Editor

• View
• Edit

Strategic Partners (SP), Canada’s only international co-production market for film and television projects announced today that two internationally renowned names in the film and television industries, Frida Torresblanco and Noreen Halpern, are slated to deliver keynote addresses to this year’s capacity number of delegates including delegations from the spotlight countries of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

Frida Torresblanco, acclaimed producer and creator of Ritmo Films, will present the opening keynote speech on Friday, September 12th. In 2001, Frida moved to New York to head filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón's newly established production company. She produced Guillermo Del Toro’s Academy Award winning film Pan’s Labrynth and has also served as Executive Producer and creative on-set Producer for major motion pictures such as The Assassination of Richard Nixon, and CRONICAS. In 2007, The Hollywood Reporter named Ms Torresblanco one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinos in Hollywood, and one of the 25 Hispanic Women of Power.

Noreen Halpern, co-founder and President of Blueprint Entertainment, will deliver her keynote address Saturday, September 13th. As a driving force behind Blueprint, Ms Halpern has steered the company to rapidly become a key supplier of television series and movies to Canadian and US cable networks. Blueprint Entertainment projects include the hit shows Kenny vs. Spenny (Showcase/Comedy Central), Man in The Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story (MTV), Hey Joel (CityTV/VH1), Hung (HBO), Exes and Ohs (Logo/Showcase), and Whistler (CTV). Ms Halpern has established herself as a frontrunner in award-winning television production since the outset of her career working for (then) Alliance Entertainment and CTV.

“This year we kickoff SP with Frida Torrresblanco, a producer from one of our spotlight countries, who passionately believes that there are no boundaries to filmmaking,” said Jan Miller, Strategic Partners Director. “Having Noreen Halpern follow up with her keynote addressing the rich opportunities for independent television that have emerged since the writers strike in the US makes it remarkable to have two such positive industry forces at this year's Strategic Partners.”

SP runs from September 12-14, 2008 as part of the 28th Atlantic Film Festival. Registered Delegates participate in close to 1000 prescheduled business meetings with other film and television producers and financers in an intimate setting that allows direct access to potential international co-production opportunities and industry leaders.

Further SP special guest and panelist information will be released in the coming weeks. For more information about SP please visit www.atlanticfilm.com/sp.