Tag Archives: PR

Is Gary Busey really ‘God’? IndustryWorks Studios Acquires the World Wide Rights to Independent Film CANDiLAND (2015)

Oscar Nominee Gary Busey stars in CANDiLAND

IndustryWorks Studios has acquired the World Wide distribution rights to the psychological drama CANDiLAND starring Gary Busey in what might very well be his ‘comeback role’. IndustryWorks will be bringing the film to Cannes to sell at the 2015 Marche du Film.

CANDiLAND stars Oscar nominee Gary Busey (The Buddy Holly Story), Chelah Horsdal (Arrow, Hell on Wheels) and James Clayton (Foodland). CANDiLAND marks a nuanced departure for Busey, who has been seen recurrently as a contestant in reality TV shows such as NBC’S The Apprentice. Busey was drawn to the role, finding parallels between his character Arnie and himself and the echoes of the father/son relationship shown in the film familiar. His performance plays earnest and sincere.

CANDiLAND tells the story of intensified mutual attraction to the point of deadly obsession. Peter (James Clayton), a retired and embittered tennis pro, who is estranged from his father Arnie (Gary Busey), decides to leave the solace of his apartment and happens upon Tess (Chelah Horsdal). Tess, a recent vulnerable divorcee, finds Peter’s intensity and attention irresistible. Together they pursue ‘oneness’ and consciously shut out the world, barricading themselves inside Peter’s apartment. A desperate Arnie attempts to liberate the pair from CANDiLAND– but will he make it in time?

Gary Busey states “CANDiLAND teaches us to pay attention to the heart of the injured like you haven’t paid attention before.”

Rusty Nixon says, “Elizabeth Engstrom’s cult novel has haunted me since I first read it twenty years ago. It was an honour to bring the book to life and to work with such a passionate cast and crew to create an unforgettable film experience.”

Produced by Motorcycle Boy and Greendale Productions, CANDiLAND was written and directed by Rusty Nixon.

ABOUT INDUSTRYWORKS STUDIOS/PICTURES – CANADA, INTERNATIONAL

IndustryWorks is a fully integrated Distribution, Production, Finance and New Media, worldwide content provider. IndustryWorks sets itself apart by having a keen sense of recognizing the potential in projects for distribution and is dedicated to releasing unique and marketable content to the world market place. The Company has several in-house projects in development and acquires films from producers around the world. IndustryWorks distributes its content through all media outlets, including box office, VOD, SVOD, broadcast, airlines, internet and digital platforms, retail and rental outlets.

CANDiLAND in CANNES: Please visit IndustryWorks in Cannes, at the Marche du Film – B3 Riviera

Social Media Handles

Website: industry-works.com/content/candiland
Twitter: @candilandfilm, @IWPictures, @THEGaryBusey
Instagram: @candilandfilm
Facebook: facebook.com/candilandfilm
IMDb: pro-labs.imdb.com/title/tt3620120/

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

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

Alan C. Peterson plays King Minos in OLYMPUS airing now on Syfy in the US, Spike TV in the UK & Super Channel in Canada

Alan voices the villain in animated feature SPARK with Jessica Biel, Susan Sarandon & Hilary Swank

In demand character actor Alan C. Peterson plays King Minos in the popular television series OLYMPUS. Peterson’s character, King Minos’ character is first introduced premieres on April 23 in North America in the episode entitled MINOS.

OLYMPUS, a 13-episode mythological drama set in the world of gods, humans and monsters, premiered on April 2 on Syfy in the US, Spike TV in the UK and Super Channel in Canada and made it’s UK launch on Spike TV last week. OLYMPUS tells the story of how a few brave men and women banished the Gods to the realm of the unconscious – a place they called the Underworld or the Kingdom of Hades. The series follows the protagonist Hero (Tom York, Tyrant) as he seeks the truth about his past, which may be intertwined with the Gods themselves. The series also stars Sonya Cassidy (The Paradise, Vera) as Oracle, Sonita Henry (Star Trek, The Fifth Element) as Medea, Graham Shiels (Guardians of the Galaxy, True Blood) as King Aegeus, and Matt Frewer (Orphan Black, The Knick) as Daedalus. Created by Nick Willing (Tinman, Alice, Neverland), OLYMPUS is a Canada-UK co-production.

shapeimage_5

Internationally recognized character actor Alan C. Peterson is known for his ability to disappear into the hundreds of varied roles he has played onscreen and onstage. Growing up as an actor in the impassioned and vital Estonian theater scene in Toronto, after University, Alan was inspired to go to New York City to study with two true greats, Stella Adler and Kim Stanley, and begin his professional acting career.

Soon to be seen, Alan plays “J” in the Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Whitehouse Down) and major feature film STONEWALL, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ron Perlman.

Alan has worked with many other pre-eminent directors, such as Antoine Fuqua in his film SHOOTER, as Officer Stanley Timmons, with Mark Wahlberg and Danny Glover, in Zack Snyder’s film SUCKERPUNCH as Big Boss, with Jon Hamm and Emily Browning, and in Sydney Furie’s film PRIDE OF LIONS, with Seymour Cassell and Louis Gossett Jr. Other films include DEFENDOR with Woody Harrelson, Joe Carnahan’s NARC with Ray Liotta and Jason Patric, and THE SAMARITAN with Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Wilkinson. Alan is particularly proud of his role as the eccentric conspiracy theorist, Terrance, in THE CONSPIRACY.

Television series work includes, as a regular, BRIDGE TO MOTOR CITY, CRA$H AND BURN, STREET TIME, as well as the mini-series, ZOS: ZONE OF SEPARATION. He has guest starred in many TV series, among them, STARGATE, THE LISTENER, LOST GIRL, COPPER, 19-2. Most recently he reunited with Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara as a guest star on the season finale of their series SCHITT’S CREEK. One of his first onscreen roles was as “Edith Prickly’s Double” on the “Johnny Nucleo Lounge Meltdown” episode of SCTV.

Joining a stellar cast of Jessica Biel, Susan Sarandon, and Hilary Swank, Alan also voices the villain in the animated feature SPARK, an action packed space adventure full of humor and heart.

Social Media Handles

Website: syfy.com/olympus, olympustv.com
Twitter: @AcpetersonAlan, @Olympus_TV, @SyfyTV, @SuperChannel
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm0012586/?ref_=nv_sr_4

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

Vancouver filmmaker Matthew Campbell vies for CineCoup’s Million Dollar Prize with his feature film “The Wounded” starring Patrick Sabongui

Film follows Afghani father’s trek to Canada to find revenge against the man who killed his son

Filmmaker Matthew Campbell has submitted his action-packed thriller, The Wounded to the social media platform CineCoup, answering their call for indie filmmakers to post trailers of their projects and navigate their way through the selection process. The final five films (voted by fans) will be optioned for development. Among those five is the $1 million prizewinner.

The Wounded is a story of two fathers. The emotional thriller focuses on Naseer (Patrick Sabongui) an average working-class man from Afghanistan who travels to Canada to seek revenge on the Marine (Rob Hayter) responsible for his son’s death. Meanwhile, Patrick (the marine) is grappling with the effects of war on his mental health while desperately trying to patch things up with his own family upon his return. When Naseer puts a plan into motion hoping for justice, both fathers are pushed to the unthinkable as they come to terms with the effects of violence in their lives.

“Think of the classic American ‘my family is dead, now I will avenge them’ flick, a.k.a. Collateral Damage,” Campbell explains. “But put the twist on a normal Afghani, middle class father who has never willed ill upon anyone, who decides to make the trek to North America to find the man who killed his son believing this will bring him peace.”

For The Wounded, Matthew pulled together a great cast to join Patrick Sabongui (The Flash, Godzilla, 300) who plays Naseer, the Afghan father who wants revenge for Patrick the soldier who killed his son played by Rob Hayter (Falling Skies, The 100). Paula Giroday (Once Upon a Time, Psych) who plays the mother and Madison Guppy (Fringe, Jake and Jasper) plays the daughter. Sasha Proctor (Underworld: Awakening, Arrow) is the Director of Photography and Leif Haydale (The Interview, White House Down) coordinated the stunts.

Over the last eight years, Matthew Campbell has worked on some of Vancouver’s most buzzed-about projects – including hit shows like Arrow, Godzilla, and the upcoming Disney flick Tomorrowland starring George Clooney. Now the young director is gearing up to helm his very first feature, The Wounded, with the potential help of a $1 million prize.

Voting for the Top 60 opens April 6 and runs for the following four days. Campbell hopes to make it all the way to the Top 5. The Wounded trailer has garnered seven pages worth of comments on the movie’s CineCoup page – most of which are overwhelmingly positive. One user wrote it was an “action-packed teaser with great stunts!” Another commented: “Great action and editing, looks like strong acting as well. I’ll be following this one!”

Campbell has been hard at work on this project for more than a year. He’s personally invested nearly $35,000 into the film and received an amazing amount of help from friends in the industry. Next up is a longer ‘investor’s trailer’ featuring visual effects from ILM, the Oscar-winning studio that’s worked on blockbusters such as Star Wars and Transformers.

To vote and share the project, visit www.thewoundedmovie.com.

When to Vote
The three Voting Windows are:
Top 60:
April 6 @ 9 PM ET – April 10 @ 9 PM ET
Top 30:
April 20 @ 9 PM ET – April 24 @ 9 PM ET
Top 15:
May 4 @ 9 PM ET – April 8 @ 9 PM ET

About Matthew Campbell:
Born just outside of Vancouver in Delta, B.C., Matthew Campbell grew up having two strong passions: film and adventure. As a kid, he loved to climb, slide and jump on anything and everything he possibly could. He followed through on both interests by going into film and working on action-packed movies and shows. The young filmmaker landed his first industry gig as a production assistant for the sci-fi drama The Last Mimzy.

Campbell then went on to study Motion Picture Production at Capilano University. He made his directorial debut shortly afterwards with the short film To Save One’s Self (2012). The movie was screened at festivals worldwide and nabbed the “Royal Reel Award” at the Canadian International Film Fstival.

Since then, the B.C. native has worked as a Lead/On-Set Greensman on some of the province’s biggest productions, including Godzilla (2013), Arrow, This Means War and Once Upon A Time.

Campbell is currently working on his feature debut, The Wounded, a dramatic thriller about two fathers from opposite ends of a war.

About Patrick Sabongui:
Patrick’s acting career spans over a decade. Patrick grew up in a 3-language household speaking French, English and Arabic. Patrick earned a BFA in Drama and MFA in Acting. Patrick currently plays Captain David Singh on CW’s The Flash. Patrick has had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most influential directors including Steven Spielberg, Zack Snyder, Tarsem Singh, John Cassar, Yves Simoneau, Richard Donner, Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard and Roland Emmerich. On television, he has appeared on several hit shows such as “24”, Flashpoint, Covert Affairs, Psych, Smallville and Stargate: Atlantis to name a few. His athletic background and martial-arts training has also landed him work on action films “300”, Immortals, MI:4, A-Team, The Bourne Legacy, Tron: Legacy and more.

As a creative artist he has also written, directed and produced several short films. Patrick is also the co- director of the not-for-profit mentorship program, Fulfilling Young Artists: an organization dedicated to helping young actors and actresses find fulfillment in their pursuit of a positive, sustainable acting career. As a father, artist, actor, director, producer, mentor and athlete he is the embodiment of a renaissance man in today’s entertainment industry.

Social Media Handles

Website: thewoundedmovie.com
Twitter: @thewoundedmovie, @greensman, @patricksabongui, @cinecoup
Trailer: cinecoup.com/the-wounded/trailer

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

THUNDER ROAD AND FILM HOUSE GERMANY ACQUIRE THE ADAPTATION RIGHTS OF PETER LINEY’S DYSTOPIAN NOVEL

THUNDER ROAD and FILM HOUSE GERMANY have optioned THE DETAINEE, a brilliant dystopian adventure by author and playwright Peter Liney in a deal negotiated by Penny Karlin, of The Karlin Connection, Literary Manager Daniaile Jarry of Open Entertainment and Jonathan Fuhrman of Thunder Road.

THE DETAINEE is the first of a trilogy described as ‘a Hunger Games for adults’.

Published in Britain and America by Jo Fletcher Books, an imprint of Quercus, part of the Hachette group, the US release of the mass-market paperback edition took place on February 3, 2015. The second book in the series, INTO THE FIRE, had its US hardback release on March 17, 2015.

Basil Iwanyk (John Wick, Clash of Titans franchise) of Thunder Road is producing with Christian Angermayer of Film House Germany. Grant Myers (The Maze Runner) is set to adapt the novel. The Maze Runner has grossed over 340 million dollars worldwide. Grant is repped by Paradigm and Gotham\Principal. Erica Lee will oversee for Thunder Road.

Synopsis:
Clancy is an ageing ‘big guy’, someone whose physical stature once guaranteed him respect in the community – but no more: now he, along with the rest of society’s ‘waste’, has been shipped out to live on the Island. Yet another victim of the calamitous collapse of the financial institutions, changing demographics, and the state’s inability to continue supporting its weaker members.

Punishment satellites watch over this outpost of hell 24/7, meting out instant judgement on those who commit crimes, including trying to escape back to the Mainland. But worse than that are the nights when the fogs rolling in off the sea are so thick that the satellites can’t function: it’s then that the sick and elderly are subjected to terrifying raids by young garbage urchins manipulated through drugs and controlled by the Wastelords.

No situation could be bleaker or more desolate . . . until Clancy discovers Lena, a young blind woman, living alone in the old subways, and with her comes hope.

THE DETAINEE is part love story, part adventure, but most of all, a testimony to the human spirit: the truth that no matter how grim the situation, given the tiniest drop of hope, we will find a way to survive.

PETER LINEY:
Peter Liney honed his strong narrative skills and attention to detail whilst writing for German, Australian, British, and South African television and radio.

In THE DETAINEE, his first published novel, he has created a gripping dystopian world in which the state has gone bust and can no longer support its weakest members, peopled with strong characters facing incredible threats.

Open Entertainment is a talent and literary management company based in LA and Vancouver, with a number of feature films and television projects – scripted and unscripted – in various stages of development.

Social Media Handles

Twitter: @lineypeter
Facebook: facebook.com/TheDetainee

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

DONNA LEWIS RETURNS WITH BRAND NEW DAY, FEATURING DAVID KING, REID ANDERSON AND ETHAN IVERSON

Platinum Singer-Songwriter Reimagines Her Own Material and Songs by David Bowie, Neil Young, Damian Rice, Gnarls Barkley, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chocolate Genius,Burt Bacharach and Harry Nilsson

Donna Lewis will be performing at The Falcon in Marlboro, New York on March 26 and
at Turning Point in Piermont, New York on March 27

The Welsh-born singer Donna Lewis is one of those rare artists whose immense success on the pop radio charts disguises an exceptional and serious musicianship and breadth of repertoire. Lewis’ new album, Brand New Day, reveals the range of her artistry, and may surprise listeners who know her only for her pop hits “I Love You Always Forever,” “At The Beginning,” “I Could Be The One” and “Love Him.” Produced and arranged by Lewis’ longtime friend David Torn, the genre-busting composer and producer, Brand New Day is an intoxicating set of jazz-inflected covers and Lewis originals in which she is joined by the eminent progressive jazz musicians Ethan Iverson (piano), Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums). Palmetto releases the album March 10, 2015.

With her distinctive, breathy voice and unique phrasing, Lewis brings a fresh immediacy to the covers on Brand New Day, including David Bowie‘s infrequently heard “Bring Me the Disco King,” Neil Young‘s “Helpless,” Damien Rice‘s “Amie,” and Chocolate Genius‘ “My Mom,” among others. The album also features two new Lewis originals, “Sleep” and “Brand New Day,” as well as a powerful remake of “I Love You Always Forever.”

For an artist used to the do-and-do-again perfectionism of pop music recording sessions, returning to the improvisational nature of jazz was an exciting prospect. It took nerve for Lewis to take on songs so deeply etched in the pop consciousness in such a stripped-down setting, but she recorded most of them in a single take. As a result, the record has live, organic, nearly ambient feel.

“I Love You Always Forever” was such a hit for Lewis that, for many listeners, it will always be the thing for which she is remembered. Atlantic Records Chairman Doug Morris had been so enamored with the demo for that song that he flew Lewis to New York to meet him and perform her material, and offered her a deal on the spot. It became the first song ever to get a million spins on American radio and the third best-selling song in the history of Atlantic Records. The record also was an international sensation, topping charts all over the world. Lewis’ second album for the label, Blue Planet (1998), spawned two hits: “Love Him,” which topped the Billboard Dance charts, and “I Could Be the One.”

She soon began to reveal other dimensions of her creativity. While on hiatus to start a family, she left her mark on such projects as The Art of Noise’s The Seduction of Claude Debussy. She began her longtime collaboration with David Torn, a guitarist and studio wizard known for his film scores including Friday Night Lights, The Order and Lars and the Real Girl, as well as for his work with rock legends such as David Bowie and Jeff Beck. In 2001, five electronically textured songs Torn and Lewis wrote and recorded for the Chute project were among the most requested on Los Angeles’ KCRW for three weeks running. She released the acoustic Be Still in 2002 and the high-energy In the Pink in 2008.

Still, the aptly titled Brand New Day is both a striking departure from anything she has done before, and the fullest realization of qualities that have always set her apart. As Time Out NY said before a recent NYC performance, “If you really listened past the earworm chorus and bubbly beat of Lewis’s debut hits, you quickly sensed that she was no flash in the pan. The classically trained…Lewis had a breathy coo that could recall Kate Bush, and used it with a flexibility that few pop princesses could muster.”

Donna Lewis – Brand New Day

Sleep
Bring Me The Disco King
Crazy
Waters of March
Brand New Day
Everybody’s Talkin’ At Me
Helpless
Amie
I Love You Always Forever
Walk On By
My Mom

Social Media Handles

Website: donnalewis.com
Twitter: @donna__lewis
Facebook: facebook.com/DonnaLewisMusic
Instagram: @donnalewismusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDonnaLewisChannel

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

VOICE ACTOR DAVE PETTITT SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS AS THE VOICE OF DISCOVERY CANADA’S ‘AIRSHOW’, ‘HIGHWAY THRU HELL’ AND TOURISM ECUADOR’S HISTORIC SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL

Dave Pettitt is a male voice actor with more than just a deep, clear voice. He brings a natural instinct and sound to every read. Finalist at the 2014 Voice Arts Awards, Dave was nominated for the campaign for Tourism Ecuador in the Outstanding National TV Commercial category. Tourism Ecuador made history at this years Super Bowl as the first country to advertise during Super Bowl 2015, Dave was chosen to do the voiceover for this beautiful and inviting commercial. http://youtu.be/toZaCpIzDqg . Canada’s Super Bowl broadcast also heard Dave’s voice with the well known Suncor commercial.

Discovery Canada’s exciting new television series ‘Airshow’ premiered January 26^th. http://www.discovery.ca/Shows/Airshow with Dave at the narration helm. ‘Highway thru Hell’ continues to break audience records every season! And you guessed it, Dave Pettitt narrates the series that airs on Discovery Canada and in over 178 countries worldwide.

The 42^nd Annual Annie Awards were recently held in Los Angeles on January 31^st. The Annie Awards are the highest honor given for excellence in animation. Trophies are awarded for the year’s best feature film, video and television programs. Dave narrated “Best Animated Video Game” winner Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Ubisoft. http://annieawards.org/ http://youtu.be/Khl02WOSfXQ

Dave Pettitt has been a voice talent since 1992. His career began by lending his personality and vocal chops to morning radio in Calgary and on Vancouver Island. During that time, Dave was also being sought after by studios across North America to provide voice over for many well-known international clients. Voice over plays an enormous role in shaping the overall tone and quality of the production as a whole.

Dave is best known for his array of television narration for shows including Great Pacific Media’s ‘Airshow’ and ‘Highway thru Hell’, as well as History Channel’s ‘American Daredevils’ and ‘Draft Year’ on Sportsnet.

With credits in animation, including Lego’s Legends of Chima (2013), and countless National radio and television commercial clients, Dave has provided VO for Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) and Frozen (2013) Blu ray extras, Panasonic, Animal Planet Puppy Bowl and Nickelodeon.

It is his down to earth style and an everyman voice that makes him a great match for today’s documentary and real life drama series as well as international brands worldwide.

Social Media Handles

Website: DavePettitt.com
Twitter: @voiceoverdave
Facebook: facebook.com/voiceactordavepettitt
YouTube: youtube.com/user/daveonefourone

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

NEW SHAW TV SERIES ‘FIONA FORBES’ AIRS THURSDAYS 6 PM AND 10 PM

Insightful interviews and a lively panel discussion
Only on Shaw TV-Vancouver

channel 4

About the Show
Shaw TV – Vancouver is poised to launch the newest talk show on the local scene: Fiona Forbes is a 30-minute gabfest that includes an intimate conversation with a notable personality, followed by candid panel commentary about headlines making waves in pop culture.

Coming up this week CBC’s Dragon Den’s Restauranteur Vikram Vij is Fiona’s feature guest. Vikram will stick around for the panel with Chelah Horsdal and Brent Furdyk (editor of TV Week). Steve Darling and Sophie Lui will answer the “7 Questions” segment.

Past interviews include comedy icon John Cleese, Astronaut and all ‘round cool dude Commander Chris Hadfield and Social Entrepreneur Mark Brand. Past panelists have been CBC’s Grant Lawrence, CFOX’s Karen Khunkhun, Prevail from Swollen Members, Global News Anchor Chris Gailus, Vancouver’s Man About Town Fred Lee, Style Expert Susie Wall, Recording Artist Bif Naked and Writer-Broadcaster Steve Burgess. Plus we’ve also had Mayor Derek Corrigan, Scottish Design Duo Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan and the one and only MICHAEL ECKFORD!!

In Brief
Shaw TV – Vancouver’s newest talk show on the local scene – Fiona Forbes! And ‘talk’ is the operative word: the 30-minute gabfest includes a fun & casual personality-driven conversation, followed by candid panel commentary about headlines that are making waves in pop culture.

The series is hosted by – you guessed it – one of Vancouver’s favourite TV personalities* Fiona Forbes who brings her trademark conversational style to insightful interviews with celebs and public figures, and delves into issue- oriented discussion with an ever-changing gang of notable – and opinionated – panelists. Eclectic. Energetic. Entertaining.

* The Georgia Straight, 2014

At Length
Fiona Forbes is a 30-minute talk series that includes fun & casual personality-driven conversation, and combines it with a candid panel commentary featuring distinct views on matters of interest to the community.

The show will include two integral segments – a feature interview and a roundtable discussion – and will introduce a short and fun signature Q&A piece 7 Questions that will wrap each episode.

The key word is TALK: no demos, no performances, no gimmicks. The show offers interesting and revealing personality profiles, along with honest opinions, ideas, banter and debate. The interview capitalizes on Fiona’s lighthearted conversational style as she engages with high-profile guests, while the roundtable allows Fiona and her always-changing group of notable panelists to delve into more issue-centric chat with a focus on headlines, trends and pop culture buzz.

Hosted by award-winning broadcaster Fiona Forbes.

Thursday 6pm and 10pm only on Shaw TV-Vancouver.
Friday 10am, 2pm, 10pm; Saturday 10am, 6pm; Sunday 10am, 6pm

Social Media Handles

Website: fionaforbes.com
Twitter: @FionaForbes, @FionaForbesShaw
Facebook: facebook.com/fionaforbes
Instagram: @fionaforbes

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