Film and TV News In Brief – ACTRA, Quebecor, Netflix, Crave, CBC

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM) have reached a new three-year Independent Production Agreement (IPA). The IPA establishes the terms, conditions and rates for on- and off-camera performers engaged on English-language productions in Canada, excluding B.C., which operates under a separate collective agreement. The current 2016-18 agreement is set to expire Dec. 31. The agreement in principle will now be presented to the ACTRA membership and the CMPA and AQPM’s respective Boards of Directors for ratification.

Quebecor subsidiaries MELS and TVA, along with the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC), in conjunction with the Conseil québécois des événements environmentally responsible (CQEER), have launched Rolling Green, an action plan to accelerate the shift towards environmentally responsible audiovisual production in Québec. The environmental action plan is aimed at reducing the Québec film and television industry’s environmental footprint and make it a leader in green audiovisual production, joining the ranks of major studios in Western Canada, the U.S., France and Australia.

A Letterkenny Christmas: The Three Wise Men will stream on Crave on Nov. 23, followed by a fresh six-pack of episodes launching Christmas Day. New and familiar faces make appearances around town including guest stars Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead) and Jonathan Torrens (Trailer Park Boys) as Mennonite parents Noah and Anita Dyck; and the return of Sarah Gadon as mysterious lady-skid Gae. Production is currently underway on the next set of episodes, which sees The Hicks launch their own public access call-in show. Set to debut on Crave in 2019, Jacob Tierney returns to direct all episodes and reprise his role as fan-favourite Christian leader Glen.

Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO) and CBC have reached a five-year agreement making the public broadcaster the organization’s premiere media partner. Last year’s partnership between CBC/Radio-Canada and the Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games, hosted by ISWO, resulted in more than 100 hours of live and on-demand coverage. CBC Sports has committed to provide a minimum of 100 hours of coverage over the Masters Indigenous Games (2021, 2023), and the Ontario Indigenous Summer Games (2019, 2021, 2023). CBC Radio and CBC Arts will also produce content telling the stories of the participants in ISWO programming who have used sport as pathway to wellness.

CP24 and CHUM 104.5 Toronto are counting down to Christmas with the 52nd annual CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish campaign. Running through Dec. 24, the stations are collecting new, unwrapped toys and financial donation at RBC branches across the GTA; Bell Media Studios (299 Queen St. W., Toronto); the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish Warehouse (1366 Blundell Rd., Mississauga); and at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball (Scotiabank Arena on Sunday, Dec. 2). CP24 will report live from RBC Queens Quay and Lower Jarvis St. this Friday, Nov. 23 from noon – 1 p.m. ET.

CTV Atlantic will broadcast the 55th Annual Christmas Daddies Telethon on Dec. 1. The station’s longstanding holiday tradition features a mix of CTV Atlantic personalities and performances from Maritime musicians across all three provinces. Hosting this year in Halifax are CTV Atlantic anchors Steve Murphy, Maria Panopalis and Jayson Baxter, alongside meteorologist Kalin Mitchell. They are joined by CTV News AT 5 reporters Heidi Petracek and Ana Almeida, while CTV Morning Live host Cyril Lunney and reporters Jonathan MacInnis, Kate Walker, and Laura Lyall co-host from the CTV studio in Moncton, NB. CTV National News anchor Lisa LaFlamme joins the broadcast as a special guest contributor this year, hosting from Cape Breton alongside CTV alumnus Jeff Hutcheson and CTV Atlantic’s Heather Butts, Kyle Moore and Ryan MacDonald. Comedian Jimmy the Janitor hosts in Charlottetown.

CBC Vancouver will host its annual Open House & Food Bank Day on Dec. 7. Guests have the chance to meet CBC Radio One hosts Stephen Quinn, Gloria Macarenko, Michelle Eliot and Sheryl MacKay, as well as the new CBC Vancouver News team – Mike Killeen, Anita Bathe, Johanna Wagstaffe, Dan Burritt, and Lien Yeung. Ian Hanomansing and Andrew Chang of The National and Erica Johnson of Go Public will also be in attendance. Radio One will broadcast live from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Last year, British Columbians donated $802,049 with the event raising more than $8 million to date for Food Banks of BC.

The TIFF–CBC Films Screenwriter Award is inviting applications for 2018. The award provides $15,000 to a Canadian writer of an outstanding feature-film screenplay, supporting them to develop their project. The award is open to experienced screenwriters who are female, or Indigenous, or belong to a visible minority, or identify as having a disability. Applicants must have a writer or director credit on a feature film that has been presented at one of the award’s recognized festivals. The winner of the 2017 Award was Jorge Manzano, for his screenplay The Strike. Applications close Dec. 5. Find more info here.

Netflix has acquired the first season of Citytv original series Bad Blood, which will launch internationally on the streaming platform on Dec. 7. Citytv is currently airing Season 2 of the mob drama, which is based on the life and death of Montreal crime boss Vito Rizzuto. The series, which shoots in Sudbury, ON, stars Kim Coates. A third season has yet to be announced.

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