Industry

Talent Lab is an artistic development programme that provides emerging Canadian talent with an unparalleled educational experience and introduction to the world of filmmaking during the Toronto International Film Festival®. Over a four-day period, selected participants have the opportunity to interact with and learn from internationally acclaimed filmmaking professionals. Michael Ondaatje, Don McKellar, Sally Potter and Jan Chapman are this year’s Talent Lab programme governors.

This year's participants are: Amy Belling (Producer, Langley, B.C.), Vivieno Caldinelli (Director/Writer, Toronto), Jonas Chernick (Writer/Producer, Toronto), Andrea Dorfman (Director, Toronto), Debra Felstead (Director/Writer/Producer,Toronto), Lara Fitzgerald (Director/Writer, London, ON), Alexandre Franchi (Director/Writer/Producer, Montreal), Hugh Gibson (Director/Writer/Producer, Toronto), Skander Halim (Director/Writer/Producer, Toronto), Matthew Hoos (Director, Toronto), Renuka Jeyapalan (Director/Producer, Toronto), Adam Garnet Jones (Director/Writer, Toronto), Caroline Martel (Director/Producer/Writer, Montreal), Jesse McKeown (Director/Writer/Producer, Vancouver), Richie Mehta (Director/Writer, Mississauga), Kathryn Mockler (Writer, Toronto), Simon Reynolds (Director/Writer, Toronto), Matthew Swanson (Director/Writer, Vancouver), Sarah Timmins (Producer, Toronto), Michael Vass (Director, Toronto), Ingrid Veninger (Director/Writer/Producer, Toronto), and Jessie Wallace (Director/Writer, Toronto).

MICHAEL ONDAATJE, Writer/Director
Michael Ondaatje’s books include “The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film,” “Anil’s Ghost,” “The English Patient,” “In the Skin of a Lion,” “Coming Through Slaughter,” “The Collected Works of Billy the Kid” and his memoir “Running in the Family.” His collections of poetry include “Secular Love,” “The Cinnamon Peeler” and “Handwriting.” He has made two documentary films: Sons of Captain Poetry, on the poet bp Nichol, and The Clinton Special, about Theatre Passe Muraille’s “The Farm Show.”

JAN CHAPMAN (Producer)
Chapman has produced award-winning projects for film and television. She started her film career working on independent productions as part of the Sydney Filmmakers Co-op while studying English and Fine Arts at University. In the early 1970s she directed short fiction films and documentaries. Later, she worked in the Education department of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and began producing television series, including "Sweet and Sour". Selected filmography: The Last Days of Chez Nous, The Piano, Holy Smoke, Lantana, Somersault and The Silence.

SALLY POTTER (Filmmaker/Choreographer/Dancer/Composer)
Sally Potter, a trained dancer and choreographer and an award-winning artist and theatre director, burst onto the international film scene in 1979 with her short film Thriller. This was followed by her first feature film, The Goldiggers, starring Julie Christie. Selected filmography: The London Story; I am an Ox, I am a Horse, I am a Man, I am a Woman; Orlando; The Tango Lesson; and The Man Who Cried. Her latest film, Yes, a post-9/11 story of a love affair between an American woman and a Middle Eastern man, starring Joan Allen, Simon Abkarian and Sam Neill, was released worldwide in 2005 (www.yesthemovie.com ).

DON MCKELLAR (Writer/Director/Actor)
McKellar became well known to audiences for his collaborations with direcor Bruce McDonald, writing and starring in Roadkill and Highway 61, and co-writing Dance Me Outside. Other co-writing credits include: Thirty-two Short Films About Glenn Gould and The Red Violin. As an actor he has appeared in Where The Truth Lies, Clean, The Event, Rub & Tug, waydowntown, eXistenZ, When Night Is Falling, Monkey Warfare, in his directorial debut Last Night and in his latest feature Childstar. McKellar has also written for the stage (the Tony® award-winning The Drowsy Chaperone, 86, An Autopsy) and television (Twitch City).

The MotoFilm Project returns to Talent Lab 2006!
Motorola providesTalent Lab filmmakers with video-capture mobile phones to experiment with mobile movie filmmaking first hand. In the weeks leading up to the Festival, these MotoFilms - created around the concept of "self portraits" - will be produced and shared peer-to-peer.

Talent Lab is generously supported by Castlepoint Realty Partners and Motorola
Talent Lab venue is generously provided by NOW Lounge.

“Talent Lab came at exactly the right time in my development – just before my first feature film. Because of [the guests] I’ve been able to codify and comprehend what was previously a ‘mess’ of ideas. It’s really put me in good stead to more accurately represent my ideas and vision to other people involved in the process of development – and throughout.” – Carl Laudan, director and Talent Lab 2005 participant.

“The stimulation and inspiration was the best part of the Talent Lab experience. I came away with the clear message – just go out there and make your films - practice your craft – with today’s accessible technology nothing should stop you if you have a story to tell.” – Veronica Tennant, director/producer/writer and Talent Lab 2005 participant.

“The great thing about getting a group of talented people together, like the Lab participants, is that it reminds you that there are lots of other people going through the same struggles and facing the same questions. That, to me, can be very valuable. The sense of belonging to a community can be crucial to an artist’s development.” – Kris Elgstrand, writer and Talent Lab 2005 participant.