The Toronto International Film Festival® is pleased to announce Montreal filmmaker, Anne Émond as the 2017 Len Blum Resident. Since 2015, the Len Blum Residency has provided one filmmaker each year with the opportunity to live, work and be inspired at TIFF Bell Lightbox. The Residency is generously supported by Toronto-based filmmaker and distributor Ron Mann.
In October, Émond will take up residency at the Festival Tower to begin her two-month creative journey. During her stay, she will have the opportunity to be mentored by Len Blum, one of Canada's most celebrated screenwriters, and to receive support from TIFF's industry and film programming teams. Throughout her residency, Émond will have access to the full programme of films screened at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Émond is an award-winning director who has made seven shorts and four feature films. Over the years, she has garnered numerous accolades for her work, including for Nuit #1 (2012 Claude Jutra Award) and Our Loved Ones (2015 Jay Scott Prize at Toronto Film
Critics Association). Her latest film, Nelly (16), a biopic of Quebec author Nelly Arcan, had its world premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and was selected for the 2016 Canada's Top Ten Film Festival.
"We are thrilled to welcome Anne Émond to our home in the heart of downtown Toronto," said Kathleen Drumm, TIFF Industry Director. "TIFF has always worked to serve as a
HUB for emerging film artists, and the Residency enables us to elevate talent, to provide a supportive creative environment and to share our resources."
"The Len Blum Residency is an amazing opportunity for me," said Émond. "First of all, the chance to live in a cinema has always been a dream of mine, and I plan to catch at least one film a day during my stay! Also, to focus solely on writing for two months is exactly what I need right now. At this point in my career, I'm thinking more about working in English, so this time spent in Toronto writing and connecting with people from the industry comes at a perfect juncture."
Émond will use the Residency to continue working on her two scripts: Jeune Juliette, a colourful comedy about a chubby teenager who is oblivious to her size, but who - most importantly - doesn't really care about it; and Monde Neuf, an apocalyptic drama about a group of nine young people who collectively decide to resist the end of the world by changing their lifestyle.
Writer-director candidates for the Len Blum Residency were nominated by leading Canadian industry members. The two previous Len Blum Residents were Stephen Dunn (Closet Monster, Best Canadian Feature Film, TIFF 2015), and Andrew Cividino (Sleeping Giant, Best First Canadian Feature Film, TIFF 2015, Cannes Critics Week 2015). Anne Émond will be the final Len Blum Resident.
In October 2017, TIFF will announce an exciting new Residency opportunity for female feature filmmakers, made possible by generous donations through the Share Her Journey campaign. Details of this Residency, including the guidelines and application
process, will be made available at that time.
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival takes place from September 7 to 17, 2017.
