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19-2, Amazing Race Canada, Bitten, Degrassi, Featured, Orphan Black, Spun Out

Canadian International Television Festival adds sessions, opens box office

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From a media release:

The Inaugural Canadian International Television Festival Announces Additional Programming and Box Office Opening

  • World Premiere Screening of Spun Out
  • Free Tickets Available Today, Thursday, November 7 at noon.
  • Visit www.CITF13.tv for More Information & Ticket Details and Follow CITF at @CITF13

Canada’s first and only public television festival, the Canadian International Television Festival (CITF), is pleased to announce the opening of their box office. As of noon today, tickets are free (small handling charge applies) and available to the public. Visit www.CITF13.tv for all the details and order tickets here.

Additionally, CITF announced the following programming:

Spun Out will have its World Premiere screening at the festival. The hilarious new CTV half-hour Canadian scripted comedy series Spun Out stars Dave Foley, Rebecca Dalton, Al Mukadam, and Holly Deveaux, all of whom are set to be on hand for the 8 p.m. screening on Saturday, November 16. Spun Out also stars Paul Campbell, Darcy Michael and J.P. Manoux.

FRANCHISES AND FORMATS Screenings and Seminars – The World Premiere of the English adaptation of hit Quebec police drama 19-2 with Executive Producer Jocelyn Deschênes and Writer Bruce Smith, as well as a screening of the original French version (subtitled), (Saturday, November 16 at 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.); a talk with the producers and talent behind the Degrassi franchise, including actors Aislinn Paul, Munro Chambers, and Luke Bilyk, as well as Sarah Glinski (Executive Producer, Head Writer) and Matt Huether (Co-Executive Producer, Writer); and The Amazing Race Canada, including racers Jet and Dave and Supervising Producer Mark Lysakowski.

Orphan Black binge screening of the first five hours from the first season (Saturday, November 16 at 6 p.m.)

Royal Air Farce 40th Anniversary Celebration. TV columnist Bill Brioux chats with the current Air Farce cast — Don Ferguson, Luba Goy, Craig Lauzon, Alan Park, Penelope Corrin, and Arnold Pinnock — about making Canadians laugh for the past 40 years, and continuing to entertain in record numbers on their annual New Year’s Eve specials. (Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m.).

The Best of bravoFACT, hosted by Richard Crouse. CITF celebrates short form films with a screening of 10 best bravoFACT-funded shorts including Winter Garden, an official selection at this year’s TIFF ‘Stage to Screen’ series, starring Enrico Colantoni. (Saturday, November 16 at 4 p.m.)

Bitten cast members Greg Bryk, Joel Keller, Michael Xavier, Paulino Nunes, and Steve Lund are on hand with a sneak peek and discussion of their hotly anticipated new series, hosted by INNERSPACE’s Ajay Fry and Morgan Hoffman (Saturday, November 16 at 10 p.m.).

Bill Brioux’s TV on Film Project – TV columnist Bill Brioux presents a fascinating look at TV’s past. He screens and discusses NBC’s “Fall Preview” reel from 1966 which features guests introducing NBC’s new fall lineup which includes “The Monkees,” “Tarzan,” “The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.” and a crazy little sci-fi series called “Star Trek.” Bill then screens a network print of a comedy series from the same season, complete with the commercials you would have seen the night it first aired. (Sunday, November 17 at 1 p.m.)

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Featured, Saving Hope

Saving Hope renewed for third season

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SavingHope

From a media release:

CTV Orders Third Season of Hit Canadian Drama SAVING HOPE

  • Network orders 18 new episodes from ICF Films and Entertainment One

CTV announced today the order of a third season of hit original drama series, SAVING HOPE from Ilana Frank’s ICF Films and leading independent studio Entertainment One (eOne). The broadcaster has ordered 18 new episodes bringing the series total to 49 episodes. With the production of Season 3 set to begin in the spring, the announcement comes ahead of the winter season premiere coming in January. A Top 15 program among total viewers and all key adult demos when Season 2 aired last summer, SAVING HOPE averaged an impressive 1.3 million viewers each week.

SAVING HOPE stars 2013 Canadian Screen Award-nominee Erica Durance (SMALLVILLE), Michael Shanks (STARGATE ATLANTIS), Daniel Gillies (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES), 2013 Canadian Screen Award-winner Wendy Crewson (REVENGE), Huse Madhavji (CALL ME FITZ), Julia Taylor-Ross (ROOKIE BLUE), Kristopher Turner (THE LISTENER), Michelle Nolden (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE), and Benjamin Ayres (LESS THAN KIND).

Viewers can catch up on the doctors of Hope Zion Hospital in the exclusive, digital companion series LAST CALL available on CTV.ca/SavingHopeLastCall. LAST CALL examines the more personal and less explored stories of the doctors, as they confess their problems and share secrets over drinks after their rounds.

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Featured, Industry News

Industry Update – Canadian International Television Festival

CITF-LogoThe Canadian International Television Festival debuts on November 15, 2013.  Perhaps TV, eh? readers forgot it existed.  Diane Wild – whose site I infrequently publish articles to – forgot it existed until I mentioned the CITF to her earlier this month.  CITF promotion will hit full force in the next few days, but then, it has to – there’s a press conference scheduled for November 5, after all.  As of the date I finish this article (November 3, 2013), the CITF confirms three things about itself – it’s real, there’s a Murdoch Mysteries-related event, and it promotes the #EyeOnCanada initiative.  Quite a feat, for a public festival that debuts in less than two weeks.

While I don’t know the CITF’s behind-the-scenes happenings, the festival cuts things close with its launch.  The CITF’s first Twitter posts were made on October 24, 2013.  The Canada Media Fund website has dates and times for certain parts of the festival, and the CITF’s first day is set aside for industry.  Murdoch Mysteries is the subject of the first announced screening and Q&A session.

Continue reading Industry Update – Canadian International Television Festival →

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Bomb Girls, Featured

Production begins on Bomb Girls – The Movie

BombGirls

From a media release:

Meg Tilly, Jodi Balfour, Charlotte Hegele, Ali Liebert, Antonio Cupo, Anastasia Phillips, Michael Seater, and Peter Outerbridge Return

Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Film Productions in association with Shaw Media announced today that production has begun on Bomb Girls -The Movie (working title). The original BOMB GIRLS cast returns reprising their roles with Canadian Screen Award-winning actress Meg Tilly (as Lorna Corbett), Jodi Balfour (as Gladys Witham), Charlotte Hegele (as Kate Andrews), Ali Liebert (as Betty McRae), Antonio Cupo (as Marco Moretti), Anastasia Phillips (as Vera Burr), Michael Seater (as Ivan Buchinsky), and Peter Outerbridge (as Bob Corbett) reprising their roles. The two-hour film, from Emmy® Award-nominated executive producer Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Bomb Girls) and Gemini Award-winning executive producers Adrienne Mitchell and Janis Lundman (Bomb Girls, Played, Durham County), is shooting in Toronto and Hamilton until November 20, 2013.

Bomb Girls -The Movie takes viewers back to Spring 1943, as the Battle for the Atlantic rages and an Axis victory seems inevitable. German U-boats patrol the ocean picking off ships, destroying much needed supplies and inflicting heavy casualties. The one hope the Allies have – production of newly developed sonar equipment – is moved to Victory Munitions when the British factories are bombed. Then, in the darkest hour of the war, a new and disturbing menace appears – a saboteur among the factory workers.

Bomb Girl Gladys Witham (Balfour), a fiery young woman from privilege, is covertly recruited by Allied Intelligence to find the traitor on the new line. But she must spy on her best friends, coworkers and fellow agents, calling into question everyone and everything she has come to trust.

“The original cast is excited to be reunited and continue this amazing story of the bomb girls and their fierce commitment to the war effort and each other,” says executive producer Adrienne Mitchell.

“Although set in the 1940s, this portrait of ultimate grace under extraordinary pressure resonates today,” notes executive producer Janis Lundman.

Bomb Girls – The Movie is produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Film Productions in association with Shaw Media. The executive producers are Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell (Bomb Girls, Played , Durham County), and Michael Prupas (Bomb Girls, The Kennedys). John Calvert (Bomb Girls, Flashpoint) is producer, Donald Martin (The Christmas Choir) is the script writer, Jerry Ciccoritti (Bomb Girls, Played) is the director, Eric Cayla (Bomb Girls, Durham County) is the director of photography, with Aidan Leroux (Bomb Girls, Played) as production designer and Michael Ground (Played) as costume designer. The film is distributed worldwide by Muse Distribution International.

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Featured, Murdoch Mysteries

Murdoch Mysteries screening and cast at Canadian International Television Festival

castofmurdochmysteries_hires.jpg

From a media release:

The Inaugural Canadian International Television Festival Presents An Exclusive Screening of Murdoch Mysteries

  • Yannick Bisson and the Cast of Murdoch Mysteries Confirmed to Attend
  • Renowned Television Columnist Bill Brioux to Moderate Screening Q&A
  • Visit www.CITF13.tv for More Information and Follow CITF at @CITF13

Canada’s first and only public television festival, the Canadian International Television Festival (CITF), presented by Bell Media, which now runs November 15 – 17, 2013 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, is pleased to present an advance screening of Murdoch Mysteries. ‘Detective Murdoch’ himself, Yannick Bisson and the cast of Murdoch Mysteries will be present to screen an upcoming episode.

“This is what the new Canadian International Television Festival is all about,” remarked John Galway of the non-profit CITF.” “There are few drama series on the air in Canada that have a fan base as large and dedicated as the Murdoch viewers.

“Bill Brioux is one of the most insightful television journalists in Canada and his rapport with Yannick and the Murdoch Mysteries cast will ensure this screening is not one to miss,” said David Heath of the CITF.

The wildly popular series Murdoch Mysteries will offer an exclusive advance screening of an upcoming Season 7 episode, ‘Loch Ness Murdoch,’ on Sunday, November 17 at 4:00 p.m. Cast members Yannick Bisson, Hélène Joy, Jonny Harris, Thomas Craig and Georgina Reilly will also be on hand for an audience Q&A session following the screening. Produced by Shaftesbury, Murdoch Mysteries airs on CBC in Canada and has been sold to broadcasters in more than 100 countries around the world.

Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries follows the adventures of a detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve the city’s crimes. In “Loch Ness Murdoch,” rumours of a sea monster quickly spread across Toronto during a summer heat wave after a body marked by a large bite washes up on the shore of Lake Ontario.

As previously announced, advance tickets for the CITF will be made available at no cost (except for a small handling charge) in early November at the TIFF Bell Lightbox box office, online at www.tiff.net or by telephone at (416) 599-8433. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door on the day of an event.

About the Canadian International Television Festival:
The CITF is a new, non-profit social enterprise and the first television showcase festival in Canada. It will provide a familiar platform for the public, journalists, broadcasting students, advertisers, and the TV industry to celebrate new and returning English and French-language Canadian series, as well as selected programming from around the world. The festival will offer several different screening events for audiences, including a “catch-up binge-viewing” of a top drama series; the world and Canadian premieres of major network programs and web series; and the reunion of the cast of a past hit show.” CITF is generously supported by the Canada Media Fund (CMF), the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), and by Presenting Sponsor, Bell Media.

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