Benjamin Bratt Joins Canadian indie 'Lesser Blessed'

TORONTO -- Benjamin Bratt is to star in Canadian writer/director Anita Doron’s coming-of-age feature Lesser Blessed, from producer First Generation Films.

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Bratt was an early backer of the Canadian indie project about a First Nations teenager struggling to cope with a painful past and trying to find his place in the modern world.

The movie, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Richard Van Camp, is produced by Christina Piovesan (The Whistleblower). 

Alex Lalonde is on board as a co-producer.

In other Canadian movie casting news, Gil Bellows, Aidan Devine and Rachel Blanchard are on board Mad Ship, writer/director David Mortin’s drama about a true-life Norwegian immigrant, played by Nikolaj Lie Kaas, who came to the Canadian prairies in the 1920s.

The theatrical feature from Enigmatico Films and Buffalo Gal Pictures is following up a Norwegian shoot above the Arctic Circle with 18 days of production in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba.

Mad Ship also stars Line Verndal and Martha Burns.

Mortin wrote the Mad Ship script with Patricia Fogliato, who is producing with Liz Jarvis, Mortin and Rhonda Baker.

The film is executive produced by Daniel Iron, Phyllis Laing, Knut Skoglund, John G. Carbone and Mark Sanders.