Tag Archives: AMI

Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Spring has sprung! AMI-tv announces exciting original series and documentaries to celebrate the season

From a media release:

The snow is melting, the days are growing longer, and Canadians are excited about the arrival of spring. Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) is too. Today, AMI-tv unveiled new original and acquired television series and documentary programming designed to shake off the cold, invigorate and motivate.

In keeping with AMI’s mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians, the original series and documentaries utilize Integrated Described Video (IDV) to make them accessible to individuals who are blind or partially sighted.

Highlights of AMI-tv’s upcoming spring programming include:

Heart to Heart (Friday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET)
We love a good love story and Heart to Heart has them. This AMI original special tells the tale of three couples—Olivia and Carolyn, Terry and Anne, and Brian and Krista—who all share something in common: one of the partners has a disability. Offering an honest, insightful and light-hearted dive into what love can look like, Heart to Heart proves one thing: love is awesome.

Reflect and Renew with Kevin Naidoo (Saturday, March 16, at 9 a.m. ET)
Prepare yourself for mind and body rejuvenation through Reflect and Renew with Kevin Naidoo. Those with all levels of mobility can join host Kevin Naidoo on a journey through thoughtful meditation and yoga practices. These will lay the groundwork for mental and physical wellness and positivity providing clarity, focus, balance, inner strength, and greater mobility. Start your day with this AMI original to see and feel a new you!

Our Community, “Paralympic Sports Association” (Thursday, March 21, at 8:30 p.m. ET)
Based in Edmonton, the Paralympic Sports Association (PSA) is a charitable, volunteer-driven organization that provides sport and recreation opportunities for children, youth, teens, adults and seniors of all abilities. In this episode of the AMI original, Our Community, participants and volunteers explain why programs like this must exist, and we explore how the Paralympic Sports Association has created a community within its walls for over 30 years.

Level Playing Field (Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m. ET)
This AMI original documentary series, hosted by Greg Westlake, showcases and celebrates the power of sport by introducing audiences to the athletes, community groups, healthcare professionals and grassroots innovators who demonstrate a desire to help drive positive social change through sport. This month we travel to Kelowna, BC, to meet Rob Shaw, an international wheelchair tennis champ from North Bay, ON, who is ranked Top 10 in the world in quad wheelchair tennis.

Without Limits: Australia (Saturday, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET)
This inspiring two-part BBC documentary observes ex-army Captain Martin Hewitt as he leads a team of British and Australian ex-servicemen and women with disabilities as they embark on an extraordinary nearly 1,000-mile expedition across Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region.

Seen & Heard (Friday, May 24, at 5 p.m. ET)
Filmed in English, American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), Seen & Heard follows a troupe of actors and stage crew —who are Deaf and hearing—as they present a unique Deaf-themed version of The Little Mermaid. Many of the cast and crew have little or no theatre experience, and most of the Deaf actors use LSQ and are unfamiliar with ASL or English. Will the group unite and pull off this once-in-a-lifetime performance? The special presentation of the acquired program Seen & Heard leads into AMI-tv’s Friday night movies.

All AMI-tv originals are available post-broadcast on demand at AMI.ca or the free AMI-tv App.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Season two of Eyes for the Job to premiere July 31 on AMI-tv

From a media release:

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced today that Season two of Eyes for the Job, the 13-part television series focused on home improvement and do-it-yourself projects starring Chris Judge and Alex Haider, will premiere on Tuesday, July 31, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET on AMI-tv.

Produced by Clerisy Entertainment, Eyes for the Job is set in Halifax and features Nova Scotian co-hosts Chris Judge and Alex Haider. A lifelong handyman and do-it-yourself enthusiast, Chris brings a unique perspective to the program: he is blind. Working alongside Chris is Alex Haider, who shares Chris’ creativity and enthusiasm and boasts some serious social media and outreach know-how. Together, they’ll inform, entertain and inspire viewers to expand their DIY abilities in new and exciting ways.

In Season two, Chris steps up his DIY game. He’s started a community workshop in the heart of the city and has the space, tools and materials for some seriously cool creations. With Alex by his side, Chris tackles several projects both in the workshop and in the community, with help from friends.

In keeping with AMI’s mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians, Season two of Eyes for the Job features Integrated Described Video (IDV), where Chris and Alex describe their actions and surroundings during filming to make the program accessible to individuals with vision loss.

Beginning on July 31, Eyes for the Job airs Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET on AMI-tv.

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Industry News

Ideacom International announces start of production on Human+

From a media release:

Award-winning, independent television and digital media company Ideacom International announced today that production is currently underway on the new documentary series Human+, a co-production with France’s Academy Award®-winning Bonne Pioche, for Ici Explora, TVO, and AMI in Canada and RMC Découverte in France. The five-episode one-hour series, filming in the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, and France, is slated to premiere in April 2019.

Human+ takes viewers into the enigmatic world of scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing the way humans see, touch, taste, hear, and smell. Each episode delves into the awe-inspiring and emotional stories of people whose lives are being transformed through some of the most cutting-edge advancements in sensorial technology.

With the participation of the TELUS Fund, Human+ is a Canada-France co-production for Ici Explora, TVO, and AMI in Canada and RMCDécouverte in France. Ideacom International’s Josette D. Normandeau, Bonne Pioche’s Sophie Parrault and André Barro are the Executive Producers, and Amy Webb serves as Producer. Human+ is directed by Vincent Barthélémy and written by Duncan McDowall, Yann Renoard, and Vincent Barthélémy. The series is distributed internationally by Terranoa.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Growing Sense adds gardening to AMI’s stable of original programs

Here in Southern Ontario, it appears winter is over. Squirrels are bounding all over the place, birds are waking me up and the crocuses in my front garden are in bloom. With the first day of spring officially arriving on March 20, AMI-tv is marking the occasion with the debut of its latest series, Growing Sense.

Airing Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on AMI-tv, each of Growing Sense‘s 10 episodes follow novice gardener Milena Khazanavicius and veteran ecological landscaper Rosmarie Lohnes as they build and tend an accessible garden plot in Halifax’s Common Roots Urban Farm. 

“I believe that when we heal the earth, we heal ourselves,” Lohnes says in the show’s opening credits. It’s sage advice. Viewers are first introduced to Khazanavicius, who once worked as a floral designer with dreams of opening her own shop before losing her sight at the age of 22. She and seeing eye dog Lewis hit up a local Halifax flower shop to nab some herbs for her balcony boxes. It’s at this store we learn Khazanavicius’ life story and the pleasure she derives from the smells and textures of flowers and plants. 

Lohnes, meanwhile, outlines her tale. The daughter of a miner who worked in Northern Ontario, childhoods were spent camping in the woods where she developed her “superpower.” Now she’s founded Helping Nature Heal, which restores sustainable ecosystems and connects people with nature.

The pair, introduced months ago, reunite with a bold plan: fill a community garden plot with plants and vegetables designed to reconnect Khazanavicius with her passion for plants while giving her food to augment her fixed income. Khazanavicius’ first challenge? Getting there.

Featuring integrated described video, Growing Sense is a wonderful addition to AMI’s quickly growing stable of original programming that is blind or partially sighted viewers but enjoyable by all.

Growing Sense airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on AMI-tv.

Image courtesy of AMI.

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

AMI’s Four Senses to return for fourth season

From a media release:

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced today that its cooking show with an accessibility twist, Four Senses, is returning for a fourth season and will begin production this fall.

Four Senses is a unique cooking show produced for AMI-tv by Varner Productions Limited that unites blind and sighted chefs in the kitchen. Hosts Christine Ha and Carl Heinrich are back for season four to share new recipes and experiences with a fresh group of celebrity guests. Each 30-minute show will also include nutrition guidelines for optimal eye health and accessibility tips and tools for independence in the kitchen.

Special guests this year include celebrities from the culinary world and beyond such as interior design gurus Colin and Justin, fashion icon Jeanne Beker, comedian and television star Luba Goy, and many more.  Each guest will share one of their favourite recipes with Christine and Carl, help the hosts prepare two additional dishes and share what inspires their own love of cooking.

Again this season Christine and Carl will be on the road shooting in field segments that highlight Canada’s diverse culinary landscape. Christine will explore Ontario, visiting a cranberry farm in Bala, learning about sustainable trout in Collingwood, and paying a visit to Lake Joe – the CNIB’s camp for individuals living with vision loss. Carl will be on a Nova Scotia road trip visiting Lunenburg, Wolfville, Digby, and Dartmouth. Along the way he’ll check out the Digby Days Scallop Festival, visit the oldest farmers market in Nova Scotia and learn more about the province’s growing wine and craft beer scene.

In keeping with AMI’s mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians, Four Senses features integrated description, where hosts and guests describe their surroundings and actions for audience members who are blind or partially sighted, as well as closed captioning for those with hearing loss.

Season four of Four Senses will air on AMI-tv in January, 2017.

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