2024 WGC Screenwriting Awards finalists announced

March 12, 2024 Greg David Leave a comment

From a media release:

The WGC Screenwriting Awards are now in their 28th year of celebrating the very best Canadian screenwriters—the all-important talent behind the most engaging and powerful Canadian-made series, films, and shorts.

In contention for the 2024 awards are scripts from Children Ruin Everything (Kurt Smeaton, Jessica Meya, Kathleen Phillips, Anita Kapila), Pinecone and Pony (Tally Yong Knoll, Lienne Sawatsky, Corey Liu), Murdoch Mysteries (Simon McNabb), Bones of Crows (Marie Clements), Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory (Desmond Sargeant, Sonya Ballantyne), Little Bird (Zoe Hopkins), Suze (Linsey Stewart & Dane Clark), and many others.

Please see the complete list of categories and finalists below.

The 2024 WGC Screenwriting Awards will recognize Canadian screenwriters and their scripts at a ceremony on Monday, May 13 at Koerner Hall in Toronto. The ceremony will be hosted by Jessica Holmes.

In addition to the eight categories featured, one WGC member will be awarded the prestigious Showrunner Award, a special prize previously won by Susin Neilsen (Family Law, Robson Arms), Anthony Q. Farrell (Shelved, Run the Burbs), Morwyn Brebner (Coroner, Saving Hope) and others. Other special prizes will be awarded, including the Alex Barris Mentorship Award, and the Sondra Kelly Award which is generously supported by AFBS.

CHILDREN’S
Interstellar Ella, “Big Little Problems” | Written by Emer Connon

Interstellar Ella, “A Star is Born” | Written by Anne-Marie Perrotta Jane, “Ursus maritimus” | Written by J.J. Johnson

Pinecone and Pony, “Once in a Violetmoon” | Written by Tally Yong Knoll

Pinecone and Pony, “Hero Soup” | Written by Lienne Sawatsky

Pinecone and Pony, “Pinecone and Horse” | Written by Corey Liu

COMEDY SERIES
The Lake, “Death on Denial” | Written by Julian Doucet & Lori-Ann Russell

Children Ruin Everything, “Arguments” | Written by Kurt Smeaton

Children Ruin Everything, “Therapy” | Written by Kurt Smeaton & Jessica Meya

Children Ruin Everything, “Clothes” | Written by Kathleen Phillips

Children Ruin Everything, “Babysitters” | Written by Anita Kapila

Shelved, “Jane Eyre FICTION BRO” | Written by Anthony Q. Farrell

Workin’ Moms, “It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere” | Written by Enuka Okuma

DRAMA SERIES
Family Law, “Under the Influence” | Written by Sarah Dodd

Transplant, “Crete” | Written by Joseph Kay & Rachel Langer

Pretty Hard Cases, “Always a Bridesmaid” | Written by Tassie Cameron & Sherry White

Moonshine, “Get My Baby Back” | Written by Sheri Elwood & Alexander Nunez

Murdoch Mysteries, “The Porcelain Maiden” | Written by Simon McNabb

Little Bird, “Bineshi Kwe” | Written by Zoe Hopkins

FEATURE FILM
Butterfly Tale | Story by Heidi Foss and Michael Solomon/Screenplay by Heidi Foss and Lienne Sawatsky

Irena’s Vow | Written by Dan Gordon

Suze | Written by Linsey Stewart & Dane Clark

The Burning Season | Written by Jonas Chernick and Diana Frances

MOW & MINISERIES
Bad Romance: The Vicky White Story | Written by Gregory Small & Richard Blaney

The Amityville Curse | Written by Dennis Heaton

Bones of Crows, “To Be Here” | Written by Marie Clements

PRESCHOOL
Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory, “Groom-Ba” | Written by Desmond Sargeant

Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory, “Orange Shirt Day” | Written by Sonya Ballantyne

Mittens and Pants, “Bunny Family Wedding” | Written by Katherine Sandford

Dino Ranch, “Luna Sees The Light” | Written by Naomi Jardine

Superbuns, “The Sweet Sound of Christmas” | Written by Suzanne Bolch & John May

SHORTS (includes web series, drama and comedy series episodes under 15 minutes)
I Will Bury You, “Depression” | Written by Ravi Steve Khajuria

Armadillo Avalanche, “Clem” | Written by Celeste Koon

Armadillo Avalanche, “Raven” | Written by Alix Markman

TWEENS & TEENS
Popularity Papers, “Pain in the Bat Mitzvah” | Written by Jeff Detsky

Popularity Papers, “Ghost Mortem” | Written by Evan Thaler Hickey

The Hardy Boys, “The Crash” | Written by Ramona Barckert

The Hardy Boys, “At the Old House” | Written by Chris Pozzebon

ABOUT THE WGC
The Writers Guild of Canada represents 2,500 professional English-language screenwriters across Canada, the creators of Canadian entertainment enjoyed on all screens. wgc.ca

Featured, When Calls the Heart

When Calls The Heart Season 11 premieres on Super Channel Heart and Home

March 7, 2024 Greg David Leave a comment

From a media release:

Super Channel announced today that Heart and Home continues to be Canada’s one-stop destination for all seasons of the beloved hit series When Calls the Heart, featuring 111 binge-worthy episodes just in time for the Season 11 premiere on Sunday, April 7 at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes will be available on Super Channel On Demand the following day.

From now through to the premiere, Super Channel Heart and Home delivers viewers plenty of opportunities to catch up on the trials and tribulations in Hope Valley. Beginning Saturday, March 9, When Calls the Heart season marathons will be available each day of each weekend leading up to the Season 11 premiere. See full schedule below. Plus, Season 1 is now available for Free on superchannel.ca, Amazon Prime Video Channels and Free On Demand platforms with select TV providers!

The highly anticipated Season 11, airing simultaneously with Hallmark Channel in the U.S., features 12 new episodes of the British Columbia-filmed series, exploring renewal, redemption, and, of course, romance as Hope Valley enters the 1920s. It will also answer many burning questions sparked by last season’s shocking finale.

Schoolteacher Elizabeth Thornton (Erin Krakow) embarks on a fresh start, with new romance, new challenges, and new style. She and Mountie Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry) navigate their growing romantic feelings while leaning on each other for support as they face new parenting obstacles. Newly elected Governor Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally) must confront his past to embrace his strengths and lead Hope Valley into the future. Retired Mountie Bill Avery (Jack Wagner) and newspaper reporter Rosemary Coulter (Pascale Hutton) team up to unravel a mystery, putting their entire community at risk.

Awards, Little Bird, Sort Of

Nominations announced for the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards

March 6, 2024 Greg David Leave a comment

From a media release:

Today, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced the nominees for the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards in 156 television, film, and digital media categories. The annual awards celebrating excellence on-screen will be presented over four days during Canadian Screen Week 2024, including The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards broadcast show, hosted by Mae Martin, airing on Friday, May 31 at 8 PM (9 AT, 9:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.

Crave Original limited series Little Bird leads both television and overall 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominations with 19, including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Performer, Drama Series, presented by the Canada Media Fund, nominations for Darla Contois and Ellyn Jade. The final seasons of CBC comedies Sort Of and Workin’ Moms follow with 18 and 12 nominations, respectively.

In film, Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry tops nominations with 17, making it the most nominated film in the history of the Canadian Screen Awards. Honours include Best Motion Picture, Achievement in Direction, and Performance in a Leading Role, Comedy for Jay Baruchel. Ariane Louis-Seize’s Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person | Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant follows with 12, while Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool secures 11.

The Drop and How to Fail as a Popstar lead digital media nominations with five, including Best Web Program or Series, Fiction; followed by I Hate People, People Hate Me and Streams Flow From A River with four.

The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards will be handed out in a series of award shows at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto all culminating with The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards broadcast show, hosted by Mae Martin, where viewers at home can tune in to be a part of all the excitement. The full schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, May 28, 2024
7:00 PM ET: The News, Entertainment, and Sports Awards, presented by CTV

Wednesday, May 29, 2024
12:30 PM ET: The Television Craft Awards
7:00 PM ET: The Television Program and Performance Awards

Thursday, May 30, 2024
12:30 PM ET: The Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle, and Reality Awards, presented by CTV
7:00 PM ET: The Cinematic Arts Awards, presented by Telefilm Canada, supported by Cineplex

Friday, May 31, 2024
4:00 PM ET: The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards Gala
8:00 PM (9 AT, 9:30 NT): The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards (broadcast show on CBC and CBC Gem)The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards Box Office opens today, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Each of the award presentations from May 28 to May 31 will include cocktail receptions for attendees, taking place before and after the shows. Canadian Screen Award nominees and guests can book their tickets online at academy.ca/boxoffice.

The nominees for the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards were chosen by voting members of the Canadian Academy and by nominating juries, conducted virtually with representatives from the film, television, and digital media industries. The membership will now cast their votes between Thursday, March 7 and Monday, March 25 to determine the winners.

For the full list of 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominees, please visit academy.ca/nominees; view the full schedule for Canadian Screen Week 2024 at CanadianScreenWeek.ca.

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Bryan Baeumler hits the open road this spring on HGTV Canada’s Bryan’s All In

March 4, 2024 Greg David 1 Comment

From a media release:

Bryan Baeumler takes viewers on a road trip this spring with eight all-new episodes of Bryan’s All In, beginning Sunday, March 31, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada and STACKTV. The fan-favourite HGTV Canada star travels off the beaten path to help struggling entrepreneurs with their dream businesses.

Bryan spends a week guiding budding business owners through a make-or-break point in their renovation. He acts as their coach and mentor, helping them overcome major hurdles, while tackling essential builds in a race to open or revive their business.

Viewers received a sneak peek at this series last fall, with two special preview episodes that followed Baeumler to a distillery in Prince Edward County, Ontario, and a rustic farmstand in Thomasburg, Ontario.

Bryan picks up his journey this Spring in Arnprior, Ontario, where he meets the owners of a local bowling alley who are working against the clock with a big list of renos. With only one year to turn a profit, Bryan works to help them keep the local landmark alive for the sake of their business, and for the community. Additional episodes include a craft brewery in Kenora, Ontario, a fishing resort in Pollard’s Point, Newfoundland, a maple syrup business in Coldwater, Ontario, and more. Fans can catch up on two previously released episodes now, streaming exclusively on STACKTV.

As part of Bryan’s continued partnership with the Royal Bank of Canada, custom RBC creative and integrations are featured throughout Bryan’s All In.

Bryan’s All In is produced by Si Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for HGTV Canada.

Industry News

Link: Michael MacMillan, The Canadian Television Chief Who Brought The ‘CSI’ Franchise To The World, On Doing It All Again With Blue Ant Media

February 29, 2024 Greg David Leave a comment

From Jesse Whittock of Deadline:
Link: Michael MacMillan, The Canadian Television Chief Who Brought The ‘CSI’ Franchise To The World, On Doing It All Again With Blue Ant Media
Michael MacMillan retired from the world of television 17 years ago. Except, he didn’t. Continue reading.