CTV has begun production on "The Louise Arbour Story"

Wendy Crewson, John Corbett, William Hurt and Leslie Hope Star in CTV Movie, the story of how Chief War Crimes Prosecutor Louise Arbour sought justice for crimes against humanity in the former Yugoslavia

Montreal, PQ - (November 2, 2004) - CTV together with Montreal-based Galafilm Inc. announced today that principal photography has begun on CTV Original Movie "The Louise Arbour Story". The movie, from CTV's Heroes, Champions and Villains programming strand, will shoot in and around Montreal until November 14, 2004 before moving to Germany and Holland, where shooting will continue through to December. A broadcast date is not yet available.

The two-hour movie tells the heroic struggle of Canadian Louise Arbour, Chief War Crimes Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, as she battles world politics and fierce opposition to indict Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity.

Producers have assembled a powerhouse cast for the film. The endlessly talented Wendy Crewson (Sex Traffic, The Wandering Soul Murders), who has sculpted an award-winning career in film and television, has been tapped to star as Arbour. Joining her are John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sex in the City, Raising Helen), Academy Award-winner William Hurt (The Village, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and German film stars Stipe Erceg (The Educators) and Heino Ferch (Run Lola Run, Napoléon). Leslie Hope (24, H2O), Claudia Ferri (Mambo Italiano, Ciao Bella) and Neville Edwards (Dawn of the Dead, The Human Stain) and Jacques Godin (Being At Home With Claude, The Last Casino) round out the ensemble cast. The movie is directed by acclaimed Quebec director Charles Binamé whose last film Séraphin: Un Homme et son Péché (Heart of Stone) was the highest grossing Canadian film of the last 20 years. He recently wrapped production on the political thriller H2O: The Last Prime Minister starring Paul Gross. Ian and Riley Adams (Agent of Influence) and Michelle Lovretta (Instant Star, The Associates) wrote the screenplay.

"Arbour's courage and determination are an inspiration for us all. We believe that her achievements have made a true difference and it is important that her story be shared with audiences the world over. Louise Arbour's accomplishments are an eloquent embodiment of the values and principles Canada defends on the world stage", said Francine Allaire and Anne Marie La Traverse, the movie's producers.

The producers added that: "we are thrilled to entrust the vision and scope of this compelling screenplay to the expertise and talent of director Charles Binamé who, along with an extraordinary cast and crew, are dedicated to making a film that will do justice to Louise Arbour."

Time Magazine named Arbour one of the world's 100 most influential people (April 19, 2004), and with good reason. She changed the face of international criminal law with her groundbreaking work as head of the U.N. mission to bring justice to those responsible for the genocide and massacre in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. From 1996 to 1999, Louise Arbour served as Chief Prosecutor of the International War Crimes Tribunal and was responsible for the first indictment in history of an active head of state, Slobodan Milosevic. Today Milosevic is imprisoned in The Hague and is currently standing trial for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

On July 1, 2004, Arbour became the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland and therefore the second most influential person in the UN after Kofi Annan.

The Louise Arbour Story is a Canada/Germany co-production involving Montreal's Galafilm Inc. and Germany's Tatfilm in association with CTV. Producers are Francine Allaire, Anne Marie LaTraverse and German co-producer Christine Ruppert. Executive producers are 2003 Primetime Emmy Award-winner Arnie Gelbart (Cirque de Soleil Fire Within), Gemini Award-winners Francine Allaire (Dr. Lucille: The Lucille Teasdale Story, The Blue Butterfly), Anne Marie LaTraverse (The Eleventh Hour, Lucky Girl), and Randy Holleschau (Changing Hearts). Tecca Cosby is CTV's production executive overseeing the movie. Bill Mustos is Senior Vice-President, Dramatic Programming for CTV. Susanne Boyce is President of CTV Programming and Chair of the Media Group.

Joining the production is Line Producer Renaud Matthieu (15/Love), D.O.P Georges Archambault (Les Boys II-III), Production Designer Danielle Labrie, Costume Designer Suzana Fischer, Editor Dominique Fortin (Tomorrow Never Dies, The Sixth Day) and seasoned Locations Manager Michèle St-Arnaud (Catch Me if You Can, The Terminal).

The Louise Arbour Story was made possible with the financial participation of CTV's Heroes, Champions and Villains (HCV) strand, Cogeco Fund, a contribution from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Flimstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen Fund, ARTE and WDR Broadcast licences, the Quebec Tax Credit Program administered by SODEC and the Canadian film or Video Production Tax Credit.

The Louise Arbour Story is the third dramatic title in CTV's Heroes, Champions and Villains (HCV) strand. Other titles in this strand are Zeyda and the Hitman and Lives of the Saints, starring Sophia Loren. This new strand of CTV original projects focuses on remarkable Canadian personalities and characters, whether fictional or real life.

PorchLight Entertainment will distribute The Louise Arbour Story internationally. Based in Los Angeles, PorchLight has gained an excellent reputation throughout the world as a major supplier of quality product. PorchLight maintains a full sales and marketing staff and attends all of the major film and television markets each year.

Galafilm is an internationally renowned, independent film, television and new media production company based in Montreal. Galafilm has produced over 200 hours of award-winning and commercially successful programming ranging from documentaries, children's programs, television dramas and feature films. In 2003, the company was the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award for the television documentary series Cirque du Soleil Fire Within. The company recently won the PRIX EUROPA for TV Current Affairs: Television Programme of the Year 2004 for the multiple award-winning documentary The Origins of AIDS. www.galafilm.com