On April 19, 2017 Talent Fund Advisory Committee Chair and generous supporter of emerging Canadian talent, Hartley T. Richardson joined other Talent Fund advisory committee members, industry, talent and government at the Movie Nights Across Canada special presentation of Tyson Caron’s Lovesick at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg.
The Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources and acting Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Adam Beach, Karine Vanasse, Len Cariou, and Hartley T. Richardson
What made the event so successful was the talent who joined the celebration. Hometown icons and Talent Ambassadors Len Cariou and Tina Keeper raised the bar, with their selfless promotion of Movie Nights Across Canada (MNAC), its partnership with Reel Canada/National Canadian Film Day, and Manitoba as a film and television production destination. The partnership with Manitoba Film and Music (MFM), under the leadership of CEO and Film Commissioner Carole Vivier and On Screen Manitoba Executive Director Nicole Matiation, ensured that the Movie Night reflected their province and city in every aspect of the event: the Talent Ambassadors, the film, its talent, the music, even the food – including locally made ice-cream and craft beer – all proudly screamed “We are Winnipeg!”
Joining them was an impressive list of Canadian talent: Adam Beach, Jared Keeso, Jonas Chernick, Karine Vanasse and Aleks Paunovic. Lovesick director Tyson Caron, producers Kyle Irving and Lisa Meeches, Matt Schellenberg, the composer of the sound track and member of the Winnipeg indie-pop band Royal Canoe, and actors Jacob Tierney, Ali Tataryn and Rebecca Gibson completed the star-studded red carpet arrivals.
Winnipeg Talent Ambassadors Tina Keeper and Len Cariou welcome guests to the Winnipeg Movie Night Across Canada screening of Lovesick
Hosts for MNAC-Winnipeg were the Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources and acting Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and the Honourable Rochelle Squires, Manitoba’s Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage, who were joined by Talent Fund Chair Hartley T. Richardson on the Maple Leaf red carpet and on the stage.
The Centennial Concert Hall was filled to the rafters, with approximately 2,000 invited guests in attendance. Among these were the talent of the film and a number of iconic film and television celebrities who either are from Manitoba or whose careers have close ties to the region, as well as Members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, Winnipeg Members of Parliament, and cultural and business leaders.
The atmosphere following the film was electric. Throughout the venue, groups of people were discussing the film and dancing to the music of Royal Canoe, the popular Winnipeg indie-pop band who also did the sound track for Lovesick whose soundtrack from the film was recently nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the Achievement in Music – Original Song category.
Lovesick screened at world-renowned film festivals including Whistler Film Festival, Cinequest Film Festival, and Richmond International Film Festival. It has also gone on to win the ShowCanada Spotlight Award and the Cinequest Audience Award.
The Talent Fund is proud to be a partner in the Movie Nights Across Canada initiative-the country’s biggest celebration of Canadian talent, celebrating the success of the film, television, and digital artists who tell Canada’s stories at home and around the world. There are five more special presentations scheduled during the next few months. Next up is a featured presentation of MALIGLUTIT (Searchers) in Iqaluit, followed by special screenings in Halifax, Calgary, Quebec City and Vancouver in the fall.
