Disney+ announced that the highly anticipated six-episode French Original drama series âBecoming Karl Lagerfeldâ (previously âKaiser Karlâ), produced by Gaumont and Jour Premier, will premiere all episodes on June 7, 2024, exclusively on Disney+.
In 1972, Karl Lagerfeld (Daniel BrĂŒhl) is 38 and not yet wearing his iconic hairstyle. He is a ready-to-wear designer, unknown to the general public. While he meets and falls in love with the sultry Jacques de Bascher (ThĂ©odore Pellerin), an ambitious and troubling young dandy, the most mysterious of fashion designers dares to take on his friend (and rival) Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois), a genius of haute couture backed by the redoubtable businessman Pierre BergĂ© (Alex Lutz).
“Becoming Karl Lagerfeld” plunges us into the heart of the 70s, in Paris, Monaco and Rome, to follow the formidable blossoming of this complex and iconic personality of Parisian couture, already driven by the ambition to become the Emperor of Fashion. Between glamour and clashes of egos, grandiose parties, and destructive passions, discover the story of Karl before Lagerfeld.
A story told for the first time on screen and adapted from the bestseller “Kaiser Karl” by RaphaĂ«lle BacquĂ© (published by Albin Michel) that brings together a star-studded cast.
Actor Daniel BrĂŒhl (“All Quiet on the Western Front”, “Captain America: Civil War”, “Rush”, “Inglourious Basterds”, “Good Bye, Lenin!”) stars as the couturier, Canadaâs ThĂ©odore Pellerin (“Continental Draft (South)”, “Solo”, “Franklin”, “Beau is Afraid”) stars as Jacques de Bascher and Arnaud Valois (most talented new actor at Festival LumiĂšre 2018; “120 BPM (Beats per Minute)”, “Good Grief”, “The Girl on the Train”, “My Best Part”, “Spring Blossom”) as Yves Saint Laurent. Alex Lutz (CĂ©sar for Best Actor in 2019; MoliĂšre in 2016 and 2020; “Vortex”, “Guy”, “Romantique”, “Baron noir”, “Strangers by Night”) plays Pierre BergĂ©. AgnĂšs Jaoui (CĂ©sar for Best Supporting Actress in 1998, 2001 and 2016; Honorary CĂ©sar in 2024; “Ă l’Ombre des filles”, “En ThĂ©rapie”, “The Sweet Escape”, “The Taste of Others”) plays Gabrielle Aghion, the founder of the ChloĂ© fashion house who made a major contribution to his fame.
JĂ©rĂŽme Salle (“Kompromat”, “Totems”, “The Odyssey”, “Zulu”, “Anthony Zimmer”) is at the helm of this major series, directing episodes 1, 2 and 6. He shares the role of executive producer with Jour Premier producer Arnaud de CrĂ©miers. Episodes 3, 4 and 5 are directed by Audrey Estrougo (“Everythingâs Fine”, “SuprĂȘmes”). Isaure Pisani-Ferry (“Ganglands”, “Vampires”, “Kaboul Kitchen”) is the creator of the series, with Jennifer Have (“Unfaithful”, “The Red Band Society”) and RaphaĂ«lle BacquĂ©. Isaure Pisani-Ferry is also the series’ lead writer, co-writing all episodes with Dominique Baumard (“Le Jeune imam”, “Ganglands”, “The Bureau”), Jennifer Have and Nathalie Hertzberg (“The Goldman Caseâ).
The series also highlights the fashion and cultural personalities who rubbed shoulders with Karl Lagerfeld at the time. Jeanne Damas, fashion designer and actress in “La SincĂ©ritĂ©” and “Rock’n Roll”, lends her features to Paloma Picasso, and singer-songwriter and model Claire Laffut to those of Loulou de La Falaise. Legendary actress Marlene Dietrich is played by Sunnyi Melles, seen in the 2022 Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness”. Andy Warhol is played by Paul Spera (“On the Line”, “On the Basis of Sex”, “Marie-Antoinette”). Rounding out the couture cast is German actress Lisa Kreuzer (whose eclectic career includes films by Wim Wenders, Patrice ChĂ©reau, Amos GitaĂŻ and the “Dark” series) as Karl’s mother, Elisabeth Lagerfeld.
Music for the series has been entrusted to Evgueni and Sacha Galperine (âOussekineâ, “By the Grace of God”, “The Undoing”, “Baron noir”, “The Night Doctor”, “Happening”, “Scene from a Marriage”). âBecoming Karl Lagerfeldâ is born under the impulse of Christophe Riandee, vice CEO, production company led by Sidonie Dumas. The series is produced by Isabelle Degeorges for Gaumont and Arnaud de CrĂ©miers for Jour Premier.
The 2024 winter anime season begins this January and Crunchyroll will be bringing more than 40 new, returning, and continuing series to audiences around the world. Streaming new episodes every week straight from Japan, check out some of the hottest series to look out for below:
After being given a second chance at life, Sung Jinwoo seeks to discover the secrets behind his new powers. From A-1 Pictures, adapted from one of the most-read Korean manhwa of all time, the thrilling action fantasy series Solo Leveling premieres on January 6.
The swash-buckling adventures of Luffy and his Straw Hat pirates continue as the anime celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2024! One Piece heads into the Final Saga with the all-new Egghead Island Arc premiering on January 6.
When a group of androids revolt against the government, two partners are tasked with tracking them down. An original sci-fi series created by studio BONES for their 25th anniversary, featuring Carole & Tuesday director Motonobu Hori and Cowboy Bebop character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto, Metallic Rouge premieres on January 10.
The elven mage Frieren leads heroes to defeat the Demon King. Years later, she seeks to fulfill their dying wishes. The epic sprawling fantasy Frieren: Beyond Journeyâs End continues with exciting new episodes every Friday.
Full schedule:
DECEMBER 29
BURN THE WITCH #0.8 (Studio Colorido)
“Dragons”⊠from ancient times, they were considered fictional creatures, but they’re not actually
fictional, nor are they technically creatures. They are heteromorphic beings, and many of the
deaths in London can be attributed to them. But most citizens in London don’t know what
dragons look like or know they even exist. Only those who live in Reverse London can see them.
In Reverse London, there was an agency called Wing Bind (WB for short) that was in charge of
protecting and managing the dragons. And there were two witches who belonged to Wing
BindâŠ
JANUARY 1
Fluffy Paradise (EMT Squared)
When this overworked office lady finally meets her maker, sheâs reborn with an adorable ability.
Midori is reincarnated in another world as a young girl, Nema, and must help decide if the
humans there should continue to exist. In return, she gains the power to be loved by all
nonhuman creatures. From fantasy beasts to mythical monsters, sheâs free to pet any animal to
her heartâs content!
JANUARY 3
Classroom of the Elite Season 3 (Lerche)
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and his classmates have finally advanced to Class C, but a tumultuous third
term lies ahead. They face an exam known as the âmixed training camp,â a co-ed test in which
all classes must work together to achieve high scores. Not only are students forced into
unpredictable groups with former enemies, but those who fail to reach the benchmark will be
expelled!
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and
German
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki Season 2 (Project No.9)
With no written rules, the real world is hard for gamer Tomozaki Fumiya, but heâs about to get
the experience he needs from a seasoned player.
â Dubs include: English
JANUARY 5
The Demon Prince of Momochi House (Drive)
Himariâs 16th birthday will be one she never forgets. Unexpectedly, she receives a will detailing
her inheritance of a mysterious estate: the Momochi House. She arrives only to discover that the
home was built on the cusp between the human world and the spiritual realm. There, she
encounters Yukari, Ise, and a peculiar boy named Aoi, who seems to be concealing a shadowy
secret.
â Dubs include: English and Latin American Spanish
Sasaki and Peeps (SILVER LINK.)
Sasaki is a middle-aged office worker living in Japan. Feeling drained by the vapid corporate
world, he heads to the pet shop in search of a new companion. There he finds an adorable bird
named Peeps and takes him home. But Sasaki quickly learns that Peeps isnât your average
birdâŠheâs a powerful mage from another world! Together, they embark on a magical adventure
filled with swords and sorcery.
â Dubs include: English
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (CONNECT)
Rentt Faina has hunted monsters for the last 10 years. Sadly, heâs not great at his job, stuck
hunting slimes and goblins for a few coins each day. His luck turns when he finds an
undiscovered path. At the pathâs end, he meets his demise in the maw of a legendary dragon.
But, he wakes up as an undead bag of bones! He sets out to achieve Existential Evolution and
rejoin the land of the living.
The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic (Studio Add and Shin-Ei Animation)
An ordinary walk home from school turns into an epic journey for Usato. After suddenly being
dropped into another world with two fellow students, Usato learns he was summoned there by
accident. But things turn around when he discovers a unique aptitude for healing magic! Now,
he trains beyond human limitations, using his self-healing abilities to gain absurd strength and
unrivaled stamina.
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Hindi
JANUARY 6
One Piece â Egghead Island Arc (Toei Animation)
The stage is set for a new adventure on the Future Island of “Egghead”. What awaits the Straw
Hat Pirates when they finally meet the famous Dr. Vegapunk, the genius scientist of the Navy,
and explore his research lab?
Solo Leveling (A-1 Pictures)
They say whatever doesnât kill you makes you stronger, but thatâs not the case for the worldâs
weakest hunter Sung Jinwoo. After being brutally slaughtered by monsters in a high-ranking
dungeon, Jinwoo came back with the System, a program only he could see, thatâs leveling him
up in every way. Now, heâs inspired to discover the secrets behind his powers and the dungeon
that spawned them.
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German,
Italian, Castilian Spanish, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu
A Sign of Affection (AJIADO Animation Studio)
Yuki Itose is just a typical student dealing with the pressures of college. She is struggling one
day on the train when an upperclassman named Itsuomi Nagi helps her out. As he gradually
opens a new world to her, Yuki develops feelings for Itsuomi. A pure love story begins to grow.
(
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and
German
Tales of Wedding Rings (Staple Entertainment)
Satou is a high school boy in love with his best friend Hime, an unearthly beauty from another
realm. So when she moves back to her home world to get married, Sato doesnât think twiceâhe
follows her and crashes the wedding. Then, after a kiss from Hime, he suddenly becomes the
new groom! But here, Hime is a Ring Princess and her husband is destined to be the Ring King:
a hero of immense power.
JANUARY 7
7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! (Studio
KAI and HORNETS)
Rishe, the dukeâs daughter, is no stranger to reincarnationâitâs her seventh life, after all. Each
life restarts at her broken engagement. Having been a merchant, a maid, and a knight, she now
desires leisure. But her world changes when a prince, who killed her in a past life, proposes! To
prevent war and live to a ripe old age, she begins her seventh life as the bride of an enemy
nationâs prince.
â Dubs include: Brazilian Portuguese
Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 2
(Studio Flad)
A once-great Hero is now living the slow life. Red, shunned from his adventuring party, spends
his days running an apothecary. He lives with his lifelong love, Princess Rit, and his sister, Ruti.
They indulge in moments of bliss, like soaking in serene hot springs and enjoying delicious
meals with a view. No matter what happens to the world around them, these happy moments
will be unchanged.
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese
JANUARY 8
TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 (J.C.STAFF)
After Makoto Misumi defeats Mitsurugi and Sofia Bulga, humanity is saved from the attacking
demon armyâfor the time being. The goddess is aware of Makotoâs growing power, and she
sees him as less of a nuisance and more of a rival. Makoto continues his journey to further
expand his community of outcasts and connect with more of his kind. But will he be strong
enough to hold off the coming storm?
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese
The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil (Children’s Playground Entertainment)
Determined to protect his demon world from heavenly angels, demon Masatora Akutsu heads
to earth in search of a charismatic human to rally his kin. Masquerading as a high schooler for
his recruitment mission, heâs captivated by the lovely Lily Amane. But heâs in for a wild celestial
surprise, because sheâs his archnemesisâan angelâand sheâs set on reforming his demonic
ways!
â Dubs include: English
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! (SILVER LINK. and BLADE)
Snowflakes arenât the only things dropping in Hokkaidoâso are jaws, thanks to the super
adorable gals who are turning the icy north into a hotbed of fashion and fun. Brace yourself for a
winter storm of laughs, love, and killer outfits as these gals prove that being cute is an all-season
affair. Here, frostbite meets fashionista!
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Hindi
HIGH CARD Season 2 (Studio Hibari)
After discovering X-Playing Cards, powerful cards that grant powers, pickpocket Finn is
recruited by High Card, a secret group sworn to protect and collect them. This deck has been
scattered throughout the kingdom of Fourland. Moonlighting at luxury carmaker Pinochle, this
squadâs set out to play the most dangerous game of 52 pickup. But they gotta get them before
rival carmaker Whoâs Who!
JANUARY 9
Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord (Jumondou)
This college kid wants nothing more than a quiet life. So when sheâs reborn as Yumiella, the
hidden villainess of an Otome RPG, sheâs not exactly thrilled. Still yearning for peace, she
abandons her evil duties to live a more discreet life. Until her gamer side kicks in and she
accidentally reaches level 99! Now, everyone suspects that sheâs the infamous Demon Lord.
What future awaits her?
â Dubs include: Hindi
JANUARY 10
Metallic Rouge (BONES)
In a world where humans coexist with androids called Neans, a group known as the Immortal
Nine rises up against society. Tasked with disposing of the revolters, a Nean named Rouge
Redstar (aka Metal Rouge) and investigator Naomi Orthmann head to Mars to track them
downâŠbut first, Rouge wants some chocolate.
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German,
Italian, Castilian Spanish, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu
Sengoku Youko (WHITE FOX)
Humans and katawara are at war, but there are those on each side who join forces. Tama is a fox
spirit who loves humans, while her sendou brother, Jinka, despises them. Together, they use the
power of spirit transformation to defeat the monstrous katawara and put an end to the evils of
this chaotic age. What destiny awaits the duo at the end of their journey?
JANUARY 11
Delusional Monthly Magazine (OLM Team Yoshioka)
In the town of Most City, a publishing house resides in the second story of an old building. The
staff prints a monthly science magazine about the most shocking phenomena that even
scientists find impossible. The handsome editor-in-chief, Taro, is assisted by grade-schooler Jiro
and his dog, Saburo. But when scientist Goro Sato seeks their help, it sparks the beginning of a
bizarre new taleâŠ
JANUARY 13
BUCCHIGIRI?! (MAPPA)
Arajin Tomoshibiâs reunion with his old pal Matakara Asamine takes an unexpected turn when
they stumble into a brawl with the toughest guys in town. And just when you thought things
couldnât get weirder, a colossal genie decides to drop in. Brace yourself for the ultimate
showdown. Itâs the clash of the cool and the magical!
â Dubs include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German,
and Hindi
JANUARY 14
Meiji Gekken: 1874 (Tsumugi Akita Anime Lab)
By 1874, seven years have passed since the end of the samurai era. A former samurai, Shizuma
Orikasa works as a rickshaw driver in Tokyo while looking for his fiancée, Sumie Kanomata, who
went missing during the Boshin War. Shizuma thwarts an assassination attempt and joins the
newly established police department, where heâll fight to stop dark forces from overthrowing
the government.
The Fire Hunter Season 2 (Signal.MD)
Humanity survives in patches protected by magic in a world ruled by flame fiends after the final
war. Pathogens make fire deadly, but a rumor of the returning âFlickering Flameâ comet
spreads. Touko, a paper village girl, and Koushi, a factory workerâs son, cross paths amid this
chaos, sparking a thrilling journey toward destiny and the coveted flame of the Millennial
Comet.
COMING SOON
Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp (MAHO FILM)
Making up for her sins in a past life as the evil princess Elise, Aoi Takamoto dedicates her life to
saving people as a doctor. But a fatal accident cuts her atonement short and suddenly sheâs
back to her previous life, 10 years before her death! Will her foresight and medical brilliance help
her change her past ways and heal an ailing empire, or is fate doomed to repeat itself?
MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES Season 2 (A-1 Pictures)
This is a world of magic. This is a world in which magic is casually used by everyone. In this world
of magic, Mash Burnedead attends Magic School. To protect this quiet life with his family, he
sets his sights on becoming a âDivine Visionary,â the elite of the elite, while hiding the fact that
he canât use magic. He surpasses the best and brightest of the wizarding world with his ripped
muscles and faces the Divine Visionary Candidate Selection Exam. The second cour curtain rises
on this off-kilter magical fantasy in which the power of being jacked crushes any spell!
â Dubs include: Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian,
Castilian Spanish, and Hindi
The Witch and the Beast (Yokohama Animation Laboratory)
Guideau is a young woman who was cursed by a witch, forced to carry a dark secret. Ashaf is a
tall, soft-spoken man with a coffin strapped to his back and secrets yet untold. Together they
venture across the land on their quest for vengeance. Appearances can be deceiving, and each
step could be their last. In a dark fantasy filled with adventure, will unlikely heroes find the
vengeance they seek?
â Dubs include: English
SERIES CONTINUING FROM FALL 2023
â Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Madhouse) â New episodes on Fridays
â The Apothecary Diaries (TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM) â New episodes on Saturdays
â Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange (Brainâs Base) â New episodes on Saturdays
â Case Closed (Detective Conan) (TMS Entertainment) â New episodes on Saturdays
â Soaring Sky! Precure (Toei Animation) â New episodes on Saturdays
â Shangri-La Frontier (C2C) â New episodes on Sundays
â Captain Tsubasa Season 2: Junior Youth Arc (Studio KAI) â New episodes on Sundays
The ability to make films and television shows in Canada is in jeopardy as the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes continue in the US. Many of the shows that Canadian audiences love to watch (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” âReacherâ and “The Craving”) are shot in in this country with Canadian casts and crews, but the productions have shut down, leaving tens of thousands of Canadian film workers out of work and many ineligible for Employment Insurance. Many are in jeopardy of losing their homes, forcing them to switch careers in order to keep their families secure.
Enter The AFC (formerly known as the Actors’ Fund of Canada), a national charity that serves people working in the entertainment industry in Canada and is now functioning as the industry’s only emergency financial support. Since May, The AFC has provided $1.2 million in strike assistance, which exceeds the budget for their Emergency Financial Aid program for the entire year.
Unions such as ACTRA, IATSE and the DGC are not permitted to accept donations, but The AFC, which is supported by entertainment industry unions, industry organizations, companies and individuals, can.
To date, The AFC has received donations from the producers and cast of The Good Doctor and Fire Country, both filmed in British Columbia. The producers and cast of these shows understand the importance of helping the Canadian film industry stay afloat.
The AFCâs priority is to assist film workers who are most at risk by providing short-term emergency financial aid up to $2,000 per individual to help avoid eviction, buy groceries and meet immediate needs. The AFC also offers financial wellness webinars and sessions on finding temporary work to help film and TV workers survive what is expected to be a long period of unemployment.
Actor Julian Richings, most recently seen on âThe Umbrella Academyâ and âReginald the Vampireâ says, âIn the 1980s I received support from The AFC when raising a young family and meeting rent by juggling various part-time jobs. Iâve never forgotten that sense of belonging, so necessary at the time. People in the entertainment industry take on a lifetime of gig work and insecurity and often have scarce personal resources. And the next generation, Iâm sorry to say, will face even more challengesâinflation, spiralling housing costs, a fundamental change in the delivery of entertainment, and the emerging presence of AI. Canada needs its stories and its characters, and they too need to remain healthy and viable. There is a need for The AFC, and The AFC, if you are able, needs your support.â
Actor Jean Yoon, best known as Umma on âKimâs Convenienceâ, says, âThe SAG & WGA strikes have meant less work for Canadian actors here north of the border. Most of my actor friends are used to the feast and famine rollercoaster of revenue fluctuation, but my friends who are crew members, sound operators, grips, location scouts, production assistants, are really suffering. I am fortunate in that I donât need any financial assistance, but I know friends who do and who have been helped by The AFC. Webinar workshops that The AFC provides – especially the Financial Wellness webinars – are a great help. I feel so grateful I work in an industry where so many artists before me committed their time and energy to create systems and safeguards for the rest of us.â
âAt The AFC, we support Canadian film workers. If you think it’s important that film and TV continues to get made in Canada, support the people who make it and donate to The AFC today,â noted Executive Director, David Hope.
If you want to help the film and television workers in Canada make it through, please consider donating to The AFC. Especially for those of us who are still working, let’s show our crews some love. The more talent we retain through the strike, the faster our recovery will be.
ABOUT THE AFC
The AFC is the lifeline for Canadaâs entertainment industry. Through compassionate support, we help Canadian entertainment professionals maintain their health, dignity, and ability to work. With our emergency financial aid program and other services, we support the health and well-being of arts and entertainment professionals in times of crisis and help them live and work sustainably in the long-term.
Media Contact: Cynthia Amsden, Roundstone Communications, 416.910.7740 cynthia@roundstonepr.com
Ace the back-to-school season with Corus Entertainmentâs unstoppable autumn lineup from top kidsâ networks, YTV, Treehouse, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channels, featuring the latest animated and live-action premieres, fan-favourite returning seasons, and non-stop antics airing all fall long. Plus, catch up after class with episodes airing live and on-demand across TELETOON+ and STACKTV.
YTV
The animated series, Big Nate, launches September 2 at 11:30 a.m. PT/ET following a sixth-grade kid who has a never-ending need to prove his awesomeness to the world. Whether he is dealing with disasters at home or detention at school, Nate Wright is no stranger to struggle. Luckily, he is able to express himself through the world of cartoons that he creates. Charming, mischievous, and a magnet for misadventure â trouble is always fun when Nate is around. Just ask his friends!
Also this fall, YTV delivers the thrilling final chapter of The Hardy Boys with the mystery unravelling every Monday leading up to the finale on September 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. You can also catch new episodes of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, The Croods Family Tree, Dragons: The Nine Realms, SpongeBob SquarePants, Monster High and Popularity Papers on the network. As a bonus, bookworms can find an exclusive YTV edition of the first book of Popularity Papers, Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang, available through Indigo.
Treehouse
Treehouse gives a new meaning to class pet with out-of-the-box programming for animal lovers! Premiering October 14 at 10:05 a.m. ET, Vida the Vet, produced by Spin Master Entertainment, follows ten-year-old Vida, an animal doctor who nurtures the charming and silly woodland creatures who live outside her home. Is there a fox with a sprained paw? A turtle with an itchy toe? A tiger with an aching tooth? Then Vida is the vet for the job. With quick thinking, a doctor’s intuition and the help of her closest friends, Vida helps adorable animals and makes sure they get the care they need.
Enjoy the magic with Mattel Televisionâs Barbie: A Touch of Magic, premiering September 4 at 10:05 a.m. ET. Barbie and Barbie discover a mysterious baby horse on the beach in Malibu and soon discover that the little horse is actually a baby Pegasus! They work together to find out how to get little Peggy home while protecting her from Rocki, the fantastical Glyph. Set in the established Malibu location, Barbie, Barbie and their friends discover that magic really is around us.
Then embark on outlandish misadventures with Bossy Bear on September 8 at 10:05 a.m. ET. From husband-and-wife team David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim (UglyDolls), and based on the popular book series by Horvath, the series follows Bossy Bear, an overly-enthusiastic extrovert, and Turtle, a thoughtful introvert–unlikely besties who make the perfect team for navigating silly childhood adventures in their Koreatown-inspired city of Pleasantburg.
All aboard! Also from Mattel Television, Thomas & Friends fans can look forward to a new special with the beloved engines in Thomas & Friends: The Great Bubbly Build airing October 28 at 8:50 a.m. ET. The special sees Sandy and Carly set out to make an art project together, but when their ideas clash and the project fails, they learn that it needs the right mix of both ideas to succeed.
Coming this fall, tune in to canât-miss favourites with returning episodes of Rubble & CrewÂź, Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders, Builder Brothers Dream Factory, and get ready to wiggle with a brand-new season of Ready, Steady, Wiggle!
Cartoon Network
Get ready for even more teen antics with the return of the fan favourite series Total Drama Island on October 21 at 6 p.m. ET/PT. On an island surrounded by the tears of past contestants, 16 new iconic teens gather to compete in the cruelest challenges ever conceived. Who will be the lone survivor and take home the coveted 1 million dollars? Watch and find out. Oh yes, it’s time for no rules, no mercy, and zero safety regulations. Total Drama Island⊠is back
Tiny Toons Looniversity puts the âclassâ in âclassicâ! Premiering September 15 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, follow Babs, Buster, and their new friends Hamton, Plucky, and Sweetie to Acme Looniversity, the premier institution of higher hijinx learning. While enrolled, they form long-lasting friendships with one another and perfect their cartoony craft while studying under the greatest cartoon characters in history, the Looney Tunes.
There is a new adventure coming Cartoon Networkâs way with Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake premiering on September 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios and based on characters from the beloved âAdventure Timeâ franchise, this brand-new 10-episode series set in the land of Ooo follows the alternate universe versions of Finn and Jake on a multiverse-hopping journey towards self-discovery. When Fionna and her sidekick Cake find themselves in the crosshairs of a powerful new foe, they have no choice but to seek the help of former Ice King Simon Petrikov. With appearances from Marshall Lee, Marceline the Vampire Queen, Princess Bubblegum, and Finn the Human, Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake transports fans of the classic series to worlds both familiar and alien.
Donât miss Nelvanaâs award-winning short film Jelly making its prime-time premiere on Thursday, September 21 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Jelly takes audiences on a journey through a modern dilemma intertwined with a captivating fairy tale. Should the hero character, Molly, pursue the passion of expressive art, or tread a factory job painting mannequin faces? She cannot decide, but a liquid spirit soon helps make the choice easy.
The family fun continues with all-new episodes of Craig of the Creek! The laugh-a-minute lineup extends with new episodes of Teen Titans Go!, We Baby Bears, Looney Tunes Cartoons and The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe on Cartoon Network and STACKTV.
Disney Channel & Disney Junior
Disney fans rejoice! Disney Channel mainstays are coming back this fall with a new season of Big City Greens premiering September 24 at 11 a.m. ET/PT, new episodes of Hamster & Gretel beginning in October, and even more of Haileyâs On It!, Bunkâd: Learning the Ropes and Villains of Valley View. Later this season, fans can get in the holiday spirit with the new festive movie The Naughty Nine.
Catch all your favourite friends with Disney Juniorâs returning fall episodes of Bluey, Marvelâs Spidey and his Amazing Friends, Mickey Mouse Funhouse and Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. On October 1, donât miss the special Mickey and Friends Trick or Treats at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and 7:15 p.m. ET on Disney Junior.
YTV, Treehouse, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and Disney Junior are Corus Entertainment Networks.
About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the companyâs portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, digital and streaming platforms, and technology and media services. Corus is an internationally-renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, and childrenâs book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corusâ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Magnolia Network Canada, The HISTORYÂź Channel, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with streaming platforms STACKTV, TELETOON+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. Corus is the domestic advertising representative and an original content partner for Pluto TV, a Paramount Company, which is the leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service. For more information visit www.corusent.com.
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STACKTV is Corus Entertainmentâs premium multi-channel television streaming service that offers thousands of hours of exclusive hit content from 16 of Canadaâs top TV networks, all on one platform. All series, movies and specials that air on Global Television, Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, W Network, The HISTORYÂź Channel, Adult Swim, Slice, Showcase, National Geographic, Lifetime, Cartoon Network, Treehouse, YTV, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior are available to stream on STACKTV live and on demand with new content added daily. STACKTV is available via Amazon Prime Video Channels, FuboTV, Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite Streaming. For more information, visit stacktv.ca.
Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER.
Advance screenings will be held Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 7 pm:
Synopsis:
Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stokerâs classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargoâfifty unmarked wooden cratesâfrom Carpathia to London.
Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.
The film stars Corey Hawkins (In the Heights, Straight Outta Compton) as Clemens, a doctor who joins the Demeter crew, Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, The Nightingale) as an unwitting stowaway, Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) as the shipâs captain and David Dastmalchian (Dune, the Ant-Man franchise) as the Demeterâs first mate.
The film also features Jon Jon Briones (Ratched, American Horror Story), Stefan Kapicic (Deadpool films, Better Call Saul), Nikolai Nikolaeff (Stranger Things, Bruised) and Javier Botet (It films, Mama).
From DreamWorks Pictures and the producers of Zodiac and Black Swan, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is directed by Norwegian horror virtuoso AndrĂ© Ăvredal (Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, Trollhunter), from a script by Bragi F. Schut (Escape Room), Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters) and Zak Olkewicz (the upcoming Bullet Train), based on the chapter âThe Captainâs Logâ of Bram Stokerâs Dracula.
The film is produced by Brad Fischer and by OscarÂź-nominated producer Mike Medavoy and Arnold Messer for Phoenix Pictures and is executive produced by Matthew Hirsch.
Genre: Horror
Cast: Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian
Director: AndrĂ© Ăvredal
Screenplay By: Bragi F. Schut, Stefan Ruzowitzky and Zak Olkewicz, based on âThe Captainâs Logâ from Bram Stokerâs Dracula
Producers: Brad Fischer, Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer
Executive Producer: Matthew Hirsch
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City for us in the comments. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for an extra chance. We’re also now on Threads! Be following!
Enter for a chance to #win passes to an Advance Screening of #TheLastVoyageoftheDemeter.https://t.co/hRWUiq8ny8 pic.twitter.com/aQkPMwCd8K
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) July 27, 2023
Rules and regulations here.
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER is in theatres August 11, 2023.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
We get a brand-new Trailer today for THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, starring Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham and David Dastmalchian.
Synopsis:
Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stokerâs classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargoâfifty unmarked wooden cratesâfrom Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew. The film stars Corey Hawkins (In the Heights, Straight Outta Compton) as Clemens, a doctor who joins the Demeter crew, Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, The Nightingale) as an unwitting stowaway, Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) as the shipâs captain and David Dastmalchian (Dune, the Ant-Man franchise) as the Demeterâs first mate. The film also features Jon Jon Briones (Ratched, American Horror Story), Stefan Kapicic (Deadpool films, Better Call Saul), Nikolai Nikolaeff (Stranger Things, Bruised) and Javier Botet (It films, Mama). From DreamWorks Pictures and the producers of Zodiac and Black Swan, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is directed by Norwegian horror virtuoso AndrĂ© Ăvredal (Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, Trollhunter), from a script by Bragi F. Schut (Escape Room), Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters) and Zak Olkewicz (the upcoming Bullet Train), based on the chapter âThe Captainâs Logâ of Bram Stokerâs Dracula. The film is produced by Brad Fischer and by OscarÂź-nominated producer Mike Medavoy and Arnold Messer for Phoenix Pictures and is executive produced by Matthew Hirsch.
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER is in theatres August 11, 2023.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
In addition to bringing-out the heavyweights at JUST FOR LAUGHS MONTRĂAL, it also is about showcasing new talent! Just announced today are their 2022 NEW FACES! The Program is responsible for helping out names like Jo Koy, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Mike Birbiglia and more on the map! And did we see ALEXIA DOX, our fave “Tiny Dog” Video Creator on the list? Why, yes we did!
NEW FACES OF COMEDY hosted by Pete Holmes
Ali Kolbert was once an NBC Page at 30 Rock, where she worked on shows such as Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Kolbert made her television debut in that very building, performing stand-up on The Tonight Show. She has performed on A Little Late with Lilly Singh, The TODAY Show, and even once impersonated Reese Witherspoon on The Howard Stern Show. Kolbert was also included in Variety Magazineâs July comedy issue and profiled in Forbes Under 30. She can be seen co-hosting AOLâs Build Brunch, a daily morning talk show featuring a roundtable of diverse, young and influential personalities speaking to breaking news, hot topics and the latest in entertainment. She can also be seen as a series regular on the truTV show, Top Secret Videos, and performed a comedy special for HBO MAXâs Queer Comedy Showcase for Pride 2021.
Ali Macofsky is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer who began her stand-up comedy career shortly after high school. She quickly established herself in the Los Angeles comedy scene where she became the first regular to perform on over 100 episodes of the Comedy Storeâs weekly Kill Tony podcast. She most recently went on tour opening for rock musician, St. Vincent, across the US. Her stand up has been featured on Just For Laughs digital receiving over 3 million views. She has a popular series on Instagram, where she talks to strangers online and hosts a podcast called Resting Bitch.
Andrew Orolfo is a Filipino American comedian who is an established staple in the San Francisco comedy scene, and has been featured in SF Sketchfest, Limestone Comedy Festival and Comedy Centralâs Clusterfest. He can be heard on SiriusXM Radio and seen on Comedy Central, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jo Koy: In His Elements on Netflix, Comedy Central Stand Up & Comedy Dynamicsâ Coming to the Stage.
Brandi Denise is a standup, actor, and writer, who just wrapped filming a series regular role on the BET show Games People Play, and can be seen recurring on Starzâ Power and Power Book II: Ghost. Boyd is an alumnus of Chicago Second City Improv Program and a Conservatory Student, Annoyance theatre alumni and the I.O. Writing for T.V. Program.
Brian Bahe is an Indigenous (Tohono Oâodham, Hopi, Navajo), gay comedian and writer originally from Phoenix, Arizona, now based in New York City. He taped a standup set for Comedy Centralâs Stand-Up Featuring, headlined Carolineâs on Broadway, and his writing has been published in McSweeneyâs. His animated comedy pilot Decolonize was selected for the 2022 Indigenous List, a collaboration between The Blacklist, the Sundance Institute, and IllumiNative.
Emil Wakim is a stand-up comedian and writer currently based in Brooklyn, by way of Bloomington, Indiana. He recently served as a consulting producer on The Wendy Williams Show. He also made an appearance as a main focus on ViceTVâs docuseries Hunters.
Ethan Simmons-Patterson is a NY-based comedian from the suburbs of Chicago who just graduated from NYU’s nursing school. When he’s not working at a children’s hospital, Simmons-Patterson performs at the Comedy Cellar, Caroline’s, New York Comedy Club, The Bell House, Littlefield, and popular shows across Brooklyn and Manhattan. He’s been featured in the New York Comedy Festival, the Janelle James Festival, and Floodwater Festival. He was selected to perform for Comedy Central’s This Week at the Comedy Cellar.
Ever Mainard (they/them) is an incredibly talented Texas born comedian, actor, writer, and improviser. They are a three-time Award Winner for their role in The Feels, and appeared in the Duplass brothersâ Paddleton for Netflix. As an improviser and comedian, Mainard trained at The Second City Chicago, I.O., and Groundlings where they were quickly flagged as a stand-out. Their one-person show Let Me Be Your Main Man was picked as one of the best U.S. Imports at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Mainard has written content for The Huffington Post, E! Online, and AfterEllen. They recently appeared on Lance Bass’s series VERSUS for Roku. Mainard has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, OddBall Comedy Festival, and more.
Fabrizio Copano is one of the most well-known comedians in Latin America and is the first South American comedian to shoot an original comedy special for Netflix. Actor and writer of the hit Chilean comedy show El Club de la Comedia, Copano also lead his own late-night show El Late de Copano and was one of the hosts of the Comedy Central Latin America produced La Culpa es de Colon, a comedy super group with the top five comedians from 5 countries in Latin America. His 2016 film Prueba de Actitud (Attitude Test) which he co-wrote, directed, and starred in is still one of Chileâs highest grossing comedies of all time. When he is not touring and selling out theatres all over the US and Latin America, he co-hosts the hit iHeart Radio comedy podcast 4th From The South with Steve Hely, which explores political topics out of Latin America. Also, an author, in 2019, he released a memoir, âMi Vida Como Dibujanteâ, (My Life As a Doodler) which delved into his life from a “distracted child” to a central figure of comedy in Latin America. Fabrizio is currently developing an original comedy series for Netflix Mexico.
Gianmarco Soresi is a stand-up comic, actor and writer based in New York City. He won critical acclaim for his stand-up special and documentary Shelf Life directed by Emmy Award winner Andy Buck, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and is the host of the popular podcast The Downside. He appeared in the Billy Crystal/Tiffany Haddish film Here Today, and has appeared in roles on Bonding for Netflix, Deception, Blue Bloods, and in the feature film Hustlers opposite Jennifer Lopez. He has also been featured on Comedy Central, hosted programs for IBM and MTV and was the spokesperson for General Electric.
Hannah Berner was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up playing competitive tennis professionally, and for the University of Wisconsin. She emerged on the comedy scene by directing, editing, and acting in videos on Instagram and writing viral tweets. She has two hit podcasts, Giggly Squad and Berning In Hell,with over 20 million downloads. She was a co-host on Bravoâs Chat Room, as well as a member of Bravoâs Summer House for three seasons.
Jared Goldstein can most recently be seen on season 2 of Huluâs Dollface for Hulu, Roku/Quibiâs NIKKI FRE$H starring as Nicole Richieâs trusty right hand and assistant, as well as CBSâ The Unicorn. Most recently, Goldstein hosted and co-wrote the 10-year anniversary live special for 5 Seconds of Summer. He recently taped a Comedy Central Featuring set that premiered this past November. In 2019, he was chosen as one of New York Comedy Festival Comics to Watch as well as Time Outâs Comedians to Watch. He participated in last yearâs CBS Diversity Showcase. Previously, he has appeared on Comedy Dynamicâs Out on Stage, as well as ABC’s Modern Family, Starzâs Counterpart, and the feature film Itâs Kind of A Funny Story. Heâs additionally appeared in an SNL sketch written by Tina Fey featuring Jimmy Fallon as well as the Off-Broadway production of Spring Awakening and the Broadway production of A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden.
Lara Beitz is a fast-rising star in the Los Angeles comedy scene. She was selected as the first comedian to perform stand-up on Comedy Centralâs Lights Out with David Spade, where she became a red-carpet correspondent and a regular panelist. She is a paid regular at every comedy club in Hollywood and her stand-up was featured in the Comedy Store documentary on Showtime in the fall of 2020. She just made her late-night debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden and is currently developing a semi-autobiographical series with Judd Apatow.
Laura Peek is one of the most promising young Los Angeles based standup comics to come out of Nashvilleâs bustling comedy scene. She was named one of the 50 Best Undiscovered Comics in the country by Thrillist, and has been featured in Comedy Central’s Roast Battle as well as many prominent festivals such as Laughing Skull, Limestone, and the Nashville Comedy Festival. You can catch Laura next in âIlizaâs Localsâ, a comedy special produced by Iliza Shlesinger which will premiere next year.
Marcello Hernandez is a stand-up comic, writer, and actor based out of New York City and Miami. He has toured with acts such as Jim Breuer, Ashley Hesseltine, Mark Viera, Gilbert Gottfried, and more. He currently acts as creative director and host for @onlyindade, a Miami-based media company that delivers daily news, sports, and pop culture commentary to its massive online audience. He has appeared numerous times on Telemundoâs Acceso Total and NBCâs 6 in the Mix. Currently he is performing on select tour dates with Tim Dillon and in clubs across New York City.
Michael Rowland is a New York-based stand-up comedian and actor whoâs been featured multiple times on This Week at the Comedy Cellar on Comedy Central, as well as Stupid Questions with Chris DiStefano and Pause with Sam Jay on HBOMax. He also has a feature set for Comedy Central Digital, and in 2019 he was a finalist in the “New York’s Funniest Stand Up” competition for New York Comedy Festival. He tours all over the country and currently co-hosts the monthly show Laughodills in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Pat Regan is a stand-up comedian in New York City, of all places. After three years as a house improviser at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, he has spent the past few years focusing exclusively on stand-up. Pat has performed at venues across the city with his stand-up shows âUnsuccessful by Choiceâ (FKA âPat Regan: Unrepped and Loving It!â) and âEssgaysâ. Pat has performed at Outside Lands, NY Comedy Festival, the Michigan LGBT ComedyFest, NYTVF, Podfest NYC, Vulture Festival, and Comedy Centralâs Clusterfest. Pat has several projects in development and is currently in his second season writing for the Emmy Nominated and Critically Acclaimed HBO Max Original series, Hacks.
Pink Foxx has toured around the country with Deray Davis, opened for Dave Chappelle, Patton Oswalt, and Russell Peters. Sheâs performed at The World-Famous Comedy Store, Melrose Improv and The Laugh Factory in Hollywood, CA. She’s also made an appearance on Revolt Tv’s Blocked, and has written for shows like Here TV’s Slay Model search. No matter where or when you’ve seen her, one thing is certain, Foxx is funny and her perspective is one of a kind!
Sabrina Wu (they/them) is a Brooklyn-based comedian, writer, and actor who can soon be seen starring as a lead in the upcoming untitled Adele Lim feature for Point Grey/Lionsgate. On the writing side, Sabrina is staffed on FXâs Dying for Sex, based on the hit Wondery podcast. They recently sold their pilot, It Gets Better to 20th and were previously staffed on Disney+âs Doogie Kamealoha M.D. On the stand-up front, they regularly perform all over New York City, at venues such as Union Hall and the Bell House. Their stand-up has been selected for the New York Comedy Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival.
Skyler Higley is a stand-up comedian, writer and actor who comes out of Chicago’s legendary comedy scene. His incisive and razor-sharp writing earned him a WGA Award while on staff at CONAN, and he is currently a staff writer for âThe Onion.â He has also contributed to ClickHole and the New Yorker. Skyler was named one of New York Comedy Festival’s ‘Comics To Watch’ and has been described by his former boss Conan O’Brien as ‘delightfully bizarre and undeniably hilarious.’
The New Faces of Comedy showcases will be taking place on Monument National: Ludger-Duvernay on Wednesday, July 27 2022 at 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM.
NEW FACES: CHARACTERS hosted by Pete Holmes
Allison Reese is an accomplished sketch comedian known for her online characters and Kamala Harris Impression (3.5M likes; Millions of Views on TikTok.) She is fresh off the heels of the 2022 CBS Sketch Comedy Showcase, and an alumnus of The Second City Touring company. Allison was also a staff writer for the famed comedy institution. Her most recent writing credit is for The Revolution Will be Improvised, which has a 2022 summer residency at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The CBS sketch written by and starring Allison, Belindaâs Mom, won Best Parody at both the Independent Shorts Awards and the Oniros Film Awards and is an Official Selection in the Houston Comedy Film Festival.
Andrew Farmer is a gay, disabled writer/comedian who has performed at The Museum of Modern Art, Joeâs Pub and all the finest basements in New York and LA. TV writing credits include TBSâ Miracle Workers, Freeformâs Praise Petey and Apple+’s Best Foot Forward. Heâs developed projects with Universal, CBS and National Lampoon and is a recipient of The Jonathan Larson Grant for Musical Theater. With comedian Anna Drezen, he hosts the podcastâ Scary Stories to Tell on the Podâ, described by Vulture as âhilarious, impressive & weird.â
Ceara Jane O’Sullivan is a character comedian, actor, and writer based in LA. She is an alum of the Improv Asylum mainstage and current director of the Improv Asylum mainstage revue, “Air Conditional Love.” These days, you can find Ceara studying at the Groundlings, posting little sketches on the internet, or on stage in her 2-person show, “The Regrets Club.” Ceara is currently developing a project with Powderkeg Media.
Inessa Frantowski got her start in sketch comedy with the Sketchersons in Toronto. She is a Canadian Screen Award winner and a two-time Canadian Comedy Award winner. An alumnus of The Second City Mainstage in Toronto, she wrote and starred in four record breaking revues and also performed on UCBâs Maude Night for four years. She was a writer/performer on This Hour has 22 Minutes and stars in the International Emmy nominated series, The Amazing Gayl Pile on Amazon Prime, for which she won an Indie Series Award. Additional credits include: Cosmopolis, The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town, True Dating Stories, Match Game, Scare Tactics, American Princess, Greener Grass and the Avicii video I Could Be The One which has over 330 million views on YouTube.
Jordan Stafford attended Saginaw Valley State University, where he studied theatre and was introduced to improv. After graduating in 2015, he moved to Chicago and loves it. He is on the iO Harold team Lilâ Tooties and also does solo work all around Chicago. Stafford was recently selected and performed in the 2022 ViacomCBS Diversity Showcase.
Lisa Gilroy is upcoming in a recurring role for the Netflix series Glamorous with Kim Cattrall, as well as Hulu’s History Of The World, Part II and Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty. Lisa has appeared on NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the NBC pilot Someone Out There. She is in the voice cast of Comedy Central’s Fairview and is featured as the voice of Ellen DeGeneres in the FOX sketch series from Robert Smigel, Let’s Be Real. Lisa is a two-time Canadian Comedy Award winner and former Tour Company ensemble member from The Second City Toronto. She was a mainstage Harold (improv) and Maude (sketch) performer at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade in Los Angeles.
Luke Millington-Drake is an actor, writer and improviser with dual citizenship of the UK and US. Luke is a performer in the Groundlings Sunday Co and is LGBTQ+. He has trained with RADA, LAMDA, and performed with theatre companies in and outside of London, ranging in material from Shakespeare to musical theatre. Luke is upcoming in a recurring role in Steve Levitan’s Reboot on Hulu, Netflixâs That 90âs Show, and NBCâs Night Court. He can be seen in Apple+âs new Maya Rudolph series Loot, and is one of the lead voice roles on the Netflix animated series The Cuphead show. Luke took TikTok by storm with his remarkable Keira Knightley impressions, and has since garnered millions of views and followers for his brilliant portrayals of talent such as Hugh Grant, Gillian Anderson and Jude Law.
Nick Mestad is a New York City based writer and performer. An alumnus of iO and The Annoyance Theatres in Chicago, he can be seen all around NYC performing his highly physical style of comedy. He has recently appeared on The Tonight Show as well as NBCâs Chicago Fire and Seesoâs Shrink. He can next be seen on Nathan Fielderâs The Rehearsal and the upcoming independent feature Molli & Max In The Future opposite Zosia Mamet. His work has been featured in Vulture and Clickhole, and he has amassed millions of views online with his characters.
Shaan Baig is a comedian, actor, and writer based in Los Angeles. He is an alum of UCB’s Maude Night, Characters Welcome, and the theatre’s first all-South Asian team THE GET BROWN. His videos have been featured on Vulture, Funny or Die, and BuzzFeed. Baig co-hosted the Bollywood Boys Podcast with Saagar Shaikh, which was profiled on NPR. He recently appeared on A Little Late with Lilly Singh on NBC.
The New Faces of Comedy: Characters showcases will be taking place at Monument National: Ludger-Duvernay on Thursday, July 28 2022 at 7:00 PM.
NEW FACES: UNREPPED hosted by Pete Holmes
Adam Gilbert cut his teeth in the Midwest alternative comedy circuit, opening for touring comics such as Doug Stanhope, Robert Kelly, Todd Barry, and Brian Posehn. A Chicago transplant, he has performed at the Laugh Factory, Zanies, and Comedians You Should Know. Adam was a featured performer at the Limestone Comedy Festival and was featured in Pique Magazine.
Benny Feldman is a stand-up comedian based out of New York City, known for his one-liners and for performing with Tourette’s Syndrome. Most of his jokes are about dirt and birds and stuff.
Brendan Sagalow has deftly and defiantly owned the stage for over 10 years. Sagalow has written for MTV’s Joking Off, been a featured guest on many SiriusXM shows. He was the winner of the 2015 New York Comedy Club Comedy Competition, and a finalist in “New Yorkâs Funniest” at Carolineâs comedy club. Sagalowâs album âNot Now More Than Everâ was #1 on the iTunes Charts. You can see him perform nightly at the world-famous Comedy Cellar, and listen to him every week on his podcast âHere’s The Scenario”.
Caitlin Peluffo is a stand-up comedian who recently made her network television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and has been seen on NBC Seesoâs âNew Yorkâs Funniestâ as well as the Comcast Network as a finalist in the âTrial By Laughter Comedy Competition.â She has performed in festivals across the country, and was runner up in the Big Sky, Finger Lakes, San Diego, and the Stand-Up NY Comedy Competitions. She recently performed in San Franciscoâs Sketchiest in the Audibleâs Fresh Voices Showcase, is featured on both Sirius XMâs âRaw Dogâ and Audibleâs âPunchlines,â and hosts her own weekly podcast, âGood Time Gal with Caitlin Peluffo.â
Dauood Mohammad Naimyar is an Afghan-American comedian, who learned the value of assimilating at a very young age. Once he embraced his eccentric point of view, he saw the humour all around him. Naimyarâs comedic perspective is shaped by the duality of his constant need to fit in and his relentless desire to be different. Naimyar has built a following of 150,000+ TikTok followers by showing the humour of his circumstances as an Afghan living in America, with multiple viral hits poking fun at politicians and world leaders. His debut comedy album, Pier 69: Junior Varsity, topped all the charts upon its release.
Kalea McNeill is an actor and stand-up comedian who has hosted many live shows and events, honing in on her quick wit and signature style. McNeill hit the standup scene hard performing in legendary clubs such as The Comedy Store. In 2017, McNeill booked her first television role as a co-star on TNTâs Animal Kingdom. Since then, she has booked a recurring role on CWâs Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and various guest/co-star spots on FX, CBS, TruTV and TNT. You can watch her standup on Amazon Prime Videoâs Laugh After Dark and her upcoming for her comedy special Sma’am.
KC Shornima is a comedian who has performed at clubs and theatres across the country with national headliners like Nate Bargatze, Dave Attell, Ari Shaffir, Shane Gillis, Paul Virzi, Dusty Slay, John Crist, among others. KC has performed at comedy festivals around the country including Moontower Just for Laughs. She was named the Best Up-and-Coming Comedian in Nashville by the Nashville Scene Magazine, and was a semi-finalist for Stand-up NBC. She has also written and performed on Kevin Hartâs LOL Network.
Orion Levine is a stand-up comedian who was a finalist in the 2021 San Francisco International Comedy Competition. A regular performer at the San Francisco Punch Line and Cobbâs Comedy Club, he was recently featured in this yearâs Big Pine Comedy Festival in San Diego.
Victoria Vincent is a rising star in the Chicago Comedy Scene. She is a healthcare worker who brings a wild card ‘Why is She Here?’ vibe to both medicine and comedy, attempting to be the blacker hairier Patch Adams someday. Vincent is a regular feature at Zanies and Laugh Factory Chicago. She is the host & producer of Don’t Tell Comedy Chicago, has opened for the likes of Cameron Esposito, Bobcat Goldthwait, and was featured in the Chicago Reader.
The New Faces of Comedy: Unrepped showcases will be taking place at Monument National: Ludger-Duvernay on Thursday, July 28 2022 at 9:30 PM.
NEW FACES: CREATORS hosted by Jake Hurwitz & Amir Blumenfeld
Adrian Bliss is a comedian, writer, and performer from London best known for his sketches on TikTok which explore everything from history to natural science to religion. Blissâs sketches have found him 11 million followers across social media and have been featured in The Guardian, CNN and Vogue.
Alexia Dox is a French-American actress and writer, based in LA. After a few years as a sketch writer and performer at Upright Citizenâs Brigade, the pandemic quickly had her pivot into the digital-sphere of TikTok, where her off-beat and relatable sketches have garnered almost 150 million views and over 1 million followers. Her TV/streaming credits include starring as June in the YouTube Originals Series Overthinking with Kat and June, two seasons of Huluâs improvised western comedy, Quick Draw, and writing for Nickelodeon and Lionsgate.
Grace Kuhlenschmidt is an NYC based stand-up comedian, actress and writer who was recognized by the New York Times as one of the top 7 Comedians to Watch. She recurred in the final season of Search Party which was recently released on HBO Max and also can be seen in the first season of Killing It which just finished airing on Peacock. She also appeared in the first season of Ziwe on Showtime. Kuhlenschmidt is a writer for the Audible Original series Hot White Heist to be directed by Alan Cumming and produced by Broadway Video.
Jordan Mendoza is an Asian-American TV writer, comedian, and filmmaker who will star in the upcoming Netflix series Jigsaw, a crime heist drama from Ridley Scottâs Scott Free and Eric Garcia, starring Giancarlo Esposito. Heâs currently a writer for FXâs Dave, and has written for Netflixâs Big Mouth, Human Resources, Showtimeâs Ziwe, and Comedy Centralâs Beavis and Butt-head. He created and hosted Comedy Centralâs Cry Battleâa game show where whoever cries the most wins.
Joshua Neal is an actor, writer and social media content creator. In 2 years, he has accumulated 1Million followers on TikTok, 179k followers on Instagram, and 76k on Twitter. His content has been featured on popular platforms including BuzzFeed, Shaderoom and Variety. Joshua recently booked a role on a SAG film directed by & starring Tristan âMackâ Wilds & P-Valleyâs Shannon Thorton. He wrote a short film of his own that has amassed over 110k views on Twitter. Neal is no novice to the industry, he has been Meisner trained, booked a national commercial and can also be seen in a feature film on Amazon.
Mary Elizabeth Kelly has taken the TikTok world by storm. Kelly is an alum of the prestigious UCBNY, UCBLA and Second City improv and sketch writing programs. With her unique âMouth Actingâ impressions going viral during the pandemic, she has gathered over 26 million likes on TikTok and nearly 1.5 million followers across all her social media platforms. She’s also garnered the attention of several of the celebrities she has impersonated, including Drew Barrymore, Dwayne âThe Rockâ Johnson, and Ryan Reynolds. This past year, Kelly headlined a one-woman show, recently wrapped the indie film How to Make Her Cheat. Kelly will be taking her one-woman show Pretty Impressive on the road this fall.
The New Faces of Comedy: Creators showcases will be taking place at Grand Salon Opera on Thursday, July 28 2022 at 1:30 PM.
NEW FACES: CANADA hosted by DeAnne Smith
Ajahnis Charley (they/them) is a Black, Non-Binary comedian who has performed on CBC Gemâs New Wave of Standup. They are a cast member of the Second City Touring Company and star in the HBO miniseries Station Eleven and Bell Media sitcom Shelved. Theyâve written punch-ups for upcoming comedy series Bria Mack Gets A Life, comedy-doc Stay Tooned, and they write for Canadian news satire platforms The Beaverton and Because News. They directed the short film I AM GAY, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, which screened in the 2021 Inside Out Film Festival, and won the Inspire Award at the 2021 Caribbean Tales Film Festival where it won the Inspire Award. Their solo show THOTS & PRAYERS won awards at Toronto and Montreal Sketch Comedy Festivals. Charley is a co-founder and co-producer of the Untitled Black Sketch Project, Canada’s first all-Black sketch ensemble.
Allie Pearse is a standup comedian and writer on the award-winning TV show Letterkenny. She is the winner of JFLâs 2021 Standup & Pitch competition and has performed for tapings at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, CBCâs New Wave Of Standup, and CBCâs The Debaters. She has performed at the Limestone Comedy Festival and Sled Island Comedy Festival. Pearse has been featured on SiriusXM radio, has recorded for JFL Originals and has appeared at OFF-JFL. In September of 2022 she will be co-headlining shows at Just For Laughs Toronto.
Ben Sosa Wright is a pretty, queer, and Latinx stand-up comedian, writer, and improviser from Toronto. Wright was named one of CBCâs 15 Canadian Comics To Watch in 2019. He performs in clubs all over the country and at festivals such as JFL42, Toronto’s Big City Improv Festival, Bruce McCullochâs Young Stars Showcase, and The Museum of Comedy in London. Most recently, his podcast, Nostalgique was recently mentioned by Vulture as their comedy podcast of the week.
Clare Belford is a comedian who cut her teeth on the road all over her home province of Alberta, telling deeply personal jokes to crowds of drunk tradesmen from Fort McMurray to Red Deer. She quickly moved to the home of the nationâs largest and most competitive comedy scene, Toronto, where she spent five years honing her craft and establishing herself as a fixture in Canadian comedy. These days she continues to make waves, bringing her authentic delivery and unique brand of preposterous pragmatism to festivals including the Halifax Comedy Festival, JFL42, Field Trip Festival and North By Northeast. Her debut album, The Entire Cabbage was selected as one of the best of 2021 by NPR and can regularly be heard on SiriusXM.
Conner Christmas (he/they) was born in Calgary, and raised in High River, Alberta. They began their stand-up career while taking theatre at the University of Lethbridge, going to any open mic they could despite there not being many in the small city. After 3 years of producing shows and helping to build the comedy community in Lethbridge, Christmas moved to Calgary to get more stage time and focus on performing. You can find their face pop up in a variety of different TV series on multiple streaming services, as well as their directorial debut for Telus Storyhive premiering February 2023.
Laura Leibow has used her wit and laid-back comedic style to become an in-demand comic in the Toronto stand-up comedy scene. She has performed at festivals such as JFL42, She Devil, Icebreakers Comedy Festival, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Comedy Festival. Leibow is a dynamic performer who can expertly perform on the club circuit, in alternative rooms, and in theatres. She has impressed crowds from Toronto, to New York, to LA and has performed in legendary clubs like the Improv and Mickyâs in LA and Gotham and Broadway Comedy Club in NYC. She is the editor of the comedy website âUNoriginalâ and hosts two podcasts for the Canadian Jewish News. She can be heard frequently on SiriusXM and on 604 Recordsâ comedy compilation album âThe Great Canadian Comedy Rumble.â
Malik Elassal is Lebanese Canadian stand up, writer, and actor from the streets of North East Calgary. In the past year, Elassal has won the Yuk Yukâs top comic competition in his hometown of Calgary, recorded sets for the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and CBCâs The New Wave of Standup and performed the titular track of the JFL Originals album Yeehaw Hell Yeah.
Mike Green has told jokes for years on stages all across the country. He started in Winnipeg which he will always argue has one of the strongest comedy scenes in the country, and he began learning the rules of the road a decade ago with the Raise the Woof fundraiser shows which benefit animal shelters all across Canada. He’s gone on to boost his scene in Winnipeg by producing shows like the Secret Standup Series and Comedy At the Handsome Daughter which is one of the longest running weekly shows in the country, and also tour himself as a headliner and with the show format he created, the Comedy Battle Royale, which you can watch on FibeTv1.
Wassim El-Mounzer began his comedy career like most stand upsâwhile teaching ESL in South Korea. He enjoyed it so much that he quit his job at “U Can English Academy” and moved back to Canada to pursue comedy more seriously. In 2018, El-Mounzer was named by the Montreal Gazette as one of the artists to watch and was featured on the BBC Arts Hour and CBC’s Laughter at the Lion D’Or. He has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival three times and in 2019 was the opening act for Sugar Sammy on a Canada-wide theatre tour. In 2021, he was featured on a JFL Originals comedy album recording, which can be streamed on Sirius XM Canada.
The New Faces of Comedy: Canada showcases will be taking place at Monument National: Ludger-Duvernay on Friday, July 29 2022 at 9:30 PM.
NEW FACES: INTERNATIONAL hosted by Rhys Nicholson
Anirban Dasgupta is a Kolkata-born, Mumbai-based stand-up comedian and writer with a distinct comedic style. Since leaving behind his career as a corporate salesman, Dasgupta has headlined at major comedy clubs and festivals around India and abroad. After several popular YouTube videos, he released his first stand-up special Take It Easy, in black and white on Amazon Prime Video to overwhelming acclaim. Following that, he co-wrote and co-created Afsos, a first-of-its- kind black comedy thriller series on Amazon Prime Video that was released in 2020 to rave reviews.
Blake Freeman is one of Australiaâs brightest new comedians, making a name for himself with his own brand of energetic and disarmingly honest comedy. Through his youthful energy and charismatic delivery, Freeman weaves charming stories, making the intensely personal relatable. Blake won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Catherine Bohart is an award-winning comedian, writer and actor. She has fast become one of the most sought-after comedians in the UK and Ireland after her debut solo show, Immaculate, premiered at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe. She returned to the festival in 2019 with her second hour-long show, Lemon, which sold out after a month-long run and received critical acclaim. Her new show, This Isnât For You, is currently touring the UK & Ireland this year. She co-hosted BBC Sounds Podcast and Radio 4 show Youâll Do; and has appeared on multiple radio shows including The Now Show, The News Quiz, Museum of Curiosity and A Good Read. All the while, she found the time to record her stand-up special, Immaculate for Amazon Prime.
Geraldine Hickeyâs deceptively effortless knack for turning low-key yarns about agapanthuses and bouncy-castles into high-stakes, endlessly funny narrative roller coasters, culminated in her receiving the Most Outstanding Show award at the 2021 Melbourne Comedy Festival. A firm favourite of and in the Australian comedy scene, Her 2019 show Things Are Going Well received a nomination for the Melbourne Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show, while she also took home the coveted comediansâ choice Piece of Wood Award. From 2016 to 2021, Hickey was a co-host on the much-revered breakfast radio show Breakfasters on RRR, and has made multiple appearances on ABC Radio, Triple M and the Hit Network. Her award-winning stand-up show What A Surprise is available to stream on Paramount Plus.
Jason Leong is one of Malaysiaâs best and brightest stand-up comedians. His 2020 Netflix special Hashtag Blessed, diving into his transition from medical doctor to professional joke-teller, was a global success leading to extensive international touring. His latest live show Heaty completed a sold out run at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Leongâs online stand-up clips have received tens of millions of views making him a dominant force in the Asian comedy scene. He has appeared on Comedy Centralâs Stand-Up Asia and won the Hong Kong International Comedy Competition.
Michelle Brasier is a multiple award-winning actor, singer, writer and comedian. On the small screen, Brasier has featured on Network Tenâs Drunk History Australia and How To Stay Married, ABCâs Stories from Oz, Utopia, Whovians, Get Krackinâ and At Home Alone Together. She has voiced characters in Adult Swimâs YOLO: Crystal Fantasy. Brasier is widely known for her collaborations with absurdist comedy sketch group, Aunty Donna, including most recently on their smash-hit Netflix special, Aunty Donnaâs Big Olâ House of Fun. Comedy fans will also recognise Brasier for her work in the comedy duo, Double Denim, alongside Laura Frew. In 2021, she toured her award-winning show, Average Bear, across the Australian comedy festival circuit. In the same year, Average Bear was awarded the Sydney Comedy Festivalâs Director’s Choice Award and was nominated for Melbourne Comedy Festivalâs Most Outstanding Show. Following this, Brasier toured her hilarious show, Reform, across Australia in 2022.
Rhys Jamesâ sardonic wit combined with his playful style have made him a firm favourite on the British comedy scene. Heâs showcased in his six critically acclaimed sell-out solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, along with his three award-nominated series for BBC Radio 4. His comedy special Rhys James: Forgives can be seen on Amazon Prime. He is best known as one of the regulars on BBC’s topical panel show Mock The Week. James will debut to US audiences as a regular panellist on The Great American Joke Off, soon to air on The CW Network.
Sophie Duker is a hysterical, intellectual new comedy voice. In 2021, she took home the Funny Women Best Comedy Writer Award, as voted by producers, head writers and industry executives. Her first stand-up hour, Venus, saw her nominated for the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Fringe. Duker is a regular guest on BBC2âs Frankie Boyleâs New World Order. She hosts the official companion podcasts to both Michaela Coelâs, I May Destroy You and Dolly Aldertonâs Everything I Know About Love.
Suzi Ruffell is a comedian who has had five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, racking up critical acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike. Ruffell is now on tour with her show Dance Like Everyoneâs Watching, which has gained her a nomination for Best Stand-Up Show in the National Comedy Awards 2021. She continues to grace our screens with appearances on numerous TV shows such as Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, The Jonathan Ross Show, Dating No Filter, Channel Hopping with Jon Richardson, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, The Last Leg, and Thereâs Something About Movies to name but a few. The 2018 release of Ruffellâs stand-up show Keeping It Classy for Live From The BBC saw a clip gaining over 44 million views on Facebook, and she was nominated for Outstanding Female Comedy Entertainment Performance in the National Comedy Awards for her hosting duties on Comedy Centralâs Yesterday, Today & The Day Before in 2021.
Wary Nichen is a comedian, writer and a filmmaker. His show Nomad has taken him to different cities on four continents. Performing in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish, Nichen uses his keen sense of observation and improv skills to highlight the differences between East and West – bringing people of different backgrounds together to laugh about themselves. Switching gears after a career in telecommunications, he now appears regularly on French TV, and his political satire is often featured on francophone radio. He also writes comedy series for French and Algerian TV. His news-based jokes have made the pages of Le Monde and the New York Times.
The New Faces of Comedy: International showcases will be taking place at Monument National: Ludger-Duvernay on Friday, July 29 2022 at 7:00 PM.
More at hahaha.com.
Bell Media held their annual Upfront, previewing their upcoming 2022/2023 programming slate of returning and new programming across their family of networks, and also streaming service Crave. The event returned in-person at Meridian Hall, giving a glimpse for the for the first time many new acquisitions and confirmations. Here to ring-in the occasion were some recognizable names like Chad Michael Murray, Scott Patterson, Mena Massoud, Will Yun Lee, Meg Donnelly, Rebecca Romijn and several more!
CTV‘s Fall 2022 Programming Schedule has been firmed-up, all times are listed in Eastern Time:
MONDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY (S)
8 p.m. CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING
8:30 p.m. BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA (S)
9 p.m. THE CLEANING LADY (S)
10 p.m. THE GOOD DOCTOR (S)
TUESDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY (S)
8 p.m. THE RESIDENT (S)
9 p.m. LA BREA (S)
10 p.m. THE ROOKIE: FEDS (S)
WEDNESDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE CONNERS
8 p.m. THE MASKED SINGER (S)
9 p.m. THE AMAZING RACE (S)
10 p.m. BIG SKY (S)
THURSDAYS
7 p.m. CALL ME KAT
7:30 p.m. YOUNG SHELDON
8 p.m. STATION 19 (S)
9 p.m. GREYâS ANATOMY (S)
10 p.m. ALASKA (S)
FRIDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY (S)
8 p.m. SHARK TANK (S)
9 p.m. TRANSPLANT
10 p.m. BLUE BLOODS (S)
SATURDAYS
7 p.m. W5
8 p.m. CTV Movie
SUNDAYS
7 p.m. NFL (contâd)
8 p.m. CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! (S)
9 p.m. EAST NEW YORK (S)
10 p.m. THE ROOKIE (S)
Daytime and Late-Night
CTVâs premium daytime and late-night lineups return, including CTV YOUR MORNING, LIVE WITH KELLY AND RYAN, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, THE SOCIAL, DR. PHIL, THE VIEW, and ETALK.
Also returning to CTV are THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH and the final season of THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN, with THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON and LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS on CTV2.
Awards and Live Events
CTV is home to appointment viewing live events, including the 95th OSCARSÂź, the 74th EMMYÂź AWARDS, the AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, and the CMA AWARDS on CTV2.
As Bell Media is the exclusive television broadcast partner of the NFL in Canada, CTV delivers extensive coverage of the NFL regular season, the NFL playoffs, and the biggest broadcast event of the year, SUPER BOWL LVII.
CTV News
Connecting with audiences from coast-to-coast-to-coast, the countryâs most-watched national newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LISA LAFLAMME, airs weeknights at 11 p.m. ET.
Across the country, viewers turn to CTVâs local newscasts to stay informed on breaking news in their communities, including CTVâs award-winning CTV NEWS AT SIX, âas well as CTV MORNING LIVE, CTV NEWS AT NOON, CTV NEWS AT FIVE, and CTV NEWS AT 11:30 p.m.
The award-winning W5 returns for a 57th season Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, and landmark political program QUESTION PERIOD, hosted by CTV News’ Evan Solomon, returns Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. ET.
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Bell Media have made several exciting new acquisitions, bringing their viewers some exciting new things to look forward to, including the latest from Oscar-winning talents Tom McCarthy and Hilary Swank, ALASKA. Hit ’80s Sitcom NIGHT COURT gets a Reboot and CTV will be home to it, as well, while CTV Sci-Fi will carry Supernatural Origins Series THE WINCHESTERS. There’s also tons for buzz for upcoming Drama Series EAST NEW YORK with breakout star Amanda Warren.
CTV
ALASKA
From the mind of Academy AwardÂź-winner Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), ALASKA stars Hilary Swank (AWAY) as Eileen Fitzgerald, a recently disgraced reporter who leaves her high-profile New York life behind to join a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage, on a journey to find both personal and professional redemption. Alongside Swank, ALASKA stars Jeff Perry (SCANDAL), Matt Malloy (In the Company of Men), Meredith Holzman (Blow the Man Down), Grace Dove (The Revenant), Pablo Castelblanco (Admission), Ami Park (THIS IS US), and Craig Frank (8.13). Tom McCarthy is creator and executive producer. Hilary Swank, Melissa Wells, Bert Salke, Kyle Hopkins (Anchorage Daily News), and Ryan Binkley (Anchorage Daily News) are executive producers, with Peter Elkoff (THE RESIDENT) serving as showrunner and executive producer. ALASKA is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.
ALERT
When police officer Nikki Parkerâs son goes missing, she joins the Los Angeles Police Departmentâs (LAPD) Missing Persons Unit to help other people find their loved ones, even as she searches for her own. Six years later, her world is turned upside-down when her ex-husband, Devon Zoellner, shows up with a proof-of-life photo of their missing boyâŠor is it? The series is a procedural drama with a search for a missing person in each episode that runs alongside the overarching storyline of Nikki and Devonâs quest to find out the truths about the person claiming to be their long-lost son. ALERT is produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment. John Eisendrath will write and executive produce. Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner will also executive produce.
CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!
In the all-new game show CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!, celebrity contestants compete for a chance to win money and donate it to a charity of their choice. From Sony Pictures Television, CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! is executive produced by Michael Davies.
EAST NEW YORK
From the executive producers of NYPD BLUE, EAST NEW YORK stars Amanda Warren (DICKINSON) as Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood, the newly promoted boss of the 74th Precinct, in East New York â a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification. With family ties to the area, Haywood is determined to deploy creative methods to protect her beloved community with the help of her officers and detectives, but first, she has the daunting task of getting them on board, as some are skeptical of her promotion, and others resist the changes she is desperate to make. Her team includes her mentor, shrewd veteran two-star Chief John Suarez (EmmyÂź Award winner Jimmy Smits, L.A. LAW); Marvin Sandeford (Tony AwardÂź winner and current nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson, CASTLE), a highly respected training officer and expert on the neighborhood; Tommy Killian (Kevin Rankin, Dallas Buyers Club), a detective with some old-school approaches to policing; Capt. Stan Yenko (Richard Kind, Inside Out), Haywoodâs gregarious and efficient right hand; Crystal Morales (Elizabeth Rodriguez, Logan), an intuitive detective who canât be intimidated; Andre Bentley (Lavel Schley, GROWN-ISH), a trainee from an upper middle-class background; and ambitious patrol officer Brandy Quinlan (Olivia Luccardi, It Follows). EmmyÂź Award-winner William Finkelstein, Mike Flynn, EmmyÂź Award-winner Michael M. Robin, Christine Holder, and Mark Holder are executive producers. Andrew Maher is a co-executive producer. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television.
NIGHT COURT
Unapologetic optimist judge Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch, THE BIG BANG THEORY), the daughter of the late Harry Stone, follows in her fatherâs footsteps as she presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court and tries to bring order to its crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette). The cast also includes India de Beaufort (Run Fatboy Run), Kapil Talwalkar (ZOEYâS EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST), and Lacretta (Second Act). Writer Dan Rubin executive produces with Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch. John Larroquette will produce. NIGHT COURT is produced by Warner Bros. Television, in association with After January Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
THE ROOKIE: FEDS
From the executive producers of THE ROOKIE comes THE ROOKIE: FEDS, starring Niecy Nash-Betts (CLAWS) as Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy. The spinoff was introduced as a two-part event during the fourth season of THE ROOKIE, where Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion, CASTLE) and the L.A. division of the FBI enlist the help of Simone Clark when one of her former students is a suspect in a terror attack. The series also stars Frankie Faison (White Chicks) as Christopher âCuttyâ Clark, and Felix Solis (The International) as Special Agent Matthew Garza. Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter are co-creators and executive producers. Mark Gordon, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Bill Norcross, and Corey Miller are executive producers. Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio and international distributor of THE ROOKIE: FEDS, a co-production with ABC Signature.
TRUE LIES
Inspired by James Cameronâs hit action/comedy film of the same name, TRUE LIES follows Harry (Steve Howey, Bride Wars), a first-class international spy for U.S. intelligence agency Omega Sector, and his wife, Helen (Ginger Gonzaga, TOGETHERNESS), a language professor bored with her daily routine, who makes the shocking discovery that her seemingly ordinary husband is leading an extraordinary double life. With the secret out, Omega recruits Helen, who impresses everyone with her formidable skills, and she joins Harry and his team of top-notch operatives, embarking on covert missions around the globe and an exhilarating life of danger and adventure. The renewed bond between them adds much-needed sizzle to the Taskersâ emotionally distant marriage and upends the top-secret world of Omega Sector. As Harry says, if youâre going to save the world, you might as well do it for the ones you love. TRUE LIES also stars Erica Hernandez (BRIDGE AND TUNNEL) as Maria, Omar Miller (BALLERS) as Gib, Mike OâGorman (TINY APARTMENT) as Luther, Annabella Didion (OUTER BANKS) as Dana, and Lucas Jaye (The Sleepover) as Jake. Matt Nix, James Cameron, Rae Sanchini, McG, Mary Viola, Corey Marsh, and Josh Levy are executive producers. Anthony Hemingway is an executive producer and directed the pilot from a script by Nix. Sean Hoagland and Whitney Davis are co-executive producers. The series is produced by 20th Television.
CTV Specialty Channels
CTV Sci-Fi Channel:
THE ARK
THE ARK takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft, known as Ark One, encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive. The series stars Christie Burke (MAID), Richard Fleeshman (CALL THE MIDWIFE), Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones), Stacey Read (Aneni), and Ryan Adams (Orange Peel). Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner are co-showrunners and executive producers alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. Jonathan English of Balkanic Media and Steve Lee serve as producers.
THE WINCHESTERS
Before Sam and Dean, there were their parents, John and Mary. Told from the perspective of narrator Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles, SUPERNATURAL), THE WINCHESTERS is the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester (Drake Rodger, The In Between) met Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly, AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE) and put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world. When John returns home from fighting in Vietnam, a mysterious encounter sparks a new mission to trace his fatherâs past. In his journey, he crosses paths with 19-year-old demon hunter Mary, who is also searching for answers after the disappearance of her own father. Together, the two join forces with young hunter-in-training Latika (Nida Khurshid, STATION 19), and easygoing hunter Carlos (Jonathan âJojoâ Fleites) to uncover the hidden truths about both their families. Their investigation leads them to a rare book emporium, whose owner, Ada (Demetria McKinney, HOUSE OF PAYNE), takes an interest to the occult and could provide the missing pieces to their puzzle. But secrets run deep for both the Winchesters and Campbells, and despite the best efforts of Johnâs mother Millie (Bianca Kajlich, Bring It On) to protect her son from pursuing a dangerous life of demon hunting, John and Mary are both determined to work together to uphold their familiesâ legacies while beginning to form a family of their own. A prequel to the long-running hit series SUPERNATURAL, THE WINCHESTERS is written and executive produced by Robbie Thompson. Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles executive produce via their Chaos Machine Productions. David H. Goodman joined the creative team as an executive producer for the series. McG serves as an executive producer. The series is from Chaos Machine Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, filmed here in Toronto, just premiered in May on CTV Sci-Fi and Star Rebecca Romijn popped-by to say “hello”! Always flawless.
CTV Drama Channel:
PANHANDLE
A serialized dramedy set in the Florida Panhandle. Since personal tragedy struck five years ago, loquacious, eccentric Bell Prescott (EmmyÂź Award-winner Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) hasnât left the decaying property he shares with his mother and a pet alligator. When Bell discovers a dead body, he browbeats the only cop in town, the practical, brutally direct Cammie Lorde (Tiana Okoye, The Good Place), into solving the case. That leads the unlikely duo into a collision course with Bellâs past. Theyâll wrestle with personal demons, shocking twists, and Panhandle craziness on their journey to heal themselves and their town. Carla Kettner (THE BLACKLIST), Nicholas Stoller (MUPPETS MOST WANTED), and Conor Welch (GOOSEBUMPS) are Executive Producers. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television.
CTV Life Channel:
JAMIEâS ONE PAN WONDERS
JAMIEâS ONE PAN WONDERS is the ultimate solutions-based guide to brilliantly easy meals perfect for now, offering a delicious range of dishes all cooked in just one pan or tray. Each recipe uses only a handful of ingredients, as the pan does all the hard work â and thereâs hardly any cleaning up.
Each meal has been created by Jamie Oliver specifically to answer peopleâs everyday needs: from speedy meals that can be made in 15 minutes or less, ovenbaked dishes that can be left to cook low and slow while people do with other things, brilliant principle recipes that big-up batch cooking, or clever shortcuts to family favourites that everyone will love to eat, but donât always have the time to cook.
JAMIEâS ONE PAN WONDERS is the solution for anyone who wants to cook delicious food with minimal ingredients, less cleaning up, and big flavour.
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Bell Media continues to show its commitment to delivering and supporting Canadian voices with the following new English-Language programs, including the eagerly-awaited SULLIVAN’S CROSSING starring One Tree Hill‘s Chad Michael Murray, which begins production this week shortly on the East Coast. You know we love RuPaul’s Drag Race, and a CANADA’S DRAG RACE: CANADA VS. THE WORLD branch of the Series is on the way pitting Canadian Queens against some international-level competition!
New English-Language Series:
ACTING GOOD â CTV Comedy *previously announced
ACTING GOOD stars Rabliauskas as Paul, a witty but sensitive comic who returns home to the fictional Grouse Lake First Nation after a botched attempt to move to the big city. Inspired by Rabliauskasâ own isolated community of Poplar River First Nation, the half-hour comedy also stars actor, comedian, and series co-showrunner Pat Thornton, as Brady, the âonly white guy on the rez.â The homegrown lineup of cast and crew also features Billy Merasty (Elijah) as voice of the rez and radio DJ, Roger Laughingstick, Roseanne Supernault (THE DRIVE) as reformed bad girl and band councillor, Jo. Gabriel Daniels (The Ice Road) joins the cast as big-hearted Dean, along with series producer Tina Keeper (NORTH OF 60) as the family matriarch Agnes. And in their debut acting roles, Avery Claudia Sutherland stars as Joâs rebellious daughter Chickadee, comedian Cheyenna Sapp as Paulâs, on-again-off-again girlfriend, Rose, and writer, poet, and radio host Rosanna Deerchild as First Nation Grouse Lake chief, Deedee. (Buffalo Gal)
A CUT ABOVE â Discovery *previously announced
Hosted by Golden GlobeÂź-nominee Adam Beach, this competition series puts 12 of the best chainsaw carvers from across the world to the ultimate test of creativity, strength, and skills, as they turn ordinary logs into extraordinary works of art. Each episode, the carvers compete in weekly Quick and Master Carve challenges, while racing against the clock, in hopes of avoiding elimination. At the end of the grueling competition, the carver who out carves the rest, wins a cash prize and will be named âA Cut Aboveâ. World-renowned Canadian chainsaw carver Ryan Cook and esteemed United Kingdom sculptor, Katharine Dowson serve as judges. (marblemedia)
BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS â CTV
BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS is an exciting new 20-episode, 60-minute CTV Original quiz format that asks not only how well you know someone elseâs generation â but how well you know your own. Each episode of this nostalgia-packed quiz show features four charismatic contestants, each representing a different generation (Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z), who battle it out to discover who knows the most about ALL generations. Whoever triumphs in this unique game of time travelling trivia will enter The Vault for a chance to win big money. Fast and fun, tactical and tenacious, BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS is the primetime game show thatâs genuinely for everyone. (Bell Media Studios/Motion Content Group)
BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE â Crave
A half-hour comedy series that follows Bria Mack, a 25-year-old Black woman, as she navigates adulthood in a predominantly white world â which is made all the more difficult, but also more tolerable â by Black Attack, her invisible hype girl. Created by Sasha Leigh Henry, the series is executive produced by Henry, Tania Thompson, and Mark Montefiore, with Angelique Knights and Tamar Bird serving as producers. (New Metric Media)
BUSH WRECK RESCUE â Discovery
BUSH WRECK RESCUE is a new take on the ever-popular car and truck restoration genre, with a twist â all the projects begin as long-abandoned wrecks tracked down in farmersâ fields, barns, and ravines in the backcountry. BUSH WRECK RESCUEâs âgearheadsâ attempt to turn a profit by pulling vintage vans, muscle cars, and pick-up trucks out of the bush and transforming them into Instagram-worthy gems. (Omnifilm Entertainment)
CANADAâS DRAG RACE: CANADA VS THE WORLD â Crave
After two wildly successful seasons of CANADAâS DRAG RACE, and a third on the horizon, the queens of the north have proven they can âsleighâ in every way. With Canada acting as host nation, CANADAâS DRAG RACE: CANADA VS THE WORLD is a six-episode battle that brings back fan-favourites from the international Drag Race family for an elite competition to crown the âQueen of the Mother-Pucking World.â At this level of competition, there are no weak links â just seasoned queens with a thirst for victory. Let the international games begin! (Blue Ant Studios, Saloon Media, World of Wonder)
CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF â CTV
CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF is an original competition series that celebrates the unbridled creativity of Canada’s best cake-makers, and showcases the incredible stories of heart and humour that inspire them. A feel good national event, CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF connects the country through cake in 10 delightful episodes, including four Holiday specials. Buckle up for a wild and delicious ride! (Proper Television)
DINE YOUR SIGN â CTV Life *previously announced
Hosted by Chef Siobhan Detkavich, DINE YOUR SIGN connects appetite with the astrological, with each episode featuring a menu designed around one of the 12 Zodiac signs. (Gusto TV)
EVOLVING VEGAN â CTV Life Channel and Crave
EVOLVING VEGAN is an eight-part food, travel, and adventure series, starring, and based on Canadian actor Mena Massoudâs (Aladdin) cookbook, of the same name. Each one-hour episode features Massoud as he explores the exploding plant-based food scene across North America, visiting cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver and New York City to meet the trailblazing chefs and restaurateurs serving up the best vegan eats each city has to offer. He will also meet with exciting innovators within the plant-based food space and link up with celebrity friends and locals as they eat their way through each localesâ best vegan offerings. Massoudâs mission is to show people how incredibly delicious and accessible plant-based options are and encourage people to evolve vegan, to move in that direction, even if itâs for one night of the week in a judgement-free manner. EVOLVING VEGAN is set to premiere on CTV Life and Crave in 2023. (Bell Media Studios)
FARMING FOR LOVE â CTV *previously announced
An adaptation of the hit international format THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE, FARMING FOR LOVE follows the journeys of rural Canadian singles on their quest for romance. In FARMING FOR LOVE, five Canadians searching for their soulmates open up their farms â and their hearts â to a select group of urban singles. As they live and work together, the daters must adjust to a new lifestyle, and immerse themselves in a series of challenges, group activities, and intimate one-on-one dates, with the goal of finding their one true love. The CTV Original series consists of 10, one-hour episodes. (Lark Productions in collaboration with Fremantle and in association with CTV)
I HAVE NOTHING â Crave
I HAVE NOTHING is a factual comedy about amateur abilities and enormous ambitions and follows series creator and star Carolyn Taylor (BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW) on her eternal quest to escape the familiar and pursue her wildest dreams, even when she doesn’t have the talent, or skills (or basic knowledge) to realize them. The series follows Carolyn on a quixotic quest to choreograph the perfect full-length pairs figure skating routine to Whitney Houston’s 1992 hit song ‘I Have Nothing.’ What begins as a light-hearted, nostalgic comedy quickly morphs into a high-stakes, real-life mission â with a few wild detours along the way. (Content Catalyst Fund in association with Blue Ant Studios)
JUST FOR LAUGHS Specials â CTV Comedy
Slated to be filmed at the 2022 Just for Laughs Festival in Montréal in July, four new stand-up comedy specials to feature the best in homegrown and international comedy talent. Hosted by Russell Peters, Chelsea Handler, Jo Koy, and Patton Oswalt. (Just For Laughs)
LATE BLOOMER â Crave
LATE BLOOMER is a new comedy series created by and starring comedic sensation Jasmeet Raina, aka JusReign. The series is inspired by his real-life experiences navigating new-found internet fame, dating, spirituality, culture, and his dysfunctional (yet loving) family. (Pier 21 Films)
LISTING LARGE â CTV Life
Odeen Eccleston and Lamont Wiltshire are building a real estate empire: buying, selling, renovating and flipping, all while juggling parenthood, friendship and love. Amidst luxury custom builds and multi-million dollar deals, this on-again off-again couple are determined not to let anything stand in the way of their wildly successful business partnership. (Proper Television)
LITTLE BIRD â Crave *previously announced
Created by showrunner Jennifer Podemski and head writer Hannah Moscovitch, LITTLE BIRD follows an Indigenous woman on a journey to find her birth family, and uncover the hidden truth of her past. The series, a co-production with APTN, explores themes of resilience in the face of trauma and loss. Removed from her home in Long Pine Reserve in Saskatchewan, Bezhig Little Bird is adopted into a MontrĂ©al Jewish family at the age of five, becoming Esther Rosenblum. Now in her 20s, Bezhig longs for the family she lost and is willing to sacrifice everything to find them. Her quest lands her in the Canadian prairies, worlds apart from everything she knows. As she begins to track down her siblings, she unravels the mystery behind her adoption, and discovers that her apprehension was connected to a racist government policy now known as the Sixties Scoop. Bezhig’s sense of identity shatters and she is forced to reckon with who she is and who she wants to become. The character-driven drama features an extraordinary cast of Indigenous actors, including Darla Contois, Ellyn Jade, Osawa Muskwa, Joshua Odjick, Imajyn Cardinal, Braeden Clarke, Eric Schweig, and Michelle Thrush. Lisa Edelstein also stars. Award-winning filmmakers Elle-MĂĄijĂĄ Tailfeathers and Zoe Hopkins each direct three episodes, while Hopkins writes three of the episodes. Executive producers are Christina Fon, Ernest Webb, Catherine Bainbridge, Linda Ludwick (Rezolution Pictures), Kim Todd, Nicholas Hirst (Original Pictures), Jeremy Podeswa, Jennifer Podemski, and Hannah Moskovitch, along with Christian Vesper and Dante Di Loreto (Fremantle). Producers are Tanya Brunel and Jessica Dunn (OP Little Bird), Claire MacKinnon and Philippe Chabot (Rezolution Pictures) and Lori Lozinski and Ellen Rutter. The series is currently in production in Manitoba and is set to premiere on Crave next year. (Rezolution Pictures, APTN, OP Little Bird)
THE MIGHTIEST â Discovery
THE MIGHTIEST is a six-part series that zeros in on the most exciting and compelling stories from the MIGHTY franchise (MIGHTY TRAINS, MIGHTY SHIPS, MIGHTY PLANES, MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS), one of Discoveryâs most successful series seen in more than 100 countries around the world. Each themed episode of THE MIGHTIEST goes a step further by embedding on new missions to highlight mind-blowing feats of science and engineering that are set to change the game once again, including an exclusive visit to the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford – the US Navyâs newest and largest aircraft carrier. Principal photography on THE MIGHTIEST is underway, and the series premieres on Discovery later this year. (Bell Media Studios)
ONE DAY WEâLL ALL BE DEAD â Crave
Based on the critically acclaimed, national bestselling book by Scaachi Koul, One Day Weâll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter, this new half-hour comedy, created by Lakna Edilima and Koul, follows a first-generation Brown woman juggling her invasive family, her burgeoning journalism career, and her own strong-willed nature while processing her own grief. (First Generation Films)
PARANORMAL REVENGE â CTV Sci-Fi
PARANORMAL REVENGE is a brand new, original series from the newly amalgamated, Sphere Media. Each hour explores two chilling stories of real-life paranormal encounters that intersect with one of the most powerful forces of darkness â revenge. Those who experience para-revenge often describe a strong feeling of possession. And in every encounter⊠violence and terror follow. Each story is unpacked by the witnesses who experienced these revenge hauntings. And whether itâs a person, place or object from the past seeking its victim, the history drives the horror. These are mystery filled camp-fire tales with twists and turns, driving toward a terrifying final revelation. (Sphere Media)
SHELVED â CTV
Set in the Jameson Public Library in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, SHELVED is a single-camera, workplace comedy that follows the employees and patrons as they go about their lives in this unassuming and extraordinary place. (Counterfeit)
SIGHT UNSEEN â CTV
After losing her vision, former homicide detective Tess Burke is haunted by the unsolved cases she left behind. When she meets professional seeing-eye guide Sunny Patel through a visual assistance app, they decide to take action. Using a hidden camera and earpiece, Sunny steers Tess remotely around lifeâs obstacles â and crimes â as the two challenge preconceptions about ability, trust, and solving crime. (Sisters Troubetzoy Productions Inc. and Bl!nk49 Studios. Worldwide rights controlled by Bl!nk49)
SISTERS â Crave
An Irish-Canadian co-production, SISTERS is a character-driven, half-hour, dark comedy about family, culture, and life in oneâs 30s. Itâs an exploration of how the absence of parents can influence adult life in unforeseen ways, and how that void can affect a womanâs relationship to alcohol, men, work, and motherhood (or lack thereof) â and the macabre humour that can come with trauma. In SISTERS, the two main characters born continents apart, in Canada and in Ireland, discover they are half-sisters and embark on a road trip to find their alcoholic father. Real life best friends, EMMYÂź Award-nominee Sarah Goldberg (BARRY) and Susan Stanley (Hotel Amenities), make their writing debuts and star. Emmy Award-nominee Declan Lowney (TED LASSO) is the establishing director and is set to direct the first three episodes of the six-episode series. (Peer Pressure and Shaftesbury, in association with Mermade and Gaze Pictures)
THE SPENCER SISTERS â CTV
Darby Spencer is having a bad day. After being unjustly reprimanded by her boss, Darby impulsively quits her job as a police officer, and then finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. With no other choice, she returns home to the one person sheâs been avoiding for years: her overbearing, best-selling-mystery-novelist mother, Joan. But after the two are thrust into solving a crime together, Darby discovers a side to Joan she never knew, and ultimately takes the plunge on the unlikeliest of ventures: becoming her partner in a private detective agency. (eOne)
SPICE SECRETS â CTV Life *previously announced
From seeds, roots, to bark, and fruits, SPICE SECRETS explores the unique and complex flavours that fill our spice racks. Hosted by Chefs Shahir Massoud and Jasmin Rose Ibrahim, the 10-episode series will feature a variety of spice applications, techniques and unexpected combinations. (Gusto TV)
SULLIVANâS CROSSING â CTV *previously announced
In SULLIVANâS CROSSING, Neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan (Kohan) has her world turned upside down when a scandalous incident throws both her personal and professional life into turmoil. She leaves her life in the city and returns to Sullivanâs Crossing, a rural campground and outpost nestled amongst the sweeping vistas and cliffs she once called home, where her estranged father, Sully Sullivan (Patterson), still looks after the day-to-day operations catering to hikers, bikers, and mountain climbers. The 10-episode, hour-long romantic drama sees Maggie navigating her complicated present and confronting her painful past as she attempts to reconnect with a side of herself she had long ago forgotten. Tackling issues including family, community, conflict, loss, and love in a realistic and purposeful way, SULLIVANâS CROSSING is a series about healing, letting go, and ultimately, opening yourself up to a world of new opportunities. (Reel World Management in association with CTV and Fremantle, SULLIVANâS CROSSING is being produced as an interprovincial coproduction with Nova Scotia based producer Mike Volpe and Ontario based producer Mark Gingras)
THUNDER BAY â Crave *previously announced
THUNDER BAY is a four-part Crave Original documentary series based on the groundbreaking podcast from CANADALAND, Thunder Bay. The gripping investigative series is produced and also hosted by Anishinaabe journalist and award-winning writer, Ryan McMahon, who is on a quest to uncover the truth in the recent deaths of multiple Indigenous people in Thunder Bay, Ontario â a city known as the homicide and hate crime capital of Canada. McMahonâs investigation sheds light on the history of racism in Thunder Bay, and examines the failings and the injustices of its social systems and institutions. The series unravels the countryâs complicated relationship with colonialism, examining the consequences of the broken system in which some can thrive, while many others, disproportionally struggle to survive. Produced, written, and hosted by Ryan McMahon. The series is currently in production. (eOne)
URBAN LEGEND â CTV Sci-Fi
URBAN LEGEND is a nightmarish anthology series showcasing classic urban legends like never before. Based on widely shared âtrueâ stories that happened to a friend of a friendâŠof a friend, each episode is a mini-horror film cinematically crafted to deliver a hyper-suspenseful and tension-fuelled experience. Featuring lurking psychopaths, murderous mysteries, creepy creatures and twisting tales, these disturbing legends prey on our most deeply embedded fears to shock and terrify. (Cream Productions)
VEG HEADZ â CTV Life *previously announced
Hosted by two-time MASTERCHEF CANADA winner Chef Pino Di Cerbo, VEG HEADZ reimagines what you can do with fresh produce, creating four tasty plant-based plates per episode. (Gusto TV)
New English-Language Documentaries and Specials:
AFTER THE STORM â Discovery
Two-part documentary about the storm of the century, exploring the mechanics of the disaster, the impact on those affected, and the mammoth efforts to rebuild stronger and safer. (Great Pacific Media)
ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY â Crave Original Documentary
This new documentary tells the tale of the extraordinary life and mysterious disappearance of pioneering soul singer and Black Transgender trailblazer, Jackie Shane. Her story is brought vibrantly to life through intimate recorded conversations with Jackie, and follows her familyâs journey to discover her legacy, and the voices of those who were inspired by her tenacity to be herself. Executive produced by Elliot Page of Page Boy Productions. (Banger Films, National Film Board of Canada)
AUDIOPHILIA – ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF HI-FI â Crave Original Documentary
From director Ron Mann, AUDIOPHILIA – ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF HI-FI is the story about the love of listening to music on the worldâs best stereo equipment. The film profiles the inventors, designers, and major-league audiophiles, engaged in the never-ending quest to find audio nirvana. The film is a deep dive into the subculture of sonic obsessives around the world who seek out esoteric electronics that are often visually stunning, and turn their homes into audio sanctuaries. (Sphinx Productions)
BAM BAM: THE STORY OF SISTER NANCY â Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
BAM BAM: THE STORY OF SISTER NANCY is a feature music documentary that explores the wild story behind how Sister Nancy’s hit song âBam Bamâ became the most sampled reggae vocal of all time. From Nancy’s unprecedented entry into the male-dominated 80s Dancehall scene in Kingston, Jamaica, to her courageous fight to control her music, Sister Nancyâs story is not only one of resilience, but also one of celebration. Ultimately, this is an inspirational music documentary about a woman dusting herself off after being held back by an industry known for silencing female artists, and hell-bent on empowering others with her music, and knowledge to make a difference. Proving to all that good music, no matter what canât be stopped! Directed by Alison Duke. Produced by OYA Media Group with Ngardy Conteh George and Duke serving as producers. (OYA Media Group)
BUFFY SAINT MARIE: POWER IN THE BLOOD â CTV *previously announced
For more than 50 years, Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a star. Her songs are legendary, her impact undeniable. One of Canadaâs most-respected Indigenous leaders, sheâs a pioneer of music and activism, and has left an indelible mark on the world. The film tells Buffyâs incredible story through exclusive access, rare archives, insightful interviews, and great music. The 90-min documentary BUFFY SAINT-MARIE: POWER IN THE BLOOD celebrates Buffyâs extraordinary achievements, dispels myths, sets the record straight, and illustrates that in a time of chaos and division, weâve never needed Buffy more than now. (White Pine Pictures, Eagle Vision)
KINGS OF COKE â Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
People often think about Miami when it comes to cocaine, but MontrĂ©al may have been the biggest drug kingdom of them all. By the 70s, MontrĂ©al, the infamous party town, was engulfed in mayhem. The city had become known as the bank robbery capital of North America with more heists than New York or Los Angeles. Then, a brazen group of thieves moved into the drug trade, smuggling cocaine on a global scale. This 90-minute, true crime documentary chronicles the path to power of one of MontrĂ©alâs most influential and violent gangs, the infamous West End Gang, and the cops and journalists who pursued its three leaders. Itâs an unlikely rise and inevitable fall, but more importantly, itâs a largely forgotten and underreported story, even for the most seasoned of true crime fans. KINGS OF COKE is produced by Michael Kronish and directed by Julian Sher, and is set to premiere on Crave later this year. (Connect 3, Urbania Media)
COMING HOME â Crave Original Documentary
COMING HOME is a feature-length documentary by director Erica Daniels taking viewers behind the scenes of the production of the much anticipated Crave Original drama series LITTLE BIRD, and the groundbreaking movement for Indigenous narrative sovereignty as experienced by the seriesâ creatives, crew and 60âs Scoop advisors. Intimate behind the scenes footage, interviews, and period archive interweave to trace and reveal the ongoing legacy of the 60s scoop and the power of narrative reclamation. (Rezolution Pictures, Logical Mayhem, APTN)
NAKED â Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
A documentary feature film about the gender binary. What is it? How does it manifest itself in our minds and our lives? And how can we go beyond? NAKED follows individuals and communities, experts and artists around the globe who right now, are radically and joyfully redefining gender as we know it. Together, they explore their vision of a future beyond the gender binary. Directed by Stephanie Weimar. Executive Producer is Michael McMahon. Producers are Kevin McMahon and Michael McMahon. (Primitive Entertainment)
RESIDENT ORCA â Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
In the summer of 2018, killer whale Tahlequah makes international news headlines, as she carries her dead calf for more than 17 days and 1,000 miles in an unprecedented show of mourning. Almost 50 years earlier, at the height of the capture era in the Pacific Northwest, four-year-old Lolita is taken in a deadly round-up that separates a mother from her calf, and seals Lolitaâs and her wild relatives’ fate. Today, at 56, Lolita is the last remaining Southern Resident Orca in captivity, living in the same concrete tank, thousands of miles from home, where her endangered family struggles to survive. RESIDENT ORCA tells the story of an unlikely partnership between Indigenous elders, a billionaire, journalists, politicians, a whistle-blowing veterinarian, and an ex-Orca catcher as they take on the impossible task of freeing Lolita from captivity and returning her to the Salish Sea to be near her presumed 92 year old mother once again. Meanwhile, a team of scientists led by killer whale godfather, Ken Balcomb, tracks the wild whale’s decline towards extinction asking what it means for us to reconcile the past and fight for a future where we can all survive. Co-directed and executive produced by Simon Schneider and Sarah Sharkey Pearce. (Everyday Films)
ROCK & ROLL REVIVAL (wt) â Crave Original Documentary
ROCK & ROLL REVIVAL (wt) tells the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how against all odds, a history-changing concert came together. This revealing documentary uncovers a series of interesting characters, murky deals, and broken promises, culminating in John Brower, a young struggling promoter, putting his life on the line (literally) in order to achieve his goal. Directed by Ron Chapman and produced by Trish Dolman, Sally Blake, and Ron Chapman. Written by Phyllis Ellis. (Screen Siren Pictures, Chapman Productions, and Films a Cinq)
âSINCâ: THE CHRISTINE SINCLAIR STORY â TSN *previously announced
An original documentary that charts the rise of Canadaâs greatest soccer player, Christine Sinclair, through both an athletic lens and a tale of humanity, and compassion. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
SMOKE & GIFTS â Crave Original Documentary
Filmmaker Stephen Chung pulls back the curtain on the community of musicians and friends of the trailblazing band Broken Social Scene. This stunning POV documentary features never before seen archival footage and pays tribute to the power of indie music and the artists who started out in Toronto bars before rocketing to global fame. (Fathom Film Group)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: BLACK ICE â TSN *previously announced
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: BLACK ICE explores the journey of Black hockey players from the creation of The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes to the modern-day NHL, highlighting their often overlooked and marginalized contributions to the game. BLACK ICE elevates these individuals who passionately followed a dream to play a sport that continues to be plagued by racial inequity and their collective aspirations to change a sportâs culture. BLACK ICE is directed by OSCARÂź and EMMYÂź-nominated Hubert Davis and produced by Vinay Virmani. Drake, Adele âFutureâ Nur, LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Scott Moore are Executive Producers. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada, DreamCrew Entertainment, and The SpringHill Company)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: CHRIS BOUCHER â TSN
From homeless on the streets of MontrĂ©al to NBA Champion, Chris Boucher’s story is one of the great, untold narratives in Canadian sport. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: THE GRIZZLIE TRUTH â TSN *previously announced
The film explores the mysterious departure of the Vancouver Grizzlies NBA franchise through the eyes of director and superfan Kathleen S. Jayme. Her search, 25 years after the team left, explores the unique and remarkable untold story behind the franchiseâs downfall and the impact it had on the community. Much more than a sports story, THE GRIZZLIE TRUTH is a blend of mystery, mixed with a comedy of errors and a true underdog epic that drives Jaymeâs search for the truth about what happened to the franchise. (Grizz Films in partnership with UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: WICK â TSN *previously announced
WICK is a triumphant, reflective, and inspiring story which provides audiences with an intimate and unfiltered snapshot into the world of Canadian icon Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser. The documentary takes viewers on a tour of Wickenheiserâs life journey: from growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, to teaching women in India and North Korea how to play hockey, to contributing to countless charitable causes and choosing to pursue a medical degree, all the while winning four Olympic hockey golds, seven world championships, and becoming the first female to ever play pro menâs hockey in Europe. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
WILFRED BUCK â Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
WILFRED BUCK is a hybrid feature documentary centring on a Cree elder whoâs dedicated his life to unearthing and sharing Indigenous star knowledge. Weaving together his harrowing past and his present life with sky stories, this cinematic film explores colonizationâs attempts to extinguish Indigenous ways of knowing, the values of interrelationship that shape Indigenous science, and how this worldview paves a healthier path forward for our planet. Directed by Lisa Jackson. Producers are Lisa Jackson, Alicia Smith, and Lauren Grant. Executive producers are David Christensen, Nicholas de Pencier, and Jennifer Baichwal. (Door Number 3 in co-production with the National Film Board)
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As mentioned earlier in the confirmed Fall lineup, and hot off its Canadian Screen Award-winning success, CTV‘s TRANSPLANT has been ordered for a third season, with 13 new episodes to come. Stars Hamza Haq and Laurence Leboeuf were there to make an appearance.
CTV Original Comedy Series CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING also will be back for a second season, and Stars Aaron Abrams, Meaghan Rath and Ennis Esmer were here to tell us about it!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Mayim Bialik writes and directs AS THEY MADE US, which arrives soon via Quiver Distribution.
Synopsis:
As They Made Us follows Abigail (Agron), a divorced mother of two, who is struggling to find sanity in her dysfunctional family as she attempts to cultivate new love. Her father, Eugene (Hoffman), has a degenerative condition that he and his wife, Barbara (Bergen), refuse to accept. Her brother Nathan (Helberg) has been estranged from the family for decades. A self-appointed fixer, Abigail attempts to mend her complicated family before itâs too late.
Moving between present-day and flashbacks to a chaotic and confusing childhood, Abigail juggles parenting her young sons with her annoyingly competent ex-husband Peter (Weber) and trying to land a cover story at the news magazine she works for. Barbara barely gives Abigail a moment of peace, calling her to clean up messes every time Eugene falls or when a nurse sneaks him weed gummy bears against her wishes. Barbaraâs intrusiveness proves amusing to Abigailâs crush, her landscaper Jay (Chu Cary), but itâs yet another part of Abigailâs life which she finds unable to disentangle her familyâs insanity.Â
Navigating Eugeneâs degenerative condition and Barbaraâs manic hostility is alternately hilarious and heartbreakingly cringe-worthy. Family struggles range from fights over birthday cake to wheelchair mechanical snafus to Barbaraâs bizarre behavior at doctorâs appointments. Things come to a head when Nathan agrees to visit Eugene, but only if Barbara isnât present. Barbara begrudgingly agrees to let them have their reunion, and Nathan and Eugeneâs visit is bittersweet. However, Barbara cannot resist spoiling Abigailâs joy, leaving Abigail to once again choose between her comfort and that of her mother. Eugeneâs health worsens and with his passing, Nathan and Abigail begin to repair their relationship and, in turn, their family.
AS THEY MADE US arrives on VOD April 8, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Quiver Distribution)
The 2022 Sundance Film Festival takes place January 20â30, 2022; ticket packages go on sale on December 17, 2021 at 10am MT and single film tickets go on sale January 6, 2021 at 10am MT.
Factoring-in the current climate we are in, the Festival once again will take on a hybrid format. Feature films will premiere in person in Utah, before premiering online with a live Q&A and premiere party on platform The Spaceship. Subsequent screenings will take place in-person and in on-demand windows on the platform.
An exciting slate of Day One films will open the Festival in Park City: 11 features and a shorts program will illustrate the scope of Festival work across genre and form. Day One Features are Emergency, Fire of Love, Fresh, La Guerra Civil, A Love Song, Marte Um (Mars One), The Princess, Tantura, When You Finish Saving the World, and The Worst Person in the World. Lucy and Desi is the 2022 Sundance Film Festivalâs Salt Lake City Opening Night Gala Film, premiering at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center on January 21, 2021.
A total eight Films have been selected for the Festivals Satellite Screens across America, allowing for the enjoyment of the Festival for those who can’t make it to Park City. These Films include: Alice; Emergency; Every Day in KaimukÄ«; Free Chol Soo Lee; Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul; La Guerra Civil; Marte Um (Mars One); and Sirens.
We are thrilled the share with you the programming line at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival:
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Presenting the world premieres of fiction feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include CODA, Passing, Minari, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Farewell, Clemency, Eighth Grade and Sorry to Bother You.Â
892 / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Abi Damaris Corbin, Screenwriter: Kwame Kwei-Armah, Producers: Ashley Levinson, Salman Al-Rashid, Sam Frohman, Kevin Turen, Mackenzie Fargo) â When Brian Brown-Easleyâs disability check fails to materialize from Veterans Affairs, he finds himself on the brink of homelessness and breaking his daughterâs heart. No other options, he walks into a Wells Fargo Bank and says âI’ve got a bomb.â Cast: John Boyega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nicole Beharie, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, Selenis Leyva. World Premiere.
Alice / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Krystin Ver Linden, Producer: Peter Lawson) â When a woman in servitude in 1800s Georgia escapes the 55-acre confines of her captor, she discovers the shocking reality that exists beyond the treeline…it’s 1973. Inspired by true events. Cast: Keke Palmer, Common, Jonny Lee Miller, Gaius Charles. World Premiere.
blood / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Bradley Rust Gray, Producers: David Urrutia, Bradley Rust Gray, So Yong Kim, Elika Portnoy, Alex Orlovsky, Jonathon Komack Martin) â After the death of her husband, a young woman travels to Japan where she finds solace in an old friend. But when comforting turns to affection, she realizes she must give herself permission before she can fall in love again. Cast: Carla Juri, Takashi Ueno, Gustaf SkarsgĂ„rd, Futaba Okazaki, Issey Ogata. World Premiere.
Cha Cha Real Smooth / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Cooper Raiff, Producers: Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig, Jessica Switch, Cooper Raiff) â A directionless college graduate embarks on a relationship with a young mom and her teenage daughter while learning the boundaries of his new bar mitzvah party-starting gig. Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann. World Premiere.
Dual / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Riley Stearns, Producers: Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian, Lee Kim, Riley Stearns, Nick Spicer, Maxime Cottray) â After receiving a terminal diagnosis, Sarah commissions a clone of herself to ease the loss for her friends and family. When she makes a miraculous recovery, her attempt to have her clone decommissioned fails, and leads to a court-mandated duel to the death. Cast: Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul, Beulah Koale. World Premiere.
Emergency / U.S.A. (Director: Carey Williams, Screenwriter: KD Davila, Producers: Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, John Fischer) â Ready for a night of partying, a group of Black and Latino college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unusual emergency. Cast: RJ Cyler, Donald Watkins, Sebastian Chacon, Sabrina Carpenter. World Premiere. DAY ONE
Master / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Mariama Diallo, Producers: Joshua Astrachan, Brad Becker-Parton, Andrea Roa) â Three women strive to find their place at an elite New England university. As the insidious specter of racism haunts the campus in increasingly supernatural fashion, each fights to survive in this space of privilege. Cast: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, Amber Gray. World Premiere.
Nanny / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Nikyatu Jusu, Producers: Nikkia Moulterie, Daniela Taplin Lundberg) â Aisha is an undocumented nanny working for a privileged couple in New York City. As she prepares for the arrival of the son she left behind in Senegal, a violent supernatural presence invades her reality, threatening the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together. Cast: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams. World Premiere.
Palm Trees and Power Lines / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jamie Dack, Screenwriter: Audrey Findlay, Producers: Leah Chen Baker, Jamie Dack) â Seventeen-year-old Lea spends her summer aimlessly tanning with her best friend, tiptoeing around her fragile mother, and getting stoned with a group of boys from school. This monotony is disrupted by an encounter with Tom, a man twice her age, who promises an alternative to Lea’s unsatisfying adolescent life. Cast: Lily McInerny, Jonathan Tucker, Gretchen Mol. World Premiere.
Watcher / U.S.A. (Director: Chloe Okuno, Screenwriter: Zack Ford, Producers: Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy, John Finemore, Aaron Kaplan, Mason Novick) â A young woman moves into a new apartment with her fiancĂ© and is tormented by the feeling that she is being stalked by an unseen watcher in an adjacent building. Cast: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman, Ciubuciu Bogdan Alexandru. World Premiere.
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
World-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people and events that shape the present day. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Summer of Soul (or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Boys State, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, APOLLO 11, Knock Down The House, One Child Nation, American Factory, Three Identical Strangers and On Her Shoulders.
Aftershock / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Paula Eiselt, Tonya Lewis Lee) â Following the preventable deaths of their partners due to childbirth complications, two bereaved fathers galvanize activists, birth-workers and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises of our time â the U.S. maternal health crisis. World Premiere.
Descendant / U.S.A. (Director: Margaret Brown, Producers: Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin) â Clotilda, the last ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States, arrived in Alabama 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned, and its existence denied. After a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotildaâs survivors are reclaiming their story. World Premiere.
The Exiles / U.S.A. (Directors: Ben Klein, Violet Columbus, Producers: Maria Chiu, Ben Klein, Violet Columbus) â Documentarian Christine Choy tracks down three exiled dissidents from the Tiananmen Square massacre, in order to find closure on an abandoned film she began shooting in 1989. World Premiere.
Fire Of Love / U.S.A. (Director: Sara Dosa, Producers: Shane Boris, Ina Fichman, Sara Dosa) â Intrepid scientists and lovers Katia & Maurice Krafft died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded. A doomed love triangle between Katia, Maurice and volcanoes, told through their archival footage. World Premiere.DAY ONE
Free Chol Soo Lee / U.S.A. (Directors: Julie Ha, Eugene Yi, Producers: Su Kim, Jean Tsien, Sona Jo, Julie Ha, Eugene Yi) â After a Korean immigrant is wrongly convicted of a 1973 San Francisco Chinatown gang murder, Asian Americans unite as never before to free Chol Soo Lee. A former street hustler becomes the symbol for a landmark movement. But once out, he self-destructs, threatening the movement’s legacy and the man himself. World Premiere.
I Didn’t See You There / U.S.A. (Director: Reid Davenport, Producer: Keith Wilson) â Spurred by the spectacle of a circus tent that goes up outside his Oakland apartment, a disabled filmmaker launches into an unflinching meditation on freakdom, (in)visibility, and the pursuit of individual agency. World Premiere.
The Janes / U.S.A. (Directors: Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes, Producers: Emma Pildes, Daniel Arcana, Jessica Levin) â In the spring of 1972, police raided an apartment on Chicago’s South Side. Seven women were arrested. The accused were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions. They called themselves JANE. World Premiere.
Jihad Rehab / U.S.A. (Director: Meg Smaker, Producers: Meg Smaker, Bryan Storkel) â A group of Al-Qaeda members are transferred from Guantanamo to a secretive rehabilitation center for Islamic extremists. World Premiere.
TikTok, Boom. / U.S.A. (Director: Shalini Kantayya, Producers: Ross M. Dinerstein. Shalini Kantayya, Danni Mynard) â With TikTok now crowned the worldâs most downloaded app, these are the personal stories of a cultural phenomenon, told through an ensemble cast of Gen-Z natives, journalists and experts alike. This film seeks to answer, âwhy is an app, best known for people dancing, the target of so much controversy?â World Premiere.
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Ten films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Hive, Luzzu, The Souvenir, The Guilty, Monos, Yardie, The Nile Hilton Incident and Second Mother.Â
Brian And Charles / U.K. (Director: Jim Archer, Screenwriters: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Producer: Rupert Majendie) â A story of friendship, love, and letting go. And a 7ft tall robot that eats cabbages. A comedy shot in documentary format. Cast: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey, Jamie Michie, Lowri Izzard, Mari Izzard. World Premiere.
The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future / Chile/France/U.S.A/Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Francisca AlegrĂa, Screenwriters: Fernanda Urrejola, Manuela Infante, Producers: Tom Dercourt, Alejandra GarcĂa) â Cecilia and her children travel to her aging fatherâs dairy farm after he has a heart attack. Back in her childhood home, Cecilia is met by her mother, a woman dead for many years, whose presence brings to life a painful past chorused by the natural world around them. Cast: Leonor Varela, Mia Maestro, Alfredo Castro, Marcial Tagle, Enzo Ferrada, Luis DubĂł. World Premiere.
Dos Estaciones / Mexico (Director and Screenwriter: Juan Pablo GonzĂĄlez, Screenwriters: Ana Isabel FernĂĄndez, Ilana Coleman, Producers: Jamie Gonçalves, Ilana Coleman, Bruna Haddad, Makena Buchanan) â In the bucolic hills of Mexico’s Jalisco highlands, iron-willed businesswoman Maria Garcia fights the impending collapse of her tequila factory. Cast: Teresa SĂĄnchez, TatĂn Vera, Rafaela Fuentes, Manuel GarcĂa-Rulfo. World Premiere.
Gentle / Hungary (Directors: Anna Eszter Nemes, LĂĄszlĂł Csuja, Screenwriters: LĂĄszlĂł Csuja, Anna Eszter Nemes, Producers: AndrĂĄs Muhi, GĂĄbor Ferenczy) â Edina, a female bodybuilder, is ready to sacrifice everything for the dream she shares with Adam, her partner and trainer: to win the world championship. The odd love she finds on her way there makes her see the difference between her dreams and her true self. Cast: Eszter Csonka, György TurĂłs, Csaba Krisztik. World Premiere.
Girl Picture / Finland (Director: Alli Haapasalo, Screenwriters: Ilona Ahti, Daniela Hakulinen, Producers: Leila LyytikĂ€inen, Elina Pohjola) â Mimmi, Emma and Rönkkö are girls at the cusp of womanhood, trying to draw their own contours. In three consecutive Fridays two of them experience the earth-moving effects of falling in love, while the third goes on a quest to find something sheâs never experienced before: pleasure. Cast: Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen, Linnea Leino. World Premiere.
Klondike / Ukraine/Turkey (Director and Screenwriter: Maryna Er Gorbach, Producers: Maryna Er Gorbach, Mehmet Bahadir Er, Sviatoslav BulakovskyI) â The story of a Ukrainian family living on the border of Russia – Ukraine during the start of war. Irka refuses to leave her house even as the village gets captured by armed forces. Shortly after, they find themselves at the center of an air crash catastrophe on July 17, 2014. Cast: Oxana Cherkashyna, Sergey Shadrin, Oleg Scherbina, Oleg Shevchuk, Artur Aramyan, Evgenij Efremov. World Premiere.
Leonor Will Never Die / Philippines (Director and Screenwriter: Martika Ramirez Escobar, Producers: Monster Jimenez, Mario Cornejo) â Fiction and reality blur when Leonor, a retired filmmaker, falls into a coma after a television lands on her head, compelling her to become the action hero of her unfinished screenplay. Cast: Sheila Francisco, Bong Cabrera, Rocky Salumbides, Anthony Falcon. World Premiere.
Marte Um (Mars One) / Brazil (Director and Screenwriter: Gabriel Martins, Producer: Thiago MacĂȘdo Correia) â In Brazil, a lower-middle-class Black family of four tries to keep their spirits up and their dreams going in the months that follow the election of a right-wing president, a man who represents everything they are not. Cast: Rejane Faria, Carlos Francisco, Camilla Souza, CĂcero Lucas. World Premiere.DAY ONE
Utama / Bolivia/Uruguay/France (Director and Screenwriter: Alejandro Loayza Grisi, Producers: Santiago Loayza Grisi, Federico Moreira, Marcos Loayza, Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre) â In the Bolivian highlands, an elderly Quechua couple has been living the same daily life for years. When an uncommon long drought threatens their entire way of life, Virginio and his wife Sisa face the dilemma of resisting or being defeated by the environment and time itself. Cast: Jose Calcina, Luisa Quispe, Santos Choque. World Premiere.
You Wonât Be Alone / Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Goran Stolevski, Producers: Kristina Ceyton, Sam Jennings) â In an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, a young feral witch accidentally kills a peasant. She assumes the peasant’s shape to see what life is like in her skin, igniting a deep-seated curiosity to experience life inside the bodies of others. Cast: Noomi Rapace, Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta, FĂ©lix Maritaud, Sara Klimoska. World Premiere.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Ten documentaries by some of the boldest filmmakers working around the world today. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Flee, Honeyland, Sea of Shadows, Shirkers, This Is Home, Last Men in Aleppo and Hooligan Sparrow.Â
All That Breathes / India, U.K. (Director and Producer: Shaunak Sen, Producers: Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer) â Against the darkening backdrop of Delhi’s apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the Black Kite. World Premiere.
Calendar Girls / Sweden (Directors, Screenwriters and Producers: Maria Loohufvud, Love Martinsen) â A coming-of-golden-age look at Florida’s most dedicated dance team for women over 60, shaking up the outdated image of “the little old lady,” and calling for everyone to dance their hearts out, while they still can. World Premiere.
A House Made of Splinters / Denmark (Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont, Producer: Monica Hellström) â In Eastern Ukraine, follow the daily life of children and staff in a special kind of home: an institution for children who have been removed from their homes while awaiting court custody decisions. Staff do their best to make the time children have there safe and supportive. World Premiere.
Midwives / Myanmar (Director: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing, Producers: Bob Moore, Ulla Lehman, Mila Aung-Thwin, Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing) â Two midwives work side-by-side in a makeshift clinic in Myanmar. World Premiere.
The Mission / Finland (Director and Screenwriter: Tania Anderson, Producers: Isabella Karhu, Juho-Pekka Tanskanen) â A revelation of the inner lives of young LDS missionaries, as they leave their homes for the first time and embark upon the most emotionally, physically and psychologically challenging period of their life. World Premiere.
Nothing Compares / Ireland, U.K. (Director: Kathryn Ferguson, Producers: Eleanor Emptage, Michael Mallie) â The story of SinĂ©ad O’Connor’s phenomenal rise to worldwide fame and subsequent exile from the pop mainstream. Focusing on SinĂ©ad’s prophetic words and deeds from 1987 to 1993, the film reflects on the legacy of this fearless trailblazer through a contemporary feminist lens. World Premiere.
Sirens / U.S.A., Lebanon (Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Rita Baghdadi, Producer: Camilla Hall) â On the outskirts of Beirut, Lilas and Shery, co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band, wrestle with friendship, sexuality and destruction in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal rock stars. World Premiere.
Tantura / Israel (Director and Screenwriter: Alon Schwarz, Screenwriter and Producer: Shaul Schwarz. Producer: Maiken Baird) â In 1948, the State of Israel was established and civil war broke out. Hundreds of Palestinian villages were destroyed with their inhabitants killed or exiled. The film focuses on one village: Tantura, bringing to light Israelâs founding myth and its societyâs inability to come to terms with its dark past. World Premiere. DAY ONE
The Territory / Brazil/Denmark/United States (Director: Alex Pritz, Producers: Will N. Miller, Sigrid DyekjĂŠr, Lizzie Gillett, Anonymous) â When a network of Brazilian farmers seizes a protected area of the Amazon rainforest, a young Indigenous leader and his mentor must fight back in defense of the land and an uncontacted group living deep within the forest. World Premiere.
We Met in Virtual Reality / U.K. (Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Joe Hunting) â Filmed entirely inside the world of VR, this vĂ©ritĂ© documentary captures the excitement and surprising intimacy of a burgeoning cultural movement, demonstrating the power of online connection in an isolated world. World Premiere.
NEXT
Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include The Infiltrators, Searching, Skate Kitchen, A Ghost Story and Tangerine. NEXT is presented by Adobe.
The Cathedral / Italy, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Ricky D’Ambrose, Producer: Graham Swon) â An only child’s account of an American family’s rise and fall over two decades. Cast: Brian d’Arcy James, Monica Barbaro, Mark Zeisler, Geraldine Singer, William Bednar-Carter. North American Premiere. Fiction.
Every Day In KaimukÄ« / U.S.A. (Director: Alika Tengan, Screenwriters: Naz Kawakami, Alika Tengan. Producers: Jesy Odio, Chapin Hall, Alika Tengan, Naz Kawakami) â A young man is determined to give his life meaning outside of KaimukÄ«, the small Hawaiian town where he grew up, even if it means leaving everything he’s ever known and loved behind. Cast: Naz Kawakami, Rina White, Holden Mandrial-Santos. World Premiere. Fiction.
Framing Agnes / Canada, U.S.A. (Director: Chase Joynt, Producers: Samantha Curley, Shant Joshi, Chase Joynt) â After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of transgender actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access. World Premiere. Documentary.
A Love Song / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Max Walker-Silverman, Producers: Dan Janvey, Jesse Hope, Max Walker-Silverman) â Two childhood sweethearts, now both widowed, share a night by a lake in the mountains. A love story for those who are alone. Cast: Dale Dickey, Wes Studi, Michelle Wilson, Benja K. Thomas, John Way, Marty Grace Dennis. World Premiere. Fiction.DAY ONE
Mija / U.S.A. (Director: Isabel Castro, Producers: Tabs Breese, Isabel Castro, Yesenia Tlahuel) â Doris Muñoz is a young, ambitious music manager whose undocumented family depends on her ability to launch pop stars. When she loses her biggest client, Doris hustles to discover new talent and finds Jacks, another daughter of immigrants for whom “making it” isn’t just a dream: it’s a necessity. World Premiere. Documentary.
RIOTSVILLE, USA / U.S.A. (Director: Sierra Pettengill, Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot) â Welcome to Riotsville, a fictional town built by the U.S. military. Using footage shot by the media and government, the film explores the militarization of the police and the reaction of a nation to the uprisings of the late ’60s, creating a counter-narrative to a critical moment in American history. World Premiere. Documentary.
Something In The Dirt / U.S.A. (Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Screenwriter: Justin Benson, Producers: David Lawson, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson) â When neighbors John and Levi witness supernatural events in their Los Angeles apartment building, they realize documenting the paranormal could inject some fame and fortune into their wasted lives. An ever-deeper, darker rabbit hole, their friendship frays as they uncover the dangers of the phenomena, the city, and each other. Cast: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead. World Premiere. Fiction.
PREMIERES
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated fiction and nonfiction films of the coming year. Documentaries that have screened in Premieres include The Dissident, On the Record, and Miss Americana, and past fiction features include Kajillionaire, Promising Young Woman, The Report, Late Night, and The Big Sick.
2nd Chance / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Ramin Bahrani, Producers: Daniel Turcan, Johnny Galvin, Charles Dorfman, Ramin Bahrani, Jacob Grodnik) â Bankrupt pizzeria owner Richard Davis invented the modern-day bulletproof vest. To prove that it worked, he shot himself 192 times. He launched a multi-million-dollar company and became a cult figure among police. Davisâ rise and fall reveals a man of contradictions and the nature of power and impunity in America. World Premiere. Documentary.
AM I OK? / U.S.A. (Directors: Stephanie Allynne, Tig Notaro, Screenwriter: Lauren Pomerantz, Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Erik Feig, Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Lauren Pomerantz) â Lucy and Jane have been best friends for most of their lives and think they know everything there is to know about each other. But when Jane announces she’s moving to London, Lucy reveals a long-held secret. As Jane tries to help Lucy, their friendship is thrown into chaos. Cast: Dakota Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jermaine Fowler, Kiersey Clemons, Molly Gordon, Sean Hayes. World Premiere. Fiction.
Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Nina Menkes) â Based on Nina Menkes’ acclaimed talk “Sex & Power: The Visual Language of Cinema”, a mesmerizing journey into how shot design intersects with the twin epidemics of sexual abuse/ assault and employment discrimination against women. Containing over 175 film clips, this will unalterably change the way we view and make movies. World Premiere. Documentary.
Call Jane / U.S.A. (Director: Phyllis Nagy, Screenwriters: Hayley Schore, Roshan Sethi, Producers: Robbie Brenner, David Wulf, Kevin McKeon, Lee Broda, Claude Amadeo, Michael D’Alto) â Chicago, 1968: after having a life-saving secret abortion, a suburban housewife seeks to give women access to healthy and safe abortions through an underground collective of women known as “Jane.” Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, Kate Mara, Wunmi Mosaku, Cory Michael Smith. World Premiere. Fiction.
DOWNFALL: The Case Against Boeing / U.S.A. (Director: Rory Kennedy, Screenwriters: Mark Bailey, Keven McAlester, Producers: Rory Kennedy, Mark Bailey, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Keven McAlester, Amanda Rohlke) â An investigation of the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people, exploring both the root causes and the human cost. At once a chilling portrait of a crumbling corporate culture and a fierce indictment of Wall Street’s corrupting influence. World Premiere. Documentary.
Emily the Criminal / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: John Patton Ford, Producers: Tyler Davidson, Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes) â Down on her luck and saddled with debt, Emily gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Gina Gershon. World Premiere. Fiction.
FINAL CUT / France (Director and Screenwriter: Michel Hazanavicius, Producers: John Penotti, NoĂ«mie Devide, Alain de la Mata, Brahim Chioua, Michel Hazanavicius, Vincent Maravalr) â Things go badly for a small film crew shooting a low-budget zombie movie when they are attacked by real zombies. Cast: Romain Duris, BĂ©rĂ©nice Bejo, GrĂ©gory Gadebois, Finnegan Oldfield, Matilda Lutz, RaphaĂ«l Quenard. World Premiere. Fiction.
Godâs Country / U.S.A. (Director: Julian Higgins, Screenwriters: Shaye Ogbonna, Julian Higgins, Producers: Miranda Bailey, Halee Bernard, Julian Higgins, Amanda Marshall) â When a grieving college professor confronts two hunters she catches trespassing on her property, she’s drawn into an escalating battle of wills with catastrophic consequences. Cast: Thandiwe Newton, Jeremy Bobb, Joris Jarsky, Jefferson White, Kai Lennox, Tanaya Beatty. World Premiere. Fiction.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande / U.K. (Director: Sophie Hyde, Screenwriter: Katy Brand, Producers: Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski) â Nancy Stokes, a retired school teacher, is yearning for some adventure, and some sex. Good sex. And she has a plan: she hires a young sex worker named Leo Grande. Cast: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack. World Premiere. Fiction.
Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Adamma Ebo, Producers: Daniel Kaluuya, Adanne Ebo, Rowan Riley, Amandla Crichlow, Jesse Burgum, Matthew Cooper) â In the aftermath of a huge scandal, Trinitie Childs, the first lady of a prominent Southern Baptist megachurch, attempts to help her pastor husband, Lee-Curtis Childs, rebuild their congregation. Cast: Regina Hall, Sterling K. Brown. World Premiere. Fiction.
jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy / U.S.A. (Directors: Clarence âCoodieâ Simmons, Chike Ozah, Producers: Clarence âCoodieâ Simmons, Chike Ozah, Leah Natasha Thomas) â Kanye West in three acts. The story beyond the iconic music, an intimate and empathetic chronicle featuring never-before-seen footage from 21 years in the life of a captivating figure. World Premiere. Documentary.
La Guerra Civil / U.K. (Director: Eva Longoria BastĂłn, Producers: Eva Longoria BastĂłn, Grant Best, Bernardo Ruiz, Ben Spector, Andrea Cordoba) â The epic rivalry between iconic boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Julio CĂ©sar ChĂĄvez in the 1990s sparked a cultural divide between Mexican nationals and Mexican-Americans. A chronicle of a battle that was more than a boxing rivalry, and examines a fascinating slice of the Latino experience in the process. World Premiere. Documentary. DAY ONE
Living / U.K. (Director: Oliver Hermanus, Screenwriter: Kazuo Ishiguro, Producers: Stephen Woolley, Elizabeth Karlsen) â In 1952 London, veteran civil servant Williams has become a small cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding England post-WWII. As endless paperwork piles up on his desk, he learns he has a fatal illness. Thus begins his quest to find some meaning in his life before it slips away. Cast: Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp, Tom Burke. World Premiere. Fiction.
Lucy and Desi / U.S.A (Director: Amy Poehler, Producers: Michael Rosenberg, Justin Wilkes, Nigel Sinclair, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Amy Poehler, Mark Monroe) â Lucille Ball had an immense influence on the creation of TV syndication, as she rose to become a true entrepreneur and multi-faceted mogul. Through interviews and archival, a tribute to one of the greatest trailblazers in comedy and entertainment. World Premiere. Documentary. SALT LAKE CITY OPENING NIGHT
My Old School / U.K. (Director: Jono McLeod, Producers: John Archer, Olivia Lichtenstein) â The astonishing true story of Scotland’s most notorious imposter. It’s 1993 and 16-year-old Brandon is the new kid in school. Soon heâs top of the class, acing exams and even taking the lead in the school musical. Heâs the model pupil, until he’s unmasked⊠Cast: Alan Cumming. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Princess / U.K. (Director: Ed Perkins, Producers: Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn) â Princess Diana’s story is told exclusively through contemporaneous archive creating a bold and immersive narrative of her life and death. Turning the camera back on ourselves, it also illuminates the profound impact she had and how the public’s attitude to the monarchy was, and still is, shaped by these events. World Premiere. Documentary. DAY ONE
Resurrection / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Andrew Semans, Producers: Tory Lenosky, Alex Scharfman, Drew Houpt, Lars Knudsen, Tim Headington, Lia Buman) â Margaret’s life is in order. She is capable, disciplined, and successful. Soon, her teenage daughter, who Margaret raised by herself, will be going off to a fine university, just as Margaret had intended. Everything is under control. That is, until David returns, carrying with him the horrors of Margaret’s past. Cast: Rebecca Hall, Tim Roth, Grace Kaufman, Michael Esper, Angela Wong Carbone. World Premiere. Fiction.
Sharp Stick / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Lena Dunham, Producers: Lena Dunham, Michael P. Cohen, Kevin Turen, Katia Washington) â Sarah Jo is a naive 26-year-old living on the fringes of Hollywood with her mother (longing for money) and sister (longing for exposure). She just longs to be seen. When she begins an affair with her older employer, she is thrust into an education on sexuality, loss and power. Cast: Kristine Froseth, Jon Bernthal, Scott Speedman, Lena Dunham, Taylour Paige, Jennifer Jason Leigh. World Premiere. Fiction.
To The End / U.S.A. (Director: Rachel Lears, Producers: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon) â Stopping the climate crisis is a question of political courage, and the clock is ticking. Over three years of turbulence and crisis, four remarkable young women of color fight for a Green New Deal, and ignite a historic shift in U.S. climate politics. World Premiere. Documentary.
We Need to Talk About Cosby / U.S.A. (Director: W. Kamau Bell, Producers: Andrew Fried, Katie A. King, Geraldine L. Porras, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn) â Can you separate the art from the artist? Should you even try? While there are many people about whom we could ask those questions, none pose a tougher challenge than Bill Cosby. World Premiere. Documentary.
When You Finish Saving the World / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jesse Eisenberg, Producers: Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone) â Evelyn and her oblivious son Ziggy seek out replacements for each other as Evelyn desperately tries to parent an unassuming teenager at her shelter, while Ziggy fumbles through his pursuit of a brilliant young woman at school. Cast: Julianne Moore, Finn Wolfhard. World Premiere. Fiction.DAY ONE
MIDNIGHT
From horror and comedy to works that defy genre classification, these films will keep you wide awake, even at the most arduous hour. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Hereditary, Mandy, Relic, Assassination Nation, and The Babadook.
Babysitter / Canada (Director: Monia Chokri, Screenwriter: Catherine LĂ©ger, Producers: Martin Paul-Hus, Catherine LĂ©ger, Pierre-Marcel Blanchot, Fabrice Lambot) â After a sexist joke goes viral, CĂ©dric loses his job and embarks on a therapeutic journey to free himself from sexism and misogyny. His girlfriend Nadine is exasperated by his narcissistic introspection, until they hire a mysterious and liberated babysitter to help shake things up. Cast: Patrick Hivon, Monia Chokri, Nadia Tereszkiewcz, Steve Laplante, Hubert Proulx. World Premiere. Fiction.
FRESH / U.S.A. (Director: Mimi Cave, Screenwriter: Lauryn Kahn, Producers: Adam McKay, Kevin Messick, Maeve Cullinane) â The horrors of modern dating seen through one young woman’s defiant battle to survive her new boyfriend’s unusual appetites. Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi. World Premiere. Fiction.DAY ONE
Hatching / Finland (Director: Hanna Bergholm, Screenwriter: Ilja Rautsi, Producers: Mika Ritalahti, Nico Ritalahtit) â While desperately trying to please her demanding mother, a young gymnast discovers a strange egg. She tucks it away and keeps it warm, but when it hatches, what emerges shocks everyone. Cast: Jani Volanen, Siiri Solalinna, Sophia HeikkilĂ€, Saija Lentonen, Reino Nordin, Oiva Ollila. World Premiere. Fiction.
Meet Me In The Bathroom / U.K. (Directors: Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace, Producers: Vivienne Perry, Sam Bridger, Marisa Clifford, Thomas Benski, Danny Gabai, Suroosh Alvi) â An immersive journey through the New York music scene of the early 2000s. Set against the backdrop of 9/11, the film tells the story of how a new generation kickstarted a musical rebirth for New York City that reverberated around the world. Inspired by the book by Lizzy Goodman. World Premiere. Documentary.
PIGGY / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Carlota Pereda, Producers: Merry Colomer, David Atlan-Jackson) â Sara deals with constant teasing from girls in her small town. But it comes to an end when a stranger kidnaps her tormentors. Sara knows more than she’s saying and must decide between speaking up and saving the girls or saying nothing to protect the strange man who spared her. Cast: Laura GalĂĄn. World Premiere. Fiction.
Speak No Evil / Denmark (Director and Screenwriter: Christian Tafdrup, Screenwriter: Mads Tafdrup, Producer: Jacob Jarek) â A Danish family visits a Dutch family they met on a holiday. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly starts unraveling as the Danes try to stay polite in the face of unpleasantness. Cast: Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van HuĂȘt, Karina Smulders, Liva Forsberg, Marius Damslev. World Premiere. Fiction.
SPOTLIGHT
The Spotlight section is a tribute to the cinema we love from throughout the past year. Films that have played in this category in recent years include The Biggest Little Farm, Birds of Passage, The Rider, Ida, and The Lobster.
After Yang / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kogonada, Producers: Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan, Paul Mezey, Theresa Park) â In the near future, a father and daughter try to save the life of Yang, their beloved robotic family member. Cast: Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith. Justin H. Min, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, Haley Lu Richardson. North American Premiere. Fiction.
Happening / France (Director and Screenwriter: Audrey Diwan, Screenwriter: Alice Girard, Producers: Edouard Weil, Alice Girard) â France, 1963. Anne is a bright student with a promising future. But when she falls pregnant, she sees the opportunity to escape the constraints of her social background disappearing. With final exams approaching and her belly growing, Anne resolves to act, even if she must risk prison to do so. Cast: Anamaria Vartolomei, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Luana Bajrami, Louise Chevillotte, Pio Marmai. Fiction.
Neptune Frost / U.S.A./Rwanda (Directors: Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams, Screenwriter: Saul Williams, Producers: Ezra Miller, Stephen Hendel, Dave Guenette, Maria Judice) â In an otherworldly e-waste dump camp, a subversive hacking collective attempts a takeover of the authoritarian regime exploiting the region’s natural resources â and its people. When an intersex runaway and an escaped coltan miner find each other through cosmic forces, their connection sparks glitches within the greater divine circuitry. Cast: Cheryl Isheja, Elvis Ngabo âBoboâ, Bertrand Ninteretse âKaya Freeâ, Eliane Umuhire, Rebecca Muciyo, TrĂ©sor Niyongabo. Fiction.
Three Minutes – A Lengthening / Netherlands (Director and Screenwriter: Bianca Stigter, Producer: Floor Onrust) â Three minutes of footage are the only moving images known of the Jewish inhabitants of Nasielsk in Poland before the Holocaust. An examination of that film â in color, random, full of life â reveals historical and personal dimensions. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter. Documentary.
The Worst Person in the World / Norway (Director: Joachim Trier, Screenwriter: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier, Producer: Thomas Robsahm, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar) â Four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is. Cast: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum. Fiction.DAY ONE
KIDS
This section of the Festival is especially for our youngest independent film fans. Programmed in cooperation with Utah Film Center, which presents the annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival, Utahâs premiere film festival for children and youth. Films that have played in this category in recent years include The Elephant Queen, Science Fair, My Life as a Zucchini, The Eagle Huntress, and Shaun the Sheep.
Maika / Vietnam (Director and Screenwriter: Ham Tran, Producers:Jenni Trang Le, Duy Ho, Anderson Le, Bao Nguyen) â After a meteor falls to earth, 8-year-old Hung meets an alien girl from the planet Maika, searching for her lost friend. As Hung helps her otherworldly friend search, the alien inadvertently helps Hung make new friends and heal a broken heart. But danger lurks everywhere⊠Cast: Phu Truong, Diep Anh Tru, Tin Tin, Ngoc Tuong, Kim Nha. World Premiere. Fiction.
Summering / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Benjamin Percy, James Ponsoldt, Producers: Peter Block, P. Jennifer Dana) â During their last days of summer and childhood â the weekend before middle school begins â four girls struggle with the harsh truths of growing up and embark on a mysterious adventure. World Premiere. Fiction.
SPECIAL SCREENINGSÂ featuring extended conversations following the screening, to allow audiences and storytellers to connect more deeply.Â
LAST FLIGHT HOME / U.S.A. (Director: Ondi Timoner, Producers: Ondi Timoner, David Turner) â An examination of Eli Timoner’s intentional death and his family’s emotional turmoil as they grapple with his decision to end his own life. The family journeys back through Eli’s remarkable, painful life to discover what true love looks like and help him shed shame heâs carried for forty years. World Premiere. Documentary.
FROM THE COLLECTION
Archival screenings are made possible by the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, and give audiences the opportunity to discover and rediscover the films that have shaped the heritage of both Sundance Institute and independent storytelling. To address the specific preservation risks posed to independent film, Sundance Institute partnered with UCLA Film & Television Archive in 1997 to form the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA and preserves independent films supported by Sundance Institute. The Collection has grown to over 4,000 holdings representing nearly 2,300 titles. From the Collection screenings have included The Blair Witch Project, Hours and Times, River of Grass, Paris is Burning, Desert Hearts, Daughters of the Dust, El Mariachi, sex, lies, and videotape, Hoop Dreams, and Paris, Texas.
Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Leslie Harris, Producers: Leslie Harris, Erwin Wilson) â A Brooklyn young woman, smart, witty, and confident, is not just another teenager on the NYC subway. Determined to make it out of her neighborhood and become a doctor, she confronts adversity while navigating challenging waters to achieve her dreams and goals… Cast: William Badget, Chequita Jackson, Ebony Jerido, Ariyan Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Jerad Washington. 1993 Sundance Film Festival – winner of the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Achievement in a First Feature.
Digitally restored from the original 16mm A/B negatives, and a new DCP created in collaboration between Sundance Institute, the Academy Film Archive, and UCLA Film & Television Archive.
INDIE EPISODIC PROGRAM
A dedicated showcase for emerging creators of independently produced content for episodic platforms. Past projects that have premiered within this category include Work in Progress, State of the Union, Gentefied, Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men and Quarter Life Poetry. The Indie Episodic Program is presented by DoorDash.
Bring on the Dancing Horses / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Michael Polish, Producers: Kate Bosworth, Michael Polish) â An assassin is out to complete her list of targets and exact her own brand of justice. Cast: Kate Bosworth, Jasper Polish, Lance Henriksen, Happy Anderson, DJ Qualls, Thomas Francis Murphy. World Premiere. Fiction.
Chiqui / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Carlos Cardona, Producers: Daniel FermĂn Pfeffer, Sophia de Baun) â It’s 1987. Chiqui and Carlos immigrate from Colombia to the United States to find a better life for themselves and their unborn son. Upon their arrival, they quickly realize that the American dream is not as easy to achieve as they thought. Cast: Brigitte Silva, SebastiĂĄn Beltranini, Catherine French, Gregg Prosser. World Premiere. Fiction.
CULTURE BEAT / U.S.A. (Directors: Andre Hyland, Kitao Sakurai, Screenwriters: Andre Hyland, Kitao Sakurai, Eric Andre, Producers: Eric Andre, Kitao Sakurai, Andre Hyland) â A show that investigates high culture institutions through the lowbrow lens of various characters. The 2021 love child of Da Ali G Show and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Cast: Andre Hyland. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Dark Heart / Sweden (Director: Gustav Möller, Screenwriter: Oskar Söderlund, Producers: Anna Carlsten, Caroline Landerberg) â Sweden: in a mythological landscape, search parties roam through forests of spruce, secret conversations are whispered in open fields, and verbal duels fought on narrow country roads. A story of family feuds, inheritances and forbidden love. Cast: Aliette Opheim, Clara Christiansson Drake, Gustav Lindh, Peter Andersson. World Premiere. Fiction.
Instant Life / U.S.A. (Directors: Mark Becker, Aaron Schock, Producers: Mark Becker, Aaron Schock, Julie Gaynin) â Destitute without electricity and running water, Yolanda Signorelli Von Braunhut has lost control of her late husband Haroldâs iconic Amazing Live Sea Monkeys novelty. Yet she alone knows their secret formula, and from her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda wages legal and existential battles to fully win them back. World Premiere. Documentary.
My Trip to Spain / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Theda Hammel, Producers: Allie Jane Compton, John Early) â Alexis, a successful trans woman, is heading to Spain to get some cosmetic surgery. She has asked her embittered old friend Charlie to housesit while she’s away. During the handoff, he tries his best to convince her to cancel, while simultaneously pursuing a sexual liaison with her brooding gardener Bruno. Cast: John Early, Theda Hammel, Gordon Landenberger. World Premiere. Fiction.
NEW FRONTIER
The 2022 edition of the Festivalâs New Frontier section will be a fully biodigital showcase, presented simultaneously on a bespoke WebXR spatialized virtual venue, The Spaceship, that has touchpoints in a newly conceived, free-to-access venue in Park City, The Craft. Ticketed New Frontier performances will also be presented in Park Cityâs iconic Egyptian Theatre, with simultaneous presentations on The Spaceship.
The Spaceship, globally accessible via laptop or VR headset, houses spaces for Festivalgoers to see the official New Frontier lineup, interact with others and gather together to watch programs and performances in an immersive arthouse theater. This year, Sundance, working again with the creative studio Active Theory, will unveil a number of upgrades to enhance The Spaceshipâs functionality and accessibility. Festival attendees, both on the ground in Park City and online, can interact with each other in avatar and maintain the sense of community that the Festival always aims to provide, including a bleeding-edge human-scale Biodigital Bridge that allows Festivalgoers in Park City to gather with those attending The Spaceship online from anywhere in the world â establishing the Festival as a metaverse that overlays the physical event with a virtual one.
Since 2007, the New Frontier exhibition has showcased multimedia storytelling, art installations, and biodigital performances that make use of emerging technologies like virtual reality, haptic tech and AI, among other tools. The 2022 edition is visualized as a human-scale and person-first digital experience that balances connection with a wondrous and meaningful sense of place.
The Sundance Institute New Frontier Program is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Unity, Canon USA, Inc., Metaplex Studios, Rally, Adobe, Dell Technologies, and RAIR Tech.
32 Sounds / U.S.A. (Lead Artist: Sam Green) â An immersive documentary and sensory film experience that explores the elemental phenomenon of sound and its power to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us. The film will be presented in its “live cinema” form, featuring live music and live narration. World Premiere. DAY ONE
Atua / New Zealand (Lead Artists: Tanu Gago, Jermaine Dean, Key Collaborators: Kat Lintott, Carthew Neal, Nacoya Anderson) â Centuries ago, gender- and sexuality-diverse Pacific peoples were impacted by the arrival of Christianity. This work utilizes a MÄori concept of time and space, reimagining Te Kore as a celestial being. Te Kore is the Void, a nonbinary state of chaos, abundant with possibilities and the unlimited potential for being. World Premiere.
Child of Empire / U.K. (Lead Artists: Sparsh Ahuja, Erfan Saadati, Stephen Stephenson, Omi Zola Gupta, Key Collaborators: Sam Dalyrmple, Saadia Gardezi, Jayosmita Ganguly) â Experience the largest forced migration in human history, the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan. Embody the childhood memories of two survivors, as they reflect on their journeys across a divided homeland. World Premiere.
Cosmogony / Switzerland (Lead Artists: Gilles Jobin, Susana PanadĂ©s Diaz, Camilo de Martino, Tristan Siodlak, Key Collaborator: Pierre-Igor Berthet) â A live digital performance in which 3 dancers are motion captured in Geneva and projected remotely in real time. North American Premiere.
Diagnosia / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Mengtai Zhang, Lemon Guo, Producers: Mengtai Zhang, Lemon Guo, Yue Huang) â In this VR experience, the director locks us inside his teenage memories of being incarcerated in a military-operated internet addiction camp in Beijing in 2007, where internet addiction and other youth issues were treated as severe mental disorders, and sometimes by violent means. North American Premiere.
Flat Earth VR / Brazil (Lead Artist: Lucas Rizzotto) VR is known as the ultimate empathy machine that lets users experience others’ perspectives. But what happens when those perspectives are delusional? Experience the ultimate flat-earther fantasy: ascend into the stars and prove all globe-earthers wrong by taking photos of the planet as it truly is: flat like a pancake. World Premiere.
Gondwana / Australia (Lead Artists: Ben Joseph Andrews, Emma Roberts, Key Collaborators: Lachlan Sleight, Michelle Brown, The Convoy) â A durational VR experience that runs over 24 hours, and a constantly-evolving virtual ecosystem chronicling the possible futures of the worldâs oldest tropical rainforest, the Daintree. Powered by climate data, each showing is unrepeatable and speculative, a meditation on time, change and loss in an irreplaceable landscape. World Premiere.
On the Morning You Wake (To the End of the World) / U.K. (Lead Artists: Dr. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Arnaud Colinart, Pierre Zandrowicz, Key Collaborators: Jo-Jo Ellison, Bobby Krlic) â On a regular Saturday morning in January 2018, as Hawaiian citizens went about their daily routines, the entire state population received an SMS from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, which read: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” World Premiere.
Seven Grams / France (Lead Artist: Karim Ben Khelifa, Key Collaborators: TT Hernandez, Quentin Noirfalisse) â An entirely new way for people to understand the human cost that went into producing their smartphones. This project brings the Democratic Republic of Congoâs tragic mining industry straight to the smartphone that its mineral resources helped make, via an app on both IOS and Android systems. North American Premiere.
Suga’- A Live Virtual Dance Performance / U.S.A. (Lead Artist: Valencia James, Key Collaborators: Thomas Wester, Simon Boas) â An immersive experience that features live dance performance as volumetric video in social virtual reality space. The performance weaves together movement, family stories, and cultural heritage to imagine virtual environments as a site for healing and reclamation of spaces that were historically filled with pain and injustice.
Surrogate / U.S.A. (Lead Artist: Lauren Lee McCarthy, Key Collaborators: Dorothy R. Santos, David Leonard, Stefanie Tam) â How do we relate to the future while living in a world in crisis? Amidst climate change, inequity, and pandemic, itâs no longer possible to view ourselves as separate from past and future. How much control should we have over a birthing personâs body, and a life before itâs born? North American Premiere.
The Inside World / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Jennifer McCoy, Kevin McCoy, Key Collaborators: Annie J. Howell, Peter Rostovsky) â The city of Las Vegas is now operated by artificial intelligence. Fourteen AI âManagersâ handle every sector of the city. The problem is, one of them is secretly human⊠Digital Art NFTs meet gameplay in this community driven mystery. World Premiere.
The State of Global Peace / U.S.A (Lead Artists: Daanish Masood Alavi, Key Collaborators: Igal Nassima, Erica Newman) â The prime minister of a fictitious country â played by you â is about to deliver a speech at a virtual UN General Assembly in the near future. A group of students hijacks the security system and takes over the screens, asking to have a dialogue. World Premiere.
They Dream in My Bones – Insemnopedy II / France (Lead Artist: Faye Formisano, Key Collaborators: Ludovic De Oliveira, Lilou-Magali Robert, Cindy Coutant) â Immersed on virtual veils, this VR360 experience tells the story of Roderick Norman, a researcher in onirogenetics, the science he founded, which makes it possible to extract dreams from an unidentified skeleton at the frontier of gender and the human. North American Premiere.
This Is Not A Ceremony / Canada (Lead Artist: Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon), Key Collaborators: Olivier Leroux, James Monkman, Jessica Dymond) â Darkly humorous and occasionally caustic, this cinematic VR experience offers insights into the struggles and conflicts of growing up an Indigenous man. World Premiere
More here.
(Photo credit: Sundance)
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