:: Griff The Invisible set for Toronto

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

Transmission Films is pleased to announce today that the highly anticipated film, GRIFF THE INVISIBLE has been selected to screen at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival - from September 9-19 - to be presented as part of the Discovery programme.

GRIFF THE INVISIBLE is a fresh, highly-original comedic love story from the wildly fertile imagination of debut feature film writer / director, Leon Ford. Ford commented, “We’re so excited about unleashing our film to the world at such a popular international film festival. The film is a little unusual and something quite different. It’s a super hero movie and it is a comedy, but at its core it’s a simple love story about two very unique individuals finding each other and giving the other the strength to be what they want to be. The performances are all brilliant and the chemistry between the two leads is something quite beautiful and rare, so I hope audiences respond to that in the film.”

The film stars Australian actor Ryan Kwanten in the lead role of Griff (currently amassing an international cult fan-base from his starring role in one of TV’s biggest smash hits, True Blood) and Maeve Dermody as Melody (AFI nominated for her role in the critical and box office success, Beautiful Kate). It also co-stars talented local actors, Patrick Brammall, Marshall Napier, Heather Mitchell and Toby Schmitz.

On his role in GRIFF THE INVISIBLE and his decision to return to Australia to be part of the film, Kwanten said, “I had simply never read anything like this script before. It was so unbelievably original, touching, stirring - all these fantastic emotions. Even if I hadn’t got the role - which probably would have killed me - it would have stuck with me. I think that’s the true testament to a good story - how it sticks with you, how it stays with you, how it affects you. Griff The Invisible did all that, in spades.”

The film is produced by Nicole O’Donohue and executive producers are Jan Chapman (The Piano, Lantana, Bright Star) and Scott Meek (Velvet Goldmine, Hal Hartley's Amateur).

GRIFF THE INVISIBLE will be distributed by Transmission Films, who have recently distributed an envious slate of successful Australian films including Samson & Delilah, Balibo, My Year Without Sex, Charlie & Boots, Beneath Hill 60, The Kings of Mykonos: Wog Boy 2 and will next year distribute Fred Schepisi’s, The Eye Of The Storm (starring Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling and Judy Davis) and Jonathan Teplitzky’s Burning Man (starring Matthew Goode and Rachel Griffiths).

GRIFF THE INVISIBLE is produced by Nicole and Leon’s production company Green Park Pictures. It was developed with the assistance of Screen Australia through the Indivision Script Lab 2008.

The film is financed by Screen Australia, Screen New South Wales, Frame Set & Match and Fulcrum Media Finance. Fortissimo Films have acquired the Rest of World sales rights. GRIFF THE INVISIBLE will release nationally in early 2011.

Follow GRIFF THE INVISIBLE on Twitter