Archive · Blood in the Snow Film Festival Presents
The Deadly Exposure Film Industry Market · Nov 22–25 · Toronto
★ Inaugural Year
The re-branding and expansion of the film industry side of BITS — Deadly Exposure — launched in 2018 with an expanded program of five industry panels, exclusive networking events, and a new power round table with distributors, sales agents, and funders.
Made possible with the financial support of Ontario Creates, Telefilm Canada, and the Independent Production Fund.
All Thursday events held at The Monarch Tavern
BITS' first annual power networking event, presented by Ontario Creates. Participants had the opportunity to meet with some of Canada's industry leaders to discuss their experience in the fields of financing, sales, and distribution.
BITS kicked off the celebration with a mix and mingle of filmmakers, industry insiders, and partners in the Canadian horror family.
All Friday events held at The Monarch Tavern
With the rise of films like Get Out and Black Panther both within the fan base and at the box office, it is hard to deny that main characters of colour are wanted and needed by fans and filmgoers everywhere, especially in genre film. This panel examined what barriers creators and actors of colour and the LGBTQ community encounter and what steps can be taken to move toward true representation in the film industry.
Moderated by Carolyn Mauricette
Panellists include:
Olunike Adeliyi — Actress (Flashpoint, A Christmas Horror Story, Saw 3D, Darken)
Mariam Bastani — Writer and Filmmaker
Larica Perera — Director, Writer and Producer (Allie & Lara Make a Horror Movie, Tik Tik)
Rodney V. Smith — Director, Writer and Producer (Out of Time)
Canada has some of the best film tax credits in the world, but navigating the system can be confusing for indie filmmakers. The experts on this panel answered all tax-related questions to help filmmakers get the biggest bang for their buck in funding an indie film in Canada.
Moderated by Kelly Payne, Ontario Creates
Panellists include:
Anna Newallo — Tax Credit Business Officer, Ontario Creates
Owen Kelly — Head of Sales, Vortex Words + Pictures
Michael Peterson — Producer & Director, 775 Media Corp
A chat with some of Canada's leading genre film distributors on what's new, trends in the industry, and all things sales and distribution.
Moderated by Kirk Haviland
Panellists include:
Craig McGillivary — Vice President, Distribution, Breakthrough Entertainment
Keshia Saldanha — Acquisitions & Festivals Coordinator, Double Dutch International
Andrew Hunt — Managing Partner, Raven Banner
Avi Federgreen — IndieCan Entertainment
After a long day of industry programming, time to relax and have a drink with filmmakers, BITS alumni, sponsors, funders, industry and panel participants, special guests and friends.
Saturday event held at The Super Wonder Gallery
An in-depth discussion with one of Canada's leading filmmakers about their journey, lessons learned along the way, and an exclusive sneak peek at upcoming projects.
Director Vincenzo Natali and Producer Steven Hoban gave an exclusive chat about the highly anticipated feature In the Tall Grass, based on the novella written by Stephen King and Joe Hill.
Moderated by Kirk Haviland
Vincenzo Natali is one of Canada's most prominent directors working in the realm of science fiction and horror. His first breakout feature and cult-classic, Cube, became a worldwide success breaking international box office records for a Canadian film. He then went on to direct the spy-fi thriller Cypher and the existential comedy Nothing. His next major feature, Splice, was the highest grossing English-language Canadian film of 2010. Vincenzo then began directing television, lending his talents to critically-acclaimed series Hannibal, Orphan Black, American Gods, and Westworld. After completing a pilot for the reboot of Tremors (2018) with Kevin Bacon, Vincenzo returned to his feature film roots with In the Tall Grass (2019). All of Natali's film and television work is marked by his interest in using genre to explore the essential dilemmas of the human condition.
Steven Hoban is the founder of Toronto-based production company Copperheart Entertainment. He has produced the Academy Award®-winning animated short Ryan, the world's first IMAX 3D-animated film Cyberworld, and numerous feature films including the cult Ginger Snaps trilogy and the Vincenzo Natali-directed Splice. Hoban also co-directed A Christmas Horror Story. He most recently produced Vincenzo Natali's adaptation of In the Tall Grass for Netflix, and is currently in development on a number of film and television projects with partners including Warner Bros., Amazon Studios, Skydance Television, Gaumont Television, and A+E Studios.
Sunday event held at The Super Wonder Gallery
No longer tied to traditional broadcasters, the internet is increasingly the place to find the hottest and most innovative creative content. Industry leaders at the forefront of this transition discussed the platforms, business models, and strategies for finding your audience on the world wide web.
Moderated by RX Zammit · Presented by the Independent Production Fund
Panellists include:
Carly McGowan — Manager, Independent Production Fund (IPF)
Lauren Evans — President, Independent Web Creators of Canada (IWCC)
Jay Bennett — SVP, Creative & Innovation, Shaftesbury Films (Carmilla, Darken)