TV & Film News – Short films backed by Canadian talent among Oscar nominees

Brotherhood and St. Louis Superman – two short films backed by Canadian talent are among this year’s Oscar nominees. Brotherhood, co-produced by Quebec’s Maria Gracia Turgeon and directed by Montreal-based filmmaker Meryam Joobeur, is nominated in the Live Action Short category, while director Sami Khan, who was born and raised in Sarnia, ON, earned a nomination for St. Louis Superman in Documentary (Short Subject). Read more here.

Catherine O’Hara has been named the recipient of the 2020 ACTRA National Award of Excellence, which annually recognizes an ACTRA member’s career achievements and contributions to the Canadian entertainment industry. O’Hara has won four consecutive Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Moira Rose on CBC comedy Schitt’s Creek, in addition to the 2016 ACTRA Toronto Award for Outstanding Performance. She began her comedy career at Toronto’s Second City and went on to help create iconic sketch comedy show SCTV. Her extensive film and TV credits include Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, HBO miniseries Temple Grandin, and Six Feet Under. O’Hara will receive the award at a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles Apr. 18. Read more here.

ACTRA Toronto has announced the nominees for the 18th Annual ACTRA Awards, set to take place at The Carlu in Toronto on Feb. 22. Among this year’s nominees are the casts of Anne with an E (Northwood Entertainment); Baroness Von Sketch (Frantic Films); Kim’s Convenience (Thunderbird Entertainment); Schitt’s Creek (Not a Real Company); and Tokens (Tokens on Call Productions), up for Members’ Choice Series Ensemble Award.

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Canadian Association of Content Exporters (CACE) have announced a new program to fund the predevelopment of export-focused Canadian content. The CMF-Distributor Pilot Predevelopment Matching Program will help support Canadian television projects intended for international export by encouraging early collaboration between qualified distribution companies, writers and producers. Applications for financing will be accepted beginning Jan. 30. Find the program guidelines here. 

Telefilm Canada is currently accepting entries for the Canadian production and distribution companies wishing to join the Canada Pavilion and attend MIPTV 2020. MIPTV 2020 will offer a redesigned experience, from the exhibition hall to the conference program. The event will be preceded by the MIPDOC and the MIPFORMATS (Mar 28-29) and will take place parallel to the Cannes International Series Festival (Mar. 27 – Apr. 1). More info here

TSN and RDS have picked up the Canadian broadcast rights for 3ICE, a new independent three-on-three professional hockey league set to make its debut in June 2021. Helmed by E.J. Johnston, son of former NHL goalie, coach and general manager Eddie Johnston, and Hockey Hall of Famer Craig Patrick, the new league builds on the three-on-three overtime concept, introduced in 2015. 3ICE games will be played on a full-sized rink and comprised of two, eight-minute halves using a running clock and aimed at showcasing fast-paced, skill-driven hockey. An inaugural season tour is planned for Summer 2021 with stops in nine cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Read more here.

hayu, the all-reality SVOD service, is now available to TELUS Optik TV customers in Western Canada. TELUS customers in B.C. and Alberta can access hayu directly via either channel 336 or from the app home page. The NBCUniversal International-owned service, which launched in Canada last year, features episodes from over 250 reality shows, including Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Real Housewives and Million Dollar Listing franchises.

Nish Media is set to launch Season 2 of 13-episode documentary series Skindigenous, which explores Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world. The English version premieres Jan. 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET on aptn hd & aptn e and 8:30 p.m. MT on aptn w. A Dene version will also be broadcast on APTN. Skindigenous 2 visits tattoo artists in LeBret, SK, Kahnawake, Que., Nimkii, Northern Ontario, Haida Gwaii, BC, Iqaluit, Nunavut, New Mexico, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, India, Taiwan, Tunisia and New Zealand.

Cityline is celebrating a decade of its Weight Loss Challenge (WLC) on Citytv, which follows four Canadian women chosen from several thousand entries, as they embark on a wellness transformation. This year’s team of experts includes holistic nutritionist Dr. Joey Shulman, celebrity stylist Jessica Mulroney, fitness expert Brent Bishop, life coach Karlyn Percil and design expert Victoria Tonelli.

marblemedia has acquired the rights to The Other Boy, M.G. Hennessey’s bestselling novel about a transgender boy on the cusp of puberty. The Other Boy will be developed as a light comedic drama series for family audiences, with the author onboard as a consultant. 

Bell Media’s The Harold Greenberg Fund has announced the inaugural round of selections for its HGF/Territories Shorts Program. The initiative – developed in partnership with Northwest Territories Film Commission (NTFC), Nunavut Film Development Corporation (NFDC), and the Government of Yukon’s Media Development Unit – marks the first time all three territories have been brought together under one funding program supporting filmmaking. The short film projects each receiving $20,000 in combined financial contributions from the program are: Nahga from writer/director Mason Mantla; Weight from filmmaking siblings Gabriel Bullen and Thomas Bullen, and producer Kelly Milner; and Leah’s Moustache Party from writer Thomas Anguti Johnston and director Nadia Mike.

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