CBC today revealed the latest batch of amateur bakers competing on Season 9 of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW (8×60). Ten dough-lightful bakers from across the country will put their skills to the test in the iconic tent for the chance to claim the title of Canada’s best amateur baker. Comedians, actors, writers and Second City alumni, Alan Shane Lewis and Ann Pornel, knead no introduction, returning as hosts alongside esteemed pastry chefs and expert judges Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley. New episodes will be available weekly on Sundays on CBC Gem starting at 9 a.m. ET, and on CBC TV at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) local time, beginning October 5.

Based on the beloved British format, each episode features the bakers competing in three challenges – the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake, and the Show Stopper – during which they will rely on their homegrown knowledge and personal backgrounds to ensure that their delectable dishes stand out. Once their baking has been tasted and critiqued, the judges will decide who will be the week’s Star Baker and who will be sent home. In the final episode, the remaining three bakers will face off for the coveted cake plate and the title of Canada’s best amateur baker.

Meet the 10 bakers whipping up magic this season:

• Dan Vano (he/him), 35, a customer success associate from Burnaby, British Columbia
• Dominic Ménard-Bilodeau (he/him), 49, a geography teacher from Longueuil, Quebec
• Jennifer Tsang (she/her), 24, a masters student from Burnaby, British Columbia 
• Jo Mandet (she/her), 44, an event planner from Vancouver, British Columbia 
• Kavi Chatoorgoon (he/him), 48, a pediatric surgeon from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Margaret Bose-Johnson (she/her), 66, a part-time German teacher from Parkland County, Alberta 
• Ryan Gridzak (he/him), 34 a steel mill crane operator from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
• Shaneka Ekanayake (she/her), 38, a sales support administrator from Barrie, Ontario  
• Tamara Church (she/her), 56, a family court counsellor from St. John’s, Newfoundland 
• Zoë Weinrebe (she/her), 31, a marketing manager from Toronto, Ontario  

Season 8 winner Elora Khanom of Edmonton, Alberta took home the title and coveted cake plate after competing against semi-finalists Jen Childs of Esquimalt, British Columbia and Pamela Kramer of Stayner, Ontario. Audiences can catch up on past seasons of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW on CBC Gem. 

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is produced by Proper Television in association with CBC and Love Productions. The executive producers are Cathie James and Lesia Capone and Mark Van de Ven who is also the series producer. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; and Susan Taylor is Executive in Charge of Production. The format is owned by Love Productions and distributed by Sky. THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is proud to welcome Dairy Farmers of Canada as a show sponsor and sponsor of CBC’s Bake it with Canadian Dairy Contest, launching on October 5.

By David Baldwin

Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is a mechanic haunted by his wrongful imprisonment. By chance, he hears a familiar sound at the shop he works at: the squeaking shuffle of a wooden leg. In this case, it belongs to Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), who has just come into the shop with his family after his car broke down. Vahid is certain Eghbal is actually the intelligence officer nicknamed “Pegleg” who tortured him and his friends in prison. So he follows and kidnaps Eghbal. But when Vahid confronts him, doubt is sewn over whether this man is really who he thinks it is. 

And so begins the morally and ethically nightmarish thrill ride that comprises prolific Writer/Director Jafar Panahi’s IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT. The film won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year and it is not hard to see why. Each moment is composed with precision, with each passing revelation ratcheting up the tension to unbearable heights. It is just as darkly humorous as it is just plain bleak, and the questions and moral quandaries it asks of the audience are not easy ones to answer. There is at least one sideplot I could have done without, but I saw the film a few weeks ago and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since (especially the brilliant final third). 

Though Panahi’s direction is masterful, the incredibly talented cast really make the film riveting. Mobasseri carries the film wonderfully, really excelling at showing the emotional toll this ordeal takes on him as the film progresses. Azizi does well as Eghbal, who you too will not be sure of, with top notch supporting performances coming from Mariam Afshari and Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, who both get some of the film’s most emotionally charged scenes. The intensity both actors bring to their roles may be offputting to some (as will their many yelling sprees); for others though, it will just be another reason why IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT is an immediate must-see.

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT screens at TIFF ‘25:

Tues. Sept 9 at 8:45 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Wed. Sept 10 at 3:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sat. Sept 13 at 9:15 PM at Socitabank Theatre Toronto

By David Baldwin

Much like her partner Brady Corbet’s Oscar-winning film The Brutalist before it, Oscar-nominated Director Mona Fastvold’s THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE is a challenging film to nail down succinctly. It is an audacious project revolving around the “speculated retelling” of the story of Ann Lee (Oscar-nominee Amanda Seyfried), who founded the religious movement known as the Shakers in the late 1700s and believed herself to be the female reincarnation of Jesus. 

My describing the film as audacious only really skims the surface of what Fastvold has crafted here. It is a visually breathtaking feminist period piece tackling themes of religion and misogyny at the same time as it is a highly energized song and dance film, with extended sequences of Shaker dancing taking up a large part of the runtime. Each one is choreographed and depicted more exquisitely than the last, with Oscar-winning Composer Daniel Blumberg providing another magnetic, unreal score to go alongside it. The spectacular visuals are wonderfully detailed and tactile, taking full advantage of the graininess of the film cameras the project was shot on (sadly the Press screening our team attended was presented in Digital as the 70mm Film print stopped working less than 20 minutes into the screening, so fingers crossed the Public screenings do not end the same way). 

While I think the storyline could have been better streamlined and that many of the actors do not have nearly enough to do – the lovely Thomasin Mackenzie does well as the Narrator but is criminally underutilized otherwise – I cannot say enough superlatives about Seyfried. She pours her entire heart and soul into this performance, shattering preconceptions and soaring head and shoulders above everyone else. She is captivating in every frame and is hard to take your eyes off of. Her work as Ann Lee might just be the best of her entire career.

THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE screens at TIFF ‘25:

Tues. Sept 9 at 5:30 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Wed. Sept 10 at 9:30 AM at TIFF Lightbox

In celebration of Latin Heritage Month, Ficoa — Toronto’s Neo-Latin fine dining destination in Little Italy — is launching a special six-course tasting menu crafted by Executive Chef Esau Garcia. Available from September 17 through October 11 for $98 per guest, the menu offers a culinary journey through the diverse flavours and histories of Latin America. Guests can also choose to elevate their experience with a Chef’s pairing, including cocktails, for an additional $85. Reservations can be made via OpenTable HERE.

Chef Esau’s inspiration for this tasting menu is rooted in honouring the people and heritage that have shaped Latin American culture. Each dish draws from the historical and regional richness of the continent —from the Andes to the Amazon, and the Caribbean to the pampas—blending tradition and refinement into an immersive dining experience.

Incas (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia)
Tiradito de Atún — celebrating coastal influences of the Inca civilization.

Tainos (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola)
Yuca Negra with salsa brava de camarón and tierra de cangrejo — honouring foundational island ingredients.

Yaquis (Northern Mexico)
Chef’s take on Kokkoibaki — featuring short ribs, chillies, onion ash, and potato foam.

Mapuche (Chile, Argentina)
Chilean Sea Bass with merken beurre blanc and roasted leeks in escabeche — highlighting the smoky spice of the region.

By Nicholas Porteous

It’s the evening of the premiere of Oklahoma! and the show is a massive hit–cause for a big celebration among everyone involved. It’s also the first show Richard Rogers (Andrew Scott) composed without his lyrical collaborator Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke). Hart can’t stand the musical, and opts to head to the afterparty bar before the curtain call. He’ll be the first one there and the last to leave. Blue Moon is a classic Richard Linklater joint, which is to say one man enters a room, has roughly 15-20 conversations in real time, and then the credits roll. It’s also one of the most entertaining movies I’ve seen at this year’s fest.

Hart is a phenomenal character around which to build a real time, conversation-based movie. He treats everyone like his therapist. He doesn’t just wear his heart on his sleeve–his whole psyche is turned inside out for the world to see. He’s not an open book. He’s an exploded encyclopedia. You get the idea. And Hart isn’t a blathering fool either–the guy’s a legendary writer. He knows how to talk. And everything he says is, at its baseline, either funny or illuminating. The sum of his often hilarious conversations is a rich and painful mosaic of a tragic artist, unaware he’s nearing the end of his life.

Hawke completely transforms as Hart. The voice, the rhythm, the mannerisms, and have I mentioned he’s somehow a few feet shorter? The supporting cast crackles and pops as needed contrasts to Hart’s outrageous personality. But the real shining star of Blue Moon is the words themselves—I can imagine Hart would’ve loved that.

Blue Moon screens at TIFF ’25:

Tues. Sept 9 at 9:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

tiff50 day five is perhaps the most star-studded yet, taking the festival right to the summit! premieres for some of the festival’s most-anticipated titles: frankenstein, the testament of ann lee, eleanor the great, and the smashing machine all took place!

some of our day five highlights:

•amanda seyfried and lewis pullman at tiff for the testament of ann lee

•noah jupe at tiff for & sons

•lily james at tiff for swiped

•lee byung-hun at tiff for no other choice

•callum turner at tiff for eternity

•mia goth, oscar isaac, and jacob elordi at tiff for frankenstein

•scarlett johansson and june squibb at tiff for eleanor the great

•dwayne johnson, emily blunt, benny safdie at tiff for the smashing machine

(photo/video credit: mr. will wong)

On Sunday, September 7, 2025, the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) residents, alumni and friends gathered during TIFF for the annual CFC HOMECOMING. This year’s event celebrated the creative spirit and impact of CFC’s alumni and programs, while helping raise vital funds to support the next generation of storytellers.

The event also showcased the incredible achievements of the CFC alumni – with over 29 films at TIFF this year.

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) welcomed invited guests for an unforgettable afternoon of connection, creativity, and community.

Highlights of the event included:

Inspiring remarks from Carly Beath, CFC’s Director of Development; Neishaw Ali, President of SPIN VFX and CFC Board Chair; and Jonathan Bronfman, CEO of MARZ who announced a significant multi-year commitment from the Paul Bronfman Family Foundation in support of Canadian storytellers. The Foundation’s generous gift will ensure the annual CFC/CSC Cinematography Intensive for female Canadian DPs continues to flourish, nurturing the next generation of talent behind the camera. In recognition, a space on the CFC campus will be renamed in honour of Paul Bronfman, a lifelong champion of Canadian creators and of the CFC.

Live entertainment featuring a high-energy set by DJ Craig Dominic, performance by the incredible UNITY dance, and some mind bending acts by local mentalist Yan Markson.

Immersive activations on site most notably at the Netflix cottage, where guests stepped into the cinematic universe of Netflix, including a dedicated Frankenstein installation celebrating the highly anticipated new film from Director Guillermo del Toro, a CFC Board Member.

Food & beverage experiences from local vendors with a curated selection of refreshments to enjoy throughout the day.

(Photo credit: George Pimentel Photography)

cfccreates.com / @cfccreates / #CFCHomecoming

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable cultural organization that drives the future of Canadian storytelling. Their intensive, hands-on programs in film, television, and entertainment technologies empower, shape and advance opportunities for Canadian creators and entrepreneurs working in screen-based industries.

Click here for key messaging on CFC and their annual Homecoming event.

By Nicholas Porteous

Larry (Miles Teller) wakes up in a bizarrely rules-oriented afterlife, having choked to death on a pretzel as a senior citizen. About a week later, his wife of many decades, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen), joins him. They’re ready to spend eternity together. The only problem: it turns out her first husband Luke (Callum Turner), who died in the Korean War, has been waiting for her this whole time, she’s got a week to pick her eternal partner.

Eternity takes an age-old what if scenario and riffs on it to hilarious near-perfection. It’s full of deep belly laughs and a perfectly calibrated comic cast. Elizabeth Olsen goes above and beyond as Joan, a newly dead woman trapped in a very specific kind of hell. She brings tremendous gravity to the mainly joke-driven screenplay, and carries the memories of TWO soulmates in her bones. Miles Teller and Callum Turner are perfect fits–Miles as the irritable-but-sweet older man reborn into a young man’s body (apparently we inhabit the afterlife in our “happiest” physical form), and Callum Turner as the undeniably more attractive war veteran who left his wife too soon.

Eternity ponders the value of an idyllic relationship cut short versus a lifelong, comfy and imperfect one. The Movie isn’t without seriousness, but mostly plays in a heady comedy space, inventing a series of rules and parameters for the characters to play and speculate within. It never totally breaks away from the intellectual games and into something deeper or more ineffable, and it begins to feel its length around the third act. While I give it points for not wriggling out of a concrete answer for its seemingly unanswerable premise, the journey to get there feels a little long winded by the end–and not as moving as the premise would allow. Still, if you’re looking for an original romcom, Eternity is a charming and often uproarious journey worth the ticket.

Eternity screens at TIFF ’25:

Thurs. Sept 11 at 6:35 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Sun. Sept 14 at 6:00 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

ROOFMAN IS ONLY IN THEATRES ON OCTOBER 10, 2025! Today we get a new Featurette.

Paramount Pictures Presents

In Association with Miramax / FilmNation Entertainment / Von Waaden Entertainment

A High Frequency / Hunting Lane / 51 Entertainment / Limelight Production

A film by Derek Cianfrance

“ROOFMAN”

SYNOPSIS

Based on an unbelievable true story, Roofman follows Jeffrey Manchester

(Channing Tatum), an Army veteran and struggling father who turns to robbing

McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname:

Roofman. After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six

months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for

Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his

double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat

and mouse as his past closes in.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY

Channing Tatum, Derek Cianfrance, Jonathan Montepare, Charles M. Barsamian, Rick Covert, Jack Selby, Sam Romano, Jonathan Glickman, Thom Zadra, Matthew Von Waaden, D. Mark Von Waaden, Chris Parker, Tyler Zacharia, Jeff Portnoy, Steven J. Toll, Randy Jones Toll

PRODUCED BY

Jamie Patricof, p.g.a., Lynette Howell Taylor, p.g.a., Alex Orlovsky, p.g.a., Duncan Montgomery, Dylan Sellers

SCREENPLAY BY

Derek Cianfrance & Kirt Gunn

DIRECTED BY

Derek Cianfrance

STARRING

Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang and Peter Dinklage

Today, Disney Branded Television revealed the official trailer and poster for the upcoming original series “Vampirina: Teenage Vampire.” The first two episodes of the music-driven series will premiere on Disney Channel on September 12 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, with new episodes weekly. All 16 episodes will be available on October 15, 2025 on Disney+.

Also announced, the “Vampirina: Teenage Vampire Original Soundtrack” from Walt Disney Records, featuring 14 brand-new songs, is set for release October 10. Lead single, “S-L-A-Y,” will be available on September 12 on all platforms.

Synopsis: “Vampirina: Teenage Vampire” tells the story of a tween vampire girl who leaves the safety of Transylvania to attend a performing arts boarding school. Living amongst humans for the first time, she pursues her passion for music while keeping her vampire identity a secret, something that’s made more challenging when her overprotective father charges an overzealous ghost to live with her at the school. Vampirina, or “Vee,” is an already beloved character from the popular book saga and the record-breaking Disney Jr. series. “Vampirina: Teenage Vampire” is the first live-action portrayal.

Cast: The main cast is completed by Kenzi Richardson as the edgy and adorable Vee; Jiwon Lee as Sophie, Vee’s kind and girly-girl roommate; Shaun Dixon as the intriguing and laid-back Elijah; Milo Maharlika as the 600-year-old ghost, Demi; and Faith Hedley as Britney, a super-talented legacy student. The recurring cast features Kate Reinders (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) and Jeff Meacham (“black-ish”) as Vee’s loving vampire parents. Kim Coles (“Living Single”) is Dean Merriweather of Wilson Hall Academy of the Arts.

Guest Cast: EmmyⓇ Award winner Mykal-Michelle Harris (“Raven’s Home”) as the delightful and dangerous Ruby, Jenna Davis (“M3GAN”) as magnetic classmate Megan, viral sensation Ariel Martin (aka Baby Ariel; “ZOMBIES”) as megacool popstar Millie Eyelash, and star of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” Janice LeAnn Brown as her character Billie in a mystical crossover episode.

Credits: From the team behind “Julie and the Phantoms,” Dan Cross and David Hoge serve as showrunners and executive producers. Creator of hit series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Tim Federle is executive producer, with Bronwyn North-Reist as executive producer and Meg Deloatch (“Family Reunion”) as executive producer. ​​The series was developed for television by Randi Barnes