Award-winning writer director Bretten Hannamās third feature film, Place of Ghosts has started production. The supernatural thriller stars Blake Alec Miranda (S.W.A.T, To and From), Forrest Goodluck (The English, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, The Revenant), Glen Gould (Tulsa King, Pet Cemetery: Bloodlines, Bones of Crows: The Series,) and Brandon Oakes (The Trades, Diggstown, Slasher, Through Black Spruce). Filming will take place in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Place of Ghosts is written and directed by Bretten Hannam (Gersh / Characters), and produced by Hannam, Marc Tetreault and Jason Levangie (Sharp Corner, The Queen of My Dreams, Kids VS Aliens), Martin Katz (The Shrouds, Humane, The Journey is the Destination, Hotel Rwanda), Diana Elbaum and David Ragonig (Green Border, Rebel), associate producer is John R. Sylliboy (Wildhood) and executive producer is Cotty Chubb (Eveās Bayou, Hoffa).
Place of Ghosts follows siblings Miseāl and Antle, close confidants as children that have drifted apart as adults. When a malevolent, rotting spirit of teeth and bones begins tormenting them, the siblings are forced to reunite and journey into Skiteākmujuekatiāk: the Place of Ghosts: a primordial forest the exists outside of time, to face their violent upbringing.
āThis is a story about facing buried trauma and cleaning wounds in order to heal,ā notes writer/director Bretten Hannam. āAs Miseāl and Antle descend into the darkness of the forest, the emotions and the core of the story cut a visceral path through things left unsaid, leading to a different way of understanding each other, before doing battle with the dark spirit that threatens to consume them.ā
Hannam has returned to their awards-winning team from Wildhood with cinematography by Guy Godfree (Little Bird, Sharp Corner, Wildhood, Brother), production design by Michael Pierson (The Queen of My Dreams, Wildhood, Kids VS Aliens), costume design by Emlyn Murray (Wildhood, Drown the Lovers), editing by Shaun Rykiss (Slasher, Wildhood, Learn To Swim), and joined by Juno and Polaris winning classical tenor and composer, Jeremy Dutcher, who set to score the film (Wander, Coroner).
Place of Ghosts is being distributed in Canada by VVS Films. World sales are being handled by Magnify.
ABOUT BRETTEN HANNAM
Bretten Hannam is a Two-Spirit Lānu filmmaker living in Kespukwitk, Lānuekati (Nova Scotia) where they were raised. Their films deal with themes of community, culture, and the Miākmaq language, with a focus on Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ identity. They wrote and directed the breakout hit Wildhood, which World Premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for 6 Canadian Screen Awards (including a WIN for Joshua Odjick for Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role), a GLAAD award, and numerous other festival prizes. They wrote and directed their 1st feature North Mountain, a Two-Spirit thriller that won Best Original Score at the Atlantic Film Festival and the Screen Nova Scotia Award for Best Feature. They also wrote/directed the short film WILDFIRE which premiered at BFI Flare and went on to play at Frameline LGBT Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, ImagineNative, and Inside Out LGBT Film Festival. Bretten is a Fellow of the Praxis Centre for Screenwriters, Outfest Screenwriting Lab, Whistlerās Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship, and the CFC Screenwriterās Lab.
ABOUT SHUT UP & COLOUR PICTURES
Shut Up & Colour Pictures is a boutique production company from Nova Scotia that develops and produces feature films. S&C most recently world premiered The Queen of My Dreams by Fawzia Mirza at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, BFIās London Film Festival and SXSW 2024. The film stars Amrit Kaur and Hamza Haq. S&C has recently announced the World Premiere of Jason Buxton’s completed title Sharp Corner (starring Ben Foster and Cobie Smulders) at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
ABOUT PROSPERO PICTURES
Founded by producer Martin Katz, Prospero Pictures is one of the most prolific production companies in Canada, with credits including Hotel Rwanda, which was nominated for three Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards, and over two decades producing films with celebrated director David Cronenberg, including The Shrouds, Spider and Cosmopolis which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and Maps to the Stars, for which Julianne Moore received the Best Actress Palme dāOr at Cannes, and A Dangerous Method, which had its world premiere in competition at the Venice film Festival.
ABOUT BELUGA TREE
BELUGA TREE is a new independent production company run by one of Belgium’s most successful producers, Diana Elbaum. BELUGA TREEās mission is to develop and produce visionary and high-quality films, TV series and documentaries for international audiences and to build a creative hub where powerful and distinctive stories are nurtured and brought to the screen with energy and passion.
ABOUT MAGNIFY
MAGNIFY is the international sales arm of Magnolia Pictures overseeing a diverse catalog of more than 100 features from Magnolia Pictures and 2929 Productions. Over the years, MAGNIFY has worked on the international distribution of many groundbreaking documentaries including RBG, ASSASSINS, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, QUEEN OF VERSAILLES, THE WOLFPACK, and IRIS; critically acclaimed narratives such as SWAN SONG, QUEEN OF GLORY, TANGERINE, LISTEN, MARS ONE; and genre films THE EYES OF MY MOTHER, MAYDAY, and THE WIND. Our most recent acquisitions include Sundance breakout LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING, Sundance & Berlinale winner KOKOMO CITY, SXSW selections CORA BORA and I USED TO BE FUNNY, Cannes Un Certain Regard selection THE DELINQUENTS, Venice Orrizonti selection HESITATION WOUND, Austrian satire VENI VIDI VICI that premiered in World Competition in Sundance Film Festival, Taiwanese fencing thriller PIERCE, Cannes Directorsā Fortnight selection CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLERāS POINT, and near futuristic Venice Orrizonti selection HAPPYEND by Neo Sora.
ABOUT VVS FILMS
VVS Films is a leading motion picture production and distribution company with over 40 years of operation in Canada. In October 2023, VVS announced their expansion into Australia and New Zealand. VVS is best known for their success in launching major franchises in the Canadian market, including TALK TO ME and the āHAS FALLENā and āHITMANāS BODYGUARDā. Recent notable releases include THE BEEKEEPER, HIT MAN, THELMA, and MAXXXINE. VVS Films recently financed and served as executive producer for Xavier Dolanās French language mini-series LA NUIT OĆ LAURIER GAUDREAULT SāEST RĆVEILLĆ. They also served as executive producers on Christian Sparkesā THE KING TIDE which had its world premiere at TIFF 2023. Upcoming releases for Canada include Scott Beck and Bryan Woodās HERETIC, Anna Kendrickās WOMAN OF THE HOUR, and Robert Zemeckisā HERE. Upcoming releases for Canada, Australia, and New Zealand include Benny Safdieās THE SMASHING MACHINE.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com