Everything about Industry News, eh?

Super Channel renews Tiny Plastic Men for Season 4

From a media release:

Super Channel, Canada’s only national English pay television network, is pleased to announce the funding of 15 new feature films, documentaries and series,supported through the Super Channel Development Fund.

The diverse list of projects includes 11 feature films, 3 documentaries and one returning series.

Among the feature films is horror thriller, Jacqueline Ess, produced by Raven Banner Entertainment’s James Fler, Andrew T Hunt, and Michael Paszt, and executive producers Clive Barker and Mark Miller.  Based on the short story by Clive Barker, the film is written and directed by Jovanka Vuckovic and stars Lena Heady (Game of Thrones). Jacqueline Ess tells the story of a beautiful woman with the ability to horrifically change people’s body shapes simply with her mind. Her ability gives her the power to grant men the ultimate sexual experience, albeit one that always proves fatal. It’s a captivating tale of sex, power, and the extremes that await us at the limits of desire.

Also included among the features is Goalie, produced by Daniel Iron at Foundry Films. Directed by Adriana Maggs and written by Jane Maggs and Adriana Maggs, the story revolves around Terry Sawchuk who is left to fend for himself in a rocky childhood, after his brother dies. He takes on his brother’s mantle of goalie – and later finds a new family with his first NHL team, the Detroit Red Wings. Although he is the best the league has ever seen, his insecurity and alcoholism ultimately drive away the only family he has ever had.

Indian Horse produced by Christine Haebler and Trish Dolman of Screen Siren Pictures, with Roger Frappier of Max Films, is a wise and moving story based on the novel by Richard Wagamese. Written by Dennis Foon and directed by Stephen Campanelli, the film tells the story of Saul Indian Horse as he struggles to break free of the horrors of the Canadian residential school system and redeem his dignity as an Aboriginal man, by immersing himself into the unlikely world of semi-professional hockey.

The Keeper, also from Screen Siren Pictures, written by Graeme Manson (Orphan Black) and directed by Zach Lipovsky, is a taut psychological thriller set in 1920 on a remote island off the stormy Pacific coast that focuses on the tumultuous and tangled relationship between two men — one an experienced but cloistered lighthouse keeper, the other a former soldier with a haunted past — and a beautiful woman who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck.

Super Channel is also proud to support the documentary features Manic and Healer Heal from Bob Moore at EyeSteelFilm. In Manic, screenwriter and director, Kalina Bertin, looks back at her own father – a man known alternately as a cult leader, a scam artist, a prophet, and a father of 15 children around the world. His manic state lives on through his kids after his untimely murder, but as the filmmaker begins to ask- is he even dead? Healer Heal, written and directed by Mia Donovan, is an exceptional story about the critical journey being taken by a doctor facing his own mortality. Once known as “The Pied Piper of Acupuncture in America”, Dr. Mario Wexu was an eccentric genius who dedicated his life to creating innovative therapies for the very thing that almost destroyed him: drug addiction.

Receiving funding for a hilarious fourth season is the Canadian Screen Award nominated comedy series, Tiny Plastic Men produced by Mosaic Entertainment’s Camille Beaudoin, Jesse Lipscombe and Eric Rebalkin. From screenwriters and stars Chris Craddock, Mark Meer and Matt Alden, the series follows three nerdy man-boys working as prototype testers at an off-beat toy company that makes anything but conventional toys. Testing these weird and often dangerous toys is the easy part. It’s the eccentric bosses, hostile co-workers, and odd-ball guests that make the job… interesting.

For a list of the funded projects, as well as information on criteria, eligibility and the submission process for the next round of funding, please visit: http://www.superchannel.ca/producers/development-fund/

The next deadline for the Super Channel Development Fund is October 9, 2015.

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Production Begins on CBC Comedy Special HumanTown

From a media release:

Buck Productions, the Coup Company, and CBC announced today that production has begun on the half-hour special HumanTown (@Human_Town), a sketch comedy that depicts everyday life in the deranged and eccentric town of HumanTown. The special is currently shooting in Hamilton, ON.

HumanTown is a story-driven sketch comedy that focuses on life in the bizarre town of the same name. Viewers follow the eccentric citizens, some of whom embrace the absurdity of their town while others continue to struggle with the ever-growing surrealism. Unlike most sketch shows,HumanTown is not an assortment of unrelated sketches. Events in one sketch often impact characters and environments in future sketches, creating a continuous universe for viewers to follow and invest in.

HumanTown took home $500,000 in production financing from CBC ComedyCoup, the disruptive studio model for independent content creators that helps develop, market, and build audiences for original TV comedy projects. HumanTown received the production financing in December 2014 and the project has since been in development.

HumanTown is a six-man comedy troupe based in Vancouver, comprising of Miles Chalmers, Daniel Doheny, Jack Heyes, Ki Kwiatkowski, Liam MacLeod, and Kane Stewart. The group met on their first day of high school in 2003, and for 12 hilarious years has been creating their own comedy content. HumanTown was a finalist in the NexTV WebSeries and Indie Film Competition; a finalist in Bite TV’s Webseries pitch competition; winners of The Comedy Network’s Exposed competition; and have now taken home the grand prize from CBC ComedyCoup.

HumanTown is executive produced by Sean Buckley (Coopers Christmas, Running Mates, Defendor, Pretend We’re Kissing). Showrunner and director is Vivieno Caldinelli (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Hotbox, Picnicface). The series is written and co-created by Miles Chalmers, Daniel Doheny, Jack Heyes, Ki Kwiatkowski, Liam MacLeod, and Kane Stewart. HumanTown is produced by Buck Productions in association with CBC.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

CFC and Entertainment One launch Television Adaptation Lab

From a media release:

In their shared commitment to creative storytelling, the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and Entertainment One (eOne) are pleased to announce the creation of the CFC / eOne TV Adaptation Lab, a unique initiative that aims to workshop and develop pilot scripts based off of underlying literary works and creative properties with strong adaptation potential for a television series.

Set to begin in Toronto in spring 2016, the CFC / eOne TV Adaptation Lab will focus on the creative concept process, exploring the television form and sharing best practices in adapting content.

Throughout the Lab, selected properties and creators will receive support in developing pilot scripts, on an individual basis, with top-level professionals and international experts, as well as access to a select number of case studies to explore different approaches and opportunities for adapting material to television. With a hands-on approach, the Lab is designed to help participants gain perspective and insights into the adaptation process, while considering which course of action might best serve their properties and set them on an accelerated course for series development.

The CFC / eOne TV Adaptation Lab is open to Canadian content creators who own the rights to their creative properties, including comedy, theatre, stand up, novels, novellas, graphic novels, short stories, zines, web series, video games –material of all types, originating from anywhere in the world, that has the potential to be adapted into an exciting television series. The Lab is designed to support Canadian creatives and provide them with an opportunity to potentially secure a series deal with eOne, theworld’s leading independent studio.

Applications for the CFC / eOne TV Adaptation Lab open today, and the deadline to apply for the 2016 Lab is January 11, 2016. For more information on the Lab and to apply, please visit: cfccreates.com.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

BravoFACT and Women in Film & Television Announce New Partnership

From a media release:

– WIFT-T partners with BravoFACT to award a total of $70,000 for the first and second place winners of female-led short film pitch contest –
–Year of the Female Filmmaker initiative sees 50% of allocated BravoFACT funds awarded to female-led projects, more than 1.2 million rewarded to date –

  • A pitch coaching session led by an industry professional to help fine tune pitches
  • Four tickets to the 2016 WIFT-T Showcase
  • An opportunity to showcase their project in front of a high-profile jury comprised of BravoFACT professionals and industry experts

The six teams selected will present to an audience comprised of WIFT-T members, industry professionals, and content creators, affording all presenters excellent exposure for their projects, regardless of the outcome. Aside from the cash awards, the first place team receives two, $500 WIFT-T programming passes that can be put toward the fee of any one of WIFT-T’s paid programs. The second placed team receives onstage recognition at the 2016 WIFT-T Showcase in March. Deadline to submit is Friday, Jan. 8, 2016. Interested teams can download a BravoFACT application form at www.bravofact.com.

Since its launch in January 2015, BravoFACT’s Year of the Female Filmmaker initiative has been providing support to up-and-coming female filmmakers across the country by committing a guaranteed minimum of 50% of its funds, in perpetuity, to female-led projects. To date, BravoFACT has awarded a total of $1,255,044 million to female-led projects, and Women in Film & Television-ATLANTIC (WIFT-ATLANTIC), Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), HOT DOCS and Victoria Film Festival, to continue to offer young filmmakers support and funding for their projects. BravoFACT has also welcomed high-profile female guest jurors to its quarterly juries including actor and filmmaker Amy Jo Johnson, actor Natalie Brown, and Hot Docs programmer Angie Driscoll.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

DHX Media licenses two series to U.S., Asia and Latin America

From a media release:

DHX Media (“DHX” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DHXM; TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B), a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, has signed broadcast deals with Disney XD channels for two series recently commissioned by DHX TV to air originally on its Family CHRGD channel. DHX Media licensed the new 50×11′ animated fantasy series, Fangbone! to Disney XD channels in the US, Latin America, South East Asia and Taiwan. In a further deal, it also licensed the innovative original series Gaming Show (In My Parents’ Garage) to Disney XD in the US where it will premiere Wednesday, September 9 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT).

Fangbone! is a Radical Sheep Production. DHX Television commissioned the series for Canada where it will air on the wacky, wild and energy-filled Family CHRGD network, entering the market in early 2016. The series is aimed at 8–12 year olds and follows the quest of the titular character, a young barbarian from Skullbania, as he travels through a magical portal into the suburbs of our world with a most dangerous burden. His mission is to protect the blackened and slightly jam-smelling big toe of Venomous Drool from being reunited with its master – the evilest sorcerer in all the planes of existence! Fangbone becomes the best friend of Bill – a kid whose weirdness is his ultimate weapon – and who helps Fangbone survive in a world of spelling tests and waffles.

Together, Fangbone and Bill battle Drool’s monsterish creations, along with fat-fingered foot finders, independent magical contractors, and even the thieving Shadowsteppers – keeping the toe safe from any who would use its evil powers. Fangbone! is a tale of epic comedy, epic action and epic epicness! The series is based on the books by New York Times bestselling author Michael Rex.

Gaming Show is an innovative TV show that takes kids and tweens into the world of gaming in a new and exciting way. It’s a fun, authentic, comedic, and informative, semi-scripted gamer magazine series, “un-hosted” by three original, young and passionate gamers. The series is produced by Banger Films’ kids division, B-Minors and created by Jesse Shamata. Twenty-five new 30-minute episodes of the Canadian Screen Award-nominated, live-action show are in production for DHX Television’s Family Channel and Family CHRGD.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail