Tag Archives: Family Law

Banff unveils lineup of high-profile Master Classes and exclusive screenings

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce highly anticipated Master Classes featuring talent and creatives from hit series It’s a Sin, David Makes Man, Transplant, Moominvalley and Sort Of as well as exclusive screenings for Family Law and Blindspotting. The virtual Festival will take place June 14 – July 16, 2021, via an all-new bespoke online platform that will connect the global media industry to ignite new projects and support business development.

“This year’s Master Classes and Screenings represent some of the world’s most original, impactful and exciting series,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director of the Banff World Media Festival. “It is a privilege to host such accomplished talent and executives as they take us through the business and creative story behind the making of each project.”

It’s a Sin: A coming-of-age chronicle of four friends during the rise of the AIDS crisis from 1981 to 1991, the critically acclaimed mini-series drama It’s a Sin has been lauded by critics and audiences globally. Featuring an intimate conversation with the show’s Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner Russell T. Davies, Director Peter Hoar and actor Nathaniel Curtis as they discuss the journey to bringing this change-making landmark show to the screen and its impact to date.
Featuring:
• Russell T. Davies, Creator
• Peter Hoar, Director
• Nathaniel Curtis, Actor

David Makes Man: The Peabody Award-winning series produced by Warner Bros. Television also received a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Drama, a prestigious Gotham Award nomination, and has been named to several critics’ 2019 year-end best-of-television lists. David Makes Man premiered to overwhelming critical acclaim in August 2019. The New York Times called the show “deeply beautiful and distinctive” while The Washington Post called it “one of the most original and riveting TV shows this year.” During its first season run, the series ranked No. 2 in its time period across all cable with African-American women and reached over 4.1 million unique viewers on OWN. Season two fast-forwards and finds David in his 30s, a rising businessman facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever; the mounting pressure forces David to choose between the instincts that helped him survive or finding a new way to truly live.
Featuring:
• Tarell Alvin McCraney, Creator
• Tina Perry, President, OWN
• Dee Harris-Lawrence, Executive Producer
• Kiel Adrian Scott, Director
• Kwame Patterson, Actor
• Akili McDowell, Actor

Transplant: An in-depth conversation with the creative team behind the hit CTV Original drama series Transplant. The first season of the critically-acclaimed series, which is the 2021 Canadian Screen Award-winner for Best Drama Series, follows a Syrian doctor who tries to build a new life for himself and his sister. A ratings hit on CTV, Transplant became the most-watched Canadian series, and on NBC in the U.S.
Featuring:
• Joseph Kay, Creator and Showrunner
• Tara Woodbury, VP of Development, Sphère Média
• Carlyn Klebuc, General Manager, Original Programming, Bell Media
• Hamza Haq, Actor
• Ahmed Meree, Cultural Consultant and Actor

Moominvalley: A deep dive journey into the magic behind the internationally celebrated and positivity-themed animated series Moominvalley, based on the stories of beloved Finnish-Swedish author Tove Jansson. Produced by Gutsy Animations from the series Creator Marika Makaroff, Executive Producer Marion Edwards, Director Jay Grace and Actor Jack Rowan (Noughts + Crosses, Peaky Blinders) who voices “Moomintroll”, as well as Jarmo Lampela, Head of Drama, at the Finnish public broadcaster YLE who was first to board the series which has been sold to more than 50 countries.
Featuring:
• Marika Makaroff, Creative Director Moominvalley / Chief Creative Officer Gutsy Animations
• Marion Edwards, Executive Producer
• Jay Grace, Director
• Jarmo Lampela, Head of Drama, YLE
• Jack Rowan, Actor

Sort Of: A conversation with the creative team behind CBC’s new dramatic comedy, Sort Of, premiering this fall. Creators and Showrunners Bilal Baig (Acha Bacha) and Fab Filippo (Save Me) and Sienna Films’ Jennifer Kawaja will take BANFF delegates behind the scenes of this big-hearted, coming-of-age story about Sabi Mehboob (Baig), a gender-fluid millennial in transition in every aspect of their life, from gender to love to sexuality to family to career.
Featuring:
• Bilal Baig, Executive Producer, Writer, Lead Performer, Co-Creator
• Fab Filippo, Executive Producer, Director, Co-Creator
• Jennifer Kawaja, Executive Producer

As previously announced, the creative team and cast from FX’s new half-hour series Reservation Dogs will also be featured in the Master Class lineup.

Exclusive screenings featured during the Festival will include the hot new comedy-drama series Blindspotting followed by a Q&A with the cast, as well as the highly-anticipated upcoming legal drama Family Law. Presented in partnership with Lionsgate Entertainment and STARZ, Blindspotting comes from co-creators and executive producers Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs which follows Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones), who is enjoying a peaceful life in Oakland until her partner of 12 years and father of their son is suddenly incarcerated, leaving her to navigate a chaotic and comedic existential crisis as she is forced to move in with his family. Presented in partnership with Corus Entertainment, Family Law stars Jewel Staite (Firefly) and Victor Garber (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) in this one-hour drama that follows lawyer and recovering alcoholic Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi struggling to put her career and family back together after hitting rock bottom.

In continuing with creative discussions on more hit series, BANFF’s Rockie Awards Roundtables will feature creators, executive producers and producers behind this year’s nominees including Alone, Love on the Spectrum, Filthy Rich and Homeless, The Last Ice, Noughts + Crosses, I May Destroy You, About Sex, El Presidente and more.

The full 2021 Banff World Media Festival agenda is available HERE.

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Global announces greenlights for new seasons of original scripted series Family Law and Departure

From a media release:

Following Corus Entertainment’s specialty network greenlights and renewals, today, Global announced new season greenlights for its original scripted series Family Law (Season 2) and Departure (Season 3). With production on Season 2 now underway in Vancouver, the renewal of new legal drama Family Law comes ahead of its premiere, which is set to debut on Global later this year. Similarly, Season 2 of the critically acclaimed ratings juggernaut Departure will also air later this year, with Season 3 set to begin production this fall.

Produced by SEVEN24 Films and Lark Productions, and created by Canadian award-winning author Susin Nielsen, Family Law is a one-hour legal drama that follows Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi (Jewel Staite) navigating her new life with her family including Abby’s father Harry Svensson (Victor Garber), her half- brother Daniel Svensson (Zach Smadu), and half-sister Lucy Svensson (Genelle Williams). The second season sees each character develop as they face new personal challenges, as well as take on an incredible lineup of cases. Season 2 will also feature many exciting guest stars including Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience) and Catherine Fitch (Murdoch Mysteries).

Award-winning event series Departure also receives a greenlight for a third season with production set to begin this fall. Season 3 will follow the aftermath of a deadly ferry accident with additional details including filming location and casting for Season 3 to be announced at a later date.

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New Global original series Family Law begins production March 2

From a media release:

On the heels of the Nurses Season 2 start of production release, Global proudly announced today principal photography and casting for its latest scripted original series, new legal drama Family Law. With filming beginning March 2 in Vancouver, Family Law is produced by SEVEN24 Films (Heartland, Wynonna Earp) and Lark Productions (Motive, Fortunate Son), created by Canadian award-winning author Susin Nielsen (Robson Arms, Cedar Cove), with Jordan Canning (Nurses, Schitt’s Creek) directing the pilot episode.

Set to premiere on Global later this year, the 10-episode, one-hour drama follows a group of flawed family members who reluctantly work together at their father’s law firm in downtown Vancouver. The legal procedural stars a talented all-Canadian cast including: Jewel Staite (Firefly), as recovering alcoholic Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi; Victor Garber (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as Harry Svensson, Abby’s estranged father and head of the firm; Zach Smadu (The Expanse) as Daniel Svensson, Abby’s half-brother who is displeased to be working with Abby; and Genelle Williams (The Expanse) as Lucy Svensson, Abby’s half-sister and considered dad’s favourite child. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Set in Vancouver, Canada, Family Law follows lawyer and recovering alcoholic Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi (Staite) struggling to put her career and family back together after hitting rock bottom. As a condition of her probation, Abby is forced to work at her estranged father’s (Garber) firm, Svensson and Associates, and practice in family law for the first time while forging new relationships with the half-brother (Smadu) and half-sister (Williams) whom she’s never met. The result is a dysfunctional family law firm operating to help other families with their own dysfunctions.                 

Produced by SEVEN24 Films (Heartland, Fortunate Son) and Lark Productions (Motive, Fortunate Son), with Susin Nielsen (Robson Arms, Cedar Cove) serving as showrunner, Family Law is executive produced by SEVEN24′s Tom Cox and Jordy Randall, Lark’s Erin Haskett and Andy Mikita. eOne will handle distribution for the series outside of Canada.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail