10/03/2012

CFC Features Announces New Project in Development, 'Boost'

Boost
Exciting news from the Canadian Film Centre comes word of a new feature project in development, Boost, directed by Darren Curtis, who co-wrote and co-directed the Can Con cult favourite Who is KK Downey?

CFC Features is pleased to announce the selection of a terrific new project for development currently entitled Boost. The project comes to CFC Features from writer/director Darren Curtis, and producers John Hazlett, Antonello Cozzolino and Paul-E Audet.

Boost is a gritty and thrilling look at 72 hours in the lives of Ankur and Sagar, two teenagers from Montreal's tough Little India neighbourhood, when a car they are stealing for the mob is involved in a fatal accident and their friendship is put to the ultimate test.

Darren Curtis in Who is KK Downey?
Darren Curtis is a graduate of the Communications Program at Concordia University.  Since then he has co-founded the comedy collective Kidnapper Films, producing over 20 short films.  In 2006, Darren co-wrote and co-directed Who Is KK Downey? an independent comedy feature which has played over 15 international film festivals, including Raindance, BUFF, Austin, Oldenburg, Whistler and has won numerous awards. He has two projects in development, one is The Wolfpack and the other is FlophouseBoost is Darren's first solo feature as director and writer, and his first foray into dramatic narrative.

John Hazlett is a filmmaker with over 15 years of experience. He got started by producing Gary Burns' first two features, the now classic, The Suburbanators and the teen comedy Kitchen Party, starring Scott Speedman. [Editor’s note: readers can see The Suburbanators and Kitchen Party when they both play at the upcoming Gary Burns retrospective presented by the Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa.] John has since written, directed and co-produced the acclaimed comedy features Bad Money, starring Graham Greene and Karen Sillas; and These Girls, featuring David Boreanaz and Caroline Dhavernas. Over the years John has participated in many international film festivals and appeared on numerous panels dealing with the craft and business of filmmaking. He currently has multiple projects in development most notably The Atlantic Gold, workshopped through the 2010 Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab and The Wolfpack.

Antonello Cozzolino is the co-founder of Facteur 7. He has produced several short films, many of which were awarded prizes and selected for film festivals. He has won a Jutra for Trotteur, and earned two Genie nominations for Best Canadian Short Film. Antonello has been working with Attraction Images since 2009 as a feature film producer and has been developing projects in French and English.

Paul-E Audet studied filmmaking at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM), completed specialized training as a film producer at the Institut National de l'Image et du Son and received a business law certificate at the Universite de Montreal.  He has produced several short films presented in many festivals worldwide, most notably L'Effect Secondaire, Le Facteur Pople, A L'Ombre (nominated for a Jutra Award in 2007) and Hyro-Levesque. As assistant producer for Attraction Images, he actively takes part in the development and production of feature films, television and documentary projects.

CFC Features director/executive producer Justine Whyte is keen to get working on development with the Boost team, stating “this is a terrifically engaging story, one of the most promising scripts to come through our doors, and I'm especially eager to start working on a strong production and directorial strategy.”