Tag Archives: Featured

Featured, Saint-Pierre

CBC renews original series Saint-Pierre for Season 2

From a media release:

CBC announced today that its original police procedural SAINT-PIERRE will be renewed for a second season with filming in Newfoundland and Saint-Pierre et Miquelon beginning this spring. The series is produced by Hawco Productions for CBC and CBC GEM in association with FIFTH SEASON, which handles global distribution.

Throughout its first season, SAINT-PIERRE was CBC’s #1 most-watched new series of the year and one of the top Canadian drama series nationwide.* The first season is currently available to stream for free on CBC Gem.

SAINT-PIERRE is the creation of Allan Hawco, Robina Lord-Stafford and Perry Chafe, with Hawco and Lord-Stafford as Showrunners. French star Josephine Jobert (Death in Paradise) and Canadian star Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, Caught, Jack Ryan) lead the cast playing Arch and Fitz, with James Purefoy (Rome, Sex Education, The Following), Benz Antoine (Four Brothers, Get Rich or Die Tryin’), Erika Prevost (The Boys, Dare Me) and Jean-Michel Le Gal (Paris Paris, Accused) rounding out the stellar team.

After the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Inspector, Donny “Fitz” Fitzpatrick, digs too deeply into a local politician’s nefarious activity, he is exiled to work in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon – the French Territory nestled in the Atlantic Ocean. Fitz’s arrival disrupts the life of Deputy Chief Geneviève “Arch” Archambault, a Parisian transplant who is in Saint-Pierre for her own intriguing reasons.

As if by fate, these two seasoned officers — with very different policing skills and approaches — are forced together to solve unique and exciting crimes. Although the islands seem like a quaint tourist destination, the idyllic façade conceals the worst kind of criminal activity, which tend to wash up on its beautiful shores. At first at odds and suspicious of each other, Arch and Fitz soon discover that they are better together.

“We are thrilled to continue this journey and explore even more of the world of SAINT-PIERRE and these two characters, Arch and Fitz, that we’ve grown to love so much,” says series creators Allan Hawco and Robina Lord-Stafford. “We are bursting with ideas for new storylines and can’t wait for audiences to see what’s next.”

Ava Knight, Director, Acquisitions at FIFTH SEASON, said: “We’re delighted audiences and buyers can soon return to Saint-Pierre’s shores for more fun and mystery with our brilliant leads, played by Allan Hawco and Josephine Jobert. Following season one’s formidable success, we look forward to now bringing both instalments to new homes globally.”

SAINT-PIERRE is executive produced by Janine Squires, Erin Sullivan, Robina Lord-Stafford, Perry Chafe, John Vatcher and Hawco.

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Featured, North of North

APTN, CBC and Netflix renew North of North

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From a media release:

APTN, CBC and Netflix have renewed NORTH OF NORTH for a second season. Series star Anna Lambe announced the renewal on social media tonight. This news comes on the heels of the comedy series’ successful first season launch on APTN, CBC and Netflix, having instantly captivated audiences in Canada and around the world.

NORTH OF NORTH stars Lambe (True Detective, Trickster, The Grizzlies) as Siaja, a young Inuk woman who dreams of reinventing herself in her tiny Arctic community of Ice Cove, a town where everybody knows your business. After a spontaneous — and extremely public — exit from her marriage, Siaja finds herself navigating the unpredictable, and often hilarious, highs and lows that come with relationships, motherhood, a new job, and finding your way. The first season also features actors Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jay Ryan, Zorga Qaunaq, Bailey Poching, Kelly William, Keira Belle Cooper and Nutaaq Doreen Simmonds.

The series first premiered in Canada on APTN and CBC in January 2025 and then globally on Netflix in April 2025. NORTH OF NORTH was the most-watched new series on CBC Gem since the launch of the streaming platform.* Additionally, the comedy was one of the most-watched programs on CBC among the A25-54 demographic.** On APTN, NORTH OF NORTH was among the top-performing new scripted shows during the Winter 2025 season and the top new program on APTN lumi. Globally NORTH OF NORTH debuted at No. 9 on Netflix’s global top 10 for English-language television series the week of its Netflix release on April 10. The series also broke into Netflix’s top 10 in 27 countries.

An APTN, CBC and Netflix original series, NORTH OF NORTH is produced by Red Marrow Media and Northwood Entertainment. The series is created, executive produced and written by writer and producer Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Qanurli, The Grizzlies) and filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Angry Inuk, The Grizzlies) of Red Marrow Media and executive produced by Miranda de Pencier of Northwood Entertainment (Anne with an E, Beginners, The Grizzlies). Anya Adams (Yellowjackets, Ginny & Georgia), Susan Coyne (Mozart in the Jungle, Daisy Jones & The Six) and Garry Campbell (The Kids in the Hall, Less Than Kind) also executive produced the first season.

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Awards, Featured

2025 WGC Screenwriting Awards Winners Announced

From a media release:

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) announced the winners of the 29th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards tonight at Koerner Hall in Toronto. The gala brought together hundreds of screenwriters, industry professionals, and fans—all in celebration of excellence in screenwriting for Canadian film, television, and digital media.

This year’s winners include Jagjiwan Sohal for Comedy Series (Late Bloomer, “The Turban”), Michael Konyves for Drama Series (Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief”), Jason Buxton for Feature Film (Sharp Corner), Evany Rosen for Tweens & Teens (Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack”), and many more across 10 categories.

Special honours were also presented:

  • Leah Johnston received the Sondra Kelly Award, generously sponsored by AFBS.
  • Faisal Lutchmedial was awarded the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize for Through the Eyes of an Ibis.
  • With supporting partner, the Canadian Academy, the Margaret Collier Award was presented to Andrew Wreggitt.
  • The prestigious Showrunner Award was awarded to Matt Schiller for his outstanding work in the kids and teen space.

Hosted by Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs) and Jonathan Langdon (Run the Burbs, Open Season: Call of Nature), the gala featured lively moments, and presentations by well-known industry professionals and creators, including maxine bailey (Executive Director, Canadian Film Centre), Joan Digba (Jane, Beyond Black Beauty), Mark Ellis (Allegiance, Flashpoint), Jason Filiatrault (The Order, Entanglement), Allan Hawko (Saint-Pierre, Republic of Doyle), Jamie Thomas King (The Tudors, The Light Before the Sun), Meg MacKay (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Don’t Even), Thomas Santram (Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Cineplex Entertainment, and Chair of the Canadian Academy’s Board of Directors), Robina Lord-Stafford (Saint-Pierre, Wild Cards), Supinder Wraich (Allegiance, Sort Of), and Sugith Varughese (Kim’s Convenience, Transplant).

The WGC also unveiled the new award statue. Like screenwriting itself, the abstract design is open to interpretation. Each viewer may see something different — a folded script, a wing, a hand, or a torch. The artist, Luisé Cisneros Alavez, was inspired by the themes of creativity, freedom, unity, and diversity.

2025 WGC SCREENWRITING AWARDS WINNERS

CHILDREN’S
Open Season: Call of Nature, “Cash Camp Pt 1 & 2” | Written by Mike Girard

COMEDY SERIES
Late Bloomer, “The Turban” | Written by Jagjiwan Sohal

DRAMA SERIES
Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief” | Written by Michael Konyves

DOCUMENTARY
Altona | Written by The Affolter Brothers (Heath Affolter, Nathan Affolter, Thomas Affolter, and Jon Affolter)

FEATURE FILM
Sharp Corner | Written by Jason Buxton

MOW & MINISERIES
Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers | Written by Keri Ferencz

PRESCHOOL
Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go, “Lights, Camera, Save Eagle Creek!” | Written by Shelley Hoffman & Robert Pincombe

SHORT FILMS (UNDER 60 MINUTES)
Let Me In | Written by Joel Buxton

SHORT SERIES (EPISODES UNDER 15 MINUTES)
Space Janitors, “Clones War” | Written by Brendan Halloran

TWEENS & TEENS
Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack” | Written by Evany Rosen

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Featured, The Office Movers

Production underway on Season 2 of Crave original comedy The Office Movers from Counterfeit Pictures

From a media release:

They’re back! Counterfeit Pictures and Crave today announce that production is underway on Season 2 of the hit Crave Original comedy series, THE OFFICE MOVERS. Created by and starring Brampton-born content creators and brothers Jermaine “Jae” and Trevaunn “Trey” Richards, the new season is filming in and around Toronto through the end of June and will feature six new half-hour episodes.

Season 1 introduced viewers to the Saunders brothers, Everett (Jae) and Eric (Trey), who run a dysfunctional office-moving company, reluctantly following in their father’s footsteps. Season 2 picks up where they left off, with Everett and his unreliable crew hustling to compete with Zenithon Logistics, a corporate giant set on crushing every small-time mover in the city. But after overpaying for a new warehouse—complete with a new, oddball landlord—Everett turns to a series of increasingly desperate money-making schemes to stay afloat. He drags Ricky into an explosive insurance scam, pressures Carla to fudge a DEI grant application, and bankrolls Cousin Cloudy’s half-baked attempt to convert their basement into a short-term rental unit. As his plans unravel, Eric starts to question his loyalty—and whether Zenithon might offer a smoother ride.

“We’re hyped to be back for Season 2! This season takes everything we built in Season 1 and cranks it up – more chaos, more schemes, and way more laughs. We’ve got some wild storylines and amazing talent coming back, plus a few more surprises we can’t wait for people to see. Shooting in Toronto and telling stories that reflect where we’re from means a lot to us. Let’s get moving!” – Jae & Trey Richards, creators and stars of THE OFFICE MOVERS.

Reprising their roles for Season 2 are the talented ensemble cast, including digital creators and comedians: Heather Gallant as Carla Morris, Lucas Lopez as Ricky, Marina Nedic as Trisha Roosevelt, Hassan Phills as Hassan Ahmed, Andy Agyepong-Ntra (WatswithAndy) as Cloudy, Michael Charles as Marcus Adeyimi, Solomom Kehinde as Michael, and Baldeep Sehmbi as Prince.

Joining the cast this season are Danny Martinello as Shazam’s newest hire Doug, Gervail Sean Lemo as Shamez, Shazam’s new landlord, ZlamDunk as Zlad, the bad boy son of Zenithon’s CEO, and Marlon Palmer as Carla’s love interest Chrisss.

Ranked among Crave’s Top 20 titles during its release week*, the first season of THE OFFICE MOVERS was created by Jae and Tre– who became household names through their YouTube channel, Jae & Trey Vlogs. Season 1 generated millions of views and impressions across social and digital platforms. All episodes are now streaming on Crave, with behind-the-scenes content available on Crave’s YouTube page, and on @CraveCanada and @TheOfficeMovers.

THE OFFICE MOVERS is produced by Counterfeit Pictures in association with Crave. The series is created by brothers Jermaine and Trevaunn Richards, who also serve as executive producers, along with Clara Altimas and Counterfeit’s Dan Bennett, Shane Corkery and Anton Leo. Season Two will see Sebastian Cluer and Clara Altimas directing. Counterfeit’s Chris Kelley will serve as producer.

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Amplify, Featured

Original APTN series Amplify returns May 13

From a media release:

The third season of original series AMPLIFY, produced by Shane Belcourt and Jason Ryle of Wolfwalker Productions, premieres on Tuesday, May 13 at 10:30pm ET on APTN, and will stream on APTN lumi. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on APTN lumi and also available on the Air Canada inflight entertainment system.

AMPLIFY showcases the powerful diversity of Indigenous music in Canada. In each episode of this anthology series, we meet an Indigenous singer/songwriter as they explore the creation of a new song based on a personal source of inspiration. From songs in Indigenous languages to country and hip-hop, AMPLIFY takes a deep dive into the creative processes of these artists and their strong connections to their Indigenous communities. Through their music, their cultures are amplified.

AMPLIFY’s third season features an exciting roster of emerging and established Indigenous musicians from across Canada. Season three features: Shane Ghostkeeper, Evan Redsky, Quttau, Darcy Turning Robe, Sebastian Gaskin, Bebe Buckskin, Lido Pimienta, Tia Wood, and Crystal Shawanda.

It is filmed with a 100% Indigenous production crew from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.

RELEASE
English episodes air every Tuesday on APTN beginning on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025.
Check local listings as timing changes in each time zone:
7:30pm PT, 8:30pm MT, 9:30pm CT, 10:30pm ET and 11:30pm AT

SERIES CREATOR
Shane Belcourt

SINGER/SONGWRITERS
Shane Ghostkeeper
Tia Wood
Crystal Shawanda
Darcy Turning Robe
Lido Pimienta
Quttau
Evan Redsky
Sebastian Gaskin
Bebe Buckskin

DIRECTORS
Trevor Solway
Alexandra Lazarowich
Carla Robinson
Jason Ryle
asinnajaq
Claudia Skunk and Sean Stiller

PRODUCERS:
Shane Belcourt and Jason Ryle

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS
Claudia Skunk and Adam Phipps

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