Tag Archives: Sheri Elwood

Moonshine

Links: Moonshine, Season 2

From Noel Ransome of The Canadian Press:

Link: ‘Moonshine’ star Jennifer Finnigan on embracing her chaotic CBC character
As an actress, Jennifer Finnigan, star of the CBC series “Moonshine,” embraces her assignment faithfully, but perhaps a bit too personally. Continue reading.

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Moonshine stars preview Season 2’s tumultuous relationship
Despite the fact that the weather is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter, it’s still the heart of summer in Nova Scotia when Season 2 of CBC’s Moonshine premieres this Sunday, October 2 at 9 p.m. Continue reading.

From Melissa G. of The Televixen:

Link: Return to the Moonshine with Jennifer Finnigan and Allan Hawco
“There are so many things going on with her. She now knows she’s here to stay. Season 1 was ‘Am I staying here? Am I going? I don’t know if this is right for me. This isn’t who I am anymore.'” Continue reading.

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Caught, Featured, Moonshine, Republic of Doyle

Moonshine’s Allan Hawco talks Lidia and Gale in Season 2

Allan Hawco’s appearance on the first season of Moonshine was a surprise for fans of the rookie series, as well as the character of Lidia Bennett. Played by Jennifer Finnigan, Lidia’s attempt to keep the family campground, the Moonshine, out of debt and make a profit meant doing what she hoped was a one-time drug drop for Hawco’s outlaw biker, Gale.

Turns out there’s a lot more dirty dealing—and Gale—in Moonshine.

“[Creator] Sheri Elwood and I were talking about other things, and she asked me point-blank if I wanted to be in it,” Hawco says on the line from Nova Scotia, where filming of Season 3 is currently underway. “We discussed one role that we didn’t feel was the right thing and then she called me back with this other idea that eventually ended up being Gale.”

Returning for its sophomore go-round on CBC this Sunday at 9 p.m., Episode 1, “Three Sisters of Fate,” written and directed by Elwood, picks up just a few days after the Season 1 finale. In it, a mysterious package arrives at the Moonshine, which makes the Finley-Cullen clan question what their goals once were, and if they are still attainable. For Bea (Corrine Koslo) and Ben (Peter MacNeill), that means a career change; for Rhian (Anastasia Phillips), it shapes up to be a career boost; for Nora (Emma Hunter), a committed relationship; for Sammy (Alexander Nunez) a deep dig into his past; and Ryan (Tom Stevens), finding a purpose.

Moonshine‘s strengths, to me, are Elwood’s knack for creating characters that are immediately relatable, a world that is wistful and easily recalled, and a killer soundtrack. Hawco, who has experience with that through Republic of Doyle and Caught, agrees.

“It’s not something that you’re going to see anywhere else,” he says. “Being inside Sheri Elwood’s head is a terrifyingly hilarious place. I love the way she writes, I love her sense of humour and I love her approach to things that we may see situations or scenarios in other circumstances but she treats them with her own lens and it truly feels original.”

But back to Lidia and Gale.

Sunday’s return sees the pair reunite both in Lidia’s mind—there is a hilarious scene where she’s driving and caught up in a fantasy about the denim-clad miscreant—and discussing a new project Gale proposes. Their scenes crackle with energy and animal magnetism. There is no will-they-or-won’t they question for this pair; rather it’s when and how often?

“It’s the most fun, ridiculous experience I’ve ever had,” Hawco says of the fantasy scene he filmed with Finnigan. “Jennifer Finnigan is the most generous actor and a wonderful human being. She is so much fun to play with. We clicked right away. She’s a wonderful leader and she leads the cast with all the spirit you would hope for a No. 1.”

Moonshine airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Moonshine

CBC original dramedy Moonshine renewed for Season 3

From a media release:

CSA-nominated CBC original east coast family dramedy Moonshine (8×60) will return for a third season in 2023, with production now underway in Nova Scotia. Created by Sheri Elwood (Lucifer, Call Me Fitz) and produced by Six Eleven Media and Entertainment One (eOne), the series follows the Finley-Cullens, a dysfunctional clan of adult half-siblings battling for control of the Moonshine, a ramshackle campground on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. The second season will premiere this fall on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem, and the entire first season is available to stream now on CBC Gem.

The 2022 Canadian Screen Award nominated series stars Jennifer Finnigan (Salvation), Anastasia Phillips (Reign), Emma Hunter (The Beaverton, Mr. D), Tom Stevens (The 100, Beyond), Alexander Nunez (Avocado Toast), Peter MacNeill (Good Witch), Erin Darke (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Miracle Workers), Farid Yazdani (Day Players, Suits), James Gilbert (Suits, Salvation), Celia Owen (A Small Fortune), Calem MacDonald (Umbrella Academy), Allan Hawco (Frontier, Departure), Allegra Fulton (Chapelwaite), Leigh-Ann Rose (The Young and the Restless) and JD Martin (Manifest).

Guest stars rounding out the cast in Season 3 are Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s) and Kirsten Howell (Trailer Park Boys).

A CBC original series, Moonshine is produced by Six Eleven Media and eOne. Created and Executive Produced by showrunner, writer and director Sheri Elwood, the show is executive produced alongside Six Eleven Media’s Charles Bishop. Jocelyn Hamilton serves as executive producer for eOne.

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Awards, Moonshine

Screen Nova Scotia announces 2022 award winners

From a media release:

Screen Nova Scotia hosted its eighth annual awards gala on Saturday, June 18th, in the Schooner Ballroom at Casino Nova Scotia in front of a sold-out crowd of industry members and supporters. The event was the first in-person awards show since 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic moved the awards to an online format for two years.

The awards gala celebrates the incredible talent, creativity, and passion that are the trademarks of Nova Scotia’s screen industry. Notable awards include the ACTRA Awards for Outstanding Performances, the Groundbreaking Performance Award, the Film Crew Excellence Award, the Women in Film & Television – Atlantic Award, and the Community Recognition Award, along with the Screen Nova Scotia Awards for best television, film, and animation.

The night’s finale was the Screen Nova Scotia Award for Best Feature Film, which went to Night Blooms from writer/director Stephanie Joline and producers Marc Tetreault and Jason Levangie (Shut Up & Colour Pictures). The film is a coming-of-age drama set in the 1990s about teenage Carly (Jessica Clement) and her affair with her best friend’s dad (Nick Stahl).

Joline also took home the Best Nova Scotia Director Award from Women in Film & Television – Atlantic for her work on Night Blooms, while actor Alexandra McDonald took home an ACTRA Maritimes Award for Outstanding Performances for her role as Laura, Carly’s best friend, in the film. Night Blooms is now available to rent or buy on streaming platforms across Canada.

The first season of the CBC original comedy series Moonshine from showrunner Sheri Elwood and producer Charles Bishop (Six Eleven Media) was crowned the winner of the Best Television Series Award. The show tells the story of the Finley-Cullens, a dysfunctional family of half-siblings battling to take control over the family business – a ramshackle summer resort on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, with a dark family secret at its core. Season 2 will begin production in Nova Scotia this summer, with a Fall 2022 air date.

The Best Documentary Award went to Freedom Swell from Marie and Meaghan Wright (Mirror Image Media). The powerful documentary highlights North Preston Surf, a program designed to empower African Nova Scotian youth to connect with the ocean. The film explores the lack of diversity in the east coast surf scene, stemming from complex, historical barriers such as racism, segregated beaches, and generational fear of water. The film is now available to stream on CBC Gem.

Two new awards were handed out at the show, including the Groundbreaking Performance Award, which celebrates a performer who identifies as diverse and does not meet the eligibility criteria for the ACTRA awards for their work in a film or television/web series. The award recipient was determined by an online voting process, to better involve the wider community outside of the screen industry. This year’s winner was Patrick Cadegan for his performance on the comedy web series Tracy & Martina: Dirty Deeds (Swearnet).

The new award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography went to cinematographer Kevin Fraser, who was nominated for his work on feature films Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor and Bone Cage, as well as on several documentary projects.

Fourteen-year-old Avery Winters-Anthony took home an ACTRA Maritimes Award for Outstanding Performances for his role as Travis in the critically-acclaimed Indigenous drama Wildhood, from Two-Spirit L’nu filmmaker Bretten Hannam. Reid Price also won an Outstanding Performances award for playing Byron in filmmaker Shelley Thompson’s debut feature film, Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor.

Baduk from writer/director Induk Lee and producer Kelsey Power (You First Productions) won the Best Short Film Award, while Beth Amiro won an Outstanding Performance award for her work in the short film Second Wedding (directed by Taylor Olson).

Digital animation was also spotlighted at the awards, with Teen Titans Go! winning Best Animated Series for the Nova Scotian animation studio Copernicus Studios. The series, now in its sixth season, airs on the Cartoon Network.

This year’s Film Crew Excellence Award went to Construction Coordinator Stephan Bernier (Art Department). A member of IATSE Local 849, Stephan has worked in film and television for over 30 years and has been a mentor to many in the industry. Stephan has been an integral part of many large-scale set builds for US service productions but also works on local projects, regardless of their size. His credits include the recent EPIX series From and Chapelwaite, and feature films The Lighthouse, Books of Blood, and Tin Can.

The 2022 Community Recognition Award went to Juanita Currie, Business Rental Area Sales Manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. A long-time industry supporter, Juanita is representative of a business that truly understands the value and economic impact that the film industry brings to the province.

The Screen Nova Scotia Awards were made possible this year due to the generous support of many sponsors, including our Platinum Partners at Support4Culture, the Directors Guild of Canada, the Canadian Media Producers Association, IATSE Local 849, and William F. White International Inc. Special thanks to 902 Post and the Hideout Studios.

List of award winners:

Screen Nova Scotia Awards
Best Feature Film: Night Blooms (Shut Up & Colour Pictures)

Best Television Series: Moonshine S1 (Six Eleven Media)

Best Documentary Film: Freedom Swell (Mirror Image Media)

Best Short Film: Baduk (You First Productions)

Best Animated Series: Teen Titans Go! S6 (Copernicus Studios)

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Kevin Fraser

Groundbreaking Performance: Patrick Cadegan (Tracy & Martina: Dirty Deeds)

ACTRA Maritimes Awards for Outstanding Performances
Beth Amiro (Second Wedding

Alexandra McDonald (Night Blooms)

Reid Price (Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor)

Avery Winters-Anthony (Wildhood)

Additional Awards
WIFT-AT Award for Best Director: Stephanie Joline (Night Blooms)

Film Crew Excellence Award: Stephan Bernier, Construction Coordinator

Community Recognition Award: Juanita Currie, Enterprise Holdings

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Caught, Moonshine, Republic of Doyle

East Coast dramedy Moonshine set to return for Season 2 on CBC next fall, with Allan Hawco joining the cast

From a media release:

Following last week’s Season 1 finale of original east coast Canadian family dramedy series Moonshine (8×60), CBC is revealing casting and production details for Season 2. Created by Sheri Elwood (Lucifer, Call Me Fitz) and produced by Six Eleven Media and Entertainment One (eOne), the series follows the Finley-Cullens, a dysfunctional clan of adult half-siblings battling for control of their family business – a ramshackle summer campground called The Moonshine. Production on the eight-episode second season recently wrapped in Nova Scotia and is set to premiere on CBC in fall 2022, with the entire first season now available to stream on CBC Gem.

The new season will see renowned Canadian star, Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, Caught, Frontier, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Another Life) join the cast as biker Gale Favreau, following his steamy meeting with Lidia (Jennifer Finnigan) in the Season 1 finale. Picking up where the first season ends, Season 2 will include epic dance routines, dirty bingo, snow crab-jacking and a high stakes turf war with a band of outlaw bikers. Fate will manifest very differently for the entire family, with characters fighting their destiny tooth and nail as Lidia goes to extremes to save the business from financial ruin.

Moonshine stars Jennifer Finnigan (Salvation), Anastasia Phillips (Reign), Emma Hunter (Mr. D), Tom Stevens (Wayward Pines), Alexander Nunez (Avocado Toast), Corrine Koslo (Anne with an E), Peter MacNeill (This Life), Erin Darke (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Farid Yazdani (Suits), Allegra Fulton (The Shape of Water), James Gilbert (Salvation), Celia Owen (A Small Fortune), and Calem MacDonald (Umbrella Academy).

Guest stars rounding out the cast in Season 2 include Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s), Shelley Thompson (Trailer Park Boys), Jonathan Torrens (Mr. D), Leigh Ann Rose (The Young and the Restless), Ernie Grunwald (Call Me Fitz), Joe Cobden (The Sinner), and Kirstin Howell (Diggstown).

A CBC original series, Moonshine is produced by Six Eleven Media and eOne. Created by Sheri Elwood, who is also showrunner, the show is executive produced alongside Six Eleven Media’s Charles Bishop. Jocelyn Hamilton serves as executive producer for eOne. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Sarah Adams is Executive in Charge of Production; and Gosia Kamela is Executive in Charge of Production, Drama. The series is produced with the assistance of the Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund. Additionally, funding comes from the Canada Media Fund, Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit. Moonshine is distributed internationally by eOne.

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