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TV & Film News – Prime Time gears up for 30th anniversary edition

The Canadian Media Producers Association’s annual Prime Time event in Ottawa celebrates its 30th year, Jan. 29-31. This year’s ambitious programming schedule addresses both global and domestic issues facing the screen industries, including regulation, incentivizing production and investment in domestic content. Among the highlights are an “In Conversation With” Colette Watson, President of Rogers Sports & Media, as she sits down for her first interview at Prime Time to discuss Rogers’ multi-year, multi-platform deals with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery, among other topics. A one-on-one with former Conservative Heritage Min. James Moore and actress and comedian Mary Walsh of This Hour Has 22 Minutes fame, tackles the subject of political change in the air and the implications for Canada’s production sector if a Conservative government is elected. Prime Time’s closing session will feature Marie-Philippe Bouchard, the new President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, as she makes her first conference appearance since taking up the role. Read more here.

Anjali Sud

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has announced Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi, as the first confirmed keynote speaker for its 2025 BANFF Summit Series at the 46th annual event, June 8–11, at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The festival says Sud’s keynote promises to offer invaluable insights into the evolving streaming landscape, drawing on her groundbreaking leadership at Tubi, one of the fastest-growing streaming platforms in the world. 

BANFF has teamed up with the creators of Hot Pilot Party to bring their event to the Rockies. The festival is looking for the top five unproduced comedy pilots in Canada. A single script will be chosen for the live table read, and four additional scripts will have the opportunity to be featured and receive international trade press, plus a complimentary BANFF pass. The deadline to submit is Feb. 14.

The Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative (DOV) has been renewed for 2025. Launched in 2018, Diversity of Voices (DOV), a market access program for creators who are Black, Indigenous or People of Colour, is now in its eighth year. Seventy-five DOV participants receive an all access pass to the 2025 Banff World Media Festival and will also benefit from customized industry sessions. Twenty-five qualifying participants from the 2025 cohort will be selected as Diversity of Voices Pitch Participants, and receive additional one-on-one meeting opportunities and a travel stipend. Interested candidates are invited to apply by Feb. 4.

Black Women Film! Canada (BWF) has announced the creation of new national program, Reel Change for Black Women in Film & Media, to be held in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Halifax, and Montreal. Funded by the federal ministry of Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), the bilingual program focuses on supporting Black women producers to thrive in the industry and works with industry leaders to create more inclusive working environments that support the lasting success of Black women, non-binary, and trans women producers at every stage of media and film production. Bilingual producer and on-air host Sabine Daniel has been appointed the “Reel Change” Program National Manager. 

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has released its first-ever Genre Report exploring challenges facing producers working in the Documentary and Children and Youth (C&Y) genres. Its key takeaways include that shifts in audience behaviour, structural changes in broadcasting, and funding challenges have reduced CMF participation in C&Y content, which now accounts for just 11% of total CMF funding across four genres. It also found that modernizing financing models, like including contributions from distributors or pre-sales in license fee thresholds, could reduce reliance on the limited number of Canadian broadcasters. 

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has announced the Indigenous Company Impact Support (ICIS) program. In alignment with CMF’s mandate to support Indigenous production, ICIS provides one-time funding to companies owned and controlled by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals with projects funded by the CMF in 2022–23 or 2023–24. The successful applicants will receive up to $50,000 from the CMF. Eligible applicants will be notified and invited to apply for funding by Jan. 30. 

ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) members have voted to ratify a new Independent Production Agreement (IPA) for a three-year term. The IPA serves as the collective agreement between ACTRA performers and producers represented by the CMPA and AQPM. It outlines terms, conditions, and minimum rates for both on- and off-camera performers in English-language film, television, and media productions across Canada, excluding British Columbia and Yukon, where the UBCP/ACTRA Master Production Agreement governs.

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and Rogers have announced a three-year agreement that will see Rogers return as the official Presenting Partner of the Festival, and the TIFF People’s Choice Award through 2027. The expanded partnership builds on the success of TIFF ’24, which welcomed a record-breaking 700,000 attendees. The 50th edition of the festival, presented by Rogers, will take place Sept. 4-14. TIFF and Rogers will create a new original content series in partnership with TIFF’s in-house Studio 9 production team. Rogers will also develop and produce a 50th edition TV special to be aired exclusively on Citytv. Rogers customers will also have access to VIP red carpet experiences through Rogers Beyond the Seat

Jennifer Beasley

Buffalo Gal Pictures has launched sister enterprise Fiasco Global Media, a new television development company dedicated to creating character-driven stories “rooted in the spirit of working-class communities and rural prairies.” Headquartered in Winnipeg and Los Angeles, Fiasco Global Media will be led by Jennifer Beasley, a former writer-turned-executive producer who has been working with Buffalo Gal since 2016, most recently holding the title of Vice-President of Development. Early projects on Fiasco’s slate include a rural half-hour family workplace comedy series from writer Garry Campbell (North of North, Kids in the Hall, Less Than Kind) and a comedic police procedural from Hollis Ludlow-Carroll, creator of Citytv TV drama Wong & Winchester. Read more here.

Prime Video has announced launch dates for a trifecta of Tom Green projects from the comedian, actor and filmmaker, offering viewers an unprecedented look into his life and career. From his groundbreaking MTV show to his Hollywood adventures and recent return to rural living, Green’s journey will be showcased in This Is The Tom Green Documentary (Jan. 24), comedy special Tom Green: I Got A Mule! (Jan. 28), and Tom Green Country (Jan. 31), an Amazon Original unscripted series, following Green as he pulls up stakes and relocates from the bright lights of Hollywood to his newly-purchased country farm. 

The NASCAR Canada Series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada on Saturday August 31, 2024. (Photo by Matthew Manor/NASCAR)

REV TV has signed a multi-year deal to bring NASCAR to Canadian race fans, starting this year. The NASCAR Canada Series — Canada’s only national touring racing series — will be the cornerstone of REV TV’s NASCAR coverage, including live race broadcasts. REV TV will also bring additional NASCAR International Series to Canada for the first time with the NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series and NASCAR Brasil Series race broadcasts. NASCAR has also expanded its decades-long partnership with Bell Media, which for the first time will be Canada’s home for all three NASCAR national series as it adds NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series programming to its long-standing NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series rights. Read more here.

(l-r) Michael McCreary, Dan Barra-Berger, D.J. Demers, Tina Friml and Joze Piranian

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) and Pilot Light Productions, in association with Ha!ifax ComedyFest, will debut a second All Access Comedy special—hosted by comic D.J. Demers on Feb. 7 on AMI-tv and AMI+. All Access Comedy is a stand-up special featuring comedians from the disability community, including Ontario comic and motivational speaker Michael McCreary, Toronto-based comedian Joze Piranian, Toronto writer and performer Dan Barra-Berger, and New York City-based comedian Tina Friml.

Quebecor Content has announced that Season 1 of acclaimed drama series, Detective Surprenant: The girl with stone eyes, has been acquired by Global Series Network (GSN) for streaming on video-on-demand platform Walter Presents. Produced by V10 Media and distributed worldwide by TVA Distribution and Incendo, the six-episode, one-hour police thriller is set to run in its original French language with English subtitles, beginning Spring 2025 in the UK, U.S., and Ireland. Curated by Walter Iuzzolino, Walter Presents is dedicated to hand-picking prestige foreign-language drama from around the world. Based on a series of novels by Jean Lemieux, Detective Surprenant: The girl with stone eyes follows Detective André Surprenant, tasked with investigating the murder of a teenage girl on the Magdalen Islands. 

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has announced more international sales for its new 3D animated original series Millie Magnificent (52×11).The highly-anticipated preschool series based on the best-selling books by Ashely Spires is set to roll out on ABC (Australia), DR in Denmark and Télé-Québec in French Canada throughout 2025. These latest sales join a roster of previously announced international broadcasters including Canal+ (France), Treehouse/STACKTV (English Canada), YLE (Finland), RTS (Switzerland), SVT (Sweden) and HOP! (Israel).

Hollywood Suite is celebrating Black History Month in February with a curated lineup of films from Black creators, storytellers and stars, including the Canadian broadcast premiere of Canadian horror film Guess Who (2024) on Feb. 12. Starring Canadians Keeya King (Yellowjackets) and Corteon Moore (From), the Montreal-shot Guess Who sees a newly engaged couple’s visit to future in-laws turn deadly when a masked killer shows up. Viewers can also catch films by essential directors Sidney Poitier, John Singleton, Spike Lee, Cheryl Dunye and more on Hollywood Suite On Demand, beginning Feb. 1.

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