Canada’s HighballTV Unveils $15.6M From Five Original Indie Productions As It Continues Its ‘Cautious Organic Growth’

EXCLUSIVE: Toronto-based, fast-growing indie streaming platform HighballTV has announced five original titles going into production by 2023 with a total investment of $15.6 million.

The new list consists of the genre comedy directed by Caden Douglas mother father sister brother Frank, music documentary Work on the radioanthology movie The god of frogsCrime by Andre Rehal Jin and the wild dog and Alice Moran’s comedy film bash. (scroll down for more details).

The company has secured lead financing from private investors and loans from the Royal Bank of Canada and will also benefit from local film tax credits.

“We expect a 50:50 ratio between the two types of funding (private funders and RBC),” says Matthew Campagna, director of production at HighballTV. “They really believe in us and our company with its slow, cautious organic growth.

“We have the corporate guarantees and the tax returns to support the fact that we can pay off these loans because we have a model that makes enough money to do so,” he added.

In 2018, Campagna launched the indie streamer HighballTV with Melissa D’Agostino.

The platform focuses on indie films and documentaries that have played at festivals in Canada and internationally, but are not easily seen outside the festival circuit.

One of the current highlights is the drama Tallinn Black Nights caseBrazilian documentary Obscure Baroquescreened in Berlin, Hot Docs and IDFA, as well as collections dedicated to Ukrainian diaspora and LGBTQ+ stories.

Former BFI employee Niall Macpherson is head of programming and acquisitions for the site.

Most users of the site, which offers both subscription and TVoD options, are based in North America, but it is available internationally and has a following in other regions, such as Canada. B. Great Britain.

HighballTV also moved steadily into production.

D’Agostino and Campagna are directors themselves and their productions such as the comedy series Tactical girls and features included Six days to die, Six guns for rent And Mother of all shows is or will be made available on the platform.

HighballTV began going after other directors in 2021, with an initial list focusing on films by women directors and/or people of color. These include Rehal’s first feature films and Moran’s Thriller strangers in a room and mystery drama Paige Darcy: Former teenage detective as well as that of D’Agostino Mother of all shows.

D’Agostino and Campagna see their model as an opportunity to make their own films, while also supporting a growing network of independent filmmakers outside of Canada’s federally supported subsidy system.

“All these jury funds are things you can’t really care about, because you don’t know until the minute what they’re going to support,” says Campagna. “It can take three years to get a yes or no. We don’t think this is a reliable way to build a sustainable business.”

They point out that the new film series HighballTV reunites with directors Rehal and Moran for their second film, in line with their plan to build a network of fellow filmmakers.

Rehal’s new film Jin and the wild dog follows two private security companies deployed to protect and control the city’s elites who become embroiled in a criminal conspiracy that stretches all the way to City Hall.

Moran comedy bash follows a struggling 1970s women’s ice hockey team that finds new success when their league flirts with the idea of ​​allowing fighting. Writer, comedian and actress Moran is best known for her roles on City TVs Bright side as well as FX on Hulu man looking for woman.

documentary work on the street explores the history and legacy of Toronto’s influential alternative music network, CFNY, and features interviews with The Barenaked Ladies, Billy Talent, Blondie, Blue Rodeo, Joy Division, Metric, Stars and Parachute Club.

by Douglas mother father sister brother Frank iis a genre comedy about a suburban family planning murder when an unsavory uncle surprises Sunday lunch with a nasty surprise.

The god of frogs is a monster-themed anthology film that explores gory, unexplained events and features clips from up-and-coming directors Adrian Bobb, Richard Lee, Natalie Metcalfe and Ali Chappell.

“Each year HighballTV aims to increase our commitment to equality and inclusion across our production lines, and this year we are delighted that the vast majority of our writers and directors are from fundraising groups, many of whom are making their feature film debuts,” added. Campagna added.