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An exciting feature film project and investment opportunity from AGAINST ALL ODDS PICTURES

THE STORY

In this intense heist thriller, a group of office workers seek to steal millions from their corporate masters. Their plan goes awry when office politics, social issues and paranoia begin to interfere.

THE DEAL

$2,2

MILLION

Severance Day will be fully 

funded with a rock solid script

$7,5

MILLION

Our minimum ask for an "all-in"

deal

340%

YIELD

And that's just the beginning,

the profit waterfall can be long

A minimum investment of $25K (or $15K*) will make you one of Severance Day's production investor. As such, you will enjoy two main benefits:

 

  • Be a senior investor

  • Priority in the waterfall: get your money-back + 25% profit before  the others

Beyond ROI, enjoy these exciting perks:

  • Live the experience of a major film set by appearing in the film as an extra, or give this opportunity to someone you love

  • Invitations to premieres, attend film festivals and be credited as a producer

  • "Investor's day", a VIP experience where you will meet the cast and crew on set, have lunch and enjoy a photo op with the cast

  • Receive a memento such as an accessory worn by a character or a piece of art featured in the film

  • Be part of a group with tremendous scale-up opportunities

  • and more...

*$15K investors can only pick one perk

THE TEAM

Severance Day has already attracted exceptional heads of department:

 

  • Pino HaliliExecutive Producer. Pino owns and operates Post City PS, a post-production facility located in Toronto. The film's post-production is already secure and will be made with top grade talent

  • John TarverCinematographer. John is a two-time Emmy award-winning cinematographer. His eye an experience will be sure to make the film looks as good as possible

  • Steve BaineFoley Artist. Steve has been in the industry for several decades and has worked on films directed by Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Brian De Palma. He also lent his talents in Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water, which won best picture at the Oscars in 2018

 

please see "Team bios" and the crew page for more details

INTERESTING STATISTICS

Dramas and thrillers are in high demand but in short supply

Original content is key and major players are actively looking for it in order to compete with Netflix

Severance Day's target audience is anyone over 30. This demographic is not only the one that consumes the most films but also makes up for the majority of the "heavy moviegoers", and they buy 60% of all tickets

Festivalgoers overwhelmingly prefer dramas and find acting to be the most important aspect in cinema. Severance Day is ripe for the festival circuit as it offers both in spade

Sources: Rightstrade, Telefilm Canada, Motion Picture Association of America, Toronto International Film Festival, DRM

SYNOPSIS

Ardeth, George and a small group of colleagues have discovered a way out of their corporate prison: within a certain timeframe on a particular day, they will intercept the electronic deposit of a government tax credit rebate to their company, an amount large enough to ensure financial security for the rest of their lives. As the day progresses the co-conspirators feel immense stress resting on their shoulders as they play their part and avoid drawing attention to themselves.

 

Things get complicated when Zoe, an intern kept out of the plan, sees ominous government letters.  When she tells Ardeth and the others about them, they now have a new hurdle of discovering if they are being set up for a sting.  As the clock ticks down and the day comes to an end, the authorities storm into the building. To their great surprise, they see the CEO out in handcuffs and learn he was the one under investigation. Before the company's account shuts down forever George makes one last check, the transfer went through.

POSITIONING

At its core, Severance Day is a sophisticated dramatic thriller aimed at adults over 35. Its story is both blue and white collar and anyone who has ever worked in an office will be able to relate with its characters and their struggle. It is Glengarry Glen Ross meets The Wire.

 

Not only are we in a post #MeToo world but the divide between people on the political spectrum is growing at an alarming rate. Each character in Severance Day, aside from their role in the conspiracy, also represent a position, an issue or a point of view. Because of the hard-hitting nature of the dialogue, we can expect several outcomes.

 

First, no one in the audience will remain indifferent and this will undoubtedly create debate and discussion long after viewing the film. Second, those further to the left or right will react the strongest and in turn will spread the word in their circles, sustaining the buzz surrounding the film.

With a recession on the horizon, this unfortunate low in our economy can have a tremendous impact on Severance Day. Indeed, it will extend its reach and widened its audience as the struggles endured by our characters will hit home then more than ever.

REFERENCE FILMS

Sophisticated high dramas have always fared well not only at the box office but also in festivals and award season. I do not buy the rhetoric that people have short attention spans; many successful films and popular TV shows have extremely complex stories, oftentimes without much exposition, and are talked about and viewed years after release.

 

These sophisticated reference films were lauded by the critics and the public, and Severance Day will humbly follow in their footsteps.

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MARGIN CALL

Budget: $3.5 million

Domestic: $5.3 million

Foreign: $19.5 million

Total: $24.8 million

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SPOTLIGHT

Budget: $20 million

Domestic: $45 million

Foreign: $53 million

Total: $98 million

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MICHAEL CLAYTON

Budget: $25 million

Domestic: $49 million

Foreign: $44 million

Total: $93 million

Lastly, according to Rightstrade, dramas and thrillers are in high demand but in short supply, so the timing is impeccable to produce Severance Day.

RT Genre graph 2018.png

Furthermore, with Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Disney pouring billions into their existing or upcoming platforms, it truly is a great time to invest in entertainment.

MILESTONES

The film's development is done!

  • Seed round is closed at $70K

  • Series A of $500K is now open

  • The script is final (except for some polishing of course)

  • The budget has been created and is set at $2.2 million CDN

  • We have great Canadian talent attached (see below)

CAST

ATTACHED

Kyra Harper New.jpg

KYRA HARPER*

as Ardeth

(Orphan Black)

Julian Richings (1).jpg

(Supernatural)

JULIAN RICHINGS

as George

David Ferry.png

DAVID FERRY

as Clint

(The Boondock Saints)

FIRST CHOICE

Christina Hendricks.jpg

(Mad Men)

Jay Baruchel.jpg

JAY BARUCHEL

as Cory Jon

(How to Train Your Dragon)

Clarke-Peters.jpg

(The Wire)

Natasha Lyonne.jpg

(Orange is the New Black)

Mena Massoud.jpg

MENA MASSOUD*

as Glen

(Aladdin)

Jodelle Ferland.jpg

(Dark Matter)

* You can watch them both in Final Exam below

TEAM BIOS

Photo - TIFF.jpg

PHILIPPE GOSSELIN

DIRECTOR

Director Philippe Gosselin grew up in Quebec City, Canada, discovering his love for movies at 15 upon seeing Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. A hands-on individual, in 2006 he founded a video production company, and mastered the art of directing taking on a multitude of projects, including producing and directing number one music videos that aired on Musimax.

 

After moving to Toronto in 2014, Philippe made two short films, Blind Date, and Final Exam which enjoyed a festival run and has won numerous awards, including the Grand River Festival, Canada Shorts and Hamilton Music & Film Festival. Severance Day will be his first feature.

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DEVON RICHARDS

SCREENWRITER

Writer Devon Richards is the author of more than 20 screenplays, some of which are currently under option in L.A. His work in front and behind the camera includes stunt work on Nikita, Covert Affairs and Pompeii, acting on Bomb Girls and Reign, serving as Director of Photography on the short film Candy, and a plethora of radio and television voice over-work.

*********************************************

We also have on board John Tarver, a two-
time Emmy award-winning cinematographer

and Steve Baine, the lead foley artist on The
Shape of Water, A Quiet Place and many other
high profile features.

Below is Final Exam, Philippe's latest short film. A testament to the level of quality he aims for and put out.

If you wish to learn more about the project and receive our investor package please call us or contact us through the form below.

(+1) 647-767-3135

Thanks! We'll be in touch soon.

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