Canadian Short Film Makes History With iTunes Global Distribution Deal

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 14, 2008 -
The most acclaimed Canadian film of 2008 has scored another major coup in the entertainment world. CENTIGRADE, the brainchild of Vancouver-based actor Colin Cunningham and actor/producer Madison Graie, will be the first live-action Canadian-made short film distributed on iTunes, the film’s creators announced today.

The news is expected to lead to a boom in revenue for CENTIGRADE, which was made on a $20,000 budget and shot entirely with a handheld digital camera that Cunningham says “was the size of a shoe”. In March, the movie became the first Canadian film to qualify for the 2009 Oscars when it won the Best Narrative Short prize at the Cinequest Film Festival, an Academy Awards-sanctioned event.

Through the distribution deal with Shorts International, CENTIGRADE will be available for download and rental in Canada, the United States and Great Britain. The move to e-commerce also heralds a new era for shorts. Previously, filmmakers’ best hope of making money on a short film was to receive backing for a feature-length production.

“In making this short, we didn't expect it to be a financial success,” says Cunningham, the film’s lead actor who also wrote and directed it. “This deal opens doors to aspiring directors and producers.”

Cunningham and Graie are currently in discussions to turn CENTIGRADE into a feature. The 17-minute film, which is about a man trapped in a trailer that is slowly burning up, captured 5 Leo Awards, which honor the British Columbia Film and Television Industry, and has qualified for the Genie Awards, the annual fête that recognizes Canadian filmmakers.

“The movie has exceeded our wildest expectations,” says Graie, who along with Cunningham, her long-time collaborator, developed the script that had been closeted for 13 years. “The fact that it’s gaining a wider audience is tremendously satisfying for us. Ultimately, that’s the greatest reward — to know your artistic endeavor is out there, really entertaining people.”

Under the distribution deal with Shorts International, which has a licensing agreement with iTunes’ creator, Apple Inc., CENTIGRADE joins a handful of short films available for download and rental. The other movies include animated shorts from Pixar as well as previous Academy Awards nominees and honorees.

To learn more about CENTIGRADE, its writer, director and lead actor Colin Cunningham, and its producer Madison Graie, visit http://www.centigradethemovie.com.

Watch the CENTIGRADE trailer online at http://www.centigradethemovie.com/2007/08/11/teaser-trailer/.

For more information, contact:

Kal Suurkask
1.888.214.4383
Western Canada
kal@elevationpr.com

Greg Godden
1.888.214.4383
Central and Eastern Canada
greg@elevationpr.com