Written by Francois ASSELIN | 14 September 2010

A World Premiere and unique opportunity to produce A HAPPY MAN, the first FEATURE MOVIE FORMAT®™ever made.

 The original film, a comedy on a universal theme, was shot in 2008. Since then the movie has been selected in many festivals and has won numerous awards. We decided to use it as the basis to create a new concept called FEATURE MOVIE FORMAT®™, to help independent producers from around the world make films with extremely high production values at a lower cost. Comedies are amongst the biggest box office and ratings earners. 

How does the Feature Movie Format work?

Because of its story and structure, you can remake this great comedy (2 foreigners inherit an inn in a small village in the north of the Province of Quebec, Canada), replacing the original pair of French actors with two Chinese actors or two Indian actors or two Spanish actors, etc., and reshoot the film. Because you keep the Canadian actors and the same locations, one third of the film is already shot. It is possible to produce remakes in different languages for less than half of the original budget.

A $7.5 million (CAD) film for $2.8 million (CAD)  turnkey project

With all of the above already available, the original $7.5 million budget will be reduced to $4 million, which would include a Canadian government guaranteed subsidy of $1.2 million for your production (which we would secure). That’s $2.8 million out-of-pocket cost for you plus your costs in your country.

YOU OWN THE MOVIE 100%

We would also provide the original remake rights. We would act as the production services company in Canada on your behalf.Everything is in place to shoot four versions in four different languages with four different producers and directors from four different countries.

Business Proposal

With the FEATURE MOVIE FORMAT concept ®™ we will provide everything you need to reproduce the film in your language, including:

• A financial participation of $1.2 million;
• 1/3 of the film already shot, a $2.2 million production value;
• an English script for purposes of adaptation (improved from the original shooting script);
• the local cast and crew, production and post-production facilities for the new shoot;
• a movie trailer, artwork and poster;
• a 52-minute “making of”.

All you need to provide is:

• A contribution of $2.8 million; 

At your expense:

• production of the first 5 minutes of the film, shot in your country;
• 2 actors to play Pierre MARTIN (Pierre Richard) and Catherine (Sylvie Testud);
• your producer, director, and a scriptwriter to adapt the original script into your language and to fit your sense of humour.
• As well, since the Canadian portion of the shoot will be in English, you will have to dub the Canadian actors into your language.

Production calendar based on Canadian talent availability.

Each production is a 20-day shoot and 6 weeks of postproduction.

First shooting window production #1:

From January 6th 2010 to January 29th 2011

• January 6 to January 21 : 14 days of interiors to be shot in Montreal

• January 24 to January 29: 6 days of exteriors to be shot in Ste-Rose-du-Nord

Second shooting window production #2:

From January 31st to February 23rd 2011

• January 31 to February 5: 6 days of exteriors to be shot in Ste-Rose-du-Nord

• February 8 to February 23: 14 days of interiors to be shot in Montreal

Third shooting window production #3:

From February 24th to March 19th 2011

• February 24 to March 11: 14 days of interiors to be shot in Montreal

• March 14 to March 19: 6 days of exteriors to be shot in Ste-Rose-du-Nord

Fourth shooting window production #4:

From March 21th to April 16th 2011

• March 21 to March 26: 6 days exteriors to be shot in Ste-Rose-du-Nord

• March 30 to April 16: 14 days interiors to be shot in Montreal  

 The original production

The Pitch

A touching, politically incorrect comedy and a triumph of happiness over human pettiness. At 65, Pierre MARTIN (played by Pierre RICHARD), quantum physicist, inherits an inn in Canada. He leaves Paris with his daughter Catherine (Sylvie TESTUD) and ends up in the dead of winter in Sainte-Simone-du-Nord, a typical tiny village in the Saguenay, a remote region of Québec. Away from Parisian life, Pierre sees an opportunity to pass on to his daughter the quality he values most: happiness. But the mayor of Sainte-Simone doesn’t want a second generation of French-from-France to invade. Soon Pierre’s dream will become a nightmare!

The Actors

A Happy Man brings together two great actors from different continents: Pierre RICHARD, a world-famous comic actor whose international reputation has made him a household name to a market of more than 400 million viewers; and Rémy GIRARD, an actor whose work is much appreciated by Québec critics and audiences alike, and whose reputation is growing in France and the USA.

The Canadian cast:

Rémy 

Rémy has had great success on stage and in film, playing major roles in, among other films, Denys ARCAND’s Le déclin de l’empire américain (1986, Eng. The Decline of the American Empire) and Les invasions barbares (Eng. The Barbarian Invasions, winner of the 2004 Oscar for the best foreign language film), for which he received a Genie award for best actor. In Robert MÉNARD’s Amoureux fou (1991, Eng. – Madly in love), he shared the screen with Jean ROCHEFORT and once again received a Genie Award for his performance.

Louise (the Mayor’s wife)

Louise has a list of film credits which includes Le déclin de l’empire américain (1986, Eng. The Decline of the American Empire), Les invasions barbares (2003, Eng. The Barbarian Invasions), Mes meilleurs copains (1989, alternate Eng. My Best Buddies and My Best Pals), with Gérard LANVIN, Christian CLAVIER and Jean-Pierre BACRI, and Les fauves (1984, Eng. Beasts) alongside Philippe LÉOTARD and Daniel AUTEUIL.

Patrick (Steven)

A 2001 graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Patrick DROLET won the Léopard d’or award for Best Actor at the Locarno Film Festival (2005) with his part of François in La neuvaine (B. ÉMOND). His other film credits include L’ange de goudron (D. Chouinard), more recently, Le Grand Départ (C. MEUNIER). André Mathieu (L. DIONNE) in the film relating the life of this prodigious pianist. His television work includes parts in the following series: Les Bougon, Fortier III, Rumeurs and, from 2001 to 2003, the daily series Ayoye!, which got him a Gémeaux Award nomination for Best actor in a youth series. Since 2005, he’s Richard in Les invincibles.

Gaston (Ti-Guy)

A 1974 graduate of the Conservatoire d’art dramatique du Québec, Gaston LEPAGE, born in St-Félicien, Province of Quebec, is a well knowned actor for playing roles in many television series and more than 30 films like Deny’s ARCAND’S The Babarian Invasions, (winner of the 2004 Oscar for the best foreign language film,) André FORCIER’S 2009 Je me souviens, Louis BÉLANGER’S 2003 Gaz Bar Blues and acclaimed Jean BEAUDIN’S 1980 Cordélia.

Jean-Nicolas (Mario)

A 1995 graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Jean-Nicolas VERREAULT, born in Québec, Province of Quebec, was nominated for Best Actor in Denis VILLENEUVE’S 2000 Maelstrom.  His work goes from television series to major canadian films like Eric CANUEL’S 2005 The Outlander, 2001 La loi du cochon and Claude FOURNIER’S 1997 J’en suis.