Press Release – Nicola Pender / Thunderbird Films & Soulpepper Theatre Company
TORONTO and VANCOUVER – Albert Schultz, Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company and Tim Gamble, President and CEO of Thunderbird Films, today announced a multi-year development and production joint venture for television, feature films and digital media.
On the partnership, Thunderbird’s Tim Gamble says “I look at Soulpepper and marvel at what they have created in such a short time, their ability to spot, nurture and develop multi-disciplinary theatre talent is second to none. We feel privileged to be working with them and are very excited about the synergy between the two companies.”
Thunderbird Films today confirmed that both a feature film and a television series based on Soulpepper Resident Artist Ins Choi’s hit play Kim’s Convenience are currently in development.
“We are immensely proud of our original theatrical productions and have long been committed to exploring other avenues to share those works and the extraordinary creative talents of the Soulpepper Company members,” says Schultz. “Thunderbird is a great match for us, sharing our passion for content and commitment to quality.”
After a successful run in Toronto, Soulpepper is now touring Kim’s Convenience through major cities in Canada, playing to sold-out houses. It opens at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on January 22 and will then move on to Winnipeg’s Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in March and Vancouver‘s Arts Club Theatre in April.
Schultz, a recently appointed Member of the Order of Canada, founded Soulpepper 16 years ago along with 11 other Canadian theatre artists. The company has grown from a dream amongst friends and fellow actors into one of the most dynamic and important arts organizations in Canada.
Ivan Fecan, Executive Chairman of Thunderbird and Chairman of Sea to Sky Entertainment, brought the parties together. “This is a win-win,” he says. “Albert is a visionary, Soulpepper is a hothouse for talent and Thunderbird intends to be a major force in original Canadian content. We will work closely with Soulpepper to workshop concepts and develop new voices.”
Located in its multi-venue home the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District, Soulpepper is Canada’s largest urban theatre company. Founded and guided by artists, under the leadership of Artistic Director Albert Schultz and Executive Director Leslie Lester, Soulpepper has a complex and integrated mission which includes: industry-leading youth outreach initiatives; the Soulpepper Academy, Canada’s only multi-year paid professional training program for theatre artists of all disciplines; and a year-round diverse repertory season which is grounded in the classics and committed to the creation of new works, new forms and innovative practices.
Thunderbird is a rapidly growing Vancouver-based TV and film production company with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. Thunderbird produces award winning programming for Canadian and International broadcasters. The Thunderbird group of companies includes Vancouver-based Reunion Pictures and a joint venture with Lionsgate, Sea to Sky Entertainment, dedicated to creating content for the US and International markets.
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Soulpepper Media Contact:
Katie Saunoris, Publicist 416.203.6264 x.146 katie@soulpepper.ca
Soulpepper Media Gallery: http://www.soulpepper.ca/media/media_gallery
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Thunderbird Media Contact:
Nicola Pender, Media & Marketing 604.683.3555 nicola@thunderbird.tv