Snow, a graphic novel by Toronto artist Benjamin Rivers, will be the next homegrown comic to get a live action treatment. Last night at the Bit Bazaar opening party at Bento Miso, local film maker Ryan Couldrey announced that he's already started work on the feature film, which will be released in 2014. The film, set mostly in Queen West, follows lead character Dana, a "woman who likes her job, her friends, and the cozy comfort of her neighbourhood" but "doesn't deal well with confrontation" - sound like anyone you know? The film, like the comic, will be highly invested in the emotional impact of changing landscape of the Queen West strip.

As a former QW resident myself - rising rents flushed me out years back - I'm hoping this project can do justice to the frustrations I know I share with a lot of other neighbourhood ex-pats. The film will go live in fall 2014 and stream in full for free - yes, for free - but if you want to download it or buy the blue-ray, all the money goes to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. This is especially sweet since Couldrey is creating this film independently - no investors, no kickstarters, no grants - oh, and best of all, "no romantic sub plots." You can follow the creation of the film on Facebook, Twitter (#SnowFilm), and Couldrey's website SnowToronto.com.

No trailer exists yet, but you can get up close and personal with comic author Benjamin Rivers below.

Snow the Film is slated for release in fall 2014. You can buy the comic digitally or in print here.