The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) has announced the 12 long-listed films for the 2024 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award, spotlighting emerging Canadian directors to watch out for this festival season. This year’s long list includes Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language, which will represent Canada in the race for Best International Feature Film; Tamara Segura feature documentary Seguridad, exploring the Newfoundland-based filmmaker’s complicated relationship with her father in the context of the Cuban Revolution; and Melanie Oates’ second feature Sweet Angel Baby, which is making its premiere at TIFF this week. Read more here.
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has unveiled the recipients of its annual Indiescreen Awards, Martin Katz and Ngardy Conteh George. Celebrating the best and brightest in Canadian independent feature film production, the winners were announced last week at the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) in Halifax. Katz, founder and president of Toronto-based prodco Prospero Pictures, was named the recipient of the 2024 Established Producer Award. Conteh George, co-founder of OYA Media Group, is the recipient of the 2024 Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award. Read more here.
TIFF has officially concluded the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, by celebrating the best of the fest with its annual awards slate. This year’s People’s Choice Award winners were Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, and Mike Downie documentary The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal. The 2024 Best Canadian Feature Film Award was Sophie Deraspe’s Shepherds, while the 2024 Best Canadian Discovery Award went to Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language.
The YA Future Impact Awards have opened to nominations, celebrating excellence across 12 categories including Notable Newcomer, Collaborator, Mentor, Innovator, and Media Buyer of the Year. Nominations close Oct. 3.
Telefilm Canada has unveiled its 2024-27 strategy for the Atlantic film industry, developed for, and with Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. Its purpose is to co-develop actions to stimulate and support the Atlantic film industry, outlining three priorities including building capacity and equitable access, evolving competitiveness and increasing discoverability, promotion and market reach.
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has launched its 2024-27 EDIA Strategy, titled All In: Embedding Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the audiovisual industry. Part of CMF’s ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and accessible audiovisual industry in Canada, a new Sector Development Support program will focus on capacity building, market access, and workforce development for companies owned by Black, Indigenous, and other Equity-Deserving Communities. The CMF will also review its Jury Recruitment and Training Policy to address unconscious bias and ensure project evaluation panels reflect the diversity of Canada’s population. The CMF is additionally ramping up collaborations with diverse industry organizations, festivals, and networking events to foster greater inclusion.
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has announced an investment of $10,157,021 in the production of 23 audiovisual projects by production companies owned and controlled by Black and racialized individuals. The funding is being allocated via CMF’s Program for Racialized Communities. Of the 23 projects, 16 are in English. They include 11 documentaries, three projects for children and youth, and two dramas. The successful prodcos are in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba. The seven French-language projects include four dramas and three documentaries.
The Creative Export Canada Export Development Stream is investing $90,000 to support Ottawa-based Capital Motion Picture Group’s JustWatchMe.tv. The platform’s content is broadcast through multiple streams, including ad-supported free on-demand, subscription on demand, premium on demand, live stream, and pop-up cinema. Capital Motion Picture Group is receiving funding to support its business expansion into the UK, U.S., Australia, New Zealand and other markets, providing Canadian content creators with opportunities for international exposure.
Firecracker Department, the creative collective and podcast dedicated to supporting female and non-binary artists, has announced its expansion to Vancouver and Calgary. The Vancouver launch is set for Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Roundhouse, and the Calgary launch on Sunday, Sept. 29 at Joey Chinook. In honour of each new chapter, Firecracker Department will present a Blaze Award to a community leader who exemplifies creativity, vision, and excellence in the arts. Veena Sood, an award-winning actor and comedian, will be recognized in Vancouver for her outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry, while Susan Serrao will receive the Blaze Award in Calgary for her tireless work as a comedian, writer, and producer. Looking ahead, Firecracker has set its sights on launching new chapters in New York, Los Angeles, Halifax, Winnipeg, and the UK.
VOD Evolution is the fifth consecutive study by Roku on the state of TV streaming and addressable TV advertising audiences in Canada. It finds that eight in 10 TV viewers are streaming and for the first time ever, more than half of all TV viewers are now addressable audiences who watch ad-supported TV streaming. Addressable TV streaming audiences have grown +25% in the last year from 44% to 55% of all internet users. Download the white paper here.
Corus Entertainment has unveiled the branding for its two new lifestyle networks set to launch in Canada at the end of the year. Flavour Network and Home Network will both launch Dec. 30, with more than 460 hours of lifestyle content. Corus says the channels will feature a mix of Canadian original programming, as well as international acquisitions through new and expanded license deals. The channel unveilings come following Corus’ loss of the Canadian broadcast rights to Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada, among other Warner Bros. Discovery content, in a coup by Rogers Sports & Media to scoop brand and content licensing rights from both Corus and Bell. Flavour Network and Home Network will replace the current channel position of Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada. Corus has confirmed 110.5 hours of commissioned originals destined to air on the new networks, including titles originally slated for Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada. Read more here.
APTN, CBC/Radio-Canada, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the three partners work collaboratively on the annual production of national broadcast, Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Supported by Canadian Heritage, the live, 90-minute event on Sept. 30, will honour residential school survivors and pay tribute to the children who never made it home. Presented in English, French, and Plains Cree, it will be broadcast from Parliament Hill across APTN and CBC/Radio-Canada channels, and made available to all Canadian broadcasters. Participating networks include Blue Ant Media: T+E, Makeful, Cottage Life, Smithsonian and BBC; The Canadian Press; CHCH TV; CityTV in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg; CPAC; CTV2; Hollywood Suite; Inuit TV; Knowledge Network; OUTtv; TFO; and Unis TV. Read more here.
CTV Original comedy docuseries Mark McKinney Needs A Hobby airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Oct. 2 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, and available to stream on Crave, beginning Oct. 3. Filmed across Canada and the U.S., Season 1 consists of 10, half-hour, episodes, following McKinney (Superstore, The Kids in the Hall) as he embarks on an epic quest to answer one of the most pressing questions of the 2020’s – who are we when we are not working? Featuring special guests like comedian Margaret Cho and actress Maria Vacratsis (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), the series is produced by Sphere Media, in association with CTV, and created by Kim Bondi, Mark McKinney, Rob Sheridan (2 Broke Girls, Corner Gas), and directed by Nick McKinney (The Daily Show).
CBC and KOTV have announced that production is now underway in Montreal on a third season of time-bending anthology drama series PLAN B (6×60). An adaptation of the popular French-language drama series of the same name (now in its fourth season for Radio-Canada), the new season will focus on a new story, starring Carolina Bartczak (Painkiller, X-Men: Apocalypse), Arnold Pinnock (The Porter, Combat Hospital) and Ennis Esmer (Children Ruin Everything, Blindspot).
OUTtv has commissioned a raft of new series including docuseries Get Hooked (7 x 30’), a co-commission with Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) launching in Spring 2025, showcasing how members of the queer, Black, Indigenous and disability communities capitalize on the mental health benefits of fishing; Stripped Down (6 x 30’), a docuseries about dancers at a gay strip club in Florida; scripted comedy series Off Shoot (6 x 30’) following a photographer and his assistant to unpredictable photo sessions with queens, celebrities, porn stars and models; and comedy Settle Down! (6 x 20’), following a matchmaker with an unmatched success rate in pairing queer individuals, despite the chaotic mess of his own romantic life. In addition, the network has commissioned mockumentary Drag House Rules as well as Wish You Were Queer, a multi-format variety series.
