TV & Film News – Global Montreal celebrates 25 years

Global Montreal celebrated 25 years on Wednesday, Sept. 14. In 1997, Global News became the third English-language television network to broadcast in Quebec. The milestone anniversary was celebrated with a special broadcast on Global News Morning and stories throughout the day showcasing the significant events the station has covered over the last 25 years. Three members of the original launch team are still with the station including News Director and Station Manager Karen MacDonald, Global National reporter Mike Armstrong and Videojournalist Karol Dahl.

CityNews and CBC have announced their respective plans for coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday, Sept. 19. CityNews will air a six-hour live news special anchored by Lisa LaFlamme, who has been on the ground in London as a special correspondent. She’ll be joined by Royal historian and author Helen Carr, Canadian author Daniel Richler, and other special guests. Also reporting from London are CityNews reporters Cynthia Mulligan and Tammie Sutherland, who join LaFlamme as part of extensive multi-platform coverage. In addition to the CityNews live special of the funeral, audiences can listen or stream continuous coverage throughout the day, with reports from LaFlamme across CityNews’ radio stations. She’ll also joins Jordan Heath Rawlings on The Big Story podcast with a special episode to be released this Friday, Sept. 16. CBC’s coverage includes CBC News Special: Funeral for Queen Elizabeth. Anchored by CBC News’ chief correspondent, Adrienne Arsenault, and Morning Live host, Heather Hiscox, live from London, the coverage will begin at 5 a.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem and cbcnews.ca. CBC Radio One and CBC Listen will also carry live coverage featuring The Current’s Matt Galloway, live from London, and World Report’s Marcia Young, live from Toronto, beginning at 5:30 a.m. ET.

Lionsgate and Bell Media have struck a co-development deal to produce comedy and drama series for the global market. The multi-year partnership will enable Lionsgate to act as the global distributor outside Canada for select Bell Media original programming produced locally in English and French, including projects co-developed with Lionsgate. Bell Media will distribute projects developed under the pact within Canada. Announced at Content Canada, an industry gathering of streamers, broadcasters, studios, producers and content creators happening concurrent to TIFF, the two companies say the deal “builds on the momentum of recent Canadian success in a global market, which has a keen interest in Canadian content.” Read more here.

Fanshawe, Seneca and Centennial College are collaborating on a new set of microcredential courses to address the skills shortage in Ontario’s screen-based industries as the province’s production sector continues to ride the wave of demand for streaming content. The suite of eight short programs is designed to help industry professionals upskill and current students learn additional in-demand production and technology skills. Among the courses offered will be Grip/Lighting and Television and Film Production Accounting Basic Skills at Centennial; Location Sound, Previsualization and Virtual Production – Unreal at Fanshawe; and Media Organization for Unscripted TV – Avid, Output and Delivery for Unscripted TV – Avid and Virtual Production – Unity at Seneca. The post-secondary collaboration is being developed with funding from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Challenge Fund and the support of industry partners Avid, The Stratagem Group and Unity. Also partnering on the project is media training program, POV, which will help members of equity-deserving groups access the microcredentials to further diversify representation in the sector. Read more here.

The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) has announced the 17 long-listed films for the 2022 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award. This list highlights some of the “best emerging directors to watch” this festival season. The 2022 Discovery Award Long List includes: Cette Maison (This House), Miryam Charles; Queens of the Qing Dynasty, Ashley Mackenzie; Geographies of Solitude, Jacquelyn Mills; Framing Agnes, Chase Joynt; Riceboy Sleeps, Anthony Shim; Something You Said Last Night, Luis De Filippis; When Morning Comes, Kelly Fyffe-Marshall; Anyox, Ryan Ermacora & Jessica Johnson; Until Branches Bend, Sophie Jarvis; Dark Nature, Berkley Brady; Rosie, Gail Maurice; Broken Angel / MaaShwaKanManiTo, Jules Arita Koostachin; Before I Change My Mind, Trevor Anderson; Francheska: Prairie Queen, Laura O’Grady; Golden Delicious, Jason Karman; Reset, Min Bae; and Slash/Back, Nyla Innuksuk.

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has received a $450,000 grant from RBC Emerging Artists through the RBC Foundation to support the next generation of Canadian creators and filmmaking talent over the next three years. The announcement was made at CFC’s HOMECOMING event Sept. 11 where CFC alumni, residents, and other screen-based creators, entrepreneurs and industry members were present. The grant will provide emerging Canadian creators in CFC’s acclaimed Norman Jewison Film Program and Actors Conservatory with support to launch and accelerate their professional careers in the screen-based industry, including skills training and networking. Additionally, it will provide CFC’s network of more than 1,900 alumni with access to a series of curated forums, such as masterclasses and panels, to enhance networking and career opportunities.

Relish Interactive has reorganized its divisions and rebranded as Relish Studios. The company says the name change reflects the Toronto-headquartered studio’s ongoing evolution into a multi-platform production company and content creator. The company is now divided into three divisions — Digital, Games, and Animation. Relish Studios will continue to be led by founders Paul Pattison and Sacha Raposo. Veteran producer Luke Carroll, who started last year as SVP Animation, continues to lead the growing animation division. Joining the leadership team as VP Digital + Games is EdTech entrepreneur Carrie Purcell. Founded in 2007, Relish Studios is known for Apple App Store hit Weirdwood Manor. 

Asian Television Network (ATN) has acquired Canadian distribution rights for two more TV channels from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), Sony YAY! and Sony PAL. Sony YAY! is India’s go-to kids channel, targeted at those 2-14 years. Sony PAL is the general entertainment channel (GEC) from the SPN stable. With the tagline ‘Yeh Pal Humara Hai’, which means ‘This moment is ours’, Sony PAL aims to bring positivity through content offerings that inspire viewers. ATN already has a long association with Sony Pictures Networks India and distributes five channels across Canada, SET HD, Sony SAB, Sony MAX, Sony MAX2 and Sony AATH. Sony YAY! And Sony PAL launched Sept. 13 on TELUS Optik TV in Western Canada.

Super Channel Heart & Home is set to premiere How I Got Here, a documentary series exploring family roots and connections from FORTÉ Entertainment, on Sunday Oct. 9. The Super Channel Heart & Home Original follows second-gen children as they accompany their parents back to their country of origin, to relive the sacrifice, struggle and dramatic circumstances that led to their families coming to North America. The series features stories from seven Canadian-based families and three from the U.S. Each of the 10, hour-long episodes will be available on Super Channel On Demand the day following its linear premiere. View the trailer here.

Canada’s Got Talent, Citytv’s most-viewed original series in over a decade according to the network, will start production on a new season next month in Niagara Falls. Set to air on Citytv, and stream on Citytv.com and Citytv+ next Spring, the network has announced the return of #CGT judges’ panel – Howie Mandel, Lilly Singh, Kardinal Offishall, and Trish Stratus – alongside host Lindsay Ell. Season 2, produced in partnership with Fremantle, SYCO Entertainment, and McGillivray Entertainment Media, will film at the brand new OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino. The season will broadcast nine episodes, featuring six audition shows, two semifinals, and a spectacular live two-hour finale. The public can sign up to be part of the live studio audience free of charge by visiting Citytv.com.

Bell Media and Productions J have announced that well-known Quebec actor, TV and radio host Patrice Bélanger will host Survivor Québec, set to premiere on Noovo next spring. Set on a deserted island in the Philippines, Survivor Québec is currently recruiting participants, who have until Oct. 2 to apply.

Incendo has announced two additional horror films slated for production in 2022, in conjunction with FOX-owned streaming giant, Tubi as part of their continued content initiative. Driven by the success of the genre and consumer demand for themed content, the projects include Marry F*** Kill, an original film written by Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin (Terror Train), as well as The Amityville Curse, an adaptation of Hans Holzer’s novel scripted by Dennis Heaton (Motive). Incendo is in pre-production in Montreal on the films and will also represent distribution on a global scale; Tubi is the commissioning U.S. licensee for both projects. Incendo and Tubi initially partnered earlier this year on a remake of cult classic Terror Train, which will premiere Oct. 21 in the U.S. as a part of Tubi’s annual month-long Halloween inspired genre celebration, Terror on Tubi.