Tuesday, August 2, 2011

CFC Actors Conservatory Announces Participants and Accomplished Mentors


CFC ACTORS CONSERVATORY ANNOUNCES PARTICIPANTS AND ACCOMPLISHED MENTORS

Toronto, August 2, 2011 – The CFC (Canadian Film Centre) is pleased to announce the eight residents as well as some of the accomplished mentors for the third year of the CFC ACTORS CONSERVATORY, presented by Shaw Media and supported by the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation.

Chaired by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, the five-month session, which launched today, is Canada’s first in-depth professional level, cross collaborative on-screen training program for actors. All participants in the CFC Actors Conservatory are well-established performers in areas of film, television and theatre across Canada and internationally.

The chosen participants are: Kristin Adams, Matthew Brown, Charlie Carrick, Amber Goldfarb, Trevor Hayes, Melissa Hood, Kimberly-Sue Murray and Johnathan Sousa.

Kristin Adams has been acting for the past decade, starting out in the CBS movies At the Mercy of a Stranger and Blackout and the HBO series Dear America. Other television credits include Soul Food, Street Time, Playmakers and The Eleventh Hour, as well as one of the leads in the Lifetime miniseries Beach Girls. Lead roles in feature films include FALLING ANGELS, WHO IS KK DOWNEY?, LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL, Don McKellar’s CHILDSTAR and a supporting role in Atom Egoyan’s WHERE THE TRUTH LIES.  Recent projects include The Kennedys miniseries alongside Greg Kinnear, AN INSIGNIFICANT HARVEY and DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN.

Matthew Brown began his journey as an entertainer at the age of five, studying music at the Dixon Hall Music School in Regent Park, Toronto, as a way to channel his creative energy and stay out of trouble. At sixteen Matthew began his professional career, studying at the Randolph Academy in Toronto. Film and television appearances include: James Meredith on The Kennedys, the recurring role of Shay on Instant Star, Nikita, Rookie Blue, Good Fences and Color of Friendship. Matthew was a part of the first Canadian cast of the Tony award winning musical Dancap production of Jersey Boys and the Dora award winning productions of I Think I Can and Seussical.

Charlie Carrick was raised in Northeast England, but relocated to Vancouver to attend the Vancouver Film School.  After graduation Charlie made his TV debut on The L-Word and has since guest starred on Supernatural , Psych and Sanctuary, and had recurring roles in Tower Prep  and V .  On stage, Charlie played the lead role in The History Boys and toured with The Arts Club production of Saltwater Moon.  In 2012, Charlie will play the title role in Gordon, Morris Panych’s new work when it makes its west coast premiere.

Amber Goldfarb is an honours graduate of the Dawson College Professional Theatre Program in Montreal where she grew up. Upon graduation, the trilingual actress (English, French and Spanish) was spotted by Quebecois director Alain Desrochers to play the lead in his film WUSHU WARRIOR.  Amber worked with Desrochers again in the award-winning TV series, Musée Eden. Recent credits include a guest-starring role in the series Lost Girl and recurring roles in the web series Guidestones and The Process.

Trevor Hayes is a Montreal native who has worked throughout Canada, the United States and abroad.  He garnered his first lead role shooting in China and Montreal over the course of seven months for the 20-part mini-series, Dr. Norman Bethune.  On television, he has worked with directors Clark Johnson Flashpoint, Paolo Barzman The Phantom and Christian Duguay  The Beautiful Life.  Trevor can also be seen as series regular Tony Russ in the Gemini-nominated comedy series, The Business. Film highlights include Todd Haynes’ I’M NOT THERE and a lead role in The WILD HUNT (TIFF Best First Canadian Feature, Slamdance Audience Award) directed by CFC alumnus Alexandre Franchi.

Melissa Hood was born in Toronto and studied performance at George Brown Theatre School, after which she co-created The Pangnirtung Youth Performance Project in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Melissa played lead roles in the short films WAKEN, THE LONG HAUL and RADON DAUGHTERS among others. Select film and television credits include Alphas, Flashpoint, the CFC’s award-winning web-series My Pal Satan and the lead role in the THE FISHING TRIP, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Kimberly-Sue Murray was born and raised on the Gaspé Coast. At 17 she moved to Montreal to attend Dawson College’s Professional Theatre Program where she was the recipient of the In-Program Achievement Award. Upon graduation, she made her professional theatrical debut with the lead role in the Griffin Town Theatre production of Our Country’s Good.  Recent credits include The Perfect Teacher Shawn Linden’s feature debut ROSE BY NAME and Tarsem Singh’s THE BROTHERS GRIMM: SNOW WHITE alongside Julia Roberts.

Johnathan Sousa is a recent graduate of Ryerson University’s Performance Acting Program where he was awarded the Louis Taube Memorial Award for his talent and commitment.  Upon graduation, Johnathan launched The Experts Collective, a red nose clown theatre company that opened the 5th Annual Festival of Clowns with their production The World is Ending...and It’s All Your Fault. John appeared in the History Television series Dual Suspects and played the lead in the short film PAY NO MORE.

The Conservatory is designed to provide the actors with continuous individual mentorship while also learning from the best in the world through master classes and workshops.  

CFC is grateful to the following mentors on board this season which include: CFC alumnus Peter Stebbings (’09), Filmmaker in Residence (Defendor), Michael Riley, Actor in Residence (Being Erica), Rosemary Dunsmore, Actor in Residence (Road to Avonlea), Marissa Richmond, Casting Director in Residence (Flashpoint, Durham County), Jason Knight, Casting Director in Residence (Take This Waltz, Away From Her,) and Maureen Dorey, Story Editor in Residence (Amal, Nurse.Fighter.Boy).  The Conservatory also benefits from the additional support of Kelly McEvenue, Alexander Technique Mentor, Jacqueline McClintock, Meisner Technique Mentorand Rebecca Northan, Improvisation Technique Mentor.

CFC will announce additional mentors, workshop leaders and guests over the coming months as the individual needs of the eight actors are considered and how best to support their talent. CFC Actors Conservatory is designed to inspire actors and enhance their artistic and technical skills in film and television with hopes to expand their creative and business relationships. It will encourage them to push boundaries in order to be launched as confident, compelling performers. 


About CFC
CFC is Canada’s largest institution for advanced training in film, television and new media. A charitable not-for-profit organization, CFC is committed to promoting and investing in Canada’s diverse talent; providing exhibition, financial, and distribution opportunities for top creative content leaders from coast to coast. CFC makes a significant cultural and economic contribution to Canada by launching the country’s most creative ideas and voices in film, television and new media to the world. For more information please visit: cfccreates.com

About Shaw Communications Inc.

Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 18 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX – SJR.B, NYSE – SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca <http://www.shaw.ca/> .

About The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation
The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation was established from the proceeds of the Estate of the late Brian Linehan, one of Canada's great journalists and on-air interviewers. Brian left his entire Estate for the purpose of creating a Star system in Canada including training, providing work opportunities and promoting young Canadians of exceptional talent. To date, its range of activities have included support for various programs at NSI, scholarships at Humber College, support of the Soulpepper Academy, the Company Theatre, The Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG) and the Canadian Film Centre.

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