The Edmonton Screen Industries Office (ESIO) is announcing financial support for two local projects through the Edmonton Screen Media Fund (ESMF). 

The two projects consist of a video game titled Curved Space and a feature-length TV movie titled Christmas with a Crown. They are the first projects to be supported through the ESMF.  

“Through the ESMF, the ESIO can invest in promising screen media projects and ventures. These two projects capture the boundless creativity and extraordinary level of craft available within our region. Edmonton is a hub for talent, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to help grow this sector,” said Josh Miller, CEO of ESIO. “We’re currently reviewing more applications and are excited that more investments will be approved in the new year.”

Between the two projects, a total of $230,620 is being invested. 

About Christmas with a Crown

“This project could not have come together without the support of the Edmonton Screen Industries Office and their commitment to growing the screen industries in Edmonton,” says Christmas with a Crown Director Dylan Pearce. 

The feature-length film was shot mostly in the Whyte Avenue area, as well as on location at Ryan’s Castle, which is just outside of Edmonton. The project created significant employment opportunities in the film production sector in our city, with 77 crew members and 14 members of the cast comprised of Edmontonians.  

“This was an opportunity to display Edmonton on the global stage,” says Pearce. “We really got to showcase our unique locations and the breadth of talent that comes from this region.”

About Curved Space

Curved Space, developed by Only By Midnight game studio, is a 2D retro arcade shooter game mapped on a 3D surface. The game, which follows a female protagonist who harvests three-legged space spiders for energy, has already amassed quite a following.

“We are really grateful for what ESIO is doing in this space,” says Andrew Czarnietzki, president and lead developer at Only By Midnight. “Video games have been in this weird no man’s land in terms of financial support, so to see the ESIO with a mandate to support this significant segment of the screen industries has been awesome.”

Demo and Trailer

Curved Space is expected to be released in spring of 2021. The demo can be played here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1320230/Curved_Space/

Christmas with a Crown will be released in Canada December 1 on VOD (Rogers, Shaw, Telus, and Bell), online platforms (GooglePlay, iTunes, and Vimeo), Superchannel and Amazon. 

The trailer for Christmas with a Crown can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjNPqsJ7YYk