High Chicago premieres in Toronto at the 2012 ReelWorld Film Festival

Inner City Films will be having the Toronto premier of its latest film High Chicago at the ReelWorld Film Festival on April 14, 2012, taking place at Famous Players Canada Square Cinemas 4 Theatre at 2:30PM. Directed by Alfons Adetuyi and starring Colin Salmon (Resident Evil), High Chicago follows a man struggling with a severe gambling addiction while trying to fulfil his dream of opening a drive-in theatre in Africa.

Now in its 10th year, the ReelWorld Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing work from Canada and around the world, including diverse films from Aboriginal, Asian, African American, Latino, Middle Eastern, South Asian and other multi-racial communities. It is committed to bringing together filmmakers and artists from multicultural Canadian communities to connect, critique and support each other.

High Chicago has also been nominated for a 2012 AMAA (African Movie Academy Award) for best Diaspora feature. Presented annually, AMAA Awards recognize excellence of professionals in the African film industry. The awards are aimed at honouring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well as uniting the African continent through arts and culture.

Recently announcing its collaboration with the world’s largest film studio, Alfons Adetuyi and Ramoji Rao, Chairman of Ramoji Film City, will be working together on a three-picture deal. Comprised of one drama and two action-comedy films, the first title to be produced under the deal is Boy Wonder, a drama based on the documentary, Ganesh, Boy Wonder. Inspired by a true story, it follows a boy debilitated by a strange illness, a famous Bollywood producer and a world renowned surgeon as their lives intersect in a tale of love and betrayal.

The other two films include the international spy caper, Mumbai Showdown and Chasing Gold, a time–shifting treasure hunt story being penned by Stomp the Yard writer, Robert Adetuyi. Shooting of the films will mostly take place in Ramoji Film City located in Hyderabad, India with post in Toronto.

Negotiated during the Canadian Film Mission to India, sponsored by the Ontario Media Development Corporation and Telefilm Canada, this deal should encourage co-production between Canada and India.

Holding the Guiness World Record for the biggest film studio, Ramoji Film City is an integrated complex sprawling over 2,000 acres (8.1 sq.km), situated near the historic city of Hyderabad, India. The film studio complex provides everything under one roof. The picturesque film city has unparalleled pre-production, production and post-production facilities making it most sought after by filmmakers of all hues; Film City has taken part in making nearly 1,800 films in various Indian languages. Apart from being the Chairman of a thriving and expanding business group, Mr. Ramoji Rao has produced 85 films in a span of two decades.

“We have long admired Mr. Rao’s vision of building a world class film studio capable of producing internationally released feature films,” says Adetuyi. “Ramoji Film City is the perfect partner for action/comedies with big set pieces and back-lot action scenes. Mr. Rao’s facility has facades that include: an international airport, train station, western city streets, and a large city square. It also has 47 shooting stages, a Kodak certified lab and world class sound mixing facilities. With 85 feature films to his credit, Mr. Rao’s experience will be a great asset.”

“We have been very successful producing films for the Indian market and look forward to producing universal stories together with Inner City Films that will resonate with international audiences,” said Mr. Rao.

Established by Alfons Adetuyi in 1987, Inner City Films is an award-winning production company recognized for navigating the complexities of financing international co-productions and producing successful cross-cultural films and television series. ICF has produced over 150 episodes of primetime television sold to over 60 countries and is presently in development with 3 new series: Bounce (creator/executive producer Robert Adetuyi), a one-hour hip–hop drama for CTV; The Watchers (created by Richard Wagner), a sci-fi series for SPACE; and Spicetown, 26X1hour scripted series to be shot in Barbados which is being shopped to broadcasters. ICF recently completed two feature films, HIGH CHICAGO and BEAT THE WORLD, written and directed by Robert Adetuyi and distributed by Sony in the US, and The Wild Bunch in Europe and eOne in Canada.