D FILMS STRIKES EXCLUSIVE, LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT DEAL WITH VANCOUVER PRODUCTION COMPANY
FOUNDATION FEATURES

Toronto, Canada – Monday, September 13 – – D FILMS, Canada’s fastest growing distribution company has signed an exclusive, long-term, multi-picture, first-look development deal with Vancouver-based producers Rob Merilees’ and Dave Valleau’s FOUNDATION FEATURES, a highly respected production company that has collaborated with some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and established directors, writers, and creative talent. The announcement was made today by Jim Sherry, President and CEO of D FILMS and Rob Merilees, producer and Partner of Foundation Features.

The deal will cover development on a long-term slate of projects, and will allow Foundation Pictures to develop projects with top writing and directing talent.

Voted Canadian Producer of the Year by the Canadian Film and Television Producers Association in 2008, Rob Merilees recently created FOUNDATION FEATURES with partner Dave Valleau, a new company comprised of the former Infinity Features team. Their long-time collaboration with Bill Vince, his partner for ten years at Infinity Features resulted in dozens of acclaimed feature projects, including Capote, nominated for five Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, and winner of a Best Actor Academy Award® for Philip Seymour Hoffman; The Snow Walker, starring Barry Pepper, which was developed, financed and produced by Rob and was shot in Canada’s high Arctic over the course of a year; and Stone of Destiny, his second feature with writer/director Charles Martin Smith. Shot on location in Glasgow, Scotland, Stone of Destiny was selected as the Closing Night Gala at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Additionally, Rob was a producer on Just Friends with Ryan Reynolds, Sleepwalking, starring Charlize Theron, and many others.

Partner Dave Valleau was a producer on the critically acclaimed Capote. In the role of Executive Producer, Valleau has served on various projects, including The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus starring the late Heath Ledger; Shattered, starring Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler and Maria Bello; and Push, starring Chris Evans, Djimon Hounsou and Dakota Fanning. Valleau also served as producer on The Entitled, starring Ray Liotta and Kevin Zegers.

Said President Jim Sherry: “Rob and Dave are extremely talented filmmakers and we are proud to be their long-term distribution partners. We are very appreciative of their confidence in D Films and look forward to bringing their vision and stories to audiences within and outside of our Canadian borders.”

“I’ve always had tremendous respect for Jim and his work, and I’m very excited about the team he has put together at D Films,” said Rob Merilees. “Both Dave and I look forward to working closely with Jim, Tony Cianciotta and everyone at D Films to bring great stories with domestic and international appeal to the big screen.”

The deal was negotiated by Jim Sherry for D FILMS and by Rob Merilees for Foundation Features.

 

ABOUT D FILMS:

Founded in May 2009 by President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Sherry, D FILMS is a full service marketing and motion picture distribution boutique that acquires exclusive, long term rights to filmed entertainment across all media platforms, including theatrical, television, home entertainment and Internet. In addition to holding an exclusive long-term, multi-picture output deal with leading UK Sales and distribution company, the Icon UK group, D FILMS has acquired exclusive, long term rights to 12 additional independently produced motion pictures, including the eagerly awaited feature films I’m Still Here, directed by Casey Affleck, which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Monsters, which is scheduled for national release on November 5, 2010 following its Canadian premiere at TIFF.

D FILMS is a strong supporter of the Canadian film industry, with plans to distribute approximately two indigenously produced feature films annually, beginning with Winnie, the biographical drama starring Oscar® winning actress Jennifer Hudson as Winnie Mandela and Academy® Award nominee Terrence Howard as Nelson Mandela, to be released in early 2011.

D FILMS’ offices are located in Toronto’s Distillery District, a historic and entertainment precinct located east of Downtown Toronto. The 13-acre district comprises more than 40 heritage buildings and 10 streets, and is the largest collection of Victorian era industrial architecture in North America.