TORONTO, September 8, 2016—Today, the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) announced the 2016 winners of its prestigious Feature Film Producer Awards, as part of the opening of the 41st Toronto International Film Festival:

• Roger Frappier (Max Films) was presented with the CMPA’s Established Producer Award for his outstanding achievements and distinguished career as an independent feature film producer in Canada.
• Hany Ouichou (Art & Essai) was presented with the CMPA’s inaugural Emerging Producer Award, recognizing his unique creative vision and impressive talents as an independent film producer with a promising career ahead.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate the work of these two remarkable producers and congratulate both Roger and Hany for their terrific films and their meaningful contributions to independent Canadian cinema,” said Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO, CMPA.

Roger Frappier’s filmography consists of nearly 70 production credits, including La Grande Séduction, Maelström, as well as Academy-Award nominated films Le Déclin de l’empire américain and Jésus de Montréal. Frappier was previously nominated for a CMPA Feature Film Producer Award in 2010. His latest film, Two Lovers and a Bear, will have its North American premiere as part of TIFF’s Special Presentation program. The feature was directed by Kim Nguyen and stars Tatiana Maslany and Dane DeHaan.

Hany Ouichou is the first-ever recipient of the Emerging Producer Award, which was launched this year as an extension of the CMPA’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the development of aspiring Canadian filmmakers.  With two feature film credits to his name, Ouichou will showcase both productions at TIFF this year. Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n’ont fait que se creuser un tombeau will be competing in the prestigious Platform program and Prank will be presented as part of the TIFF Discovery lineup.

The award winners were selected from a shortlist of eight nominees by a jury chaired by last year’s CMPA Feature Film Producer Award winner, Robert Lantos. Members of the 2016 Selection Jury included:

• Tantoo Cardinal, Actor
• Maxime Giroux, Director
• Aeschylus Poulos, Producer
• Julia Rosenberg, Producer

-30-

ABOUT THE AWARDS
Established in 2005, the CMPA Feature Film Producer Awards recognize producers whose vision and entrepreneurship demonstrate a commitment and passion for producing Canadian feature films. To be eligible for nomination, producers must have a film selected for screening at TIFF that year.  The winner of the Established Producer Award receives $10,000 and the winner of the new Emerging Producer Award receives $5,000.

ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

For more information:

Kyle O’Byrne
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
kyle.obyrne@cmpa.ca