Everything about Industry News, eh?

Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Entertainment One bolsters Canadian unscripted creative team

From a media release:

Entertainment One (eOne) announced today the addition of Christine Diakos, who joins the company as Vice President, Development, Unscripted – Canada, Television. In her new role, Diakos will be responsible for the development, creation and pitching of non-scripted content, with a focus on lifestyle, reality and competition series.

Prior to eOne, Diakos was Senior Vice President of Production and Development at Big Coat Media, where she served as a Supervising Producer on such series as Love It or List It (HGTV), Love It or List It Vancouver (HGTV) and Jillian and Justin (W Network). She’s also served in a variety of senior production and development roles at Shaw Media and Peacock Alley Entertainment, working on content as varied as A Users Guide to Cheating Death (VisionTV) and Hockey Wives (W Network), among others.

Working alongside Diakos is Scott Boyd, who has been elevated to VP, Development, Unscripted and will oversee factual, true crime, and docuseries content. Boyd joined eOne in 2017 as a Development Producer, following eOne’s acquisition of Paperny Entertainment, and quickly progressed to Director of Development, steering such projects for eOne as Make it to the Moon (Discovery) and two-time Canadian Screen Award-winning Arctic Vets (CBC). Prior to eOne, Boyd worked as a Producer and Director across multiple unscripted genres and on several hit series such as Dragons’ Den (CBC) The Big Decision (CBC) and Undercover Boss Canada (W Network)

Both Diakos and Boyd report to Jocelyn Hamilton, President – Canada, Television.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News, Motive, Slasher

Incendo & Tubi announce continued partnership at Content Canada with two additional horror films slated for production in 2022

From a media release:

Incendo is thrilled to announce two additional horror films slated for production in 2022, in conjunction with FOX-owned streaming giant, Tubi as part of their continued content initiative. Driven by the success of the genre and consumer demand for themed content, the projects include Marry F*** Kill, an original film written by Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin (Terror Train), as well as The Amityville Curse, an adaptation of Hans Holzer’s iconic novel from the successful franchise, scripted by Dennis Heaton (Motive).

Incendo is in pre-production in Montreal on the films and will also represent distribution on a global scale; Tubi is the commissioning U.S. licensee for both projects.

Marry F* Kill sees five estranged college friends reunite to attend their friend’s funeral after her shocking suicide. Scarred by a past betrayal that led to the ultimate demise of their friendship, an innocent game of Marry F* Kill spawns into something far more sinister than they could have imagined.

Led by an exceptionally talented Canadian cast, the film stars Jedidiah Goodacre (Descendants), Maxine Denis (Party of Five), Robbie Graham-Kuntz (Utopia Falls), Cynthia Jimenez-Hicks (From), Deanna Jarvis (Beauty and the Beast), and Devin Cecchetto (The Craft: Legacy). Marry F*** Kill has attached multi-award nominated director Caroline Labrèche (Rule of 3) and will be produced by Graham Ludlow and Kaleigh Kavanagh; Executive Producers are Graham Ludlow, Brook Peters, and Shari Segal.

Based on the book of the same name, the new adaptation of The Amityville Curse will take on a different perspective than the 1990 direct-to-video released film. With Incendo securing the underlying rights to the original novel from the estate, fans can look forward to an authentic approach to capturing the gripping story of Hans Holzer’s book.

Incendo partners for the second time with Éric Tessier (You Will Remember Me) to direct the film. Producers are Graham Ludlow and Kaleigh Kavanagh; Executive Producers are Graham Ludlow, Kaleigh Kavanagh, Brook Peters, and Shari Segal, as well as fellow author and Hans Holzer’s daughter, Alexandra Holzer, whose contribution to the film pays tribute to continuing the authenticity and legacy of her father’s work. Casting for the film will commence in the coming months.

Incendo and Tubi initially partnered earlier this year for the collaborative remake of cult classic film Terror Train, which will premiere October 21st in the U.S. as a part of Tubi’s annual month-long Halloween inspired genre celebration, ‘Terror on Tubi’.

From classic slashers to thrills from the paranormal, Incendo’s talented production team are dedicated to bringing these original and reimagined stories to life while staying true to the core fundamentals of the genre and homage to horror fans. The company also has collection of multi-genre series and films in various stages of development for 2023 and beyond.

About Incendo

Incendo is a Canadian company that specializes in the production and international distribution of high-quality television programming for the worldwide marketplace. Since its inception in 2001, the company has produced compelling movies, television series as well as documentaries that have been sold throughout the world. Incendo is the leading television distribution company in Canada and also handles theatrical distribution in Québec for Paramount Pictures. For more information, visit www.incendo.ca.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

CMF funding triggers record-breaking $1.9B in industry activity, says 2021-2022 Annual Report

From a media release:

Released today, the Canada Media Fund (CMF)’s 2021-2022 Annual Report shows that our investments in Canada’s screen-based industries triggered a record-breaking $1.9B in production across the country. Every $1 of CMF funding generated $5.16 in production activity, the highest leverage ratio since the CMF was created in 2010, and played a key role in creating close to 217,000 jobs in Canada’s screen sector.

“The industry we serve is on the verge of a magnitude of change—and it’s long overdue,” says Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, CMF. “We are proud to generate record-breaking production activity across Canada’s screen-based industries, but even more importantly, we delivered over $60M for equity-seeking communities through our Equity and Inclusion Strategy. One of our main priorities is to ensure a truly accessible and inclusive screen sector that supports all storytellers in bringing their stories to screens here at home and beyond our borders.”

View our 2021-2022 Annual Report

As the industry rapidly evolves, CMF programs delivered $359M in funding for the prototyping, development, production, promotion, and export of 1,433 television and digital media projects in 2021-2022. This level of investment and support was made possible thanks to the continued commitments of the CMF’s funding contributors: the Government of Canada, and Canada’s cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors.

As showcased in our 2021-2022 Annual Report, the CMF’s funding programs, as well as our extensive research and promotion initiatives, are clear examples of the fundamental role we play in driving Canada’s digital economy and supporting our nation’s cultural diversity.
  

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Blue Ant Media announces purchase of over 200 hours of programming from Mike Holmes’ iconic library of original series and specials

From a media release:

Blue Ant Media – international producer, distributor and channel operator – and The Holmes Group, have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the extensive library of unscripted original series and specials of Mike Holmes, a pioneer in home renovation and one of the highest-rated stars of lifestyle television. The deal gives Blue Ant Media ownership of over 200 hours of programming from the past two decades, including all seasons of Holmes on Homes, Holmes Makes it Right, Holmes Inspection, alongside specials such as Holmes for the Holidays, Holmes in New Orleans and Mike’s Ultimate Garage, among others.

As current licenses expire, the beloved library of programming will launch in FAST exclusively on Blue Ant Media’s new free streaming channel, Homeful, which showcases real estate, design and decor projects that help make a house a home. Over the coming months, audiences in the US and Canada will see Homeful introduce the Holmes content on platforms such as Roku, LG and Xumo. Blue Ant International now holds the distribution rights to Holmes’ catalog, which will debut at Mipcom 2022 this fall.

As part of the new partnership, Blue Ant Media will also commission new original programming with Mike and his kids Michael Holmes Jr and Sherry Holmes, for its Canadian TV platforms and Homeful. More details on this commissioning will be announced in the coming months.

Having earned his place as one of North America’s most trusted contractors, Mike Holmes holds a loyal fanbase amongst audiences and is widely considered the face of the home renovation space. In every Holmes series, the beloved contractor fixes poor construction work while lending his incredible eye for detail and expert advice to guide homebuyers, homeowners, friends, and family into doing it right.

Newly-launched in spring 2022, Homeful features notable real estate, renovation and transformation series with some of the most well-known faces in TV home design. The new deal builds on Blue Ant Media’s already comprehensive library of original and acquired design and decor-inspired programs. The full list of Mike Holmes IP that Blue Ant now owns, includes: Holmes on Homes™ (Seasons 1-7), Holmes Makes it Right (Seasons 1-2), Holmes Inspection (Seasons 1-3), Holmes + Holmes (Seasons 1-2) Holmes for the Holidays, Lien on Me, Best of Holmes on Homes, Holmes In New Orleans, Holmes Family Effect, Holmes 10th Anniversary and Mike’s Ultimate Garage.

Blue Ant Media’s suite of FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) channels offer audiences curated, exclusive programming that is free to access on growing platforms like VIZIO WatchFree+, The Roku Channel, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus and PrendeTV. The company’s growing global portfolio of FAST channels include Love Nature, HauntTV, Total Crime, Homeful and HistoryTime.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

CBC’s new chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault anchors The National

From a media release:

Starting September 5, Emmy Award-winning journalist and CBC News Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault will helm CBC’s flagship newscast each Monday to Thursday. Arsenault has been a senior correspondent for THE NATIONAL since 1999, deployed to the biggest breaking stories. Arsenault will inform and connect Canadians to the news and issues shaping Canada and the world, while continuing to broaden and deepen the storytelling on the national newscast. Arsenault was named Chief Correspondent earlier this summer. Ian Hanomansing will continue to host Friday and Sunday, in addition to hosting Cross Country Checkup.

“Adrienne is the first woman to be appointed chief correspondent for CBC, and we’re excited and proud to watch as she brings her unwavering dedication to journalistic storytelling, powerful on-the-ground reporting and authentic ‘take-me-there’ approach to the anchor desk, ushering in a new era for our flagship newscast at a time when trusted journalism is more important than ever,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC.

“I am fiercely protective of the importance of public broadcasting and the joys and necessities of good journalism, and this is a huge privilege and responsibility, “ said Arsenault. “I feel ridiculously lucky and grateful to be with all the colleagues I’ve learned from over a long time. It is more than the opportunity to continue to report from around the world. I want to be the advocate for the journalists we have in Canada and across the world. There is nothing more remarkable to me than being in the middle of a busy story surrounded by people rolling up their sleeves and throwing everything they have at getting it right, strictly because it matters. That is the image I always associate with The National.”

Arsenault’s assignments have included disasters, conflicts, politics, sports and human dramas. She won an International Emmy in 2015 for her work covering the Ebola crisis. She has covered seven Olympic Games for CBC including Beijing 2022 and Tokyo 2020, and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Her investigative work on security has seen her cross Canada and pursue terror stories across the globe, more recently being dispatched to cover conflict and war in Ukraine, Syria and Mali. Arsenault began her career at CBC in 1991. Over the years since, her postings have included Vancouver, Washington, Jerusalem and London.

Recently in Canada, Arsenault gained exclusive access to frontline workers dealing with the ongoing consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic including Toronto’s Humber River Hospital and the Ottawa Paramedic Service, telling their stories and revealing the greater impact on the Canadian healthcare system.

Arsenault has been honoured with the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s Journalist of the Year award, and has also won two Gracie awards for outstanding female correspondent, a Monte Carlo Festival award for her coverage of the Zimbabwe election and several Gemini and Canadian Screen Awards.

THE NATIONAL airs at 10 p.m. on CBC TV and is available on all platforms including CBC Gem, CBC News Network, CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, YouTube and Facebook.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail