World premiere of NSI Features First film A Small Fortune at FIN Atlantic International Film Festival

A Small Fortune
Rachel-Young

Rachel Young

Outreach and Engagement Lead

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) celebrates the world premiere of A Small Fortune at FIN Atlantic International Film Festival this month. The film was developed through the NSI Features First program by writer and director Adam Perry and producer Jason Arsenault.

A Small Fortune is the 27th fully produced feature to come from the NSI Features First program – a renowned development training launch pad for filmmakers looking to produce their first or second feature film.

Adam and Jason participated in the program in 2016, where they honed their producing and storytelling skills and developed the script for A Small Fortune.

A Small Fortune is out in the world in large part because of [the National Screen Institute’s] support in the project and their belief in us as filmmakers,” said producer Jason Arsenault.

A Small Fortune – based on the team’s short film A Blessing From The Sea (2017) – tells the story of a struggling farmer who finds a bag of money washed up on the shores of Prince Edward Island. His decision to keep it secret turns his quaint fishing village into a growing crime scene as the money’s owners come calling.

A Small Fortune has been a labour of love for many years, and it really began when the NSI Features First program saw its potential so early on in development,” said writer/director Adam Perry. “Since then, the National Screen Institute has led us to other great opportunities for development and we can’t wait to share the finished film with everyone over the coming months.”

The thriller was filmed in Prince Edward Island in late 2019, with the majority of cast and crew based in Atlantic Canada. Mary Sexton, fellow NSI Feature First alumni and Newfoundlander, joined the project as producer.

“The National Screen Institute is proud to support Adam, Jason and all the Atlantic Canada filmmakers involved in bringing this project to the next level,” said NSI CEO Joy Loewen. “I can think of no better way to celebrate their world premiere than at FIN.”

FIN Atlantic International Film Festival provides a platform for Atlantic Canada filmmakers and celebrates the work within Atlantic provinces and beyond. They will host the world premiere of A Small Fortune on September 18 at Cineplex Park Lane Theatre 3, with online streaming beginning on the festival website on September 16.

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NSI Features First 2016 was funded by Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada; Program Partner The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One (eOne), Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsors Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) (now Ontario Creates) and Innovation PEI and Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. NSI Core Funders were Manitoba Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection (now Manitoba Sports, Culture and Heritage) and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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About the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI)

Propelled by a visionary network of donors, private and public organizations, board members and staff, the National Screen Institute supports creators from across Canada to tell unforgettable stories. Through industry-informed training and mentoring in film, television and digital media, students and alumni find their voice and place on the global stage, inspiring us to shape a better world.

We are committed to training participants from a diverse community of voices including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+), people with disabilities, those outside large urban centres, those in regional and remote areas and various religious groups.

Media enquiries

liz.hover@nsi-canada.ca


The National Screen Institute is supported by: Core Funders: Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council; Benefactors: TELUS, Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund (CMF), Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE); Patrons: CBC, Creative Saskatchewan; Builders: APTN, TikTok Canada, Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), The Winnipeg Foundation; Indigenous Training Programs Partner: Directors Guild of Canada; Strategic Sponsors: Manitoba Film & Music, Bell Media, RBC Emerging Artists, documentary Channel, CBC Gem, Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development (CAHRD), Alberta Film Commission, Manitoba Arts Council; Industry Partner: National Film Board of Canada; Friends: Ontario Creates, Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), Bell Fund, Stantec, William F. White International, Company 3.