Canvas Media Studios CEO David Tochterman and MarVista Entertainment (MVE), a FOX Entertainment Company, today announced a six-film slate deal focused on identifying diverse, first-time and up-and- coming writers/directors, representing a new low budget indie film model built on a unique co-financing model between Canvas, MVE and other investors. The agreement will involve fully financed completed titles with a pre-buy distribution commitment from MVE, which will oversee global distribution for all films produced under the partnership.
Canvas just wrapped production on its first film under the deal, DONT LET IT IN, written and directed by Jay Henric based on her short film. DONT LET IT IN is a genre thriller starring an entirely Native American lead cast, filmed with the cooperation of the Florida Seminole Tribe, and shot partially on the Big Cypress reservation in the Everglades. Tochterman is Executive Producer alongside Allen DeBevoise, Allison Vanore, Everett Osceola, Yann Henric and Jordan Barillas, David Massey, and Fernando Szew for MarVista. Jay Henric, Stephen Henric and Corey Moss are producers.
Said Canvas lead investor Allen DeBevoise (Third Wave Digital Fund), "Canvas is focusing on the creation of new premium video franchises from up-and-coming creators to provide for new programming brands for the highly competitive premium video market."
Tochterman said, “By providing young filmmakers with financing and distribution, and bringing our production expertise, we want to empower diverse creative entrepreneurs. We are very excited that MarVista believes in our model, and with this partnership we have an opportunity to aggressively target both domestic and international distribution with completed films."
“Canvas’ dedication to discovering, developing and producing films alongside the next generation of creators and storytellers is very much aligned with MarVista’s ongoing commitment to support filmmakers with unique voices and diverse perspectives,” said MarVista CEO, Fernando Szew. “We look forward to partnering further with David and the team at Canvas to deliver this premium content to our multiplatform partners worldwide.”
ABOUT CANVAS/DAVID TOCHTERMAN
Canvas Media Studios is a venture capital-backed content company led by industry vet David Tochterman. Canvas film and television projects include MTV, Warner Media, MGM, and Sonar Entertainment among others. Additionally, the company has produced digital projects for Google and Facebook, and the Emmy-nominated series VANITY which began on YouTube and was then distributed for international television by Entertainment One.
Tochterman is a well-known producer and executive with television credits including Carsey- Werner and Overbrook Entertainment. He was an early digital entrepreneur when YouTube first came on the scene, launching the branded content video platform Channelblast and joining several early digital content studios as a producer and consultant. Prior to raising financing for Canvas, he started a digital media division for Innovative Artists, where he represented and packaged award-winning digital projects and producers.
ABOUT MARVISTA ENTERTAINMENT
MarVista Entertainment, a FOX Entertainment Company, is a leading global entertainment studio, producing and distributing a variety of content across the world. With a library showcasing nearly 2,500 hours of content, and with an average of 80 new movies per year added to the company’s development and distribution pipeline, MarVista is one of the largest suppliers of movies to the worldwide marketplace. MarVista has an expansive distribution footprint spanning more than 125 global territories and is a pre-eminent programming partner to major streamers and media companies, including Netflix, Hulu, Discovery+, Tubi, Disney Networks, Amazon Prime, WarnerMedia, Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, NBC Universal, OWN, Nickelodeon, BET and other Viacom Networks, as well as key international platforms.
MarVista’s recent projects include the Amazon Prime Video release ‘Christmas Is Canceled’ starring Hayley Orrantia, Dermot Mulroney, and Janel Parrish; indie features including ‘Stay Awake,’ with an award winning debut at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival and starring Chrissy Metz; the IFC release ‘Hunter Hunter,’ starring Devon Sawa, Nick Stahl, and Camille Sullivan; and the GLAAD nominated ‘Under the Christmas Tree,’ Lifetime’s LGBTQ+ led movie starring Elise Bauman, Tattiawna Jones, and Ricki Lake.