Helen Shaver

Andrea Menard

– 1 Nomination

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series
Blackstone – Burn Baby Burn

Lighthouse Pictures

– A slate of four Lighthouse Pictures’ productions have been nominated for 9 Leo Awards.

THE COLOUR OF RAIN
Best Television Movie: Shawn Williamson, Jamie Goehring – Producers
Best Direction: Anne Wheeler

SCARECROW
Best Cinematography: Eric Goldstein
Best Picture Editing: Tony Dean Smith
Best Overall Sound: Kirby Jinnah, Iain Pattison, Kevin Belen
Best Sound Editing: James Wallace, Jay Cheetham, Kevin Townshend, Shane Shemko
Best Musical Score: Matthew Rogers

LET IT SNOW
Best Supporting Performance by a Female: Gabrielle Rose

HATS OFF TO CHRISTMAS
Best Supporting Performance by a Male: Sean Michael Kyer

3 Days in Havana

– 3 Nominations

Best Motion Picture
Gil Bellows, Tony Pantages, Sidney Chiu, Gordon MacDonald
Kim Wakefield, Rob Neilson, Tim Brown – Producers

Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture
Pieter Stathis

Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture
Christopher Heyerdahl

Some Assembly Required

– 5 Nominations

Best Youth or Children’s Program or Series
Tim Gamble, Dan Signer, Howard Nemetz,
Michael Shepard, Alexandra Raffé, S. Lily Hui – Producers

Best Screenwriting in a Youth or Children’s Program or Series (2)
Jennica Harper – Philharmonica
Ryan W. Smith, Nathaniel Moher

Best Performance in a Youth or Children’s Program or Series (2)
Ellie Harvie – Strong Suit
Dylan Playfair – Rainbow Bunny

Lawrence & Holloman

– 9 Nominations

Being nominated for 9 Leo Awards makes the debut feature film Lawrence & Holloman the 2^nd most nominated film this year.

Best Motion Picture
Producers: Paul Armstrong, Daniel Arnold, Matthew Kowalchuk,
Mary Anne Waterhouse, Andrew Currie, Robyn Wiener, Don Thompson

Best Direction of a Motion Picture
Matthew Kowalchuk

Best Screenwriting of a Motion Picture
Daniel Arnold & Matthew Kowalchuk

Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture
Daniel Arnold

Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture
Ben Cotton

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture
Katharine Isabelle

Best Casting of a Motion Picture
Candice Elzinga

Best Picture Editing in a Motion Picture
David Legault

Best Sound Editing in a Motion Picture
Miguel Nunes, Gord Hillier, Don Harrison, Ian Mackie, Geoff Hollingshead

Agam Darshi

– 1 Nomination

Best Supporting Performance by a Female
in a Dramatic Series
Played – Poison

Jennifer Spence

– 2 Nominations

Best Supporting Performance by a Female
in a Motion Picture
Down River

Best Supporting Performance by a Female
in a Dramatic Series
Continuum – Second Opinion

Aubrey Arnason and Sarah Groundwater

– 6 Nominations

Best Information or Lifestyle Series (2)
The Proposal
Wedding Belles

Best Screenwriting in an Information or Lifestyle Series (3)
The Proposal – The ‘A’ Team
Sarah Groundwater – Wedding Belles – Modern Pin Up
Aubrey Arnason – Wedding Belles – Vintage Chic

Best Host(s) in an Information or Lifestyle Series
Wedding Belles – If The Shoe Fits

‘THE BIRDER’ starring Tom Cavanagh, Fred Willard and Graham Greene to screen at the LA Comedy Festival in Los Angeles with an official selection for its U.S. release on May 2nd at 7:00pm

IndustryWorks Pictures is excited to announce that Theodore Bezaire’s Sophomore Indie Comedy THE BIRDER will be screening in Los Angeles at the LA Comedy Festival on May 2^nd at the Let Live Theatre at 7:00pm. This funny feature film is starring Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Scrubs), Mark Rendall (30 Days of Night), Jamie Spilchuk (Hard Rock Medical), Tommie-Amber Pirie (What If), Academy Award Nominee Graham Greene (Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile) and Hollywood funny man Fred Willard (Anchorman, Best in Show). The film makes its U.S. Premiere at the LA Comedy Festival.

Co-written by Theodore Bezaire & Mike Stasko and directed by Bezaire, THE BIRDER is a revenge-comedy set inside the world of bird watching. It’s the story of Ron Spencer (Cavanagh), a mild mannered birder who seeks revenge on a younger rival (Spilchuk) after losing the highly coveted position of Head of Ornithology at the National Park.

“THE BIRDER is a wonderful film and an excellent comedy. The film is a perfect combination of laugh out loud moments and a heartwarming story that the whole family can enjoy.” says Caterina Scrivano, VP Marketing, IndustryWorks Pictures. “We’re very excited to partner with IndustryWorks and see our film take flight!” adds producer Gerry Lattmann of The Dot Film Company.

IndustryWorks plans a market release at The Marché Du Film in Cannes, France this May and will start its release schedule later this year.

SELECTED MEDIA QUOTES

“Easily one of the best comedies you’ll see all year.” – RAINDANCE

“The Birder is a sweet, hilarious film, which is so successful due to the performances of Cavanagh and Rendall.” – TORONTO FILM SCENE

“This is a funny movie!” – SLATE

About The Dot Film Company – The Dot Film Company develops and produces content for Film and Television. They have worked in association with some of Canada’s most reputable organizations, such as Telefilm Canada, CMPA, TVOntario, Corus Entertainment, VideoFACT, BravoFACT! and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

About IndustryWorks Pictures – IndustryWorks is a fully integrated company that distributes and produces feature films, television and new media content worldwide. IndustryWorks Pictures sets itself apart by having the keen sense of recognizing potential in projects for production and its primary function is to release unique and marketable content to the market place. IndustryWorks’ mandate is to release films that appeal to the mainstream and niche audiences. The company has several in-house projects in development on an ongoing basis. IndustryWorks distributes its content to all ancillary media outlets, including box office, VOD, SVOD, airlines, Internet and digital platforms, retail and rental outlets.

Social Media Handles

Website: industry-works.com, thebirdermovie.com, lacomedyfest.com
Twitter: @IWPictures, @TheBirderMovie, @LAComedyFest, @tbezaire, @CavanaghTom, @Fred_Willard
Facebook: facebook.com/IndustryWorksPictures

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

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