Game Theory Boards Canadian Tibetan-Language Drama ‘Tenzin’; Netflix & UNESCO Team On Sub-Saharan Africa Short Film Comp – Global Briefs

Game Theory Boards Canadian Tibetan-Language Drama ‘Tenzin’; Netflix & UNESCO Team On Sub-Saharan Africa Short Film Comp – Global Briefs

EXCLUSIVE: Game Theory Films has acquired Canadian rights to the Canadian Tibetan-language drama Tenzin. Co-directed by Michael LeBlanc and Joshua Reichmann, the film will have its world premiere at this year’s Tallinn Black Nights Festival next month. Featuring a cast of first time actors, the titular character is a young Tibetan man living in Toronto whose older brother self-immolates as a form of nonviolent protest of the treatment of Tibetans living under the current Chinese occupation. Tenzin struggles to come to terms with the loss of his brother while navigating a life with one foot in Western youth culture. Producers are Brian Roberston of Low End and Julie Baldassi of Younger Daughter Films, with Matt MacIsaac and Dan Sternberg serving as executive producers. The film will receive a theatrical release in early 2022. “We were instantly captivated by the visually stunning and authentic intention of the film,” said Hilary Hart for Game Theory Films. “The Canadian Tibetan population is a small one, but this is a story with universal appeal. We know it will resonate with audiences of all backgrounds.”

Netflix is teaming up with international agency UNESCO to launch a short film competition in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Folktales, Reimagined will see six winners mentored by industry professionals and provide with a $75,000 production budget to create a short movie that will be shown on Netflix next year. The projects will be produced by local companies. Each of the winners will also receive $25,000 for themselves. The streamer said the goal was to discover new voices in the region. Entries open on October 14 and close on November 14.