American Film Market Dailies

CALORIE Ellora credit © Toma Iczkovits

Montreal, Friday, October 28, 2022 – Compass Productions and Filmoption International announce that the feature film Calorie by writer and director Eisha Marjara has started principal photography in Montreal. Starring Ellora Patnaik (Monika), Shanaya Dhillon-Birmhan (Alia), Ashley Ganger (Simi), and Anupam Kher (Mohan), the film follows three generations of women whose present and past lives collide during an emotionally packed summer trip in India.

The first images are being filmed in Montreal from October 13 to 29. Filming will continue in India in November and December 2022.

Eisha Marjara was selected for the 2017 TIFF Writers’ Studio. The project was also chosen for the Goa Film Bazaar co-production market, and the 2014/15 Praxis Screenwriters Lab, mentored by screenwriter Guinevere Turner (American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page).

Calorie is produced by Joe Balass for Compass Productions, with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, with the collaboration of CBC, ATN, and Hollywood Suite.

Distributed in Canada by Filmoption International, Calorie will be released in winter 2023-2024.

About the filmmaker

With a background in photography, Montreal-based filmmaker Eisha Marjara first drew attention with the witty and satirical The Incredible Shrinking Woman, which showed off her skills as a writer, cinematographer and director. Desperately Seeking Helen (2000) established her as a groundbreaking filmmaker. The Tourist (2006) and her transgender drama House For Sale (2012) then received multiple awards at various international film festivals. Marjara then completed her first feature Venus, a dramatic comedy produced by Joe Balass, about a transgender woman who discovers she is the father of a teenager boy. Her affecting photo series and essay on the Air India tragedy of flight 182 entitled Remember Me Nought was featured in the fall 2013 issue of Descant magazine. Marjara also published her debut novel Faerie, about an anorexic teenager. Faerie received rave reviews from Canadian and American press, including a four-star review in US Publisher’s Weekly.

CALORIE

Directed by Eisha Marjara | Script: Eisha Marjara | Cinematography - Montreal: Christophe Dalpé | Editing: Paul Chotel | Art Direction: Patricia Christie | Costumes: Marie-Florence Gagnon | Sound Recording: René Portillo | Casting: Rosina Bucci (Elite Casting) | Producer: Joe Balass | Executive Producer: Barbara Shier | Production: Compass Productions | Distribution: Filmoption International

Compass Productions creates original content for audiences worldwide. They are committed to pushing the boundaries of politics, culture and society with compelling programs with original, offbeat topics and creative vision. Their focus is on social issues and stories from the underground. Based in Montreal, they have a strong international orientation and have worked with partners across Canada and in the United States, India, Thailand, France, Israel and Italy.