FEATURE FILM SEVEN TIMES LUCKY
DISTRIBUTED BY MINDS EYE INTERNATIONAL
INVITED TO SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

• Feature film stars Kevin Pollak (Project Greenlight; The Usual Suspects) and Liane Balaban (New Waterford Girl; St. Jude)
• Minds Eye International holds rights outside of Canada

December 5, 2003 – (Regina, CANADA) Minds Eye International, the distribution division of Minds Eye Entertainment, is pleased to announce that the feature film Seven Times Lucky, a Christmas noir caper starring Kevin Pollak (The Usual Suspects) has been invited to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Marking the feature film debut of director/writer Gary Yates (Without Rockets), the film is a Buffalo Gal Pictures production in association with Minds Eye International.

“As a distributor, there is no better launch pad for a feature film in the U.S. than Sundance,” says executive producer Kevin DeWalt. “The film is a testament to Gary’s vision as a director and skill as a storyteller and is a brilliant breakthrough role for Kevin Pollak.”

When a veteran grifter (Kevin Pollak) loses ten grand of the boss’ money on a bad horse tip, his talented young protégé (Liane Balaban) devises a risky scheme to get the money back. An homage to Film Noir with a yuletide twist, Seven Times Lucky spins a twisting yarn in which three generations of crooks vie for a coveted prize on Christmas Eve. Featuring supporting players James Tolkan (Back To The Future), Gordon Tootoosis (Reindeer Games) and Babz Chula (Last Wedding).

The film is produced by Liz Jarvis and Gary Yates and is executive produced by Bryan Gliserman, Marguerite Pigott, Phyllis Laing and Kevin DeWalt.

About Gary Yates:
Gary Yates was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. His first short film, entitled Made For TV, was a surprise hit at the Berlin Film Festival where it was described as “An erotically charged, gross-out S&M vehicle of undeniable zest and wit.” The film was written, produced, directed, photographed and edited by Yates, and went on to screen at festivals worldwide. Yates’ subsequent short film, Without Rockets, was shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination, and won the National Screen Institute Drama Prize. Seven Times Lucky is his first feature film.

Known for its commitment to collaborative relationships with creative talent and for building successful co-production partnerships, Buffalo Gal Pictures is an independent production company based in Winnipeg, Canada. The company’s diverse slate of projects includes theatrical features, documentaries, and dramatic and documentary series.

Established in 1986, Minds Eye International is one of Western Canada’s largest distributor of drama, lifestyle, children’s and non-fiction programming. As a key player in the international sales market, MEI attracts new programs from independent producers across Canada and from the international production community. The MEI catalogue currently contains more than 400 hours of programming, primarily consisting of children's programs, TV movies and lifestyle series.

Minds Eye International holds world rights to Seven Times Lucky excluding Canada. Canadian rights are retained by Odeon Films.

Contact: