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Paramount+ in Canada and The Shine Network Institute announce the Indigenous Producers Budgeting Intensive

From a media release:

Today, Paramount+ in Canada and The Shine Network Institute (TSNI) announce the Indigenous Producers Budgeting Intensive, an online course and new resource to support the professional development and mentorship of Indigenous women in film, television and media. This first virtual course will be geared toward budgeting for film. It will be accessible on TSNI’s @Learnatshine platform and will launch on National Indigenous Peoples Day – Friday, June 21, 2024.

Geared toward emerging and mid-level Indigenous female producers, this first intensive course of 10 x one-hour modules offer students hands-on learning accompanied by Indigenous-framed tutorials designed to empower students as they prepare to produce their first feature film. The course will also include candid conversations with Indigenous female producers to inspire and motivate students by giving them access to industry veterans who can dispel myths and misconceptions about producing.

“Working with The Shine Network Institute on this course is truly the first step in our partnership,” said Doug Smith, SVP Streaming & Content Licensing Paramount Global, Canada. “After listening and consulting with Jennifer Podemski and her team over the past few months we are proud to collaborate on this online course which will provide tangible skills to those interested in line producing, one of the most important jobs on any set. It is also a project we can build on in the months and years to come to support even more of TSNI’s membership and the next generation of Indigenous producers.”

“I am thrilled to be partnering with Paramount + Canada for this course,” said Jennifer Podemski, President & CEO, The Shine Network Institute. “Partnerships like this allow TSNI to offer the highest level of training and mentorship while building capacity for Indigenous people within the screen sector. Although our mission at TSNI is to foster the careers of Indigenous women who are the least represented across the sector and experience the most disproportionate outcomes, this course, which will be offered on our @Learnatshine platform, is open to all Indigenous professionals working within Canada’s film, television and digital media space.”

This initiative is the third partnership Paramount+ in Canada has announced that reinforces its long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Earlier this fall, the company announced a collaboration with the Black Screen Office for the Black Creators Festival Initiative; a joint venture with BIPOC TV & Film, and the National Screen Institute Partner for the new ELEVATE program; and now TSNI’s Budget Online Intensive.

These programs are intricately connected to the mission of Paramount Global’s Content for Change initiative, which seeks to counteract narratives that enable bias, stereotypes and hate using the power of our content, the creative supply chain that powers it, and the culture that underpins everything we do.

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Paramount+ in Canada adds two projects to its development slate from Boat Rocker

From a media release:

Paramount+ announced today two new, Canadian original comedy titles to their expanding development slate from Boat Rocker. BENSEN, created and written by Clara Altimas, and ELECTED, created and written by Michael McGowan, have been added to the growing list of Canadian content backed by the global streaming service. In June, Paramount+ in Canada revealed its first set of projects in the development stage consisting of Paramount+ Original documentary, 500 DAYS IN THE WILD from Dianne Whelan and four other projects from a variety of Canadian creatives.

New Titles in Development

BENSEN
A scripted dramedy about a struggling limo driver who tries to maintain fun dad status after the death of his wife and with the help of his dysfunctional family. BENSEN is a story about the impossibility of grieving the right way. Created and Written by Clara Altimas. For Boat Rocker Executive Producers are: Clara Altimas, David Fortier (Slip, Beacon 23), Ivan Schneeberg (Slip, Beacon 23), and Kerry Appleyard (Orphan Black: Echoes, Robyn Hood).

ELECTED
When an A-list actor unexpectedly has an opportunity to become the Prime Minister of Canada, he accepts what could turn out to be the worst decision he’s ever made or, improbably, the role of a lifetime. A premium comedy series created by Michael McGowan (All My Puny Sorrows, Still Mine), Creative consultant is Sherry White (Pretty Hard Cases, Rookie Blue). For Boat Rocker Executive Producers are: Michael McGowan, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg and Kerry Appleyard.

Additionally, Paramount+’s first Original documentary, 500 DAYS IN THE WILD will premiere at the Whistler International Film Festival this Friday, December 1. The project will have a limited theatrical run in early 2024, followed by its premiere on Paramount+. 500 DAYS IN THE WILD is produced by Betsy Carson with Executive Producers Christine Haebler and Dianne Whelan for Rebel Sisters Productions and distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures.

Previously announced Series in Development with Paramount+ in Canada include; HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY from writer Anthony Q Farrell (The Office U.S.) and award-winning producers New Metric Media (Letterkenny), LEN & CUB from writer Lynne Kamm and producers Muse Entertainment and Elliot Page’s Page Boy Productions, CARPE DEMON from award-winning showrunner Emily Andras (Wynonna Earp, Lost Girl) and producers December Films, Cineflix Studios, Gina Marcheschi and Jon Brown and THEY DRIVE AT NIGHT written by Emmy Award winner Craig Wallace (Murdoch Mysteries, Todd & The Book of Pure Evil) and producers Black Birds Entertainment.

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Crave announces new short-form original comedy series, My Dead Mom

From a media release:

Crave announced today, the new, six-part short-form comedy series, MY DEAD MOM. From LoCo Motion Pictures, creator Wendy Litner, and executive producer Lauren Corber, the Crave Original series is currently in production in Toronto, and stars Megan Follows (ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, REIGN) and Lauren Collins (DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION, SLIP).

Emmy wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail after her mother died, she was just really busy. But three years on now, her grief is catching up with her. As she questions her lipstick and life choices, her dead mother, Fern, pops into her life to voice her opinions and tell her red really isn’t her colour. Even death hasn’t stopped Fern from being fabulous. Emmy is trying to live her best life, but how do you let go of something that is so present? With sharp wit and aching tenderness, MY DEAD MOM explores the complicated nature of grief through mothers and daughters, and death.

Rounding out the cast for MY DEAD MOM are Rainbow Sun Francks (HIGH FIDELITY), David Reale (THE BOYS), Daniel Maslany (MURDOCH MYSTERIES), Daniel Kash (SLASHER), and guest star Matt Murray (IN THE DARK).

MY DEAD MOM is produced by LoCo Motion Pictures, in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Independent Production Fund, Ontario Creates, and the Bell Fund. The series is distributed internationally by Blue Ant Media. Wendy Litner (HOW TO BUY A BABY) is creator and executive producer, alongside executive producer Lauren Corber (DETENTION ADVENTURE) of LoCo Motion Pictures. Chandler Levack directs (I Like Movies), Palmer Baranek is supervising producer, and co-producer is Moe Rai.

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Supinder Wraich and Enrico Colantoni to star in the new CBC original drama Allegiance

From a media release:

CBC and Lark Productions today announced casting and production details for Anar Ali’s (Transplant) character-driven police procedural ALLEGIANCE (10×60), now in production in Vancouver and BC’s lower mainland. A CBC Original series from the award-winning team at Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, the series features an ensemble cast led by Supinder Wraich (Sort Of), Enrico Colantoni (Station Eleven), Stephen Lobo (Continuum), Adolyn H. Dar (Superman & Lois), Brian Markinson (A Million Little Things) and David Cubitt (Virgin River); with showrunners Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern (Flashpoint, X Company) at the helm. Greenlit by CBC in early 2023, ALLEGIANCE will premiere on the free CBC Gem streaming service and CBC TV in winter 2024.

ALLEGIANCE focuses on identity and belonging, policing and politics, and finding truth within the heart of a flawed justice system. The drama stars Wraich as Sabrina Sohal, a star rookie police officer who must grapple with the limits of the justice system as she fights to exonerate her politician father Ajeet Sohal (Lobo). Sohal serves her diverse hometown of Surrey alongside Vince Brambilla (Colantoni), a veteran training officer who sees her potential but doesn’t always agree with her forward-thinking methods. ALLEGIANCE is the story of a young woman caught between her allegiance to her flag, to her badge, and to her family.

A CBC Original Series ALLEGIANCE is produced by Lark Productions in association with CBC, with NBCUniversal Global Distribution handling the distribution of the series globally. Showrunners Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis also serve as Executive Producers with Series Creator Anar Ali, alongside Lark Productions’ Erin Haskett, Nicole Mendes, David Valleau and Tex Antonucci.

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Writers Guild of Canada releases new report on equity, diversity and inclusion in Canadian television

From a media release:

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) has released a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Report with 2022 data. The initiative is part of the WGC and its Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee’s efforts to work towards addressing issues of historic underrepresentation in Canadian television. (Diversity groups are defined by the WGC as Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ2S, People of Colour, People with Disabilities.)

The new report provides membership data from 2017 to 2022 and includes contract data from 58 live-action and 29 animated series that started production in 2022.

For the first time, this report includes earnings data and also features interviews with members who have participated in training and networking opportunities for diverse writers.

The data shows some marked increases in 2022, including:

  • The percentage of Indigenous writers and writers with disabilities joining the Guild grew to 7% each, from 5% and 4% in 2021 respectively. The percentage of diverse members joining with intersectional identities has also grown from 12% in 2021 to 17% in 2022.
  • The percentage of WGC diverse writers who are working has increased steadily from 21% in 2018 to 38% in 2022. The increase is largely explained by a higher participation of writers of colour and Black writers.
  • Writing credits for People of Colour have increased consistently from 7% to 17% between 2018 and 2022. Similarly, the share of writing credits for Black writers increased from 3% to 9.4% during the same period. In the case of LGBTQ2S screenwriters, writing credits recovered from a steady decrease and now sit at 17%.

Other observations on the 2022 data include:

  • Across every diversity category, the share of writers earning more than $200,000 is well below the 7.9% of “white, cisgender, heterosexual and non-disabled” (non-diverse) writers in that category.
  • In animation, there is a significant gap between the compensation of non-diverse and diverse writers. While non-diverse animation writers represent 22.9% of working writers and account for 15.4% of total earnings, diverse animation writers represent 8.6% of working writers but only account for 2.2% of total earnings.
  • The share of Indigenous writers and writers with disabilities working on TV remains low when compared to population numbers. The percentage of Indigenous writers increased by half a percentage only to 2.5% in 2022. Similarly, the share of writers with disabilities continues to be markedly low (3%).

The full report is now available on the WGC’s website HERE.

The Writers Guild of Canada represents 2,500 professional English-language screenwriters across Canada—the creators of Canadian entertainment enjoyed o

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