Paramount+ today announced the highly anticipated new original drama series LANDMAN, starring Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton, will premiere on Sunday, November 17, 2024 exclusively on Paramount+ in Canada, the U.S., and international markets where the service is available. The series will launch with two episodes, and subsequent episodes of the 10-episode long first season will be available weekly on Sundays. Created by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, LANDMAN is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios and Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions exclusively for Paramount+.

Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, LANDMAN is a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. Based on the notable 11-part podcast “Boomtown” from Imperative Entertainment and Texas Monthly, the series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.

In addition to Thornton, the series stars Ali Larter (The Last Victim), Michelle Randolph (1923), Jacob Lofland (Joker 2), Canadian Kayla Wallace (When Calls the Heart), James Jordan (Yellowstone), Mark Collie (Nashville), Paulina Chávez (The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia), and Demi Moore (Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans). Jon Hamm (Mad Men) will star in a recurring guest role with Andy Garcia (Expendables franchise) and Michael Peña (End of Watch) also serving as guest stars.

LANDMAN is executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, David Hutkin, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, Christian Wallace, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Friedman and Stephen Kay. Dan Friedkin and Jason Hoch, for Imperative Entertainment, and J.K. Nickell and Megan Creydt, for Texas Monthly, also executive produce. Peter Feldman serves as co-executive producer. LANDMAN is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

The series is the latest addition to Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+, which includes 1923, 1883, LIONESS, MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, TULSA KING and LAWMEN: BASS REEVES.

Dan Levy’s Not A Real Production Company, Elevation Pictures (Infinity Pool, Alice, Darling) and CBC are excited to announce that production has been completed on the upcoming official LILITH FAIR documentary presented by White Horse Pictures (Lucy & Desi, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) in association with Epic Magazine. The film is produced with the support of the original Lilith Fair founders – Sarah McLachlan, Terry McBride, Dan Fraser, and Marty Diamond, who will executive produce. The documentary is directed by Ally Pankiw (I Used to Be Funny, Black Mirror, The Great) and tells the story of the groundbreaking music festival featuring only women artists, started by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and her team in the late-1990s in direct opposition to the prevailing “industry wisdom” that limited women from playing together on a concert bill and getting back-to-back airplay on the radio.

The tour, which McLachlan titled Lilith Fair, attracted an array of stars like Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple, the Indigo Girls, Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt, and Liz Phair, and quickly went from longshot idea to cultural juggernaut. Over three enormously successful summers, Lilith Fair helped launch the careers of artists like Missy Elliott, The Chicks, Nelly Furtado, and Christina Aguilera, raised millions of dollars for women’s charities, and catapulted feminist and queer representation into mainstream pop culture.

Commissioned by CBC with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and the Rogers Group of Funds, LILITH FAIR is produced by Dan Levy for Not A Real Production Company and Elevation’s Christina Piovesan. Executive producers are Cassidy Hartmann, Nicholas Ferrall, Nigel Sinclair and Jeanne Elfant Festa for White Horse; Noah Segal for Elevation; Jessica Hopper; Arthur Spector, Joshuah Bearman, and Joshua Davis for Epic Magazine; Ally Pankiw, Steve Cohen and Paula Froehle for Chicago Media Project; and Wayne Isaak. Rachel McLean serves as supervising producer and the cinematographer is Nina Djacic. The documentary is presented by Chicago Media Project and produced in association with Epic Magazine, Carlene Laughlin, Minderoo Pictures, and the Elfant Festa Family. Elevation Pictures will distribute theatrically in Canada, and the feature will premiere during the 2025-26 season of documentary showcase The Passionate Eye on CBC and CBC Gem. White Horse Pictures is acting as sales agent Worldwide.

“Lilith Fair exemplifies the ‘cool older sister’ of the music industry, who already knows the joys and nightmares of being a woman and tries to make the path a little bit easier for future generations. I want to give a deeper understanding of the festival to the young female, non-binary and queer musicians and music fans who picked up a guitar or tickets to a concert for the first time because Lilith showed them how,” says director Ally Pankiw. “I am so excited to work with Dan Levy as a producer on this film, as we have had many wonderful experiences as collaborators who have been able to shed light on characters and heroes not often given a second look.”

Dan Levy added, “Lilith Fair holds a very special place in my heart. It was one of the first spaces where I remember feeling at home. The music, the sense of community, and the power of a group of women proving an entire industry wrong was a tremendous thing to experience. What Sarah built with that festival changed so much for so many people. And while it is now seen as an odds-defying success story, it was an uphill battle every step of the way. And there is a lot to be learned from that story. I’m thrilled to join Sarah on this adventure and am excited for everyone to understand just how revolutionary Lilith Fair really was.”

“Originating with Canadian icon Sarah McLachlan, the Lilith Fair festival changed the course of the music industry beginning in the late 1990s and its reverberations are still being felt today,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, CBC. “In collaboration with the film’s talented creative team, we look forward to giving audiences across the country rare access to this turning point in music history, seen through a contemporary lens.”

“This is a story that’s long overdue and also deeply relevant in today’s times,” added Cassidy Hartmann for White Horse. “We’re so excited to be working with Ally, Dan, and Elevation to bring Lilith Fair’s groundbreaking achievements and impact to light, and to help share its many joys with a wider audience.”

In addition to charting the underdog story of Lilith’s success, the film takes a fresh look at the often-toxic culture of the music industry in the ’90s and the backlash that emerged against Lilith Fair, which marginalized Lilith Fair artists and made the tour a cultural punchline. It also follows McLachlan’s journey, illuminating how she became the person who turned the Lilith idea into a phenomenon, following her into the present day as she, and others, grapple with today’s music industry and the festival’s legacy.

The doc is inspired by the 2019 article, “Building a Mystery: An Oral History of Lilith Fair”, from Vanity Fair and Epic Magazine, written by Jessica Hopper with Sasha Geffen and Jenn Pelly. It will draw from more than 600 hours of never-before-seen archival footage as well as new interviews and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo. LILITH FAIR contextualizes the festival’s story within a larger cultural moment to explore how the tide of “girl power” helped give rise to some of the festival’s most insurgent stars and continues to inspire the music and progressive movements of today.

Executive producing alongside the Lilith Fair founders are Lynne Stopkewich, Jessica Fraser, and Dean English. Along with Steve Cohen and Paula Froehle, Rose Lizzaraga and David Scherer, Eric and Barb Dobkin, Bill Gee and Sue Crothers will executive produce for Chicago Media Project. Blue Skyzz Trust and Christina Nolan will Co-Executive Produce.

For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual, & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Sandra Kleinfeld is Senior Director, Documentary; and Michelle McCree is Executive in Charge of Production, CBC Docs and The Passionate Eye.

Paramount+ today announced that Kerrice Brooks (My Old Ass), Bella Shepard (Wolf Pack) and George Hawkins (Tell Me Everything) have joined the cast of the original series STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY. The upcoming series will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy. Produced by CBS Studios, the new series will begin production later this summer in Toronto.

Brooks, Shepard and Hawkins will play cadets, joining previously announced cast members Holly Hunter as the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy and Paul Giamatti as the season’s villain.

STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.

Brooks, an actress and professional dancer, will make her feature film debut this year in My Old Ass produced by Margot Robbie and directed by Megan Park. She will also star in the 70s coming-of-age comedy, Feeling Randy. Brooks’ credits include The Prom, The Cypher, How We Roll and On My Block. Brooks got her start in the entertainment industry as a professional dancer performing with elite artists including Billie Eilish, Kanye West, Lil’ Nas, Kelly Rowland and more.

Shepard was recently the lead of the Paramount+ Series, Wolf Pack and is best known for her previous Brat Series’ On the Ropes and A Girl Named Jo, and as the lead in the series, Two Sides. Shepard was also seen in The Wilds, Witch Hunt,, and the iCARLY reboot . She also had a lead guest role on the final season of Orange Is the New Black, and recurring roles on Life in Pieces and Grace and Frankie.

Hawkins is best known for playing Dylan in Tell Me Everything. His previous credits include Sean in the BAFTA-nominated film Boiling Point and Adam in the feature film Gassed Up. In 2023, Hawkins graduated from London’s Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau serve as co-showrunners and executive produce the series alongside executive producers Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa and John Weber. The series’ premiere episode is written by Gaia Violo. STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY is the latest addition to the expanding STAR TREK franchise on Paramount+, which also includes the fifth and final season of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS and STAR TREK: SECTION 31, an original movie with Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Canada x Mr. Will are thrilled to give Readers a chance to win a copy of CHALLENGERS on Blu-ray!

Description
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist – West Side Story), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor – The Crown) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.

Specifications:

Run time ‎2 hours and 11 minutes
Media Format : Blu-ray, Subtitled, NTSC
Language ‎Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Cast: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
Dubbed: ‎French

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, MR. WILL ON X or MR. WILL ON INSTAGRAM. Leave a comment whether you are Team Patrick or Team Art! Enter as many times as you wish!

Rules and regulations here.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Canada release CHALLENGERS now in stores!

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Canada)

The Toronto International Film Festival, renowned for bringing global cinema to Toronto’s local and international public audiences, is announcing five more exciting World Premiere titles from the Gala programme, sponsored by Dyson, and the Special Presentation programme. Today’s films are from internationally acclaimed filmmakers and feature stories from Canada, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the USA: Eden is a survival thriller based on true events about the lengths we will go to in pursuit of a better life, directed by Ron Howard, written by Halifax-born Noah Pink and starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas and Sydney Sweeney; K-POPS, a dramatic comedy that takes inspiration from eight-time Grammy Award winner Anderson .Paak’s own life, bridging family lineages and cultures; Shepherds, an adaptation of the Canadian novel D’où viens tu, berger?, which follows a young advertising executive who trades in his Montreal life to become a shepherd in France; Superboys of Malegaon, a film based on the life of Nasir Shaikh, an amateur filmmaker from the town of Malegaon, India, and what happens when filmmaking and friendships collide; and We Live in Time, a highly anticipated romance starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield as a couple whose chance encounter changes their lives as they fall in love, build a home, start a family, and face difficult truths.

“I’m thrilled to share today’s list of World Premiere films, featuring stories from around the world that highlight the scope and breadth of TIFF’s programming,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “We have a Canada/France co-production set in the French Alps, directed by a French Canadian auteur; a Seoul-set comedic debut from musician Anderson .Paak; a Bollywood glimpse into the vibrant film industry of Malegaon, India; a London-set love story starring Florence Pugh from an Irish director; and a highly original survival thriller that takes us to the Galapagos Islands from Ron Howard. I can’t wait for TIFF audiences to take these journeys on the big screen and be transported by cinema together this September.”

Film details (in alphabetical order):

Eden | Ron Howard | USA
World Premiere | Gala
Imagine Entertainment / AGC Studios

K-POPS | Anderson .Paak | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Sales Title – Rights Available (WME)

Shepherds | Sophie Deraspe | Canada/France
World Premiere | Special Presentation
DCP, micro_scope, Avenue B Productions, Maison 4:3, Pyramide International

Superboys of Malegaon | Reema Kagti | India
World Premiere | Gala
Amazon MGM Studios

We Live in Time | John Crowley | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Sphere Films / StudioCanal

More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 13.

Today we get a brand-new official Trailer for long-awaited GLADIATOR II! Just yesterday we got the new Teaser Poster!

Paramount Pictures Canada release in theatres NOVEMBER 22, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY

Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Raymond Kirk, Aidan Elliott

PRODUCED BY

Douglas Wick, Ridley Scott, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, David Franzoni

BASED ON CHARACTERS BY

David Franzoni

STORY BY

Peter Craig and David Scarpa

SCREENPLAY BY

David Scarpa

DIRECTED BY

Ridley Scott

STARRING

Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures)

Evergreen’s first ever Craft Beer Fest will soon be taking place at Evergreen Brick Works, a public place in the heart of Toronto’s ravines where nature and community come together. A festival focused on highlighting sustainable brewing practices, guests can expect a diverse sampling of eco-friendly beers, a chance to talk with brewers about their eco-friendly methods, bites from local food purveyors and busker style music. It will take place this Sunday, July 14 from 12PM to 8PM at 550 Bayview Ave. Whether you’re a beer enthusiast or just looking for a fun day out, the 2024 Craft Beer fest is perfect for all!

Craft Beer Fest’s beer purveyors

The craft beer purveyors that will be participating in Craft Beer Fest are: GoodLot Farmstead Brewing Co., Blood Brothers Brewing, Longslice Brewery Inc., Red Tape Brewery, Miski Brewing Company, Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery, Libra Beverage Co., Royal City Brewing Co., Amsterdam Brewing Co., Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, Rally Beer Co., Karbon Brewing Co., Avling Kitchen and Brewery, Cowbell Brewing Co., Two Loons Brewing, Bellwoods Brewery, Thornbury Craft Co. and Mill Street!

Each beer purveyor at Craft Beer Fest are local and use sustainable brewing practices. Red Tape Brewery is an Indigenous owned and family run micro-brewery, priding itself on creating high quality and unique beers using the finest ingredients. Red Tape Brewery is also North America’s only bespoke brewery, working with clients to create one-off, custom beers for life’s special events.

Libra Beverage Co. is inspired by the need to find balance in the beverage industry! As a B Corp, it is committed to sustainability, ensuring its practices benefit both people and the planet with its non-alcoholic beer. Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery, located in Ayr ON, was founded by brothers in 2017. Willibald has now expanded to include a restaurant focused on local ingredients. Its commitment to sustainability is evident in several aspects, including a grid-tied solar panel to offset electrical use, geothermal heating to power the still, and exclusively using Ontario and Canadian grain in its spirits.

Craft Beer Fest’s food purveyors

The local food purveyors that will be participating in Craft Beer Fest are: WuBaEats, Midnight Cookie, Bashy Patties, Born2Eat and Liko’s Hawaiian BBQ. From Hawiian skewers to Taiwanese fusion baos, bites from each food purveyor are meant to complement each craft beer!

Seminars and tastings

To dive deeper into sustainable brewing practices, Craft Beer Fest will be offering guests the chance to experience two seminars followed by a tasting.

The first seminar at 2PM from GoodLot Farmstead Brewing Co., Hop Harvest: Cultivating Sustainability and Terroir in Local Beer, will focus on the intricate dance between local hop growing, regenerative agriculture, and the pursuit of beer terroir in an ethical, eco-conscious manner. GoodLot Brewing will dive into the company’s embrace of innovative practices to cultivate exceptional hops, and enhance unique flavours. As guests delve into the world of sustainable brewing, they will sip on samples from GoodLot – a shining example of farm-to-glass excellence.

The second seminar at 3:30PM from Longslice Brewing, From Grain to Glass: New Technologies in Brewing, will focus on how brewery design isn’t just about functionality, but about shaping environmental impact and improving financial returns. Longslice will delve into its commitment to regenerative agriculture, turning waste into a valuable resource while reducing carbon footprint. Whether guests are a brewmaster, eco-entrepreneur, or passionate about sustainability, this seminar will provide a refreshing look into how green design leads to a brighter future in brewing.

Tickets to Craft Beer Fest

General access tickets for Craft Beer Fest at Evergreen Brick Works can be purchased HERE. Each ticket includes one branded tasting cup and two four ounce beer tokens. Additional sampling tokens will be available for purchase on site.

Entrance to both seminars can be added on to general access Craft Beer Fest tickets for $13.54 per seminar.

Tickets for designated drivers can be purchased at the door for $15.

Heartstopper fans were sent into meltdown today when a series of cryptic Netflix social posts invited them to find a secret password to unveil the first look images from the new season on Tudum.com, giving them an exclusive first look before anyone else.

About Heartstopper S3
Charlie would like to tell Nick that he loves him. Nick also has something important to say to Charlie. As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, the friends begin to realise that the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges. As they learn more about each other and their relationships, plan social events and parties and start thinking about university choices, everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn’t go to plan.

Launch Date: 3 October 2024

Episodes: 8

Creator/Writer: Alice Oseman

Director: Andy Newbery

Based On The Book Series: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Executive Producers: Patrick Walters, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Alice Oseman, Euros Lyn

Key Cast: Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Jenny Walser, Rhea Norwood, Leila Khan

Production Company: See-Saw Films

Today, Disney+ released a new trailer and key art for the upcoming Marvel Television live-action series, “Agatha All Along.” The series focuses on Kathryn Hahn’s character, Agatha Harkness, from the acclaimed Marvel Studios’ series “WandaVision,” as she sets off on a dangerous, mysterious adventure filled with trials and tribulations. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer, who was the creative force behind “WandaVision,” directs the pilot episode.

In “Agatha All Along,” the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

In addition to Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along” stars Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, with Debra Jo Rupp, with Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Jac Schaeffer. The directors for the series include Jac Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg and Gandja Montiero.

Marvel Television’s “Agatha All Along” premieres September 18 at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.

Prince Edward County’s hottest new film festival, the County Adaptation Film Festival (CAFF), announced today that the critically acclaimed Widow Clicquot from director Thomas Q. Napper will open its inaugural festival on September 27, 2024. This announcement comes on the day that the Early Bird Festival Pass goes on sale.

Widow Clicquot follows Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot who after her husband’s untimely death, flouts convention by assuming the reins of the fledgling wine business they had nurtured together. Steering the company through dizzying political and financial reversals, she defies her critics and revolutionizes the champagne industry to become one of the world’s first great businesswomen.

The film will open the September festival with a screening followed by a discussion led by Curatorial Consultant Diana Sanchez alongside a special guest from the film to be announced. Widow Clicquot is adapted from the novel by Tilar J Mazzeo entitled The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It.

“For a film festival set in the heart of wine country, we knew there would be a wine film in our inaugural program. I am pleased to be opening the festival with Thomas Napper’s film Widow Clicquot adapted from the biography of the same name,” said Alexandra Seay, Founding Artistic Director of the County Adaptation Film Festival.

The opening night screening will be followed by a big bash in Armoury Square, located next door to the theatre. The party is supported by the Picton BIA and the Armoury. It will be activated by programming partners at the Department of Illuminations among other food and beverage vendors.

“We are thrilled to support the inaugural CAFF celebrations. A festival of this scale and scope is a welcome addition to activities in the fall calendar for local businesses,” said Mark Rose, Picton BIA, Executive Director.

The Early Bird Festival Pass grants pass holders access to all five screenings and two in-conversation events over the three-day festival from September 27 to 29, 2024. The pass is available now at www.countyadaptationfilmfest.ca for $115 all taxes and fees included. Early Bird Festival Passes are available until August 15, 2024 when Regular Festival Passes become available for $150 all taxes and fees included. Single tickets go on sale September 1, 2024 for $25 per event.

Embedded within the festival experience is the Pathways to the ReconciliACTION event series of ticketed and free events. In an effort to frame the Truth & Reconciliation experience within a local context, CAFF is partnering with Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na (TTO) from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) to curate a further selection of indigenous-led participatory activities open to the public which mark the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation. The full activity schedule will be announced later in the summer.

The Secret Path will be preceded by a Mohawk language short film, Six Strings produced by the TTO. A residential school survivors exhibition, created as part of the ‘Healing through Storytelling Project’ curated by the TTO, will activate the lobby space of The Regent Theatre where ticket holders and members of the public are welcome.

The pathway continues to Macaulay Church Museum, just a five-minute walk from the theatre, where audiences are invited to experience “A Path Forward.” This exhibit co-curated by TTO and the DWF, explores Truth and Reconciliation in the County. As part of the Pathways to ReconciliACTION experience, CAFF invites festival audiences to be curious about the shared past, present, and future of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Prince Edward County.

The third and final location of the Pathways to ReconciliACTION event series is the sensory garden at Base31. Rooted in Indigenous futurism, Biidaaban: First Light is a groundbreaking VR experience. It asks users to think about their place in history and their role in a possible future. As they move through a highly realistic future Toronto reclaimed by nature, they hear the languages of the place originally known as Tkaronto. Through gaze-based interactions, users engage with the written text of the Wendat, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and Anishinaabe (Ojibway) and gain insight into the complex thought systems of this land’s first peoples.

Other family-friendly and participatory indigenous-led activities will take place throughout the afternoon in the Sensory Garden to mark Truth & Reconciliation. This event is not ticketed and is open to the public of all ages.

CAFF was launched earlier this year with a sold-out preview screening of The Peasants. Guests were joined by Monika Folierska-Zukowska from the filmmaking team for a live Q&A alongside a virtual introduction from co-director Hugh Welchman. Paintings created for this film were also exhibited at the launch event and will be on display again throughout CAFF in the Festival Lounge at Karlo Estates.

“As both a venue partner for the Festival Lounge and as the alcohol sponsor for the opening night presentation of Widow Clicquot – a story near and dear to my heart – Karlo Estates is delighted to be involved in this exciting County venture.” Sherry Karlo, Co-Founder/Owner of Karlo Estates.

At May’s launch event, preliminary programming was announced including an in-conversation event featuring Deepa Mehta and Mark Sakamoto as they discuss the upcoming film adaptation of Sakamoto’s novel Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents. This event is sponsored by The Bay of Quinte Film Office as part of the festival’s commitment to incubating the growing regional film industry industry.

Additional programming including remaining film selections, special guests and free programming activities will be announced later this summer at www.countyadaptationfilmfest.ca.

CAFF is a project of the Regent Theatre in Picton, ON. The festival was created by co-founders Alexandra Seay of the Regent Theatre and Sol Korngold of The Royal Hotel. CAFF is made possible this year with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and with the support of Stay PEC. The festival’s logo and branding were designed by creative studio Bløk Design.

CAFF’s advisory committee includes Michèle Maheux (former COO, TIFF), Hussain Amarshi (owner, Mongrel Media), Tim Smythe-Bishop (Film Distribution Executive) & Devyani Saltzman (Director for Arts and Participation, Barbican Centre).

About CAFF:

The County Adaptation Film Festival (CAFF) explores the art of adaptation on film, spotlights screenwriters and furthers dialogue for curious minds in the County and beyond.

CAFF spotlights screenwriters and features them in conversation with original creators alongside film screenings. Situated between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal in beautiful Prince Edward County – boasting a heritage cinema, gourmet food, award-winning wines and the support of some of the County’s finest hotels, the festival promises an intimate and inspiring weekend getaway for our guests.

About the Regent Theatre:

The Regent Theatre Foundation is a registered charity which owns and operates the historic Regent Theatre founded in 1918. The Regent is the oldest and only purpose-built entertainment venue in Prince Edward County. It is a cultural landmark that presents independent cinema, first-run films and a wide range of live events all year round including the County Adaptation Film Festival.