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Montreal, March 11, 2020 — Last night, the Quebec Film and Television Council’s (QFTC) very first Fundraising Gala was held online! Proceeds from the event will be used to support the QFTC’s mission and to promote Quebec’s audiovisual industry worldwide. The QFTC is responsible for the continued strategic positioning of our territory and makes constant efforts to ensure that it maintains its competitiveness and appeal for producers of films and TV series who choose to film in Quebec.
“It’s a real privilege to be able to bring together key industry players in support of our organization’s mission. We hope that this fundraising gala becomes a tradition, and that the generosity of our guests will enable the development of promising, innovative projects,” stated Pierre Moreau, CEO of the QFTC.
Hosted by Meeker Guerrier, the evening got underway with official speeches by Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity, Nathalie Roy, Minister of Culture and Communications, as well as Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal. They all highlighted the QFTC’s contribution to Quebec’s economic development as a multi-screen production hub. They also warmly thanked Roland Emmerich, the gala’s guest of honour, for his outstanding work as a director, screenwriter and producer. Everyone emphasized his contribution to the film community and to Quebec, the location for five of his films.
This was followed by a 30-minute interview conducted by Brendan Kelly, journalist for The Montreal Gazette and Taste Test Dude on CBC Radio. In this dynamic interview, the filmmaker discussed his special connection with Quebec and the province’s exceptional architectural diversity.
A Montreal regular, Roland Emmerich has filmed most of his recent feature films here, including Midway, The Day After Tomorrow and White House Down. Moonfall, his next big-budget film, was filmed last fall in Montreal, wrapping up at the end of January. The movie was produced and financed independently by Roland Emmerich and his production company, Centropolis Entertainment, through which he supervises production, financing, distribution and marketing in collaboration with Lionsgate, AGC Studios and the film’s distribution partners worldwide, including Huayi Brothers in China.
“In Montreal, the teams’ engagement and motivation for my projects has a certain very European ‘’je ne sais quoi’’. I like this European atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the members working on the teams. Montreal also has film studios located downtown that you can get to in a matter of minutes. In addition, Quebec offers attractive and competitive tax incentives,” explained Roland Emmerich.
The audience was then treated to moving testimonials from several of Roland Emmerich’s close collaborators in Quebec, including Bethan Mowat, assistant director, Lorette Leblanc, script supervisor, Mario Davignon, costume designer, and personal assistant Caroline Saunders. Finally, renowned Indigenous artist Alanis Obomsawin offered Roland Emmerich one of her works as a gift. It was a moment of great nobility, highly appreciated by guests, when Obomsawin took the time to carefully deliver the essence of the work presented to Roland Emmerich.
The QFTC thanks its sponsors of the event, without whom it would not have been possible: Grandé Studios, Difuze, Lionsgate and BAM Music Library.
About the QFTC
The QFTC is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 that contributes to the development and competitiveness of Quebec as a world-class multi-screen production centre. As an economic development agency, its mission is to generate investment in Quebec through competitive tax incentive programs, the expertise of industry members, architectural diversity, the quality of its infrastructure and the industry’s ability to export its products to foreign markets.
The QFTC is supported by its partners: Air Canada, National Bank of Canada, BFL Canada, Corporate Stays, Demers Beaulne, difuze, EP Canada, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hôtel Gault/Monville, Hybride, Miller Thomson, Grande Studios, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Rodeo FX, William Gray Hotel and Mount Stephen Hotel, as well as federal, provincial and municipal governments.
For more details, visit www.qftc.ca.
Informations
Aurore Lagonotte
Communications Manager
aurore@bctq.ca
