founders
Nic Altobelli is an independent Canadian filmmaker. She has produced projects in Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles. Nic is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre Norman Jewison Film Program and GEMS TV Producer Lab, sits on the CMPA Feature Film Committee, and is a Best Picture Leo Award Nominee. Her producing work has been screened worldwide at festivals such as TIFF, Hollyshorts, Raindance, Fantasia and Whistler. Projects on her slate have been selected by International Film Markets, and they continue to make an impact on global audiences. In addition to producing, Nic has spent the past several years investing time and resources into her screenwriting. She was selected for the Nostos Screenwriting Program and has continued her screenwriting mentorship with Yule Caise. Inspired by her lived experiences, Nic aims to transmute events of loss and grief into surrealist storytelling and to harness her knowledge of animal care and environmental science into entertaining narratives. Nic holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biosciences and Business Economics.
nic altobelli
Malachi Ellis is a Gay Black Film and Television producer based in Toronto. He has worked at some of the largest Canadian production companies, such as eOne/Hasbro, Bell Media, and Lark Productions. As an independent producer, Malachi has worked with some of Canada's most talented emerging writers/directors, producing short films and proof-of-concept works. His most recent producing credits include I LIVE HERE (2022), DIASPORA (2022), FISH BOY (2023), EXPRESS (2023) and THE BEST (2023). His slate of short film projects has screened globally at Oscar, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Award qualifying festivals and featured on online platforms such as Vimeo Staff Picks, Short of the Week, Super Channel and CBC Gem. He has been showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Short Cuts Program for three consecutive years. Malachi is an alumnus of Toronto Metropolitan University's RTA Media Production Program, Norman Jewison Film Program's Producer Lab, OYA Media Groups’ Emerging Filmmakers Program, the Reelworld & Amazon MGM Studios’ Training Lab, and the Reelworld Producer Program. In 2021, Malachi was named one of Playback Magazine's 10 to Watch.
malachi ellis
Lauren Saarimaki is a producer and mental health advocate focusing on impact. They hold a BA in Creative Industries from Toronto Metropolitan University and have a certificate in Intellectual Property Licensing from Osgoode Hall Law School. Over the past several years, she has held roles on various productions as a production manager, a location manager and 1st AD. As a producer, they’ve co-produced the digital series, Streams Flow From A River which had its international premiere at 2023 Cannesseries. They have also produced the short film Express which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023. Other projects they have been attached to as a producer have received acclaim, screening at film festivals such as Fogfest, Inside Out Ottawa, the Canadian Film Festival, and the Kingston Film Festival. They held the role of Executive Director at the Future of Film Showcase in 2018. In 2023, they were the festival coordinator for the Get Reel Mental Health Film Festival.
lauren saarimaki
AREa v5
Impactful films, stories that move, have the power to connect people globally.
Area V5, one of the most heavily studied areas of the visual brain, is critical for the perception of visual motion. This area of the brain is intimately connected with other areas that influence emotional learning.
Through a process called narrative transport, good stories engage audiences emotionally.
When the brain sees or hears a story, its neurons fire in the same patterns as the storyteller’s brain. Mirror neurons create coherence between a storyteller and their audience members.
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At Area V5, we exclusively develop and produce scripted long-form content. We have several scripted series and feature films on our slate.
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The founders have attended the Toronto International Film Festival for the past three years with projects they produced. They have also participated in Frontieres International Film Market, Cannes Series, Sitges Fan Pitch, and Annecy International Animation Film Market.
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Yes, we are accepting submissions. Please email areav5pictures@gmail.com for a submission form. Once you have filled and signed the form you can forward us all available materials.