New Chinese-Canadian filmmakers in Toronto

[Brian Thibodeau]

These folks turned up in a recent article in one of our newspapers (and some local Chinese-language papers as well). They're a Markham-based company called e-Evolution (as in "Entertainment Evolution") and they're doing some promising work around these parts. To date, in addition to plentiful promotional work, this largely consists of a couple of short films -- slick amateur productions SISTERS and LOVEME.CA, the latter the decidedly better of the pair -- but beyond that they certainly know how to work the marketing machine and social networks to brand themselves as purveyors of young Chinese-Canadian (and even some non-Chinese-Canadian!) talent. Their third picture, PROMISE, will be feature-length, apparently.

Much of their work seems to be done in connection with JCY House, an uber-chi-chi fashion retailer with several outlets across Canada, and labels and prices you can't afford, and which some people, Chinese and non, think are ridiculously overpriced. This means everybody in the company's productions is well-attired and bejeweled and cast/crew have a haute place to stage glitzy press conferences and shoot commercials for upcoming auditions! Don't think arthouse here; think Wong Jing-style Hong Kong bubble gum drizzled with Canadian maple syrup and you'll know what to expect.

The films aren't the second coming, but there's some promise here, and a definite improvement from the first short film to the second:

SISTERS

LOVEME.CA, Part 1

The Hong Kong-style premiere screening of LOVEME.CA, as one would totally expect, turned into a bikini fashion show! Slick, baby. I'm so in the wrong business . . .

Glossy music video promoting an upcoming singing contest to appear on the soundtrack of PROMISE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_pe2Kb7-XU

[Brian Thibodeau]

Well, it looks like they delivered. Whether writer-director-star Leo Shiu's PROMISE is any good remains to be seen, but I'll give 'em credit for doing it in the first place. There's some slick photography on display in many of the shots, to say the least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9reA5xXthkE

(naturally, a JCY location -- possibly in First Markham Place, if memory serves -- gets a plug in the trailer )