#FIRSTLOOK: “GOLIATH” IS AVAILABLE DIGITALLY AND ON-DEMAND FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Director/Writer Luke Villemaire made GOLIATH seven years ago and the Film finally is ready to be seen, with an on-demand and digital release coming February 20, 2023. The Film centers on a young woman named Robin Walker (Jessica Sipos) who returns home to confront her family after the passing of her father. The reunion is tense as the family have several unresolved issues amongst themselves, yet Robin is coping with her own demons at once.

The gorgeous feature debut from Villemaire, features some compelling performances from its Ensemble led by Sipos, supported by Michelle Mylett, Jon Cor, Shannon Kook, Daniel Maslany, with Krista Bridges and Andrea Roth. The Drama touches upon themes of mental illness, grief and reconciliation.

We were so lucky to attend a special private screening of the Film with Producer Sheetal Maya Nanda and Villemaire, presented by Soho House. The Film was followed by a Q&A with Jeffrey Round. Some highlights from the evening:

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Definitely worth a watch and a very accomplished, mature first film from a promising Toronto-based talent.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Luke Villemaire)

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE BIG DOOR PRIZE” COMING SOON TO APPLE TV+

Apple TV+ today announced that “The Big Door Prize,” the character driven comedy created by Emmy Award-winner David West Read (“Schitt’s Creek”) is set to make its global debut on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The new 10-episode half-hour comedy starring an ensemble cast led by Chris O’Dowd and includes Gabrielle Dennis, Ally Maki, Josh Segarra, Damon Gupton, Crystal Fox, Djouliet Amara and Sammy Fourlas, will debut with the first three episodes on Wednesday, March 29, followed by one new episode weekly every Wednesday through May 17, 2023.

Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name, “The Big Door Prize” tells the story of a small town that is forever changed when a mysterious machine appears in the general store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential. Dusty Hubbard (O’Dowd), a seemingly content, cheerful family man and high school teacher, watches everyone around him reevaluate their life choices and ambitions — based on the machine’s printouts — and is forced to question whether he is truly as happy as he once thought. While he remains skeptical of the machine, his wife, Cass (Dennis), indulges in the dream that there’s something bigger out there for her. Like many of Deerfield’s residents, the couple has lived a relatively safe, uncomplicated life, until the arrival of the Morpho machine. However, all of that is about to change when the community is forced to reconcile with their unfulfilled achievements in pursuit of a better future.

“The Big Door Prize” is produced by Skydance Television and CJ ENM/Studio Dragon. Read serves as showrunner and executive producer. David Ellison and Dana Goldberg serve as executive producers for Skydance Television; Miky Lee, Young Kyu Kim and Hyun Park executive produce for CJ ENM/Studio Dragon; with Bill Bost and Sarah Walker. Anu Valia, Molly McGlynn, Todd Biermann, Jenée LaMarque and Declan Lowney direct the series.

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)

#FIRSTLOOK: 2023 CAFTCARD AWARDS TICKETS NOW ON SALE

The CAFTCAD Awards celebrates its 5th year, live from the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, Sunday, March 5, 2023, hosted by Canadian Screen Award Winner Peter Keleghan (Slings and Arrows, Murdoch Mysteries, etc.) and Samora Smallwood (Lifetime’s thriller Death She Wrote, OWN’s The Kings of Napa). The Canadian Alliance of Film and Television Costume Arts and Design (CAFTCAD) brings together Canadian costume professionals from all corners of the industry. CAFTCAD has succeeded in creating a thriving environment for artists. Members can share, learn, and advance their craft, raising the awareness of the contributions they make as designers and artisans in the international industry of film, television, video, and commercials. The CAFTCAD Awards are the results of those efforts. The goal is to unite the Canadian costume community, while recognizing and rewarding
their skills and talent.

CAFTCAD recognizes and brings to the forefront the outstanding quality of talent Canadian costume designers and artisans provide across our screens. The CAFTCAD Awards celebrate craftsmanship in textile, art, short films, web series, television to international blockbusters. The Awards focus on the unique talents of the individuals and teams and their contributions to today’s stories. Several of the awards presented are sponsored by IATSE 873, Nobis Inc., IATSE 891, and Berman & Co. Awards include Excellence in Crafts: Textiles, Building, Costume Illustration, and Special Effects Costume Building as well as Excellence in Costume Design: Web Series, Short Film, Indie Feature, TV Contemporary, TV Period, TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Film Contemporary, Film Period, Film Sci-Fi/Fantasy, TV International, and Film International.

Nobis, an internationally known outerwear and accessory brand, has been a long-time sponsor of CAFTCAD and the CAFTCAD Awards. Nobis leads global and local initiatives to support vulnerable communities and has a presence in over 40 countries. This year’s Nobis Industry Icon Award will be presented to a true design icon: French Canadian Costume and Production Designer, Louise Jobin. Jobin is a pioneer in the costume design industry, not only for her creativity and techniques, but her strong, vocal support for union members. The respected designer has won prestigious awards that
include Genie and Gemini Awards for Best Costume Design. Today, the industry advocate is an ongoing source of knowledge as a teacher at the National Theatre School and a board member of Le Grand Costumier in Montreal, QC.

The CAFTCAD Awards bring together designers, artisans, family, and friends for an evening of celebration. Join us at the Awards Gala Sunday, March 5, 2023, at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada.

Ticket Info: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2023-caftcad-awards-tickets-513401376337?aff=WebCal

#FIRSTLOOK: ANDY SERKIS AMONG STARS TO APPEAR AT TORONTO COMICON 2023

Andy Serkis, one of the greatest actors of this generation, will make his very first Toronto Comicon appearance this March. The prolific performer will appear on the Saturday of the three-day convention for autograph signings, photo ops and a Q&A panel. This year, Toronto Comicon will be moving into the North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre right off of Front Street during March Break weekend, March 17-19, 2023. Information and pricing for Toronto Comicon is available at fanexpohq.com/comicontoronto.

Serkis is an award-winning actor who is beloved around the world for his memorable performance capture roles including masterfully portraying dual characters Sméagol/Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, delivering a heart-breaking performance as the title character in King Kong, giving a full range of emotions to Cesar in the Planet of the Apes franchise and sending darkness through the screen as the enigmatic Supreme Leader Snoke in the most recent Star Wars trilogy.

In human form, Serkis has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe portraying Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Black Panther (2018) as well as the Disney+ series What If…? (2021). Most recently he portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman (2022) and Kino Loy in the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story spinoff, Andor (2022). These are just a few of the hundreds of credits to Serkis’s name.

The multi-talented artist has also found success behind the camera making his directorial debut in 2017 with Breathe, followed by Netflix’s Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2019) and the second installment in the Venom trilogy, Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021).

Previously announced Toronto Comicon 2023 celebrity guests include Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian), Matt Ryan (Constantine), Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls) and Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy). Follow @FANEXPOCanada for more guest and programming updates over the coming weeks.

Toronto Comicon presented by FAN EXPO Canada™ is a pop culture convention for fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming. The annual three-day convention is jam-packed with family-friendly activities and celebrities. This year’s show takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from March 17-19, 2023. fanexpohq.com/comicontoronto

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “TETRIS”

Today Apple Original Films unveiled the trailer for the highly anticipated thriller, “Tetris,” starring Taron Egerton. 

“Tetris” tells the unbelievable story of how one of the world’s most popular video games found its way to avid players around the globe. Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) discovers Tetris in 1988, and then risks everything by travelling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) to bring the game to the masses. Based on a true story, “Tetris” is a Cold War–era thriller on steroids, with double-crossing villains, unlikely heroes, and a nail-biting race to the finish.

“Tetris” will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on March 31, 2023

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)

#FIRSTLOOK: FIRST WAVE OF ACTS ANNOUNCED FOR NXNE 2023

Canada’s discovery music festival, NXNE, has announced its initial lineup of invited artists for this year’s event taking place June 13-17, with close to 300 acts showcasing the most exciting emerging talent. NXNE is also pleased to announce a festival partnership with Neo Financial that will allow fans to score a FREE full festival pass, plus a $10 credit by signing up for a Neo product with no financial commitment at nxne.com. This exciting partnership will make NXNE even more accessible this year, in addition to full festival passes available now for just $25 and single tickets available for $15. 

Each year thousands of music fans descend on Toronto’s live music venues at NXNE to see bands often before they break it big, in a massive week-long club crawl of intimate performances. With the buzziest artists and venues, this year promises to be one of the best yet! NXNE is committed to diversity and gender equity when selecting artists, welcoming all marginalized communities and genres.

“NXNE has never been more committed to reducing financial barriers for people to make and consume music than we are right now as demonstrated by our elimination of fees to apply to play, our commitment to paying all performing artists and our extremely low cost festival passes,” said NXNE Founder, Michael Hollett. “Our revolutionary partnership with Neo allows us to go one step further and offer NXNE fans a chance to attend the festival for free and even have some cash for a drink, parking or the TTC. It has never been easier — or cheaper — to explore the future of music at NXNE.”

“NXNE is the ultimate celebration of music and creativity, where art and entertainment come together to create unforgettable memories,” said Richard Okeke, Director, Channel Growth, Neo Financial. “A must-attend festival for music lovers and culture seekers alike, we are excited to partner with NXNE to bring this experience to life!”

Featuring some of the world’s best bands of today and tomorrow, music lovers will be able to catch a diverse group of acts that will be the next generation of headliners. The first wave of invited performers include Black Note Graffiti, Broken Fires, Charmaine, Housewife, Josh Bogert, Missy D, Platinum Moon and Shawnee Kish with more announcements to come in the lead-up to the festival. NXNE Headquarters, located at It’s OK* (468 Queen Street West), will feature a lounge, parties, band merchandise, performances and more! It will also be home to a series of enriching music industry panels for performing artists programmed in conjunction with the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA). 

Showcase lineups this year will see the city of Memphis’ music export initiative (MEM) bring the BBQ and five incredible contemporary Memphis acts for day and evening showcases, while Humber College will host a special battle of the bands competition for a coveted spot to play in their showcase. Additional showcase partners this year also include the Corporation of the city of Brampton, Canada’s Music Incubator, the City of Kitchener and Side Door Access with more announcements to come. 

A partial list of artists invited to perform include:

36? (Calgary, AB)

Accolades (Toronto, ON)

Alex Southey (Toronto, ON)

Almyr Jules (Ottawa, ON)

Ariel View (Ontario, CA)

ashlye (Brampton, ON)

Balto (Los Angeles, CA)

Banditos (Nashville, TN)

Bandits on the Run (Brooklyn, NY)

Bealby Point (North Vancouver, BC)

Big Loser (Winnipeg, MB)

Black Note Graffiti (Ann Arbor, MI)

Black Pontiac (North Vancouver, BC)

Blvck Hippie (Memphis, TN)

Borderline Toxic (London, UK)
Borito (Tel Aviv, Israel)

Bree Taylor (Mississauga, ON)

Broken Fires (Swansea / London, UK)

CHARMAINE (Toronto, ON)

Chris Pierce (Savannah, GA)

Cindë (Toronto, ON)

Cinzia & The Eclipse (Montréal, QC)

Dali Van Gogh (Halifax, NS)

Danny Toeman (London, UK)
Diamond Weapon (Toronto, ON)

Dilettante (Manchester, UK)

Durham County Poets (Ormstown, QC)

Electric Religious (Edmonton, AB)

Equal (Oshawa, ON)

Eric Ryan (Toronto, ON)

Fame Cartel (Hamilton, ON)

Fionn (Vancouver, BC)

FKB (Edmonton, AB)

Flamél (El Paso, TX)

FRANKIE FLOWERS (Waterloo, ON)

Gunner & Smith (Saskatoon, SK)

Half Tangerine (San Jose, Costa Rica)

Harkness (Toronto, ON)

Hot Fudge Sundae (Guelph, ON)

Housewife (Toronto, ON)

Jessica Sevier (Toronto, ON)
Joey O’Neil (Dawson City, YT)

Josh Bogert (Vancouver, BC)

Kevin Daniel & The Bottom Line (Nashville, TN)

King Kuda (Brighton, UK)

King of Foxes (Edmonton, AB)

KYLO (Toronto, ON)

LGS (Ottawa, ON)

Living Room for Small (Kitchener/Waterloo, ON)

Luxe (Toronto, ON)

Lynn (Taipei City, Taiwan)

Maddisun (Cranbrook, BC)

Mark and the Tiger (Pasadena, CA)

Missy D (Vancouver, BC)

Monad (Tel Aviv, Israel) 

monarch. (Brooklyn, NY)

Moving City (Vancouver, BC)

Napoleon (Toronto, ON)

Nederveen (Bristol, UK)

Nicole Ariana (Halifax, NS)

Osyron (Calgary, AB)

Pixie & The Partygrass Boys (Salt Lake City, UT)

Platinum Moon (New York, NY)

Pony Girl (Ottawa/Hull, ON)

Prado Monroe (Vancouver, BC)

Queens & Kings (Toronto, ON)

Rip Pop Mutant (Montreal, QC)

Sadé Awele (Vancouver, BC)

Saults (London, UK)

Shawnee Kish (Edmonton, AB)

Sky Olson & The Valley (Salt Lake City, UT)

Sleep Outside (Cardiff, Wales)

Sorry, Peach (Spartanburg, SC)

St.Arnaud (Edmonton, AB)

Stuck On Planet Earth (Vaughan, ON)

Surf Dads (Regina, SK)

Taylor Ashton (Vancouver, BC)

The 12/21 (Winnipeg, MB)

The Band Ice Cream (Toronto, ON)

The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers (Los Angeles, CA)

The Garrys (Saskatoon, SK)

The Magnettes (Pajala, Sweden)

The Motive (London, UK)

The People Versus (Oxford, UK)

The Q-Tip Bandits (Boston, MA)

The Vanrays (Vancouver, BC)

theWorst (Portland, ME)

Velvet Rouge (Philadelphia, PA)

Victory (Toronto, ON)

VISSIA (Edmonton, AB)

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys (Boston, MA)

Wave Montega (Malton, ON)

We Demand Parachutes (Boston, MA)

Wonderstate (Minneapolis, MN)

YASSiN & Sean Terrio (Oakville, ON)

ZELA (Newcastle, UK)

Zeroscape (Toronto, ON)

#FIRSTLOOK: 2023 TORONTO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

By George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

The TORONTO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL (TBFF), presented by TD, celebrated the kick-off of its 11th edition this past Wednesday, where the opening night festivities were awash with panache and style. From February 15 to 20, 2023, TBFF will present 125 films from 20 countries and moviegoers will have the option to watch these live at the theatre or online. Two highlights of the evening included Founder Fabienne Colas presenting Writer/Producer/Director Jennifer Holness with the 2023 Career Achievement Award (who gave a heartfelt and inspired speech) and Director Matt Waldeck searing Documentary, LOVELY JACKSON, about Rickey Jackson’s 39-year incarceration for a crime he did not commit. Filmed in muted black and white and using recreations and live interviews, the Documentary was provocative and life affirming and both gentlemen basked in the positive audience response.

Check out the website TorontoBlackFilm.com for titles, dates, times and venues to discover new and exciting Cinema.

(Photo credit: George Kozera)

#FIRSTLOOK: “BACKSPOT” TO BEGIN PRODUCTION IN TORONTO MID-MARCH

Page Boy Productions, Night is Y and Prospero Pictures announce principal photography has started on the queer-led, highly anticipated BACKSPOT, marking the feature film debut of creator/director D.W. Waterson (That’s My DJ) starring award-winning actor Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs, Marvel’s Echo) and newcomer Kudakwashe Rutendo in lead roles. Acclaimed actors Thomas Antony Olajide (Learn to Swim, White Lie, The Spencer Sisters) and Olunike Adeliyi (The Porter, Revenge of the Black Best Friend), the incomparable Wendy Crewson (On the Basis of Sex, Room, Gray) and the iconic Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight’s Tale, Wristcutters: A Love Story, 40 Days and 40 Nights) also join the cast. Produced by Alona Metzer, D.W. Waterson, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, Martin Katz, and Executive Produced by Elliot Page, BACKSPOT is written by Joanne Sarazen, based on a story by Waterson. The film will shoot until mid-March in the Toronto area.

Riley and Amanda are formidable members of their mid-level cheerleading squad until professional coach, Eileen McNamara, gives them the opportunity to join The Thunderhawks, a high-performance squad. Young, ambitious and in love, Riley (Jacobs) and Amanda (Rutendo) would be on top of the world if only Riley could get her anxiety under control and Amanda had less overwhelming responsibility. Desperate to be heard and appreciated, two qualities her home life severely lacks, Riley will do anything to ingratiate herself to her new coach. Amanda, on the other hand, has begun to notice a shift in Riley and is a bit suspicious of Eileen’s tactics. Battered, unrelenting and with a competition looming, these two young athletes must negotiate their space, find their voices and come to an understanding with the generation of women who came before them.

“I’m so proud and excited to finally be going to camera after five long years. We’ve assembled an absolutely stacked cast, and an incredible crew, and we are thrilled to be creating something that’s truly kick*ass, raw, and that has a magic energy behind it,” said D.W. Waterson, director. “Competitive cheer is incredibly athletic, and our young, queer youth are so resilient. I am beyond looking forward to highlighting both of these communities in Backspot.”

Executive Producers are Elliot Page, Matthew Jordan Smith, John Davidson, and Katisha Shaw. BACKSPOT will be distributed by levelFILM in Canada, and will subsequently stream on Crave, followed by CBC and CBC Gem. The film is produced in association with Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, CBC Films, and Shaw Rocket Fund. International and US rights to BACKSPOT are represented by UTA.

#FIRSTLOOK: “YOU” SEASON FOUR PART TWO TRAILER

When will these people learn to stop pissing Joe Goldberg off? Here’s a new look at the second half of YOU Season Four, arriving March 9, 2023 on Netflix.

About Season 4:
After his previous life went up in flames, Joe Goldberg has fled to Europe to escape his “messy” past, adopt a new identity, and, of course, to pursue true love. But Joe soon finds himself in the strange new role of reluctant detective as he discovers he may not be the only killer in London. Now, his future depends on identifying and stopping whoever’s targeting his new friend group of uber-wealthy socialites…

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: “STRANGER THINGS” IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE COMING TO TORONTO

The year is 1986. The town is Hawkins. But the location is Toronto. Netflix and leading global live-entertainment discovery platform Fever have teamed up to deliver Stranger Things: The Experience, a new immersive experience which opens at Cinespace Studios Marine Terminal in Toronto on March 31, 2023. With this experience, fans are thrown into a world of supernatural mystery, enduring friendships, and ‘80s nostalgia in an atmospheric celebration of the Stranger Things universe.

Guests are taken on a perilous adventure through the darker side of Hawkins, including the infamous Hawkins National Lab and the Upside Down. This brand new storyline, developed exclusively with the show’s creators, propels guests into a parallel universe where they must run the gauntlet of terrors lurking in the dark and unlock their secret powers to help save the town. With the gang’s hometown on the line, there’s room in Hawkins for heroes of all ages (5+) to work together to save the day.

After their escape from the Upside Down, guests will be free to explore Mix-Tape, where they can meet real-life characters from the Stranger Things world, grab a USS Butterscotch sundae at Scoops Ahoy, attempt to knock off MADMAX’s high score, sample a tasty pie from Surfer Boy Pizza, try a unique cocktail at the first ever Stranger Things-themed bar, snatch up exclusive merchandise, and even get up close and personal with Vecna himself.

Join the waitlist now for the chance to purchase tickets before anyone else! Sales will open to the general public starting February 21. Tickets are limited and can be purchased in advance by visiting strangerthings-experience.com/toronto.

Details:

Co-produced by Netflix and Fever, this groundbreaking experience takes fans of the global hit series inside some of its most iconic settings on an intimate guided new adventure alongside their favourite characters before the chance to hang out and explore major locations from the show.

Stranger Things: The Experience follows the smash-hit successes of the first official Stranger Things Stores that brought the “Upside-Down” to New York City and Los Angeles in Fall 2021, welcoming hundreds of thousands of guests and fans of the show over the course of its run. That followed Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience which took place in Los Angeles in Spring 2021, selling out every day for more than seven months and receiving rave reviews.

Netflix and Fever are bringing the groundbreaking, in-person live multimedia experience Stranger Things: The Experience to Canada for the first time.

The venue, located at Cinespace Studios Marine Terminal, will be transformed into iconic sets and challenges from Stranger Things.

Tickets are limited and prices will start at $49 per person and can be booked at strangerthings-experience.com/toronto. Fans can follow @strangerthings.experience for more.

Though there’s room in Hawkins for heroes of all ages, this experience contains mature language and graphic imagery and effects. Children under 5 will not be admitted, and anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

The Experience traveled to various cities in 2022 including New York, San Francisco, London, LA and Atlanta, with Paris and Toronto opening this March.

Fans can expect mind-blowing audiovisual effects but are warned that they will also have to face their fears as things can quickly turn uʍop ǝpᴉsdn.

Follow @strangerthings.experience on Instagram to keep up to date with exclusive news and surprises.

Location & Opening Times:

Location: Cinespace Studios Marine Terminal at 8 Unwin Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5A 3L1

Opening times:
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 4 pm–9 pm

Saturdays and Sundays: 10:30 am–9 pm

Time slots available every half hour

The immersive multimedia experience lasts for 45 minutes before attendees can spend unlimited time at Mix-Tape, a collection of Stranger Things greatest hits, including themed food and drinks, exclusive merchandise, and unique photo opportunities.