• Bridging the media gap
  “The television industry may be in an upheaval these days, but a small group of producers has found a perch in the eye of the storm.” Read more.

Outstanding list of finalists announced for the 2009 WGC Screenwriting Awards

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) will celebrate the winning words of 2008 on April 20 at the 13th Annual WGC Screenwriting Awards, honouring excellence in screenwriting. More than 150 scripts vied for the judges’ attentions this year. The entries have been narrowed to 37 finalist scripts across 11 categories, including screenwriting for feature film, episodic half-hours and one-hours, documentary film and more. In all, 51 screenwriters are up for awards. Several special awards, including the WGC Showrunner Award, will also be handed out at the event. Click here for a full list of nominees.

Among the finalists, you will find the writers of television favourites such as Corner Gas, Flashpoint, Murdoch Mysteries, This Hour has 22 Minutes, 6Teen and more. Numbered among the finalists also are feature screenwriters Paul Gross for Passchendaele, Michael McGowan for One Week, and Don McKellar for Blindness. A complete list of finalists accompanies this release.

All winners will be announced at the 2009 WGC Screenwriting Awards on Monday, April 20, 2009, at Maro Nightclub in Liberty Village, Toronto.

Guest host (and finalist) Geri Hall (22 Minutes) will keep the evening lively and fun, toasting the finalists and marshalling special guest presenters. Geri Hall and Kyle Tingley (also a finalist for 22 Minutes) will write the awards show.

Last year’s winners included Mark Farrell and Robert Sheridan for Corner Gas, Ian Weir for Dragon Boys, Denis McGrath and Robert Wertheimer for Across the River to Motor City and Travis McDonald for the feature film Normal.

The 2009 finalists reflect the high level of achievement of Canadian screenwriters across the categories – which this year, for the first time, include short film and animation.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is pleased to announce the nominations for the 23rd Annual Gemini Awards, recognizing the year’s best in Canadian English-language television. The Gemini Awards Broadcast Gala will be presented in Toronto, ON at the John Bassett Theatre on Friday, November 28, 2008. Canwest Broadcasting joins the Academy in celebrating this year’s exceptional achievements, airing the Gemini Awards Broadcast Gala on E! Network and Showcase at 9 pm ET.

“This was a banner year for Canadian television,” said Sara Morton, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “The nominees announced today truly exemplify the depth and breadth of our country’s talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Featuring newcomers and returning favourites, this year’s field of nominees has engaged and entertained audiences in Canada and beyond.”

For a complete list of nominees visit www.geminiawards.ca.

Canadian drama leads the 2008 Gemini Award nominations with Murdoch Mysteries receiving 14 nominations followed closely by Durham County with 13 nominations; The Tudors and The Englishman’s Boy received 12 nominations each.

News information series the fifth estate received 11 nominations, while The Border and CBC News: The National tied with 9 nominations. The TV mini-series Would Be Kings received 8 nominations and Across the River to Motor City and Mayerthorpe each received 7. Marketplace, ReGenesis, Rent-A-Goalie and Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Revisited all amassed 6 nominations.

The Canadian industry will gather in Toronto at the Liberty Grand on October 20th, 21st and 22nd to honour and celebrate the News, Sports and Documentary Awards, the Lifestyle, Children’s and Youth Awards and the Drama, Comedy and Variety Awards. The Gemini Awards Broadcast Gala will be presented in Toronto, ON at the John Bassett Theatre on Friday, November 28, 2008.

• August is time for marathons – on TV, that is
  “Showcase has the third season of Regenesis set to air weekdays at 7 pm beginning August 4.” Read more.

• Program Partners Renews Syndie Crime Franchises
  “Program Partners renewed all three of its crime dramas — Da Vinci’s Inquest, Cold Squad and ReGenesis — for seasons four, three and two, respectively, the syndicator said Monday.” Read more.

• ReGenesis winds up revealing The Truth
  “The X Files used to promise us that ‘the truth is out there.’ Well, apparently if the truth is what we’re seeking, we need look no further than the series-finale of acclaimed Canadian series ReGenesis, which airs Sunday on The Movie Network and Movie Central.” Read more.

After four groundbreaking seasons, Shaftesbury’s Gemini Award-winning television series ReGenesis concludes this Sunday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET on The Movie Network (eastern Canada) and 9 p.m. PT on Movie Central (western Canada). Created by Christina Jennings, the series stars Peter Outerbridge as molecular biologist David Sandström.

Currently broadcast in 20 languages and more than 115 countries worldwide, ReGenesis was the first syndicated original drama series to be offered in high definition in the U.S. Its innovative storylines have regularly preceded real world events, such as the assertion that the Spanish Flu outbreak started with birds (episode 113); that people can awaken after years in a coma (episode 204); that “Virgin” birth is a real phenomenon (episode 310); and reports of birds attacking en masse (episode 408).

Kate Trotter guest stars in the final episode ‘The Truth’ with a glimpse into the future revealing that Nina’s (Rosa Laborde) unborn child is Bob’s (Dmitry Chepovetsky) clone, Robert Melnikov Jr. – the first human clone.

Robert thought he was fulfilling his parents’ dream of spreading the gift of empathy to families who wanted children by opening a fertility clinic for the sale of his highly desirable sperm. What he didn’t know was that his DNA had been mutated during the deadly flu pandemic of 2010, and that his clinic had become “ground zero” for every global pandemic in the years to follow.

David (Peter Outerbridge) had always known that Bob and Nina’s decision to bear a human clone would have devastating repercussions. And given this new insight into things to come, it looks like he might have been right.

• Shaftesbury’s shift to TV pays off
  “Shaftesbury’s growth began when it shifted its focus from features — a business that’s hardly a profit center in Canada — to TV production. That decision soon paid off, with shows like the bioterrorism-themed drama “ReGenesis” [pictured at right] and kids’ series “Life With Derek,” both of which have sold to more than 100 countries. Shaftesbury recently upped its profile bigtime thanks to “The Listener,” a drama about a Toronto paramedic with telepathic powers, which has been sold to NBC in the U.S. and CTV in Canada.” Read more.

• State of the Union, ReGenesis, Trojan Horse on TV
  “On the Gemini-winning Canadian sci-fi series “ReGenesis,” Wes enrols in a new medical program after an experimental treatment for hepatitis C nearly kills him. This episode also has the FDA under pressure to fast-track drugs to help a woman with smallpox. (The Movie Network Movie Central)” Read more.

• Save the scientist, save the world: ReGenesis combats new biological threats in its final season
  “Molecular biologist David Sandström is arrogant. He’s cocky. And, more often than not, he’s right. As played by Toronto native Peter Outerbridge on ReGenesis, the chief scientist at the NorBAC (North American Biotechnology Advisory Commission) lab thwarts global viral threats daily. Stomach-turning threats, like brain-eating bacteria, immunosuppressant drugs and lethal crow attacks.” Read more.