From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:
Link: CBC boss Catherine Tait on advertising, streaming, the four-headed news show, and more
“We want to leverage our limited resources. When you look at everything we do we don’t have a lot for entertainment programming. How do we produce shows that Canadians will like and have a life beyond Canada? Part of our role is to tell the world about Canada. As a public broadcaster, I believe the CBC has an international role.” Continue reading.
From a media release:
Québec Cinéma is proud to announce a three-year partnership with Netflix to set up a Talent Lab, a brand-new program created expressly to mentor and coach emerging artists and professionals by outstanding world-renowned experts. This unique learning opportunity is designed to both challenge and help the next generation of Québec filmmakers in their career path.
Intended to take place during the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, the very first of three editions of the Talent Lab will take place in February 2020. A call for entries will be held to select a group of handpicked young professionals, who will have the chance to develop and refine their skills through mentoring sessions, conferences, discussions and master classes given by Quebec and internationally renowned film industry professionals. Considering its values of equality and diversity, Québec Cinéma will encourage the participation of women and members of Native as well as francophone communities from across Canada.
“Training and mentoring emerging talent has been a part of our mission since our beginnings. This partnership with Netflix allows us to do more in that regard by providing our future filmmakers with real-life experiences and the opportunity to learn from the best minds in the industry,†says Ségolène Roederer, Executive Director at Québec Cinéma.
By creating this unique Talent Lab in partnership with Netflix, Québec Cinéma will allow participants to access concrete tools that will enable them to learn about every aspect of the industry—from creative to marketing strategy and everything in between.
This partnership is part of Netflix’s $25 million commitment to invest in local cultural organizations and events to support new and diverse Canadian talent, including women, francophone and indigenous creators.
“Netflix is delighted to partner with Québec Cinéma to develop a mentorship program created specifically to support emerging artists from here,†said Funa Maduka, Director of International Original Films, Production and Acquisition, at Netflix. “We are always on the lookout for the best stories, which is why we are happy to invest in programs such as the Talent Lab, to support emerging filmmakers who will go on to create stories for Canada and the rest of the world.â€
From a media release:
 CBC today announced the launch of CBC Gem, the national public broadcaster’s new streaming service, offering more than 4000 hours of live and on-demand programming for free. Available now as Canada’s destination for acclaimed, authentically Canadian programming and a curated selection of best-in-class content from around the world, CBC Gem provides live and on-demand access to CBC’s full programming slate spanning drama, comedy, factual entertainment, documentaries, arts, kids, sports and national and local news programming, including the ability to live stream CBC TV at any time with access to 14 CBC channels and their local newscasts across the country. The streaming service also offers French-language programming from ICI Radio-Canada.
CBC will also collaborate with new partners in order to expand the CBC Gem streaming library and offer additional Canadian and international content. A new partnership between CBC and homegrown success story Wattpad, the global multiplatform entertainment company for original stories and the world’s most popular social storytelling platform, will offer emerging Canadian writers the opportunity to create exclusive content for CBC Gem, with more details to be confirmed in the new year. The streaming service also offers more than 100 acclaimed Canadian feature films, available ad-free in partnership with Telefilm Canada, with a selection of films from the National Film Board of Canada, including Indigenous projects, to be added in the coming year.
The growing streaming library available on CBC Gem is supported by ongoing acquisitions from key Canadian distribution partners, including A71 Entertainment, Elevation Pictures, eOne, levelFILM and Mongrel Media, and international partners BBC Studios, Fremantle International, ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Sky Vision.
CBC Gem is available for free as an App for iOS and Android devices and online at cbcgem.ca, and on television via Apple TV and Google Chromecast. An ad-free premium membership is also available for $4.99 per month, which also provides access to a live stream of CBC News Network. All children’s programming is always provided ad-free within CBC Gem.
CBC Gem is exclusive to Canada. All content is available with Closed Captioning, and Described Video is available for most on-demand content.
CBC Member – FREE (registration required):
CBC Member – Premium:
For $4.99 a month (with the first month free of charge), Canadians can upgrade their viewing experience to enjoy additional features and content:
CBC Gem Programming Highlights:
From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:
Link: Tony Wong picks 2018’s television winners and losers
My pick for the most riveting television this year is something that no Hollywood scriptwriter thought of dreaming up: That’s U.S. Supreme Court Judge candidate Brett Kavanaugh having a petulant meltdown. Continue reading.Â
From a media release:
The Pacific Screenwriting Program (PSP) is pleased to announce that BC-based TV showrunner/writer/producer Sarah Dodd has been selected as the Showrunner for its first-ever Scripted Series Lab. This intensive training initiative will provide support and career-advancement opportunities for active and aspiring screenwriters from across BC. Combining real-world story-room experience, mentorship, boot camps, workshops and information sessions, the program equips writers with the skills, experience, and connections necessary to establish a sustainable career in the province’s dynamic screen industry. Petie Chalifoux, Shawn Tolleson, Todd Ireland, Michael Orlando, Kat Sieniuc and Corey Liu are the selected participants for the program. The Pacific Screenwriting Program is a collaboration between Netflix, CMPA-BC, the Writers Guild of Canada and Creative BC.
BC-based TV writer, producer, and showrunner Sarah Dodd will mentor the first group of aspiring screenwriters in the program. Currently, Sarah is an Executive Producer on the 6- part mini-series Cardinal (CTV/Hulu). She was an Executive Producer and Showrunner on Zixx: Level Three (Cartoon Network/YTV), and Head Writer and Producer on The Saddle Club (ABC/YTV).
Sarah has written and produced hundreds of hours of television, both hour-long and half-hour, including: Ransom (CBS/TF-1/Corus/RTL), Motive (ABC/CTV), Arctic Air (CBC), Primeval: New World (SyFy/Space), Endgame (Showcase), The Border (CBC), Falcon Beach (ABC Family/Global), Blood Ties (Space), The Shoebox Zoo (BBC One), Beastmaster (Endemol/Tribune), Code Name Eternity (SyFy), and PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (CBS/Global). Sarah has also worked in film and has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and a BA in Creative Writing and History in Art from the University of Victoria.
For more information about the Pacific Screenwriting Program individuals are encouraged to visit the program’s official website.
