New Class of Canadian Filmmakers Seeks to Transform the Industry

variety.com:

Jennie Punter The Toronto Film Festival has programmed one of its strongest Canadian feature slates in recent years — films with head-turning performances, eye-catching artistry, and global market and audience appeal, from filmmakers who are subverting stereotypes, challenging or bypassing power structures, or transforming the industry ecosystem from the grassroots on up.  “Right now in our industry, tons of high-paying service work lets people pay their bills, but the quality work is coming through the Canadian independents,” says Conquering Lions Pictures’ Damon D’Oliveira, who has produced the Canadian work of director Clement Virgo, from his 1995 Cannes-premiering feature “Rude” to the series “The Book of Negroes” to their latest, “Brother.”  The adaptation of David Chariandy’s novel tells the story of two Jamaican Canadian brothers in 1990s Scarborough. “We see this as a bookend to ‘Rude,’ which is set in the same period and is an adrenaline rush,” says D’Oliveira. “We’re returning to this era with a polished approach, telling a mature coming-of-age story— which we’re dedicating to our immigrant mothers!  “This is the biggest step up we’ve taken on the features side,” he continues. “The industry has been on a bit of a buying spree; we hope that continues.”  After riding out last year’s sated marketplace, Luc Déry and Kim McCraw of Montreal’s micro_scope return to Toronto with two minority co-productions and are most excited about Stéphane Lafleur’s buzzing “Viking” — his first feature since his 2014 Cannes hit “Tu dors Nicole.”  “It is an original, funny movie with a cool premise [behavioral research subjects mirror astronauts in advance of the first manned mission to Mars] and we can’t wait to share it with the