The Feature Film Project selects THE ART OF WOO for development

November 16, 2000 (Toronto)- The Feature Film Project (FFP), a training initiative of the Canadian Film Centre, is pleased to announce that The Art of Woo, by Centre graduate Helen Lee, has been selected for development.

Helen Lee and producer, Anita Lee, also worked together on Helen's 1995 award-winning Centre short film, Prey, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Besides Prey, Helen Lee has written and directed several other acclaimed short films which have been broadcast extensively on television and seen at many festivals around the world. Her latest short, Subrosa, which premiered at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival, will air on CBC's Canadian Reflections on December 3 and later on Showcase. Last month, Kino Arsenal in Berlin honoured Helen's work with a mini-retrospective of her four short films.

THE ART OF WOO is a romantic comedy about Alessa Woo, an ambitious art dealer who meets her match in gifted painter, Ben Crowchild. The development phase, designed to enhance the collaborative process between the director, writer and producer, will refine the project under the creative mentorship of the FFP's Executive Producer, Peter O'Brian.

"The Art of Woo is an impressive screenplay and a uniquely Canadian story. We look forward to working with such a talented writer/director as Helen Lee on her first feature", said O'Brian.

Since its inception in 1992, the FFP has produced eight features including Cube, Rude, and Blood & Donuts. The most recent film was The Uncles, written and directed by Jim Allodi with Nick de Pencier producing. It received its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival where it garnered much critical acclaim.

Application to The Feature Film Project is open to all Canadian first-time feature film writers, directors and producers. To receive the latest guidelines, please contact us at (416) 445-2890 or ffp@cdnfilmcentre.com.

The Feature Film Project is made possible through the financial support of Telefilm Canada, the Ontario Film Development Corporation, The Harold Greenberg Fund and the Canadian Film Centre, and with the participation and support of Deluxe Toronto and Medallion-PFA Film & Video, and the generous support of ACTRA, CFTPA, The Completion Guarantors, DGC/ODC, Entertainment Services Network Inc., Film Effects Inc., I.A.T.S.E. Local 873, Jones Brown and Associates, Kodak Canada Inc., McMillan Binch, NABET Local 700, Numbers Edgecoding, P.S. Production Services, Tattersall Sound Inc., Writers Guild of Canada, William F. White Ltd. and the Toronto film community.

Founded by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Norman Jewison in 1988, the Canadian Film Centre is a national training institution with a mandate to promote and advance the artistic, technical and business skills of Canada's film, television and new media production communities.