North Country Cinema

North Country Cinema is a Canadian media arts collective based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.[1]

North Country Cinema
On set in the Badlands of central Alberta, November 2012. (right to left) Alexander Carson, Cameron Macgowan, Kyle Thomas
Formation2005 (2005)
TypeArtist collective
PurposeDirector-driven film and video
HeadquartersCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Key people
Alexander Carson
Cameron Macgowan
Kyle Thomas
Websitewww.northcountrycinema.com

The company was founded in 2005 by filmmakers Alexander Carson, Nicholas Martin, and Kyle Thomas, who met at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.[2] North Country Cinema produces and distributes director-driven film and video content, and has created award-winning works[3] that have screened at major international festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival[4] and SXSW.[5]

In 2011, Carson and Thomas completed "We Refuse To Be Cold"[6] and Not Far From The Abattoir,[7] respectively. These films combined to screen at over twenty-five international festivals and were both acquired by CBC Television[8][9] for broadcast in 2012 and 2013. Both films focus on intimate narratives and personal storytelling,[10] drawing from the experimental European New Wave cinemas of the 1960s and the gritty, character-driven American Cinema of the 1970s.[6] In 2011, Calgary-based filmmaker Cameron Macgowan joined North Country Cinema following a collaboration with Thomas as producing partners on Not Far From The Abattoir.[11] Although Nicholas Martin still collaborates with Carson and Thomas in various capacities, he is no longer a producing partner.[2]

In 2013, North Country Cinema began production on Thomas' feature film The Valley Below, a multi-narrative drama set in the badlands of central Alberta.[12] Following the announcement that the film would be funded through their inaugural Micro-Budget Production Program, Telefilm Canada named Kyle Thomas one of "10 Canadians to Watch at Cannes" in 2013.[13] The Valley Below, originally titled Down In The Valley, was renamed to address "practical and creative concerns regarding the public representation of the film going forward" on August 15, 2013.[14]

In 2014, Alexander Carson received the Golden Gate Award for New Visions at the San Francisco International Film Festival for his short film Numbers & Friends.[15] In July 2014, North Country Cinema announced the production of its second feature film, O, Brazen Age, by writer/director Alexander Carson, produced with the support of Telefilm Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts.[16]

In August, 2014, the Toronto International Film Festival announced its Canadian program, including the World Premiere of The Valley Below as part of official selection in the Discovery program at the 2014 festival.[17] During the festival, The Valley Below was acquired for Canadian distribution by A71 Entertainment.[18] Opening theatrically across Canada in March 2015, The Valley Below garnered considerable critical attention, including positive reviews from both Canadian national newspapers: The National Post[19] and The Globe and Mail.[20] The film garnered two Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 3rd Canadian Screen Awards, in the categories of Best Supporting Actor for Kris Demeanor and Best Original Song for Dan Mangan's song "Wants".[21]

In September, 2015, the Vancouver International Film Festival announced that O, Brazen Age, Alexander Carson's feature-length debut, would have its World Premiere at the festival as part of the Canadian Images program.[22] The film went on to screen at numerous film festivals throughout 2016 and earned positive reviews from NOW Magazine and The Globe and Mail when it was released theatrically in Canada in 2017.[23][24] O, Brazen Age was also heralded as a success by Canadian filmmakers Atom Egoyan and Guy Maddin.[25]

Production Partners

Since 2005, North Country Cinema has produced work with the support of numerous artistic and cultural institutions and funding agencies across Canada, including Telefilm Canada,[26] the Canada Council for the Arts,[27] the Alberta Foundation for the Arts,[28] the Ontario Arts Council,[29] the National Film Board of Canada,[30] the Canadian Media Production Association, the Alberta Media Fund, and the Toronto Arts Council.[31]

Filmography
  • O, Brazen Age (2015)
  • The Valley Below (2014)
  • Back Streets (2014)
  • Numbers & Friends (2013)
  • The Post (2013)
  • Braids (2012)
  • Black Hills (2012)
  • Not Far From The Abattoir (2011)
  • "We Refuse To Be Cold" (2011)
  • The Liminal State of Decay (2010)
  • Last Communication with Laura (2009)
  • Ghost Town (2008)
  • Lucy James pt. 1 (2008)
  • Last Chance Saloon (2007)
  • Searching for Heartbreak (2007)
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References
  1. Sled Island Festival 2013 (May 1, 2013). "Artist Talk and Workshop - North Country Cinema : Sled Island". Sled Island. Retrieved Aug 12, 2013.
  2. North Country Cinema (June 15, 2013). "North Country Cinema // ABOUT". North Country Cinema. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  3. Volmers, Eric (March 5, 2013). "Telefilm gives Calgary filmmakers funds for first feature, Down in the Valley". Calgary Herald. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  4. TIFF Festival 2013 (Aug 7, 2013). "Numbers & Friends". TIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-08-24. Retrieved Aug 14, 2013.
  5. SXSW 2012 schedule (Feb 20, 2012). "Not Far From The Abattoir". SXSW. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  6. Air Canada En Route Film Festival 2012 (July 20, 2012). "en route // We Refuse To Be Cold". Air Canada. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  7. Hayden, Benjamin (September 27, 2011). "CIFF 2011: Alberta Spirit – Short Film Gala". Press+1. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  8. CBC Montreal (September 1, 2012). "Absolutely Quebec // Montreal Short Stop". CBC Television. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  9. CBC Television (April 1, 2013). "Not Far From The Abattoir // Canadian Reflections". CBC Television. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  10. Wisniewski, Marcin (May 7, 2013). "Keeping His Promise: A Conversation with Alexander Carson". Hermie Island. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  11. Down In The Valley Productions (July 15, 2013). "The Valley Below // Our Team". Down In The Valley Productions. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  12. Volmers, Eric (August 23, 2013). "Calgary filmmaker Kyle Thomas going full-length with The Valley Below". Calgary Herald. Retrieved Aug 25, 2013.
  13. Telefilm Canada (April 18, 2013). "Canada's big on talent: Telefilm Canada reveals its '10 Canadians to Watch at Cannes'". Telefilm Canada. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  14. Down In The Valley Productions (July 15, 2013). "The Valley Below // ABOUT". Down In The Valley Productions. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  15. Kilday, Greg (May 8, 2014). "San Francisco International Film Festival Awards Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  16. North Country Cinema (July 9, 2014). "North Country Cinema // OBA BEGINS PRODUCTION!". North Country Cinema. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  17. Vlessing, Etan (Aug 6, 2014). "Toronto: Film Fest Unveils Canadian Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved Aug 6, 2014.
  18. Vlessing, Etan (Sep 6, 2014). "Toronto: A71 Entertainment Acquires 'The Valley Below' for Canada". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  19. Knight, Christ (March 4, 2015). "The Valley Below, reviewed: Getting lost in the badlands of Alberta". The National Post. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  20. Lacey, Liam (March 6, 2015). "The Valley Below: Four narratives hinging between hope and disappointment". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  21. "Canadian Screen Awards Unveil Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter, January 13, 2015.
  22. Vancouver International Film Festival program (September 3, 2015). "O, Brazen Age". Vancouver International Film Festival. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  23. Wheeler, Brad (March 24, 2017). "O, Brazen Age: A peculiarly poetic first feature from Canadian Alexander Carson". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  24. Wilner, Norman (March 22, 2017). "O, Brazen Age mixes Malick and mumblecore". NOW Magazine. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  25. Canada Screens (April 11, 2017). "O, Brazen Age". Canada Screens. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  26. Telefilm Canada (Feb 28, 2013). "Telefilm Canada announces first-ever finalists of its Micro-Budget Production Program". Telefilm Canada. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  27. North Country Cinema (March 13, 2013). "North Country Cinema // O, BRAZEN AGE RECEIVES DEVELOPMENT GRANT". North Country Cinema. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  28. North Country Cinema (October 22, 2012). "North Country Cinema // THE POST NOW IN PRODUCTION". North Country Cinema. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  29. Ontario Arts Council (April 16, 2012). "Current Grant Recipients". Ontario Arts Council. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  30. Film Shortage (June 30, 2013). "We Refuse To Be Cold". Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  31. North Country Cinema (Feb 2, 2013). "North Country Cinema // NUMBERS & FRIENDS (2013)". North Country Cinema. Retrieved Aug 12, 2013.
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