• The Directors Guild of Canada Announces the 2010 DGC Awards Nominees “The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) announces the 2010 DGC Awards nominations. Comedian Dave Foley will host the annual gala on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The Guild will celebrate the career of acclaimed director Sidney Furie (The Ipcress File, Lady Sings the Blues) and the extraordinary contributions of Don McCutcheon and Paul Bronfman to the DGC and the Canadian film and television industry.” Read more.

2010 CANADIAN COMEDY AWARD NOMINEES ARE ANNOUNCED!

The race for the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards is on! Canada’s finest comedians will go head to head for the coveted BEAVER statuette this October in Toronto, as The Canadian Comedy Awards Foundation in association with The Comedy Network today announced the nominees for the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards. At a media conference held at Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto, emcees Deb McGrath and Colin Mochrie highlighted the nominees in all 21 categories.

Winners will be declared at The Comedy Network Presents the Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival Awards Show on Monday, October 18 to be held at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

To view a complete list of the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards nominees and to access nominee bios, please go to www.canadiancomedy.ca.

Television

Taped Live Performance

* Darcy Michael – Winnipeg Comedy Festival
* Jon Dore – Just For Laughs
* Mark Forward – Just For Laughs
* Sugar Sammy – Live in Concert
* Winston Spear – Stand Up & Bite Me

Direction – Television Program or Series

* Brian Roberts – Dan for Mayor Ep. 103
* Bruce McDonald – Almost Audrey
* Kelly Makin – Less Than Kind
* Kenny Hotz – Kenny vs. Spenny
* Vivieno Caldinelli – Hotbox

Writing – Television Program or Series

* Garry Campbell – Less Than Kind
* Kenny Hotz – Kenny vs. Spenny
* Levi MacDougall & Nathan Fielder – Important Things with Demetri Martin
* Mark McKinney – Less Than Kind
* Pat Thornton, Vivieno Caldinelli, Tim Polley, Graham Wagner, Katie Crown, and Bob Kerr – Hotbox

Performance by a Male – Television

* Brandon Firla – Little Mosque on the Prairie
* Dave Foley – Less Than Kind
* Ennis Esmer – The Listener
* Gavin Crawford – This Hour Has 22 Minutes
* Pat Thornton – Hotbox

Performance by a Female – Television

* Alana Johnston – That’s So Weird!
* Geri Hall – This Hour Has 22 Minutes
* Jennifer Irwin – Less Than Kind
* Laurie Elliott – Almost Audrey
* Wendel Meldrum – Less Than Kind

Performance by an Ensemble – Television

* Fred Ewanuick, Mary Ashton, Paul Bates, Ben Ayres, Suzanne Coy, Agam Darshi, Laurie Murdoch, David Ferry, Lara Jean Chorostecki – Dan for Mayor
* Gavin Crawford, Mark Critch, Geri Hall, Cathy Jones, Shaun Majumder – This Hour Has 22 Minutes
* Jesse Camacho, Wendel Meldrum, Benjamin Arthur, Nancy Sorel, Maury Chaykin, Brooke Palsson – Less Than Kind
* Laurie Elliott, Inessa Frantowski, Agam Darshi, Ryan Kelly, Ingrid Hart – Almost Audrey
* Pat Thornton, Sandy Jobin-Bevans, Levi MacDougall, Jeff McEnery, Vivieno Caldinelli, Tal Zimerman – Hotbox

• 22 Minutes Down to 13 Amid CBC Cuts for Fall
  “The most dramatic cut could come at the expense of the network’s longest-running entertainment series, 22 Minutes. The Halifax-based comedy may be down to a half-season, with just 13 episodes ordered, down from 18 last season and 20 the season before that.” Read more.

Banff World Television Festival Announces 2010 ‘Rockie’ Award Nominees at MIPTV

The 31st Banff World Television Festival (BANFF) and nextMEDIA are pleased to announce this year’s Banff World Television Award nominees, recognizing creativity and innovation from the world’s best television programming.

Chosen from 900 entries from more than 43 countries, the Banff World Television Awards, also known as the ‘Rockies’, is one of the world’s most prestigious events celebrating outstanding work by international TV creators responsible for the continuing evolution and originality in the industry. This year, pilots are also being recognized, with the inaugural Banff International Pilots Competition and Awards awarding talent and creativity in conceptualizing and creating online and television pilots.

Click here for the full media release and list of nominees.

• Brandon Firla interview – Little Mosque on the Prairie
  “Monsters and Critics had the chance to speak with Brandon Firla, the newest character, a villainous new Anglican minister Rev. Thorne, who loves stirring up trouble when he can get away with it. His latest project – ejecting the Muslims from the church for once and for all. And he has a particular need to compete with the charming young Muslim Imam Aamar.” Read more.

• House Call Bad Medicine for Hiccups, Dan For Mayor