Angela Jennings and Travis Farncombe launch new production company, Skywild Pictures

March 28, 2025 Greg David Leave a comment

From a media release:

Veteran television executive and producer Angela Jennings (MasterChef Canada, Canada’s Got Talent, Luxe Listings Toronto) joins writer and executive producer Travis Farncombe (A Translator, 13 Minutes) to announce the launch of their new production company, Skywild Pictures. Rounding out the senior leadership team is seasoned broadcast executive Tom Hastings (Cardinal, Transplant) in the role of Vice-President, Development. Based in Toronto, Skywild Pictures focuses on premium, scripted television and film that delivers captivating narratives to audiences worldwide.

“Skywild Pictures is collaborating with the top writers and creators in the industry on a slate of bold, original content,” said Angela Jennings, President and Founding Partner, Skywild Pictures. “Strategic and innovative partnerships – with both the creative community and commissioners – is the foundation of our company. With decades of experience, our team has an ambitious mandate to deliver undeniable stories and premium productions.”

As President and Founding Partner, Jennings oversees the company’s stakeholder relations and corporate development, in addition to managing creative, financial and legal strategies, and daily operations. She brings more than 25 years’ experience to her role at Skywild Pictures, having built two thriving independent production companies from the ground up and producing best-in-class hit shows for audiences worldwide. Working in both Canada and the US, Jennings has held positions as corporate president, executive producer and showrunner, producing more than 700 hours of blockbuster content created for commissioners across North America and distributed in more than 100 countries globally. She has successfully negotiated long-running partnerships with Amazon Studios and Prime Video, Bell Media, Fremantle, Banijay, Warner Bros Discovery, Corus Entertainment, Rogers Sports and Media and more.

Award-winning and well-respected creative executive, Hastings joins Skywild Pictures as Vice-President, Development, where his focus is the development and production of all original scripted series and features. Hastings brings unparalleled experience creating highly acclaimed, scripted content, including in his prior roles as Head of Original Programming at Paramount+ Canada, Director of Drama at Bell Media, and Creative Head of Drama CBC. Successes under his tenure include international Emmy award nominated series Cardinal (CTV), acclaimed medical procedural Transplant (NBC, Bell Media), as well as Wynonna Earp (Syfy, Space), 19-2 (Bravo, CTV), Being Erica (CBC), and Arctic Air (CBC). With extensive and long-standing relationships in the independent production and literary communities, Hastings is well-known and respected amongst top writers, producers, showrunners and agents.

About Skywild Pictures
Creative excellence and innovative strategy are the pillars of Skywild Pictures. We produce premium, scripted television and film, delivering captivating narratives to audiences worldwide. Based in Toronto, Skywild Pictures was founded by Travis Farncombe, CEO, and Angela Jennings, President. Tom Hastings is Vice-President, Development. This leadership team brings decades of experience in entertainment, and a distinctly innovative business and creative strategy. Skywild Pictures is uniquely positioned to compete in the rapidly changing content industry, with our exceptional corporate stability and entrepreneurial flexibility setting us apart. Collaboration and innovation are at the heart of what we do, and are reflected in our slate of bold, original projects developed with the industry’s top creative talent. skywildpictures.com

Awards, Featured, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent

Nominations announced for the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards

March 26, 2025 Greg David Leave a comment

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today the nominees for the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards in 149 film, television, and digital media categories. The winners of the 13th edition of the annual awards will be unveiled across three days in Toronto, culminating with The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards, hosted by Canadian comedian Lisa Gilroy, streaming live in its entirety on Sunday, June 1 at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT on the free CBC Gem streaming service.

Television series Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent tops both television and overall nominations with 20, including nods for Best Lead Performer, Drama Series, presented by the Canada Media Fund, for Kathleen Munroe and Aden Young; and Best Drama Series. Bones of Crows, Children Ruin Everything, and Run the Burbs all secure 12, followed by Paris 2024 Summer Olympics with 11.

In the film categories, Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language | Une langue universelle leads nominations with 13, including Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Direction. David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds follows with nine; Sam McGlynn’s Deaner ’89 and Karen Chapman’s Village Keeper both receive seven.

My Dead Mom earns the most digital media nominations with eight, including Best Web Program or Series, Fiction; followed by Stories from my Gay Grandparents with six and Everybody’s Meg with four.

“I am constantly amazed by the exceptional films, television shows, and digital projects that we have the privilege of celebrating at the Canadian Screen Awards, and this year is no different,” said Tammy Frick, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “Canadian creativity continues to reach new heights, and we are eager to honour the extraordinary work being produced in the greatest country in the world—Canada.”

Follow this link for a complete list of 2025 Canadian Screen Award nominees.

Awards, Featured

Comedian Lisa Gilroy to take the stage as host of The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards live on CBC Gem

March 21, 2025 Greg David

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today that Canadian Actress and Creator Lisa Gilroy will host The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards, live from the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto and streaming in its entirety on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT on the free CBC Gem streaming service.

“We are beyond excited to have Lisa Gilroy host The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards on CBC Gem — her infectious energy, quick wit, and undeniable charisma make her the perfect choice to lead our celebration of Canadian screen excellence,” said Tammy Frick, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “With the show streaming live on CBC Gem and Lisa at the helm, The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards will be truly unforgettable.”

Live from the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto, The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards is Canada’s biggest night in entertainment, with legendary icons and rising stars coming together to honour the very best in our homegrown film and television — all streaming on CBC Gem. Featuring unforgettable moments, heartfelt tributes to beloved entertainers, and a showcase of this year’s most celebrated content, The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards will be a uniquely Canadian evening celebrating the stories and talent that unite us all.

“I’m over the moon to be hosting such an iconic Canadian event — I feel so lucky,” said Actress and Creator Lisa Gilroy. “Canada is home to some of the most talented people in the world and I can’t wait to celebrate them!”

Lisa Gilroy is a Canadian Screen Award nominated actor and creator living in LA. Most recently, she played Detective Green in the main ensemble of Taika Waititi’s critically acclaimed series for Hulu, Interior Chinatown. Recent TV appearances include Mindy Kaling’s Running Point (Netflix); a recurring role in Twisted Metal (Peacock); The Studio (Apple TV+) for director Seth Rogen; and Shrinking (Apple TV+). She is known for Amazon’s Jury Duty, her viral social media videos (notably her parody plea to rude fans) and her appearances on the popular comedy platform Dropout. Gilroy is an alumna of The Second City’s Touring Company in Toronto, The Groundling’s Sunday Company in LA and was featured in the 2022 Just For Laughs New Faces showcase in Montreal. Currently, Gilroy has a First Look deal with Sony Pictures Television, performs with the ASSSSCAT cast at The Upright Citizen’s Brigade and with Dinosaur Improv at the iconic Largo Theatre in Los Angeles.

Image courtesy of Kristina Ruddick.

Allegiance, Awards, Featured

Banff World Media Festival unites Gala Awards & Rockie Awards in landmark event

March 19, 2025 Greg David Leave a comment

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is thrilled to announce that for the first time, the prestigious Banff Gala Awards and the Rockie Awards International Program Competition will unite in a single, must-attend event—creating an unparalleled celebration of industry excellence. This milestone event will honor both the entertainment industry’s most influential talent and business leaders and the most exceptional content from around the world. The highly anticipated in-person awards show will take place on Monday, June 9th at 5:30pm MT (4:30pm PT/ 7:30pm ET) during the Festival, bringing together industry leaders, talent, and creators for an unforgettable night of recognition and celebration.

The Banff Gala Honours recognize visionary executives, creatives, and changemakers shaping the global media landscape. Gala Honours recipients will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile, the Rockie Awards International Program Competition celebrates the best in television and digital media, with this year’s competition featuring 152 nominees from 22 countries across 30 categories, selected from entries submitted by 45 countries.

The Rockie Awards Grand Jury chooses the coveted Grand Jury Prize, selected from the top-scoring programs across the entire field of nominees. This year’s esteemed Grand Jury includes:

Hojin Kwon
Senior Executive Director
SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System)

Adam Lewinson
Chief Content Officer
Tubi

Meghan Lyvers
Executive Director, Original Scripted UK & Ireland
Sky

Sitarah Pendelton-Eaglin
EVP, Head of Unscripted Series
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

Christian Vesper
CEO, Global Drama and Film
Fremantle

“For the first time ever, we’re bringing together the prestigious Gala Awards and the Rockies into one incredible event. This will be a spectacular night celebrating the industry’s most influential leaders alongside the world’s top creative talent — all in one room, under one roof. With so many groundbreaking creators and executives in attendance, this year’s show promises to be an unforgettable, must-see celebration of excellence in global entertainment,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director.

In addition to the Grand Jury Prize, the $25,000 Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content, awarded to the top Canadian production and the Prix Francophone for the top French language production will also be awarded as well as other special awards including the Carrie Hunter Emerging Talent Prize. In total, 30 awards will be bestowed in the category streams of Documentary & Factual, Arts & Entertainment, Children & Youth, Scripted, and Podcast. This year’s lineup also introduces two new categories – Best Performance in a Drama and Best Performance in a Comedy – which recognize outstanding recurring performances in a scripted comedic and dramatic series.

Leading nominations by company are:
● BBC – 28 nominations
● National Geographic – 7 nominations
● Hulu – 7 nominations
● Disney Television Studios – 5 nominations
● Audible – 5 nominations

Leading nominations by country are:
● USA – 54 nominations
● UK – 52 nominations
● CANADA – 35 nominations
● AUSTRALIA – 7 nominations
● BELGIUM – 5 nominations
● FRANCE – 5 nominations
● SOUTH KOREA – 5 nominations

Additional countries represented in the nominations are:
● CHINA
● FINLAND
● GERMANY
● INDIA
● IRELAND
● ISRAEL
● ITALY
● JAPAN
● MEXICO
● NEW ZEALAND
● NORWAY
● SINGAPORE
● SPAIN
● SWEDEN
● TAIWAN

See all the nominees here, including one for Allegiance‘s Supinder Wraich (pictured above).

Featured, The Trades

Authenticity, and laughs, return for Season 2 of The Trades

March 19, 2025 Greg David Leave a comment

I grew up in a blue-collar town, where working in a factory was integral to the city’s survival. Heck, I even worked a summer in a factory, trucking boxes of shoes, polish, and other accessories around a maze of boxes and loading and unloading trucks. It didn’t take me long to get into the feel of the place—the razzing, the nicknames, the back-slapping and the hard work.

Needless to say, I immediately connected with The Trades when I first tuned in to Season 1 on Crave, recognizing how the staff at Imperial Valley refinery interacted as legitimate, something creator Ryan J. Lindsay strives for.

“In the current landscape of content, authenticity is paramount,” he says. “People are so distractible, the mission with this show was clear. We knew we wanted to target a blue-collar or blue-collar adjacent audience and make them laugh. In order to do so, we needed relatable characters and relatable experiences. They need to watch this show and say, ‘I know a guy like that,’ ‘I work with a guy like that,’ or ‘I know a girl who has done that.'”

Director Warren P. Sonoda (left) and Ryan J. Lindsay on set

Now back for Season 2, with two episodes dropping every Friday on the Canadian streaming service, Lindsay’s creation centres around pipefitter Todd Stool (Robb Wells, Trailer Park Boys) as he navigates his blue-collar life at a refinery with help from his family and friends. The first two episodes of Season 2 are already up and running on Crave, and saw Todd and his buddy, Backwoods (Daniel Petronijevic, Letterkenny, 19-2), swapping their Imperial Valley refinery gigs for working the pipeline. Meanwhile, work at Imperial Valley was in disarray thanks to new foreman Danny (Pat Roach, Trailer Park Boys), necessitating Todd and Backwoods’ return to get the refinery and its ragtag staff (which includes a powerhouse cast in Anastasia Phillips, Jennifer Spence, Enrico Colantoni, Tom Green, Raoul Bhaneja, Jesse Camacho, Brandon Oakes and Susan Kent) back in shape.

The first of this week’s new instalments breaks new ground for The Trades with “Night Shift,” a bottle episode (the story is contained in one location, filming at night in Hamilton, Ont.) and the first to be directed by Lindsay.

“Directing is a different kind of hot seat from showrunning, writing or producing,” he says. “You’re ultimately the one who is watching the clock. In Season 1, I had the privilege of watching director Warren P. Sonoda for three months. It was the best director training ever.

“This episode is something I’m really proud of,” he continues. “It’s different from the rest of the season, has a horror theme, and is something we have never done before.”

The Trades drops two episodes every Friday on Crave.

Images courtesy of Kontent House Inc.