Breakthrough artist sombr has released his highly anticipated album I Barely Know Her via Warner Records today. Continuing his momentous rise, the 10-track debut features Billboard Hot 100 hits “back to friends,” “undressed” and “12 to 12,” each continuing to climb the charts including Top 40 Radio, Global and U.S. Spotify Charts, the UK Official Singles Chart, as well as Alternative Radio where he peaked at #1 faster than any new artist of the last decade, and Billboard Hot Rock Songs, officially knocking Hozier off the #1 spot after a year. Listen here.

I Barely Know Her was written entirely by sombr and co-produced by the 20-year-old artist alongside esteemed, legendary producer Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, The Replacements), and follows news of him making his award show debut at the MTV Video Music Awards, performing live from New York on September 7, where he is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Artist.

Next month, sombr embarks on his sold-out North American tour, ahead of his sold-out European, UK, Australian and New Zealand tour dates for late 2025 and into 2026.

A New York City-native raised on the Lower East Side, sombr—born Shane Boose—started making music in his bedroom while studying classical music as a student at the prestigious public school, LaGuardia High School. His breakout hit “Caroline” (2022) took the internet by storm, and he has since released a series of EPs and singles, climbing to over 400 million monthly streams across platforms. Now based in Los Angeles, sombr continues to explore young romance and heartbreak through his music—all of which is self-written and co-produced by the artist himself, and released via Warner Records.

TOUR DATES

September 21—Sing Out Loud Festival 2025—Saint Augustine, FL

September 22—Music Farm—Charleston, SC – SOLD OUT

September 24—Brooklyn Bowl—Nashville, TN – SOLD OUT

September 26—Bogart’s—Cincinnati, OH – SOLD OUT

September 28—The Majestic—Detroit, MI – SOLD OUT

September 29—The Rave—Milwaukee, WI – SOLD OUT

September 30—Palace Theatre—St. Paul, MN – SOLD OUT

October 2—Concord Music Hall—Chicago, IL – SOLD OUT

October 3—A&R Music Bar—Columbus, OH – SOLD OUT

October 5—Roxian Theatre—Pittsburgh, PA – SOLD OUT

October 6—Phoenix Concert Theatre—Toronto, ON – SOLD OUT

October 8—Big Night Live—Boston, MA – SOLD OUT

October 9—Gramercy Theatre—New York, NY – SOLD OUT

October 10—Gramercy Theatre—New York, NY – SOLD OUT

October 12—Theatre of Living Arts—Philadelphia, PA – SOLD OUT

October 13—The Lincoln—Washington, D.C. – SOLD OUT

October 15—Center Stage—Atlanta, GA – SOLD OUT

October 17—Southside Music Hall—Dallas, TX – SOLD OUT

October 18—Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater—Austin, TX – SOLD OUT

October 20—Ogden Theatre—Denver, CO – SOLD OUT

October 21—The Complex—Salt Lake City, UT – SOLD OUT

October 24—Shadowbox SoDo—Seattle, WA – SOLD OUT

October 25—Roseland Theater—Portland, OR – SOLD OUT

October 27—Fillmore—San Francisco, CA – SOLD OUT

October 28—El Rey Theatre—Los Angeles, CA – SOLD OUT

October 29—El Rey Theatre—Los Angeles, CA – SOLD OUT

October 31—The Van Buren—Phoenix, AZ – SOLD OUT

November 1—Fox Theater Pomona—Pomona, CA – SOLD OUT

November 2—The Fonda Theatre—Los Angeles, CA – SOLD OUT

November 5—Brooklyn Steel—New York, NY – SOLD OUT

November 6—Brooklyn Steel—New York, NY – SOLD OUT

December 2—Auckland Town Hall—Auckland, NZ – SOLD OUT

December 4—Festival Hall Melbourne—Melbourne, VIC – SOLD OUT

December 6—Spilt Milk Festival—Ballarat, VIC

December 7—Spilt Milk Festival—Perth, WA

December 9—Hordern Pavilion—Sydney, NSW – SOLD OUT

December 11—Fortitude Music Hall—Brisbane, QLD – SOLD OUT

December 13—Spilt Milk Festival—Canberra, ACT

December 14—Spilt Milk Festival—Gold Coast, QLD

2026 UK/EU TOUR DATES

February 10—Annexet—Stockholm, Sweden – SOLD OUT

February 11—KB Hallen—Copenhagen, Denmark – SOLD OUT

February 13—Inselpark Arena—Hamburg, Germany – SOLD OUT

February 15—Stodola—Warsaw, Poland – SOLD OUT

February 16—Forum Karlin—Prague, Czech Republic – SOLD OUT

February 18—Gasometer—Vienna, Austria – SOLD OUT

February 19—Tonhalle—Munich, Germany – SOLD OUT

February 20—Halle 622—Zurich, Switzerland – SOLD OUT

February 22—Alcatraz—Milan, Italy – SOLD OUT

February 24—Riviera—Madrid, Spain – SOLD OUT

February 25—Razzmatazz—Barcelona, Spain – SOLD OUT

February 27—Salle Pleyel—Paris, France – SOLD OUT

March 2—AFAS Live—Amsterdam, Netherlands – SOLD OUT

March 4—Columbiahalle—Berlin, Germany – SOLD OUT

March 5—Palladium—Cologne, Germany – SOLD OUT

March 6—AB—Brussels, Belgium – SOLD OUT

March 8—O2 Academy Brixton—London, UK – SOLD OUT

March 12—Academy—Manchester, UK – SOLD OUT

March 13—O2 Academy—Birmingham, UK – SOLD OUT

March 15—O2 Academy—Glasgow, UK – SOLD OUT

March 16—3Arena—Dublin, Ireland – SOLD OUT

ARCO premieres at TIFF ’25 and today we get a new Trailer for this beautiful Animated Feature.

Synopsis:

A magical and beautifully animated journey through time, Arco is a dazzling adventure about a 10-year-old boy from a peaceful, distant future who accidentally travels back to the year 2075 and discovers a world in peril. As Arco develops a charming and touching friendship with a young girl named Iris, they band together and along with her trusted robot caretaker Mikki, set out on a quest to get Arco home, while the two children may also be the only ones who can save our planet. A wondrous odyssey filled with hope and optimism for our future, Arco is an enchanting fable from breakout filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu, produced by Remembers’ Bienvenu and Felix de Givry, and mountainA’s Natalie Portman and Sophie Mas.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

Global icon Karan Aujla, the most streamed Punjabi artist in 2024, makes history today by bringing Punjabi music into the global mainstream with the release of his new album P-POP CULTURE via Warner Music Canada/Warner Music India. A fearless mix of Punjabi pop and hip-hop, the album isn’t just music – it’s a cultural revolution, cementing Punjabi Pop Culture, or P-Pop, as a global force. Listen here.

Coinciding with the album’s release, Aujla unveils his visually striking new video for the song “For a Reason” – watch here. The arrival of P-POP CULTURE has sparked major celebrations around the world: in Mumbai, the Bandra-Worli Sealink is lit with a massive projection of Aujla and the album announcement, and Spotify India is hosting 200 fans along with Aujla himself for an immersive launch. His recent single “MF Gabhru!” is dominating charts and topping Punjabi playlists, building unstoppable momentum for the album.

P-POP CULTURE is more than an album. It’s the dual force of Karan Aujla himself – raw and refined, heart and hustle. One side delivers pop melodies drenched in love, nostalgia, and vulnerability. The other ignites with hip-hop fire, where bars hit hard and truths hit harder. It tells the story of a world-class performer lighting up global stages, and the story of a boy who lost his parents young, who left a village behind but carried it in every word he wrote. His pen is sharper than pain, louder than loss. His voice is a bridge between where he’s from and where he’s headed. This isn’t just music – it’s heritage turned global.

Across 10 tracks, P-POP CULTURE is both a tribute to the soil that raised Karan Aujla and a call to the world to embrace the sound of a new revolution. More than just an album, it marks the rise of P-Pop – not just a genre, but a culture, a movement. With P-POP CULTURE, Aujla unleashes a global force, and P-Pop is here to stay.

Nikon Canada Inc. has announced the release of the new NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II, a standard zoom lens that is compatible with full-frame/FX format mirrorless cameras. This second generation of the acclaimed NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S brings enhancements to image quality, speed and handling, further improving upon a lens that was already a popular choice for all types of imaging professionals.

As part of the S-Line1 of NIKKOR Z lenses, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is a standard zoom lens with a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, covering the versatile focal length range from wide-angle 24mm to medium-telephoto 70mm for full-frame/FX format cameras. It features a first in its class2 internal zoom mechanism, and it’s also the lightest in its class2, weighing approximately 675 g (1.49 lbs.). Additionally, the internal zoom mechanism increases zooming stability as well as dust- and drip-resistant performance.

It is the first zoom lens to adopt Silky Swift VCM (SSVCM)3 motors for the AF drive, achieving the fastest4 autofocusing in Nikon history with extremely precise and quiet AF control. Autofocus is approximately 5x faster than that of the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S, and AF tracking performance during zooming has been enhanced by approximately 60 per cent, making it even easier to capture decisive moments with fast-moving subjects such as athletes in action.

As a new-generation f/2.8 standard zoom lens that combines outstanding image quality and superior agility, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is the lens for those seeking high levels of performance in both still image and video recording, even when shooting in a variety of conditions or harsh environments.

Primary features

-The multi-focusing system4, incorporating Silky Swift VCM (SSVCM) technology for the first time in a zoom lens, achieves the fastest5 autofocusing in Nikon history, delivering extremely precise and quiet AF for both still image and video recording.

-A compact design with the lightest weight (approximately 675 g) in its class6 and a 77mm filter attachment size makes it easy to carry and reduces fatigue when shooting handheld.

-The first lens in its category6 to feature an internal zoom mechanism that prevents dust and debris from entering the lens during zooming, providing superior dust- and drip-resistant performance7. Even when zooming, it maintains its balance for flexible use of a variety of video accessories.

-A newly developed 11-blade diaphragm enables very circular bokeh.

-Optimized for video recording with a design that suppresses focus breathing.

-Equipped with a control ring clicking switch, allowing the tactile “click” of control ring operation to be turned on or off as needed.

-The lens supports a minimum focus distance of 0.24 m at the wide-angle end and 0.33 m at the telephoto end, with a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.21× at the wide-angle end and 0.32× at the telephoto end, allowing users to get closer to their subjects for dynamic expression.

-Includes Meso Amorphous Coat, which offers the best anti-reflection performance in Nikon history, and ARNEO Coat for effective suppression of ghosting and flare, resulting in clear images.

-The lens hood features a filter adjustment window, enabling users to adjust circular polarizing and variable ND filters without removing the lens hood.

Price and Availability
The new Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II lens will be available in September for a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $3,499.95*. For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the vast collection of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire line of Z series cameras, please visit www.nikon.ca.

About Nikon
Nikon is a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and technologies for photo and video capture; globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for an award-winning array of equipment that enables visual storytelling and content creation. Nikon Canada Inc. distributes consumer and professional Z Series mirrorless camera, digital SLR cameras, a vast array of NIKKOR and NIKKOR Z lenses, Speedlights and system accessories, Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras and Nikon software products. For more information visit www.nikon.ca, which links all levels of photographers and visual storytellers to the Web’s most comprehensive learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon Canada on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube.

STILL SINGLE, a feature-length documentary exploring the world of Chef Masaki Saito, Canada’s first Michelin two-star chef, is having its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025, followed by a spectacular 60-foot sushi counter experience for everyone to enjoy on King Street. The film offers an intimate portrait of the culinary visionary behind Sushi Masaki Saito, Toronto’s sole two-star Michelin establishment.

Directed by first-time filmmakers Toronto-based Jamal Burger and Tokyo-based Jukan Tateisi, STILL SINGLE traces Chef Saito’s journey from rural Hokkaido to transforming Toronto’s fine dining landscape. The documentary captures his groundbreaking approach to Omakase dining, which showcases the Chef’s expertise and creativity, while revealing the intense lifestyle that drives his culinary genius.

“Only by going through the process of directing this film and getting to know Saito did we realize how challenging it is, especially in Japan, to break through a collectivist society as an individual,” said co-directors Burger and Tateisi. “This film explores what happens when tradition meets innovation, and the personal cost of pursuing perfection.”

The 36-year-old chef made history as the first to earn two Michelin stars in Toronto (2022) and remains the only person to achieve this milestone in both Toronto and New York (2017/2018). His restaurant continues to be Toronto’s only two-star Michelin establishment in 2025.

STILL SINGLE is a Rhombus Media production in association with Common Good, produced by Julian Nieva, Fraser Ash, and Kevin Krikst, with Niv Fichman serving as Executive Producer. The film features original music by Alex Sowinski, founding member of BADBADNOTGOOD.

Special TIFF Activation: 60ft Omakase Experience

To celebrate the film’s world premiere, a spectacular 60-foot sushi counter will be installed on King Street in front of the TIFF Lightbox on September 5th. Starting at 5:00 PM, following the documentary’s premiere screening, members of the public can experience complimentary Omakase prepared by chefs from MSSM, offering festival-goers a rare taste of Toronto’s only two-star Michelin dining experience.

This unique experience brings Chef Saito’s revolutionary approach to the streets of Toronto, allowing the public to witness the artistry and precision that has redefined the city’s culinary landscape.

About the Filmmakers

Jamal Burger is a Toronto-based filmmaker and photographer whose work focuses on fostering connection through shared vulnerability. He is the founder of The Kickback Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2016 to empower youth with dreams but limited resources. STILL SINGLE marks his debut feature documentary.

Jukan Tateisi is a Tokyo and London-based visual artist and sound designer who graduated from London’s Royal College of Art in 2020. He has participated in international art festivals including “New Contemporaries 2021” in the UK and “Forest Festival of the Arts” in Okayama (2024).

About Rhombus Media

Founded in 1979 by Niv Fichman, Toronto-based Rhombus Media has produced over 200 award-winning films and TV projects, including BlackBerry, Possessor, The Red Violin, and Enemy. Recent titles include Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils and the upcoming TIFF 2025 premiere Still Single. Television credits include HBO’s The Sympathizer and The North Water. More at www.rhombusmedia.com.

Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada will release ANEMONE In Select Theatres on Friday, October 3, 2025
Expanding on Friday, October 10, 2025

Following a World Premiere at The 2025 New York Film Festival

Directed by: Ronan Day-Lewis
Written by: Daniel Day-Lewis & Ronan Day-Lewis
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Executive Producers: Daniel Day-Lewis, Brad Pitt
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, and Samantha Morton
Synopsis: ANEMONE explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.

TIFF ’25 selection HEDDA is in select Theaters October 22, 2025. It arrives globally on Prime Video October 29, 2025. Today we get a new Trailer!

Directed by Nia DaCosta

Written by Nia DaCosta

Based on “Hedda Gabler” by Henrik Ibsen

Produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Gabrielle Nadig, Nia DaCosta, Tessa Thompson

Starring Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock and Nina Hoss

From writer/director Nia DaCosta comes a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play. HEDDA (Tessa Thompson) finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one charged night, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt—pulling her and everyone around her into a spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.

First released three decades ago, The Beatles’ eight-part “Anthology” series reinvented the music documentary. Instead of a standard treatment centred on an outside narrator and talking heads, “The Anthology” featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr candidly telling their own story, with all its complexities and contradictions. It introduced The Beatles to new generations of viewers and listeners and marked the start of a creative and commercial afterlife that continues to this day.

Now, The Beatles Anthology returns in its ultimate form for a comprehensive global release campaign—on screen, on record, and in print.

“The Beatles Anthology” Documentary Series
Now a Nine-Part Series Featuring a Brand-new Episode Nine

Streaming Exclusively on Disney+ Beginning November 26, 2025

The Beatles’ landmark “Anthology” documentary series has been restored and remastered.

The series’ original eight episodes trace the legendary journey that began in Liverpool and Hamburg and soon captivated the world. They bring to life the timeless stories — of Beatlemania, the band’s groundbreaking arrival in the USA, their role at the forefront of the 1960s counterculture, their spiritual exploration in India, and their eventual breakup. And through it all, the constant thread: the music, always the music.

There is now a completely new Episode Nine, including unseen behind-the-scenes footage of Paul, George and Ringo coming together between 1994 and 1995 to work on “The Anthology” and reflecting on their shared life as The Beatles.

The restoration has been overseen by Apple Corps’ production team, working with Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films & Park Road Post teams along with Giles Martin, who has created new audio mixes for the majority of the featured music.

The Beatles Anthology Music Collections
Restored & Expanded to Four Volumes: 12LP Vinyl, 8CD & Digital Collections
Out November 21

The musical side of The Anthology Collection, originally curated by George Martin, now remastered by Giles Martin, in the form of three double albums of rare material, a shadow story to the one told in the documentaries. They are an enthralling insight into the early development of songs that became the recorded masterpieces that resonate just as loudly today as they did when they were first recorded.

It also has an important new element. Anthology 4, newly curated by Giles, includes 13 previously unreleased demos and session recordings and other rare recordings. It also includes new mixes of The Beatles’ Anthology-associated hit singles: the GRAMMY-winning “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” given new life by their original producer, Jeff Lynne, using de-mixed John Lennon vocals.

The original “Free As A Bird” music video has also been beautifully restored: Watch it now.

Both new mixes are placed alongside the band’s most recent UK No. 1 hit single, 2023’s GRAMMY-winning “Now And Then,” the last Beatles song. All three singles were created from rudimentary home demos John recorded in the 1970s, later completed with vocal and instrumental parts recorded by Paul, George and Ringo.

Across all the Anthology albums, there are 191 tracks which will be released on November 21 by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMG for digital purchase and streaming, and in deluxe 12LP 180-gram vinyl and 8CD box sets. Both box sets include the original sleeve notes for Anthology 1, 2 and 3; the new Anthology 4 includes track notes written by Kevin Howlett and an introduction compiled from 1996 interviews recorded with The Beatles’ close friend and adviser Derek Taylor. The Beatles Store’s exclusive editions for both box sets add four 12-inch band photo art cards in a numbered envelope.

Pre-save The Beatles Anthology digital audio collection and pre-order the 12LP vinyl and 8CD box sets here.

The Beatles Anthology Book
The 25th Anniversary Edition
Out October 14

Finally, the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Beatles Anthology book will be released on October 14th by Apple Corps Ltd. and Chronicle Books. Throughout its pages, John, Paul, George and Ringo share their honest, intimate and revelatory recollections of the band’s journey. Their memories are accompanied by impressions from their closest colleagues, including Neil Aspinall, George Martin, Derek Taylor and others. The bestselling 368-page book is beautifully illustrated with more than 1,300 photos, documents, artwork, and other memorabilia from the band’s archives.

The Beatles Anthology book is available for pre-order here.

Everything The Beatles did involved change. Listening to their songs and watching their story unfold brings us closer to the shifts in culture, ideas and music that they helped shape—and which continue to resonate today. The Anthology was always about their past, but this new edition confirms its enduring place in the present and future.

TheBeatles.com

TheBeatlesAnthology

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Credit: Photo by Bruce McBroom/© Apple Corps Ltd.

SUPER CHANNEL announce their September 2025 programming highlights, including new series and films to arrive!

SERIES

Crossroad Springs | Super Channel Heart and Home Original I **PREMIERE**

Premiere: Sunday, Sept 7 at 8 p.m. ET / On Demand same day

Crossroad Springs follows adult siblings James (Jonathan Stoddard) and Janet (Emily Alatalo) Hamilton and their aging family members, dad, Willis (Shaun Johnston), and Aunt Amy (Kate Drummond), who are eking out a living on Hamilton Ranch with financial hardships and staffing shortages. James, a pastor in Chicago, and Janet, an ER doctor in a neighboring town, feel called to return home to help the family. Once there, the siblings encounter the son of the owner of the neighboring farm, Daniel Newman, who are all wary of each other due to a generational feud between the families. As he settles into his new day-to-day life on the farm, James begins to realize there are no places to worship on the thousands of acres of farms. There, in the environment of come-as-you-are vibes, barns, rodeo arenas, even outdoors under clear night skies, James starts a cowboy church right there in the place where faith, family, and ranch life go hand in hand.  The series stars Jonathan Stoddard, Emily Alatalo, Shaun Johnston, Kate Drummond, Brittany Underwood and Jesse Hutch.

Finally Caught | Super Channel Fuse Original I **NEW SEASON**

Premiere: Wednesday, Sept 3 at 8 p.m. ET (2-episode premiere) / On Demand same day
Each story begins with a murder and an unsuccessful investigation. But with passing time, new evidence comes to light and science evolves allowing law enforcement to piece together what happened, with the killer being Finally Caught.

The Boy That Never Was | Super Channel Fuse I **PREMIERE**

Premiere: Thursday, Sept 18 at 9 p.m. ET / On Demand same day
After their son is presumed dead in an earthquake in Morocco, a couple’s world is turned upside down when they spot a young boy in Dublin, leading them on a desperate search for the truth. Starring Colin Morgan, Toni O’Rourke, Kerr Logan.Choir Games|Super Channel Heart and Home I **PREMIERE** Premiere: Saturday, Sept 20 at 8 p.m. ET / On Demand same day
Two choirs, one from New York City, the other from rural New Zealand, go on a joyful, life-changing journey to the World Choir Games, the largest choral competition on earth.

MOVIES

Grounded in Love | Super Channel Heart and Home I **PREMIERE** (Romance)
Premiere: Friday, Sept 5 at 8 p.m. ET / On Demand same day
A career flight attendant who loves her job and travelling the world, is dealt a blow when an airlines merger causes her to be furloughed, a setback further compounded by breaking up with a selfish boyfriend. Starring Daniva McKellar, Trevor Donovan.

The Luckiest Man in America | Super Channel Fuse I **PREMIERE** (Thriller)

Premiere: Friday, Sept 5 at 9 p.m. ET / On Demand same day
May 1984. An unemployed ice cream truck driver steps onto the game show Press Your Luck harboring a secret: the key to endless money. But his winning streak is threatened when the bewildered executives uncover his real motivations. Starring Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Amanda Freedman.

Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries: Blessings in Disguise | Super Channel Heart and Home I **PREMIERE** (Mystery)

Premiere: Friday, Sept 12 at 8 p.m. ET / On Demand same day

After Cheryl’s three-year engagement ends, her life is turned upside down when her aunt offers her an escape from Chicago to the Amish town of Sugarcreek. Cheryl uncovers an unsettling secret that could disrupt the small town of Ohio. Starring: Galadriel Stineman, Kevin Joy, Denise Gossett.

Mass | Super Channel Fuse I **NEW** (Drama)
Premiere: Friday, Sept 12 at 9 p.m. ET / On Demand same day
The parents of both the shooter and one of the victims of a school shooting tragedy agree to meet and talk in an attempt to move forward. Starring Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), Reed Birney.

Chosen Family | Super Channel Fuse I **PREMIERE** (R omantic Comedy)Premiere: Friday, Sept 19 at 9 p.m. ET / On Demand same day
Yoga teacher Ann is trying to find inner peace despite having a manic family, a miserable dating life, and an inability to say no that keeps her busy trying to fix everyone else’s problems. Starring Heather Graham, Julia Stiles, John Brotherton

Telefilm Canada, alongside the Canada Media Fund (CMF), the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), are announcing a strategic partnership to strengthen the audiovisual sector’s understanding and reach of audiences by prioritizing and harmonizing the measurement and collection of audience data.

This new audience data initiative is one of the various projects brought forth by the table of leaders at federal organizations of the audiovisual sector (Telefilm, CMF, ISO and NFB). For more than a year, the federal audiovisual table has been working with the department of Canadian Heritage to modernize the Canadian audiovisual ecosystem marked by intense competition and questions of cultural sovereignty. This concerted audience-centred approach will inform more effective strategies for reaching audiences, increasing the impact of the richness and diversity of Canadian and Indigenous stories —whether in feature films, television, documentaries, or animated films— and ensuring its discoverability across digital platforms and cinemas.

Building on the Telefilm-led pan-Canadian consultation, which engaged over 50 active companies and key partners in the audiovisual sector, and resulted in the Exploring the Futures of Distribution – Strategic Visions for the Canadian Audiovisual Industry report, greater collaboration is essential to create a cooperative ecosystemic approach centred around audience.

“This joint initiative is a foundational step towards centering audiences around everything that we do, combining our expertise and audience-data to bridge the gap between our ecosystem’s value chains and audiences,” said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada. “The continuity of our partnerships is paving the way for us to better support the cultural impact of Canadian and Indigenous cinema and position our stories where they belong – at the forefront of screens at home and abroad.”

“This is just the beginning of a major undertaking that will lead to a more concerted action with not only the funding agencies, but will also involve the audiovisual sector at large,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund. “By modernizing how we gather and share audience insights, we will ensure the viability of Canadian content in an era of rapid broadcast and digital change.”

“By strengthening our data collection and audience insights, we can better understand how Indigenous stories are discovered, shared and watched,” said Kerry Swanson, CEO of the Indigenous Screen Office. “This will allow us to amplify Indigenous voices, ensure equitable visibility in the marketplace, and connect these vital narratives with audiences across the country and the world.”

“This collaboration marks a turning point for Canada’s film ecosystem,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada. “By aligning our approaches, the production, promotion and distribution of Canadian films will be better positioned to reach Canadians and reflect the richness, diversity and creativity of our stories for years to come.”

Ongoing key partnerships among the agencies include:

Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada announce a three-year joint strategy to increase industry inclusivity
ISO to administer CMF’s $10m Indigenous Program in a new chapter for Indigenous screen content | Canada Media Fund
In a collaboration to equip Canadian producers with innovative technology and skills to drive viewership, Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, and the National Film Board of Canada are joining founding sponsors to expand Magnify Digital’s Audience Development Pilot.

The collaboration of the four organizations to work towards a structured modernization of the Canadian audiovisual distribution landscape will involve many players in the audiovisual sector. More to come in the months ahead.