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‘3 Days In Havana’ starring Gil Bellows and Greg Wise opening in Cineplex Theatres across Canada on March 28th, 2014

SOME PEOPLE WOULD KILL FOR THREE DAYS IN HAVANA

3 Days in Havana is the testament of a life-long collaboration between two friends and the directorial debut for both Gil Bellows and Tony Pantages

Gil Bellows and Tony Pantages are pleased to announce that the feature film ‘3 Days in Havana’ will open in Cineplex Theatres across Canada on March 28^th, 2014 via leading Canadian distributor Entertainment One (eOne). 3 Days in Havana is the directorial debut of filmmakers, Gil Bellows & Tony Pantages and is the testament of a life-long collaboration between two friends with a shared vision and the talented family of artists and technicians that joined them on the ride. The film stars Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal, Shawshank Redemption), Greg Wise (Sense and Sensibility), Robin Dunne (Sanctuary), Michael Eklund (The Call, True Justice), Christopher Heyerdahl (Hell on Wheels, True Blood) and John Cassini (Continuum, Blackstone)

About The Film
Jack Petty (Gil Bellows) gets more than he bargained for when he travels to Havana on business and gets caught up in an assassination conspiracy with his new friend Harry Smith (Greg Wise).

Jack Petty sits in an airport bar, nursing a drink. He’s on a stopover halfway to Havana, and so is the sexy lady who chats him up, giving him travel tips and whispering something scary in his ear. He’ll meet her again, in the midst of a conspiracy that includes assassination, kidnapping and more.

This a film with a lot of tradition behind it: some major Hitchcock (particularly Strangers on a Train and The 39 Steps); the wised-up dialogue of old film noir; and the gritty detail and sharp plot twists of contemporary thrillers. It’s all put across with high spirits, and the cast is stellar—highlights include Christopher Heyerdahl as a slick member of the Canadian Consulate, John Cassini as a ruthless mob boss, and Phyllida Law as… well, you’ll see. And there are many other colourful characters, none of them trustworthy, most of them with their sights set on poor Jack. He’ll have to outwit, outrun or outfight them all—a tall order for a mere businessman on a conference trip. But he’s surprisingly cool under pressure. The fun here comes not just from the close shaves and slick repartee but from the knowledge, quickly acquired, that nothing is what it seems. (Courtesy Vancouver International Film Festival)

About The Directors
Gil Bellows is an Emmy & Peabody winning and Golden Globe nominated producer for the HBO film, “Temple Grandin”. Gil also steered Ali Selim’s “Sweet Land” to win the Best First Feature trophy at the Independent Spirit Awards. Best known for creating the role of ‘Billy Thomas’ in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning FOX series “Ally McBeal,” Gil first gained international attention among filmgoers and critics for his portrayal of an inmate with a penchant for knowledge in the critically lauded “Shawshank Redemption,” opposite Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. In recent years, Bellows has found himself starring in several Canadian Independents including Paul Gross and Niv Fichman’s Canadian War-time Drama “Passchendaele” and “Toronto Stories”.

Tony Pantages is an award-winning director of music videos, commercials, documentaries and short films with trophies and nominations for MTV, MuchMusic, Clio & Juno awards. Pantages studied acting at the Loft Studio in LA under Peggy Feury where his classmates included Sean Penn, Matthew Broderick, Krispin Glover and Meg Ryan. After ten years of working with some of the top directors in the business, Tony switched to the other side of the lens, assisting the Oscar winning director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man) for two years before launching his own successful career directing number one music videos for INXS, Sarah McLachlan and Our Lady Peace and commercials for Lee Jeans & Canadian Airlines. His Behind The Scenes documentary “Beyond the Yellow Brick Road” about the Syfy Channel’s miniseries “Tin Man” broke their viewership record and aired 14 times. Mr. Pantages’ short film Passages was an official selection at the Vancouver International film Festival.

Social Media Handles

Twitter: @3DaysInHavana, @realgilbellows, @tonypantages, @eOnefilms
Facebook: facebook.com/3daysinhavana, facebook.com/eOnefilms
Movie Trailer: vimeo.com/86457182
IMDb: imdb.com/title/tt1842371/?ref_=nv_sr_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

Actress Emmanuelle Vaugier Featured in Steppin’ Out Mag

View Emmanuelle’s article in Steppin’ Out Mag here: http://www.so-mag.com/3dissue/012214/index.html

Social Media Handles

Website: emmanuellevaugier.com
Twitter: @evaugier
Facebook: The Real Emmanuelle Vaugier

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

It’s Good To Be Bad – Interview with Lost Girl’s Emmanuelle Vaugier

Emmanuelle Vaugier as The Morrigan in the season four Lost Girl episode “Let The Dark Times Roll.” Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

In the real world there is a constant battle between good and evil, and the same holds true in the fictional TV world. On the popular Canadian-made supernatural drama series Lost Girl, the two forces locked in this centuries-old conflict are known as the Light and Dark Fae. Leading the local Dark Fae community is Evony Fleurette Marquise a.k.a. The Morrigan. This sexy brunette beauty has the ability to melt and dissolve flesh with a single touch and delights in ruling with a proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. When theLost Girl producers were looking for an actress to slip into The Morrigan’s stilettoes, they turned to the charming Emmanuelle Vaugier.

“It was a fortunate situation and one where I felt quite flattered,” says Vaugier. “They came to me with the role. So I took a look at the script to see what it was that I had to do as well as if it was something I wanted to do and if I enjoyed the character, and it was all three. It sounded like a really fun role, so I said, ‘Yes,’ and that was the beginning of it all. Originally I was only supposed to be in a few episodes, but it’s turned into many more over four seasons – maybe a fifth, who knows – and it’s really been quite an amazing journey.”

The Morrigan makes her Lost Girl debut in the show’s opening episode It’s a Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World. When the Fae become aware of a succubus named Bo (Anna Silk), the two factions want the extraordinarily powerful Fae to pledge her allegiance to one side or the other. The Morrigan reluctantly agrees to work with The Ash (Cle Bennett), leader of the Light Fae, and force Bo to align herself. They put her to the test in a fight to the death at an abandoned glass factory, but the outcome is far from what they are expecting. Vaugier chuckles when looking back at shooting her first episode.

The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier) – up to no good! Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

“I’ll never forget the glass factory in Hamilton [Ontario, Canada],” she says. “We were filming there at night in February. There’s no heating and it was colder inside that structure than it was outside, which is saying a lot. I was in a dress and there’s only so much layering you can do under a dress without it looking like you’re the Michelin man,” jokes the actress. “So that was an interesting first episode that had me rethinking the whole choice of whether or not I really wanted to do this, especially if it was going to be freezing like this all the time, but it was all worth it in the end.

“As far as the character itself, there wasn’t a whole lot of backstory on The Morrigan in the beginning. The show’s producers and writers had no idea where the character was going and no one had any idea that it was going to turn into what it is now. At the start, I think the toughest challenge for me was not playing her as a caricature and some evil mustache-twirling type of villain. She has to be likeable and there has to be something somewhat human about her that makes you love her even though you hate her.

“Initially, The Morrigan was much more of a figurehead for the Dark Fae, but over time, she’s formed alliances and love/hate-type relationships. You’ve witnessed her in weaker moments as well as her stronger moments and you’ve definitely had the opportunity to see more of her vulnerability. The Morrigan has become a very dynamic character and this [fourth] season we’re going to find out more about her past. The storylines on Lost Girl have sort of broadened and deepened and in the process you’re learning a great deal more about how far The Morrigan’s reach is into everyone’s world.”

The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier) conducts a little business (before pleasure). Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

Both the Light and Dark Fae were deeply disappointed to say the least when Bo chose to remain neutral and not join either side. Throughout the first three seasons of Lost Girl, she risked her life to help others and fight the darker supernatural forces of the world she comes from. She continues to do so in the show’s fourth year with the help of humans Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) and Dr. Lauren Lewis (Zoie Palmer) as well as Fae allies including Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried), Hale (K.C. Collins) and, much to her surprise, Vex (Paul Amos), a sadomasochist Dark Fae who has the power to control the actions of others. He and Bo, in particular, have become thorns in The Morrigan’s side while providing Vaugier with some wonderful onscreen sparring partners.

“Vex and The Morrigan have a very interesting relationship and it’s that love/hate thing where she needs him to a certain degree,” explains the actress. “She can’t get rid of him and I don’t think anyone who watches the show would want us to because he’s so fabulous. When it comes to my character’s relationship with Bo, they start to get closer and form a kind of alliance, which you see in season three. Then, however, Bo double-crosses her and they’re back to where they started. She trusted Bo and let her guard down, and now The Morrigan has to build herself back up. No one messes with her and she has to go back to The Morrigan as we saw her prior to her moment of weakness with Bo.

While there may be some ill will between Vex and The Morrigan as well as Bo and The Morrigan, there is no such animosity behind the cameras.

“Paul Amos and I just laugh out butts off most of the time when we’re together,” admits Vaugier. “He happened to be in London last October at the same time as the MCM Expo [Comic Con], so he came by to see me, Ksenia, Rachel Skarsten [Tamsin] and [Lost Girlexecutive producer] Jay Firestone and we were like a group of five-year-olds. Paul is such a hoot to hang out with on-set as well as off-set, and then Anna Silk is such a sweetheart and a lot of fun to work with, too. All the Lost Girl castmembers have a terrific rapport with each other and we really get along as people, so whenever we do get to work together we have a great time,” she enthuses.

(L-R): Bo (Anna Silk), Vex (Paul Amos) and The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier). Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

In addition to being a Dark Fae, The Morrigan is also a leaman sidhe, which means she has the ability to absorb the talents of others. She operates in the human world under the guise of a talent agent and uses the monetary gains from any acquired talents to finance her own dark agenda. The Morrigan continues to exploit humans along with Fae in season four of Lost Girl, beginning in the episode Lovers, Apart. Not wanting to spoil things for those fans that have yet to watch the episode, she hints at what viewers can expect.

“There were just as many shockers for me when I read the script, so I think that the audience will hopefully be very pleased,” says the actress. “I was really excited about the path that they had taken The Morrigan and, again, her new interactions and relationships with different characters. There are so many possibilities with her and they really opened up my character’s world this season. You get to see more of who she is as a person as opposed to just the leader of the Dark Fae. My only complaint is that I wanted to see even more, just because I like working on the show so much. I was absolutely pleased with The Morrigan’s storyline and if we go for a fifth season I’m extremely curious to see how it further develops.”

Vaugier can be seen as Mary Magdalene opposite Lost Girl’s Kris Holden-Ried (as Jordan) and Copper’s Kyle Schmid (as Saul) in the upcoming film Saul: The Journey to Damascus. From comedy to drama, the actress has had the opportunity to stretch her acting muscles in a variety of projects throughout her career, and Lost Girl gives her with yet another outlet in which to showcase her talents.

The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier) surrounded by her entourage in the season four episode “Let The Dark Times Roll.” Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

“One of the things I like the most about the fantasy genre is that you get away with a lot more,” she says. “You can be bigger and bolder; you can really do no wrong as long as you stay within the parameters of the world that you’re in, but it’s a made-up world, which means there are no rules, or very few, and therefore so much more room in which to play.”

Steve Eramo

Season four of Lost Girl airs in Canada on the Showcase Network on Sundays @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST and in the States on Syfy, Mondays (beginning January 13th) @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST. As noted above, all photos copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/scifiandtvtalk/2014/01/its-good-to-be-bad-interview-with-lost-girls-emmanuelle-vaugier.html

Social Media Handles

Website: emmanuellevaugier.com
Twitter: @evaugier
Facebook: The Real Emmanuelle Vaugier

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

David Sancious, original member of the E Street Band, to receive Award for Musical Excellence at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

World Renowned Keyboardist and Musician David Sancious will be touring with Sting and Paul Simon “On Stage Together” across North America then he is back out with Peter Gabriel on his European “Back to Front” Tour in 2014

David along with other members of the E Street Band will receive the Award for Musical Excellence at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, April 10, 2014 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

David Sancious, long-time solo keyboardist, guitarist and composer, will have an exceptionally busy year in 2014 touring with three of the most sought after musicians of our time. He will join Sting and Paul Simon “On Stage Together” in February and March then is back out touring with Peter Gabriel throughout Europe in April and May. Peter Gabriel is also being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10^th, 2014.

David will be joining Sting and Paul Simon, two of music’s most renowned and enduring artists who will perform “On Stage Together” throughout North America starting in Houston on February 8^th and playing to their final show in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on March 6th following an immediate sell-out in that city. For more information on the tour and tickets please visit www.sting.com.

David will then join the other original members of Peter Gabriel’s band again to tour throughout Europe on Peter Gabriel’s “Back to Front” tour. The tour begins in Frankfurt on April 14^th and finishes in Berlin on May 14^th. For more information and tickets please visit www.petergabriel.com.

Capturing the attention of Bruce Springsteen in the seventies at a jam session in New Jersey, David’s career as a musician kicked off at the young age of seventeen. An original member of Bruce Springsteens’ beloved E Street Band David was invited to join a new band Bruce was forming. The group recorded three albums together and toured the country before David decided it was time to part ways.

David left the band to form his own group “Tone”, where he would showcase his abilities as not only a sensational musician, but as an equally talented composer, producer and synthesist. David recorded multiple albums with Tone and the accomplishments of these albums led him to become one of the most talented and sought-after keyboardists in the industry.

David re-united with Bruce Springsteen and joined other musicians including Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Rufus Wainwright and Will.I.Am at Sting’s sixtieth birthday to perform some of Stings most recognizable songs at New York’s Beacon Theatre.

The notable artist has since worked with celebrities such as; Eric Clapton, Seal, Aretha Franklin, Santana, Jeff Beck and many others. David has performed on more than fifty albums since his 1973 debut album “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” with Bruce Sprinsteen and the E Street Band. The versatility of his sensational career has made it difficult to categorize his music. David, however, considers his art a mixture of harmony and melody from the jazz and classical traditions combined with rhythms from the rock and R&B traditions. David is well respected by his peers, considered by many as a “musician’s musician”.

It can often be difficult to center oneself when surrounded by the stress and chaos of being an artist. Yet, somehow, David always manages to find his center and inner peace. At a mere ten years of age, he began his journey into the world of spirituality. David practices meditation and yoga.

David will be touring with Sting and Paul Simon “On Stage Together” throughout North America in February and March then out again with Peter Gabriel’s tour “Back to Front” in April and May 2014 throughout Europe.

Social Media Handles

Website: davidsancious.com
Twitter: @DavidSancious, @officialsting, @itspetergabriel, @paulsimonmusic
YouTube: Behind the Scenes with David Sancious for Yamaha

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

Emmanuelle Vaugier books the coveted leading role as Mary Magdalene in the feature ‘Saul’ now filming in Malta

Stunning and in demand actor Emmanuelle Vaugier has booked the coveted leading role as Mary Magdalene in the feature film ‘Saul’ now filming in Malta until mid December. ‘Saul’ is based on the Acts of the Apostles. Emmanuelle is starring along side John Rhys Davis (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lord of the Rings), Kyle Schmidt (Being Human, Copper) Callum Blue (The Tudors), and Kris Holden Reid (The Tudors, Lost Girl).

This movie is a fictionalized retelling of the origins of the Christian Church, based on the Acts of the Apostles with Paul of Tarsus (St Paul) and Mary Magdalene as the main protagonists. As Saul the Butcher, the stoning of Stephen shattered Saul’s faith in the Temple and its denial of Christ as the Messiah. His conversion to Christianity and baptism as Paul changed the history of the world. The script and direction is in the hands of Maltese writer/director Mario Philip Azzopardi, “Saul” is an official Malta-Canada co-production produced by Cittadella Films with Canadian film-maker Ken Gord and eONE acting as worldwide distributors.

Photo by: Brie Childers

2013 is turning out to be one of Emmanuelle’s busiest years that includes her role for a fourth season on the innovative series ‘Lost Girl’, a Canadian supernatural drama. Since 2010 Emmanuelle has had a recurring role on this highly rated original show. Playing the role of The Morrigan, Emmanuelle breathes life into her vain and dangerously sociopathic character. The fourth season of ‘Lost Girl’ promises to be the most electrifying season yet. ‘Lost Girl’ is currently airing on Showcase and will air in January 2014 on SYFY. Emmanuelle was also a guest star in the premiere episode of Season 5’s on CBC’s popular series ‘Republic of Doyle’.

Emmanuelle recently completed filming a co-starring role in ‘Teen Lust’, a feature film about an awkward high school student who must lose his virginity before being sacrificed by a local religious cult. The film stars Cary Elwes (Saw, The Princess Bride), Kristin Bauer van Straten (“True Blood”), Jesse Carere (“Skins”), Daryl Sabara (The Philosopher, Machete) and Annie Clark (“Degrassi: The Next Generation”). Blaine Thurier (A Gun to the Head) is the director of the film that he co-wrote with Jason Stone (This Is The End).

Emmanuelle also co-stars as Rebecca Scott, in ‘Absolute Deception’ alongside Academy Award winner actor Cuba Gooding Jr., released to DVD in June 2013. Extremely busy with MOW’s, Emmanuelle’s projects include starring in ‘Hidden Away’ as Stephanie, a young mother who fakes her own death (and her daughter’s) in order to escape her abusive husband, which aired on Lifetime in July 2013.

One of the roles that Emmanuelle connected most with was playing a woman who rescues animals in ‘Susie’s Hope’, a role for which she won best actress at the Greensville International Film Festival in 2013. ‘It’s Christmas, Carol!’, another starring role for Emmanuelle which won her a Leo Award for portrayal of a woman journeying through her past, present and future, with the help of her “ghost boss”. Emmanuelle also stars in two upcoming independent films; ‘The Wedding Chapel’ and ‘Clara’s Deadly Secret’.

Vaugier is best known for her popular role as Charlie Sheen’s ex-fiancée Mia on the award-winning CBS comedy “Two and a Half Men.” For three seasons she also played Detective Jessica Angell on “CSI: NY,” leaving fans devastated when her role came to an end. In 2010, Vaugier was cast alongside Piper Perabo in the USA Network crime series “Covert Affairs,” where she played the recurring role of Liza Hearn, a journalist and blogger not afraid to push boundaries.

Her other television appearances include a recurring role on FOX’s action/drama series ‘Human Target’ as well as guest roles on ‘The Mentalist’, ‘Big Shots’ and ‘Supernatural’. She was also the new female superhero for the television pilot of the comic ‘Painkiller Jane’ for the Sci Fi Channel, and had a starring role in the ‘Master of Horror’ series directed by John Carpenter. Her other television credits include: ‘One Tree Hill‘, ‘Monk’, the Fox Television series ‘North Shore’, UPN‘s hit series ‘Veronica Mars’, as well as ‘Call Me, The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss’, and the WB comedy ‘My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star‘. She also portrayed Dr. Helen Bryce; Lex Luthor‘s wife on the WB‘s hit drama ‘Smallville’.

Her feature film endeavours are just as impressive: Emmanuelle starred in the thriller ‘Mirrors 2’, a sequel to the hit 2008 horror ‘Mirrors’, starring Keifer Sutherland. Her appearance in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s acclaimed short story ‘Dolan’s Cadillac’, starring Christian Slater, can be seen on DVD. She also appeared in the feature ‘Hollywood Untitled’, directed by acclaimed director and producer Mun Chee Yong. Her other credits include ‘Saw II’, ‘Saw IV’, ‘Hysteria’, produced by former L.A. Laker Rick Fox, ‘Far Cry’ (Til Schewiger, Inglorious Basterds), ‘Bachelor Party 2’, ‘Unearthed’ (Charlie Murphy), ‘Secondhand Lions’ (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall), ‘40 Days and 40 Nights’ (Josh Hartnett), ‘House of the Dead 2: Dead Aim’ and a lead role in the comedy ‘Blonde and Blonder’, which premiered in Cannes.

Off-screen, Emmanuelle is an avid animal lover. She actively supports animal rescue organizations through her charitable foundation The Fluffball. The Fluffball raises money for various organizations through a high end, invite only cocktail event in Los Angeles. Emmanuelle founded the Fluffball in 2010.”

This Vancouver native‘s inner and outer beauty shines through as Emmanuelle is among the select group of women to be on ‘Maxim‘s Top 100’ list twice. The stunning actress first made the list in 2006 and then again in 2011. She was also named fifth on Femme Fatal magazine’s 50 Sexiest Women on the Planet’, and was named ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’ for the sixth time by Smartasses Magazine. Emmanuelle has graced the covers of Maxim, Femme Fatal, Dolce Vita, Flare, UMM, Status, Modern Dog, LA Health, Vancouver View, Vancouver Lifestyles, Western Living Condo, Donato and Infamous.

Social Media Handles

Website: emmanuellevaugier.com, thefluffball.com, emmanuellevaugier.com/charity.htm
Twitter: @evaugier
Facebook: The Real Emmanuelle Vaugier

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 actress Sarah Smyth shines in “Cedar Cove” and “Call Me Fitz” and will soon be seen in her guest starring role on “Motive”

Sarah Smyth, a talented young actress has become one of Canada’s quickly rising stars. Sarah landed a coveted role as a series regular in season one of “Cedar Cove”, an original TV movie turned regular series, airing on the Hallmark Channel (USA) and W Channel (Canada). Sarah stars alongside and plays Judge Olivia Lockhart’s (Andie MacDowell) daughter, along with Dylan Neal (Arrow, Dawson’s Creek). Based on bestselling author Debbie Macomber’s beloved book series, the show centers around Judge Olivia, who is considered the community’s guiding light in the picturesque, coastal town of Cedar Cove, Washington. However, like everyone else, Olivia fights the uphill battle of balancing career with family and finding love, all the while doing her best to care for the township she calls home. Initially a TV movie, the instant hit, “Cedar Cove” has been renewed for a second season and will begin production in March 2014.

2013 has been a busy year for Sarah, with a recurring role on “Call Me Fitz”, playing the character of Paula Childs opposite Michael Gross (Family Ties) and Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills 90210). Sarah appears in eight of ten episodes in season 4 of “Call Me Fitz”, a series revolving around a morally bankrupt car salesman who is forced to become business partners with his inner conscience, an off-beat do-gooder intent on healing Fitz’s mangled psyche one hilarious disaster at a time. “Call Me Fitz” airs on HBO Canada and Direct TV (USA). Sarah also guest starred on an episode of the CTV hit series “Motive”.

Sarah’s first roles on screen included “Vampire High” and “Big Wolf on Campus”, followed by a role on George Clooney’s directorial debut “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”, in a scene opposite Sam Rockwell. Sarah also spent three seasons in a lead role on the Showcase/Oxygen original series “Naked Josh” (starring Hawthorn’s David Julian Hirsh). Ready for bigger and better opportunities, Sarah moved across the country to pursue work in Vancouver, BC where her screen credits included “Smallville”, “Human Target”, “ Supernatural”, “Shattered”, “Tower Pre”, and “Endgame”, and recurring roles on “Durham County” and “Stargate Universe”. In 2009, she was hand-picked by Executive Producer Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure) for a series-regular role as Lucy Daramour on the CBS horror/drama Harper’s Island. Roles in television movies, “The Pregnancy Project” for Lifetime, and “Duke”, a Hallmark production, reaffirmed to Sarah that she had found her calling and she was headed on a path for success.

Film credits for Sarah include “The Covenant” (starring Sebastian Stan and Chace Crawford), R.W. Goodwin’s “Alien Trespass” (starring alongside Eric McCormack and Robert Patrick), and Chris Columbus’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (Starring Logan Lerman and Pierce Brosnan). Sarah also had a small role in Jonathan Levine’s “50/50”, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan and Anna Kendrick. She also filmed a lead role in “Jack of Diamonds”, a television pilot for CanWest Global and France 2. Other actors Sarah has been fortunate to work with include Keith Rennie (“Shattered”, “Californication”), Louis Ferreira (Breaking Bad, Stargate Universe), and Kristin Lehman (The Killing).

Sarah was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. Her love for performance stemmed from a young age as she spent three years with the Orleans Young Players, which included the performance of three plays, followed by three years studing with the Ottawa School for Speech and Drama. Sarah is now splitting her time between Los Angeles and Vancouver. Her pastimes include reading, listening to records (current favourite “Field Recordings from Alan Lomax’s Southern Journey,”1959-1960), both preparing and eating food, and spending time doing all the above with good friends.

When she has time off she loves to travel – some of her top trips include backpacking in Brazil, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. This past September she travelled to Kenya to visit friends in the Masai Mara, where she fell in love with the incredible landscapes and wild life while on Safari. Sarah’s most memorable experience of the trip was spending time with the children at the Wholistic Caring Centre/ Orphanage. Since returning home Sarah is working with the ‘With My Own Two Hands Foundation’ in California to help bring positive change to the lives of the children that she met.

Social Media Handles

Twitter: @SarahSmyth24
Facebook: Sarah Smyth
IMDb: Sarah Smyth

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

Gemini Award-Winning Gabrielle Miller Makes Her Directorial Debut in Seed&Spark’s Newest Project ‘CLAUDETTE’

The Promotion People - Seed & Spark

Gabrielle Miller is set to direct a short film starring her Corner Gas co-star, Tara Spencer-Nairn and Toronto actor, Scott McCord. Currently in pre-production, the film will shoot for two days on December 7th and 8th 2013 in Toronto. Entitled, CLAUDETTE, the script is a murder mystery surrounding the disappearance of the title character’s husband.

Through the platform of Seed&Spark, the film will be produced primarily through donations. They will go forth in whatever manner they can based on their fundraising at that time, which will end a few days after they wrap. This gives viewers a unique opportunity to actually be a part of the outcome by contributing in real time in response to activity on set. Every donation increases their ability to make a better film, and the more they have going in, the more resources will be available on that day.

Find out more about the project and how you can support it at: seedandspark.com/studio/claudette

SYNOPSIS
After an early morning spent replanting her garden, Claudette wearily comes inside her home. It is autumn, the leaves are falling, it’s not the time for this type of yard work, but that does not concern her. She is too concerned with other things.

Once in doors, Claudette removes her gum boots and places them just inside her kitchen next to a muddy shovel. She climbs the stairs, removes her clothes and showers. Claudette towels off. Claudette gets dressed. Claudette quietly and meticulously packs her bags.

Later, in her kitchen, Claudette lights a kettle for tea on the stove, one last cup before– there is a tapping at the back door, a knocking rather. Claudette goes to it.

It is Detective Koslovski. The Detective assigned to her husband’s case. He had been coming around a lot, but not for the last few weeks. She had wondered about that… she wonders why he was back here now. On today of all days.

Koslovski admires her garden. Claudette agrees to allow him to come inside once he tells her that some ‘news’ has come to light.

In her living room she sits with Koslovski as he explains that the people that her husband owed money to are not the type of people that one would necessarily want to owe money to.

Claudette lets this information bounce off of her shoulders as casually as she can, declaring it was not she but her husband, Jeremiah, who owed the money. Claudette’s evasiveness leads Koslovski to call out the elephant in the room. He states aloud that it is most likely that her husband has absconded leaving his troubles for her to deal with.

The tea kettle in the kitchen whistles. Claudette asks if Koslovski would like some tea and begins to wonder just what exactly Koslovski is here to ask her…

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Promotion People - Gabrielle Miller

GABRIELLE MILLER – Director/Producer

Gemini award-winning Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas, Call Me Fitz, Moving Day) has appeared in over 75 productions in the past two decades. She is best known for her lead roles on two television series: the runaway hit CTV series Corner Gas, and the critically acclaimed dramedy Robson Arms. In 2013, Gabrielle was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for her role in Mike Clattenburg’s feature film Moving Day, the opening film for the Canadian Images Program at VIFF in 2012. Combined, Gabrielle has garnered 12 Gemini and Leo Award nominations and five wins. In 2012, Gabrielle had the honor of being a member of Oldenburg International Film Festival’s first ever all female jury. Gabrielle can be heard this fall in the City TV/Hulu adult animated series, Mother Up!, and her most recent foray in the world of independent film, Down River, can be seen in theaters in the Spring of 2014. Gabrielle splits her time between her residences in New York and Toronto.

“I come from a performing background, having been an actor for over twenty years in Canada and the United States. I am very excited to be making my directorial debut with CLAUDETTE.” – Gabrielle Miller

ALEXANDER CENDESE – Writer/Producer

Alexander Cendese is a American/Canadian actor, writer and producer living in New York and Toronto. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to a Canadian father and an American mother, Cendese spent significant time in Florence, Italy growing up, before attending the Perry Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp and eventually, Carnegie Mellon, where he received his Bachelor’s in Acting from the School of Drama in 2004. In 2004, Cendese took up permanent residency in New York City, where he has been a working actor ever since. In 2011, Cendese developed, produced and appeared in the feature film, Blumenthal, starring Brain Cox and Laila Robins. Blumenthal had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2013 and is set for a spring 2014 release. Cendese has produced several short films, including Feeling Tall, and Defaced, which he wrote, shot, edited and directed, and he recently wrapped principal photography on the feature, Best Man in the Dark, which he co-wrote and starred in. Since November of 2012, Cendese has maintained a home in Toronto, as well as New York City.

“I wrote CLAUDETTE for Gabrielle Miller to direct. She is one of the most talented actors I have ever known and having been closely involved with her over the last few years has led me to understand her deep desire to approach story telling from a new perspective. We both share an innate interest in telling stories specifically about women who do extraordinary things. Without painting Claudette’s actions one way or the other, it can certainly be said that she is a surprising woman.” – Alexander Cendese

TARA SPENCER-NAIRN – Claudette

Spencer-Nairn was born in Montreal, raised in Vancouver and currently calls Toronto home. A former competitive gymnast, she is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School. Her big breakthrough came in 1999, when she was cast as Lou in the highly-acclaimed film New Waterford Girl which played at Sundance and TIFF and was nominated for seven Genie awards. Tara is best-known for her Gemini-winning turn as Karen Pelly on the #1 rated sitcom Corner Gas. She can currently be seen in the recurring role of Sandy in CTV’s hit drama The Listener.

Photography credit: Ted Belton

SCOTT MCCORD

Scott Mccord is an actor, musician, voice actor and filmmaker. He is bandleader for the soul-rock band SCOTT MCCORD AND THE BONAFIDE TRUTH (Best New Artist of the Year Nominee – 2010 Maple Blues Awards). Scott recently appeared on stage in Rosa Laborde’s MARINE LIFE (Aluna Theatre) and Sky Gilbert’s NAKED HAMILTON.

Film and TV credits include LOST GIRL, 16 BLOCKS, SHOOT EM UP, REPUBLIC OF DOYLE and THE ELEVENTH HOUR. Animated TV series include TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND, BAKUGAN BATTLE BRAWLERS, MOTHER UP! and CAMP LAKEBOTTOM. Scott’s voice acting talents led to him being invited to New Zealand and Australia as a celebrity guest for ARMAGEDDON FAN EXPO 2011.

KEN KRAWCZYK, CSC – Director of Photography

Having been behind the camera on many award winning series like, Corner Gas, Hiccups, and recently, In Security, Ken Anton Krawcyzk has experienced success at many levels as a director of photography. Although best known for his series work, Krawcysk’s love for motion photography goes beyond television comedy. Driven to create engaging photography for over twenty five years, Krawczyk has extended his craft to many feature film and commercial projects. Krawcyzk was nominated for the Gemini Award for best photography in a comedy program in 2008, 2010, and 2011. Most recently he was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for his photography on In Security in 2013.

Social Media Handles

Website: seedandspark.com/studio/claudette, gabriellemiller.com
Facebook: Seed&Spark, Gabrielle Miller, Scott Mccord
Twitter: @claudetteshortf, @MillerGabrielle, @alexcendese, @TSpencerNairn, @ScottyMcCord, @seedandspark

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

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH DAVID SANCIOUS FOR YAMAHA

Yamaha Entertainment takes you behind the scenes for their All Access photo shoot with David Sancious, keyboardist for Sting

David Sancious looks forward to seeing all his fans around the world as 2014 is another busy year.

David will be joining Paul Simon & Sting, two of music’s most renowned and enduring artists, to embark on a concert tour throughout North America in February and March 2014. For tickets and more information visit: slotix.com

Next Spring 2014, David will be back touring with Peter Gabriel on his Ready, Steady, So Back to Front 2014 tour with members of the original band that toured with Peter 25 years ago. Peter returns to stages throughout Europe to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking, iconic album ‘So’. Learn more and purchase tickets here: petergabriel.com/live

Social Media Handles

Website: davidsancious.com
Twitter: @DavidSancious
Facebook: David Sancious

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

ACTRESS EMMANUELLE VAUGIER RETURNS TO SEASON 4 OF ‘LOST GIRL’ TO PREMIERE ON SHOWCASE ON NOVEMBER 10TH

Actress Emmanuelle Vaugier is featured on the cover of Turner magazine and recently traveled to London for the MCM EXPO with the cast of ‘Lost Girl’

Emmanuelle Vaugier on the double digital cover of Turner Magazine’s November 2013 issue

Since 2010, Emmanuelle has had a recurring role on the highly rated Showcase original show ‘Lost Girl’. While in London, Emmanuelle greeted her UK fans and attended multiple signings at MCM Comic Con. Playing the role of The Morrigan, Emmanuelle breathes life into her vain and dangerously sociopathic character, guaranteeing the fourth season to be the most electrifying season yet. Season 4 of the Canadian supernatural drama is set to premiere on ShowcaseNovember 10th 2013, and on SYFY in the new year.

Emmanuelle also recently starred in the premiere of Lifetime Movie Network’s original movie ‘Clara’s Deadly Secret’ on October 25th, 2013, and guest starred in the premiere episode of Season 5’s ‘Republic of Doyle’ on October 2nd, 2013.

Aside from acting, multi-talented Emmanuelle has been auctioning off her original paintings, proceeds going towards charity. The framed paintings are signed and come with an additional autographed photo of Emmanuelle.

Recently Emmanuelle was in Winnipeg, Emmanuelle to co-stars in ‘Teen Lust’, a feature film about an awkward high school student who must lose his virginity before being sacrificed by a local religious cult. The film stars Cary Elwes (Saw, The Princess Bride), Kristin Bauer van Straten (“True Blood”), Jesse Carere (“Skins”), Daryl Sabara (The Philosopher, Machete) and Annie Clark (“Degrassi: The Next Generation”). Blaine Thurier (A Gun to the Head) is directing the film that he co-wrote with Jason Stone (This Is The End).

Extremely busy with MOW’s, Emmanuelle’s projects include starring in the lifetime movie ‘Hidden Away’ as Stephanie, a young mother who fakes her own death (and her daughter’s) in order to escape her abusive husband, which aired on Lifetime in July 2013. Vaugier also co-stars as Rebecca Scott, in ‘Absolute Deception’ alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., as an investigative reporter for Spyglass magazine, in New York City. Believing her husband had been killed in an auto accident, she is forced to deal with the repercussions upon discovering his death had been faked. ‘Absolute Deception’ was released to DVD in June 2013.

One of the roles that Emmanuelle connected most with was playing a woman who rescues animals in ‘Susie’s Hope’, a role for which she won best actress at the Greensville International Film Festival in 2013. ‘It’s Christmas, Carol!’, another starring role for Emmanuelle aired on the Hallmark Channel in December 2012, which won her a Leo Award for portrayal of a woman journeying through her past, present and future, with the help of her “ghost boss”. Emmanuelle will also star in two upcoming independent films; ‘The Wedding Chapel’, shot in July 2012, and ‘Clara’s Deadly Secret’ shot in May 2013.

Off-screen, Emmanuelle, an avid animal lover, is strongly involved in a project that is very close to her heart. She actively supports the charitable animal rescue organization Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends is an organization aimed at animal rescue and rehabilitation, ensuring the best life possible for injured or unwanted animals. For more information on the Best Friends Animal Society, please visithttp://emmanuellevaugier.com/charity.htm or www.bestfriends.org.

Photography credit:
Brie Childers
www.briechilders.com

Social Media Handles

Website: emmanuellevaugier.com
Twitter: @evaugier
Facebook: The Real Emmanuelle Vaugier

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

Classic Romantic Comedy John Apple Jack To Premiere at VAFF in November

“For those with the luxury to live out loud and proud… now what?”

From Skycorner Entertainment Ltd., new generation film John Apple Jack addresses gay pride and self-acceptance. Producers Monika Mitchell, Rick Tae, and Selena Paskalidis are proud to introduce the fun crowd pleaser, where sexuality is secondary to dreams, self-worth, happiness, responsibility and family.

John Apple Jack will have its world premiere at the Centre Piece Gala Film during the Vancouver Asian Film Festival on Saturday, November 9^th at 7:00pm. For tickets visit: vaff.org/festinfo/vaff-17-day-3-program-8

The feature film will then move on to Montreal’s ImageNation before its network premiere on OUTtv.

Starring Chris McNally as John Jardine and Kent S. Leung as Jack Gaang, the romantic comedy has been featured on NovusTV, Daily Xtra, and GayVancouver.

Interview with NovusTV can be viewed online here: youtube.com/watch?v=lvWjrkyeEmY

About The Film

Set in Vancouver’s East-meets-West glamorous restaurant industry, the challenge for both John Jardine and Jack Gaang is to find a way to blend money, sex, love and family into one sumptuous recipe for life.

John Jardine is a handsome gay man and heir to a restaurant empire. John lives with extravagance – champagne, fast cars and fast men – bedding nearly every hot guy in town. After coming out to his parents, John looks for any opportunity to prove his worth to the world.

Jack Gaang is an overly responsible Asian-Canadian who has slept with no man. Jack finds himself settling into a full-time job, a gal pal, an offspring, and an ambition in the culinary industry to sidestep his feelings for John, his childhood crush. He has quietly given up hope that John would ever fall for him and support his dreams of running a restaurant together one day.

As years of mounting tensions culminate into an over-heated argument in the kitchen, Jack throws an apple at John’s head — bruising his boss’s ego and unfurling a series of ill-timed events that teach them both good reasons to grow up.

For these two opposites, romance must ensue… especially when Jack is about to marry John’s sister! After John finds out about the wedding, passions ignite and his life spirals out of control… losing his job, his playboy reputation and his underwear – all while rushing to the altar to finally confess his love! Promiscuous John was once easy for Jack to ignore. But a newer, penniless, more soulful John may soon prove too hard to kick to the curb.

Chris McNally – imdb.com/name/nm2901423/?ref_=tt_cl_t1
Kent S. Leung – imdb.com/name/nm4141406/?ref_=tt_cl_t2
Mkenzie Scott – imdb.com/name/nm1745779/?ref_=tt_cl_t3

About The Crew

Monika Mitchell – Director/Co-Producer

Monika’s filmmaking career started with three independent films: Night Deposit, Witness and Break a Leg (2000-2003), attending 90 international film festivals, winning 27 awards and qualifying for Academy Award consideration with both shorts. Having won Slamdance’s Anarchy Audience Award in 2000, she was a programming contributor for the festival the following two years (2001, 2002). In 2009, she was chosen by Vancouver Olympic Committee and the Cultural Olympiad to curate the film program for Canada during the Olympics and Paralympics of 2010. She acquired, commissioned and/or produced 72 films that were enjoyed by over 13 million viewers worldwide. In 2011 her original script was chosen to participate in Whistler’s CFC’s Producer’s Lab. Monika continues to direct episodic television (beginning with Robson Arms in 2004) and has worked for networks including CBC, CTV, Lifetime and Logo, while developing her own feature projects. She most recently directed the pilot “The Switch” for Trembling Void Productions and OutTV in Summer 2013.

Rick Tae – Writer/Producer

Rick has created films, shorts, TV, multimedia and theatre content currently in various stages of distribution, production and development. He was selected for the NSI Totally Television Program and awarded Telefilm Canada support as a screenwriter/producer. In addition to writing/producing his first feature John Apple Jack, Walk the Dog sold to The Movie Network and Air Canada, and received a Canadian Comedy Award nod, while web-series Marco Chow Massage has garnered fans worldwide. Rick has worked with VAFF in previous years, coached actors and writers in Vancouver and LA, produced/directed Award winning and nominated theatre productions, garnered Gemini and Leo Award nods and a win for his acting work and assisted director/producer Roland Emmerich for Sony Pictures’ blockbuster “2012”.

Selena Paskalidis – Producer

Selena has worked her way up very quickly in Canada’s film, television and digital industries. She started her career as the head of business affairs in long form drama, moving effortlessly into development before taking the reins of production. In 2013 alone, she ushered two features through production, launched a digital brand and is just about to lock financing on her third feature to shoot in the spring of 2014. For the two features already in the can, Selena secured sales and festival gala premieres for John Apple Jack and Telefilm Post Production support for Naked Night Bike, a mid-life crisis comedy that is just completing post-production. Additionally this year, Selena launched a revolutionary digital brand for the creation of online networks, called Dotstudioz (www.dotstudioz.com); designed and implemented the digital strategy for Vic Sarin’s latest documentary, Hue and the iphone and web apps for the reality series Eat St. for Paperny Productions. In previous years, Selena saw the short film she produced Walk The Dog enjoy Official Selection in the 2009 CFC Humor Me Cross Canada Tour and Canadian Comedy Award nominations. Her project The Bryce Lee Story was selected for the Just For Laughs Comedy Boot Camp. Selena is dedicated to ensuring that the smart, funny writers and directors in her midst get their films made, seen and enjoyed by a world-wide audience.

Executive Producer: Todd Giroux
Associate Producer: Jhod Cardinal

Social Media Handles

Website: johnapplejack.com
Twitter: @johnapplejack
Facebook: John Apple Jack Movie
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=QKKUKIXqE5E
Vimeo: vimeo.com/77379732

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