CBC Books, CBC’s online home for literary content, together with its partners the Canada Council for the Arts and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, today announced Laura MacGregor of Waterloo, Ont. as the winner of the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize. MacGregor’s story, The Invisible Woman, was selected from more than 1,300 entries.

As the grand-prize winner, MacGregor will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and her story has been published on CBC Books. MacGregor will discuss her winning piece on Bookends with Mattea Roach. The interview will air at a later date on CBC Radio and CBC Listen.

The 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize jurors Zoe Whittall, Danny Ramadan and Helen Knott, said this about MacGregor’s text:

“A moving, complex and lyrical exploration of what it means to mother a medically fragile child into adulthood: the exhaustion, anxiety, and grief of the everyday, and the barely contained rage at a system that fails to recognize the value of interdependency or disabled lives. What does it mean to witness the joy available to someone with complex needs, while shouldering the burden of being the one who cares for them? The Invisible Woman captures the heartbreak of service rooted in love when it is fractured during the COVID pandemic as a nurse wonders aloud whether ‘someone like him’ should be permitted access to a ventilator.”

Laura MacGregor said, “The Invisible Woman was my attempt to shift the light to illuminate both the child and the mother, to emphasize the labour and stories of mothers, and to assert that care cannot be a sum-zero game. That my story was heard and valued by brilliant Canadian memoirists, Zoe Whittall, Danny Ramadan and Helen Knott, is a gift.

“I am also someone who tends to say that I enjoy writing as a hobby. Winning the CBC Nonfiction Prize gives me the confidence to claim the title of writer, one who has a worthy story to tell. I am grateful to the CBC, the jury panel and the rich and diverse community of Canadian writers, who together, create spaces for writers to learn, grow and share their stories.”

The four runners-up for the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize, who will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, are: Rachel Foster of Vancouver for Summer Ash; Jennifer McGuire of Owen Sound, Ont. for The First Apartment; Lena Palacios of Montreal for Cancer Stage Exit 4: A Memoir and Crystal Semaganis of Bear Island, Ont. for In Case I Die.

The winner of the Prix du récit Radio-Canada 2025 was also announced: Marie Sirois for Gestation. More information is available at ICI.Radio-canada.ca/icionlit.

For more information on the CBC Literary Prizes, please visit CBCBooks.ca.

Wow! El Catrin Destileria welcome Executive Chef José Matamoros, who brings a singular vision to elevate the dining experience at this Toronto fan favourite! Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Chef José brings over a decade of international culinary experience, including honing his skills at the two-Michelin-star La Grenouillère in France, and leadership roles at 1Hotel Copenhagen, 1Hotel Central Park, 1Kitchen Toronto, Casa Madera, Baro Toronto, and The Ostrich Club in Halifax. Known for his modern Mexican cuisine with global influences, Chef José is recognized for bold flavours, refined techniques, and creative yet approachable menus.

A $95 family-style Tasting Menu is available Sunday to Thursday, with cocktail pairing option. Highlights:

• Guacamole & Heirloom Corn Tostadas – creamy avocado with lime and spice on house-made tortillas
• Adobo Crab Sopes – Dungeness crab with epazote, serrano, yuzu kosho, beans
• Trio of Ceviches – tuna-watermelon, coconut-shrimp, and mahi mahi-pico
• Octopus & Chorizo – tender grilled octopus, smoky chorizo, and creamy black bean purée
• Pato a la Jamaica – duck glazed with tangy hibiscus mole
• Pescado Veracruzano – seabass with tomato, olives, capers, and herbs
• Campechana Cake – layered coastal-inspired dessert from Campeche

Book now through OpenTable as an Experience.

Pre-order Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack available November 21st here, the same day the Film is in theatres via Universal Pictures Canada.

And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend …

Last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion in Wicked: For Good.

Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award® nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.

As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Olivier award winner and Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.

As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.

Wicked: For Good also stars Emmy nominee Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda’s fawning assistants, Pfannee and ShenShen and BAFTA and Grammy nominee Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as the voice of Elphaba’s childhood nanny, Dulcibear.

The film is produced by returning Tony and Emmy winning powerhouse Marc Platt p.g.a. and by multiple Tony winner David Stone. The executive producers are Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The first film, Wicked, released in November 2024, earned 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscars® for Costume Design and Production Design. To date, the film has grossed $750 million worldwide.

Wicked: For Good is based on the generation-defining musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay is by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

one last campaign. one last mission. one last adventure. let’s do this, nerds.

Stranger Things 5 will release on Netflix across three premiere dates with Volume 1 on November 26, 2025 (four episodes), Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes) and The Finale on New Year’s Eve. Each volume releases at 5 PM PT.

And the party’s diving back into Seasons 1–4. Starting September 29, you can follow along on Stranger Things social channels and at Tudum.com. Rewatch with us before the last adventure begins.

The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.

Stranger Things 5 will release on Netflix across three premiere dates with Volume 1 on November 26 (four episodes), Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes) and The Finale on New Year’s Eve. Each volume releases at 5 PM PT.

Created by The Duffer Brothers STRANGER THINGS is produced by Upside Down Pictures & 21 Laps Entertainment with The Duffer Brothers serving as executive producers, alongside Shawn Levy of 21 Laps Entertainment and Dan Cohen.

The cast includes Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow), Alex Breaux (Lt. Akers), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).

ABOUT THE SERIES

A love letter to the ‘80s classic genre films that captivated a generation, Stranger Things is a thrilling drama set in the seemingly normal Midwestern town of Hawkins, Indiana. After a boy vanishes into thin air, his close-knit group of friends and family search for answers and are pulled into a high-stakes and deadly series of events. Beneath the surface of their ordinary town lurks an extraordinary supernatural mystery, along with top-secret government experiments and a dangerous gateway that connects our world to a powerful yet sinister realm. Friendships will be tested and lives will be altered as what they discover will change Hawkins and possibly the world — forever.

Created by The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things debuted in 2016 and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular television series ever, with its fourth season alone amassing over 140.7M views globally. Rooted in ‘80s nostalgia, it boosted Kate Bush’s track “Running Up That Hill” into the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in its 38-year history. The series has also garnered over 70 awards worldwide including Emmys® and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and has been nominated for over 230 awards. The highly anticipated fifth and final season will release later this year in three volumes at 5PM PT: four episodes on November 26, three episodes on Christmas and the finale on New Year’s Eve. The beloved franchise offers fans various ways to engage with the cultural phenomenon year-round, including: the Olivier and Tony-award winning stage play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow; a collection of books takes fans deeper into the story; the touring Stranger Things: The Experience which recently expanded to Brazil and Australia; Stranger Things: Escape the Dark; a brand new immersive experience set to open at Netflix House later this year; Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, an animated series that will take fans back to Hawkins; fans celebrate November 6 — the day Will Byers went missing — as ‘Stranger Things Day;’ and they can follow @StrangerThings.Things for fun ways to bring the world into their everyday lives.

CBC is marking the fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Tuesday, September 30 with an extensive lineup of Indigenous-led original programming showcasing First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and experiences across CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC News Network, CBC digital platforms, CBC Radio, CBC Music and CBC Listen. Also known as Orange Shirt Day, CBC’s programming will include CBC LIVE NEWS SPECIAL: NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION, hosted by CBC News Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault in Ottawa and which will feature national commemorative event REMEMBERING THE CHILDREN: NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION, plus a new original documentary from CBC and APTN, THE GOOD CANADIAN, and returning for its fourth year, musical celebration ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl COME TOWARD THE FIRE.

Select images are available here. Credit: Courtesy of CBC.

CBC’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation lineup on Tuesday, September 30 includes:

Note: Radio-Canada programming information available here.

Q WITH TOM POWER: TANTOO CARDINAL AND CHRISTIAN ALLAIRE

10 a.m. (10:30 NT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen

For more than five decades, and across more than 100 TV, film and theatre roles, Tantoo Cardinal has worked to bring nuanced Indigenous characters and stories to the stage and screen. She’s been in everything from Dances with Wolves to Killers of the Flower Moon…and she’s the star of the film Falls Around Her. about an Anishinaabe musician who returns to her community and tries to leave fame behind. Cardinal was recently honoured with the Equity in Entertainment Award from The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada, and that’s when Tom Power had the chance to sit down and talk with her about her impressive career.

Also on Q — As a kid growing up in Nipissing, Ontario, Christian Allaire dreamed of being part of the glamorous world that he saw in his mother’s Vogue magazines. Now, he’s the senior fashion and style writer for Vogue, and he writes about that journey in his new memoir From the Rez to the Runway. Allaire will speak with Tom Power about how fancy dress and powwow regalia was his very first introduction to fashion, the racism he encountered throughout his time in the fashion industry, and how he embraced his Ojibwe identity as his cool factor.

COMMOTION WITH ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD

11 a.m. (11:30 NT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen

Kent Monkman is one of the most exciting Indigenous artists working today; now, the character he’s been developing his whole life – Miss Chief Eagle Testickle – is about to take centre stage in an opera in Montreal. Elamin Abdelmahmoud will sit down with some of Monkman’s peers to talk about his singular impact on the arts – and beyond.

UNRESERVED

1 p.m. (1:30 NT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen

(Sunday, September 28 at 2 p.m. (2:30 NT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen)

94 calls – but who’s answering? Jolene Ashini is – she is the first lawyer to emerge from her community and is determined to change the system from the inside. And Senator Pate is giving voice to 12 Indigenous women who have been silenced by the system. In this episode we’re reminded of the 94 Calls to Action, just how far we are in addressing them, and highlight two people who are willing to do the work in spite of society’s slow progress.

ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl COME TOWARD THE FIRE

2 p.m. (2:30 NT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen and 5 p.m. (5:30 NT) on CBC Music

Celebrating Indigenous talent, creativity and brilliance with live music performances by Tia Wood and Wyatt C. Lewis from the main stage of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia, recorded ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Hosted by Jarrett Martineau.

CBC NEWS SPECIAL – NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

2 p.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC News Network, CBC News streaming channels, cbcnews.ca, the CBC News app and the CBC News YouTube Channel

CBC News Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault will be in Ottawa to host special live coverage of events to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, joined by University of Manitoba professor, columnist and award-winning Anishinaabe author Niigaan Sinclair. Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, co-produced by APTN, CBC/Radio-Canada and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), will be covered as part of this live news special.

REMEMBERING THE CHILDREN: NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

3 p.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC News Network, CBC News streaming channels, cbcnews.ca, the CBC News app and the CBC News YouTube Channel

APTN, CBC/Radio-Canada and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) are once again partnering to produce Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the annual national commemorative gathering on Parliament Hill.

Hosted by Earl Wood and Melissa Mollen Dupuis, the multilingual commemorative event will share the powerful truths of residential school Survivors and pay moving tribute to the children who never made it home. There will be moving performances by First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists including the Eagle River Drum Group, DeeDee Austin, Burnstick, Julian Taylor and Susan Aglukark. Shown as part of the CBC NEWS SPECIAL, the 90-minute live event will be presented in English, French and Plains Cree.

NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILATION SPECIAL

8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen

Join host Falen Johnson to mark the fifth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This special program will feature the events of the day and focus on Indigenous content from across the country.

THE GOOD CANADIAN

8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC TV and streaming on CBC Gem

The world knows the image of the good Canadian. But what if there was a dark secret behind a national identity? THE GOOD CANADIAN explores the idea of a True North strong and free. In this unflinching and eye-opening documentary, directors Leena Minifie and David Paperny move us through the corridors of systemic inequity, from the Indian Act to residential schools, to modern-day family separation. Fusing shocking footage with detailed interviews with experts, advocates, whistleblowers and politicians, THE GOOD CANADIAN challenges national myth-making, while offering Canadians the chance to forge a new identity from the truth.

SEE YOU IN COURT – “The girl whose life became a battleground over Indigenous child welfare”

Three-episode story available September 30 everywhere podcasts are available

New podcast SEE YOU IN COURT delves into the messy and memorable courtroom battles that shaped how Canadians live today, one case at a time. In this three-episode story available on September 30, Leticia is just an infant when she’s taken into foster care. But by the time she’s a year old, a legal battle over who should raise her is brewing, with her birth mother pushing to take her back to her First Nation and her foster parents saying she belongs with them. Host Falen Johnson sets the stage for journalist Dawna Dingwall and Leticia Racine to travel back to southwest Manitoba — where they both grew up — and their journey to try and piece together how Leticia ended up at the centre of precedent-setting court case, and the mark it made in her life.

All day on September 30, CBC Music will highlight Indigenous artists and composers, and CBC TV will air Indigenous-led documentaries including TLATSINI: JOURNEY OF THE TAKU KWAN (6:30 p.m., 7 NT) and THE ELDERS (11 p.m., 11:30 NT).

CBC Kids News presents RETURNING TO ULUKHAKTOK: A CBC KIDS NEWS DOCUMENTARY, available now on cbckidsnews.ca and YouTube. Meet six kids from a small community in the Arctic, who felt disconnected from their Inuvialuit identity — until they went on a journey to connect with their past. The students teamed up with CBC Kids News to document the trip they took to see their ancestors’ artwork and artifacts on display in museums across the country. They discovered a connection that runs deeper than they thought. You can also check out the ever-growing Indigenous Stories section on cbckidsnews.ca.

CBC Kids presents a new music video from multidisciplinary Indigenous Oji-Cree artist Anachnid. She stopped by Joojo and Gary the Unicorn’s apartment to perform her song “Braids.”

CBC’s ongoing coverage and recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation includes:

THE NEXT CHAPTER WITH ANTONIO MICHAEL DOWNING

Saturday, September 27 at 3 p.m. (3:30 NT) and Monday, September 29 at 2 p.m. (2:30 NT, 5pm MT, 5pm PT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen

THE NEXT CHAPTER will air an all-Indigenous episode featuring a conversation with Patty Krawec and book recommendations from Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Webstad.

BOOKENDS WITH MATTEA ROACH

Sunday, September 28 at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT, 3 PT) and Wednesday, October 1 at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen

Mattea Roach will speak with Eliana Ramage, author of the novel To the Moon and Back, which is about a woman chasing her dreams of becoming the first Indigenous astronaut. Ramage is a citizen of Cherokee Nation and To the Moon and Back is a Reese’s Book Club Pick.

RECLAIMED presents SONGS OF OUR STORYTELLERS

Wednesday, October 1 at 6 p.m. (6:30 NT) and Saturday, October 4 at 5 p.m. (5:30 NT) on CBC Music

Thursday, October 2 at 11:05 p.m. (11:35 NT) and Saturday, October 4 at 9 p.m. (10 p.m. AT, 10:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Radio

There can be no Reconciliation without first telling the Truth — not just about what happened in the past but what’s still happening today. One of the clearest ways to get there is by sharing our stories. This week, RECLAIMED honours the spirit of truth that you find in the Songs of Our Storytellers.

CBC Gem’s TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COLLECTION is available now with more than 20 films, specials and documentaries honouring the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Joining the CBC Gem collection on Friday, Sept. 26 is HUDSON BAY(BIES), a film exploring an untold part of Canada’s past through the eyes of Inuk artist and filmmaker Elisapie Isaac. After facing a moral dilemma, Elisapie sets out to meet others who, like her, are “Hudson Baybies,” the children born of the mixed unions between Indigenous women and Hudson’s Bay Company employees working in trading posts and general stores across the North. Also launching on CBC Gem on Friday, Sept. 26 is NINAN AUASAT: WE, THE CHILDREN, a documentary following three groups of children from three different Indigenous nations: Atikamekw, Eeyou Cree and Innu. Shot over six years, audiences witness these young people navigate the milestones of childhood through to the threshold of adulthood, along with their day-to-day routines, aspirations and the challenges they face along the way.

CBC Kids showcases award-winning programs on CBC Gem, such as ANAANA’S TENT in both English and Inuktitut, TEEPEE TIME in English and Mi’kmaq, and MOLLY OF DENALI. For more content that celebrates Indigenous Culture, visit the CBC Kids Collection on CBC Gem. The CBC Kids YouTube page features an Indigenous language series which teaches kids animal words in Cree, Ojibwe / Anishinaabemowin and Inuktitut, as well as an ever-growing library of great Indigenous content for younger kids including dance, campfire stories, food and storytime videos.

CBC Books will feature digital content centred around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, including a reading list curated by Patty Krawec, as a companion to her conversation on The Next Chapter.

Contributing Art Director Emily Kewageshig, an Anishinaabe artist raised in Saugeen First Nation #29, designed the CBC logo in 2021 to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Her work captures the interconnection of life forms using culturally significant materials from the land.

It has finally happened. The Canadian Opera Company has invited Danie Friesen, Alexander Hajek and Claire Elise Harris, otherwise known as Opera Revue, to perform at their Free Concert Series.

October 14, 2025
Noon
(doors open at 11:30 AM admittance will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis)
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre
145 Queen St W, Toronto

“We are truly honoured to perform at the COC’s noon hour concerts. The chance to sing for aficionadoughs…we mean aficionados (see our pizza opera) is something Opera Revue has been aspiring to since our inception. We normally perform in casual settings like bars, nightclubs like The Rivoli (opera’s got range!) to raucous, hooting and hollering audiences, so to perform in the glorious acoustic that is the Four Seasons Centre is a treat for us. Are we intimidated by the prestige of Canada’s only opera house? Not a chance! You’d best believe we’re still gonna do what we do: bring the fun back to opera,” said Soprano Danie Friesen.

“Could events like Opera Revue’s be opera’s greatest hope for survival?”
-Joshua Chong, Toronto Star, Dec 2022

“Three musicians put the fun back into opera.”
-Dawn Martens, Opera Canada, Aug 2024

“The genius of Opera Revue’s project: to upend one’s expectations by throwing you off your little pedestal so that they can put you onto something else. This is their vaudevillian way of things.”
-Nirris Nagendrarajah, OperaWire, Nov. 2024

Opera Revue’s mission is to circumvent the stigmas and barriers that block many from hearing live opera music. Over five years, through accessible, fun, and affordable performances in Toronto bars including Granite Brewery, Castro’s Lounge, Drom Taberna, The Drake Hotel and The Emmet Ray, Opera Revue have built a generationally diverse community that includes opera lovers, opera performers, and the opera curious. They have also created unique shows for a number of larger live music venues, including a 2024 residency at the Redwood Theatre, and shows at The Dakota Tavern and Revival.

They were recently commissioned by Dr. Oetker to compose and create a one-act opera, Suprema: The Opera for Aficionadoughs, which was performed free for the public at TD Music Hall over three weekends in July to launch the company’s new Suprema line of pizzas.

Opera Revue have not gone unnoticed by the press. In addition to being the cover story for OPERA CANADA, they’ve been covered by CBC National, Global News, Toronto Star, CBC’s Day 6, CBC’s Fresh Air, Opera Wire, Ludwig van Toronto, BlogTO, and they sang Christmas carols on CTV Your Morning on December 24, 2024

ABOUT OPERA REVUE
Opera Revue began with the question “Why does opera get such a bad rap?”. And they came up with several answers: It’s expensive. You have to dress up. It’s snobby. You can’t drink, except during intermission. You can’t talk. It’s snobby. You can’t get up and move around. And it’s snobby.

So, that’s what they have set out to change. Opera Revue is a great way to introduce opera to people who have never seen it before, as well as a new way for opera lovers to enjoy it. By performing opera and art song in a casual bar setting, audiences can feel comfortable to talk, drink, and to share the experience with those around them. The goal is to take away the exclusive nature of opera and make it accessible for all.

Opera Revue was founded in 2017 by soprano Danie Friesen. Pianist Claire Elise Harris joined the company in 2018, and baritone Alexander Hajek rounded out the team in 2021. Through monthly opera performances, Opera Revue has built a generationally diverse community that mixes opera lovers, opera performers, and the opera curious, with new young audiences finding it fun rather than daunting. During the Covid-19 crisis, Opera Revue put out weekly comedic operatic parody videos online to connect with their community digitally, while drawing in new audiences.

The chilling trailer for the Hulu Original “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” from 20th Century Studios’ a hauntingly modern twist on the classic film, is now available to download and share. The psychological thriller from director Michelle Garza Cervera, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe, will premiere October 22, 2025 exclusively on Disney+.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Caitlin Morales, an upscale suburban mom who brings a new nanny, Polly Murphy (Maika Monroe), into her home, only to discover she is not the person she claims to be. “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” also stars Raúl Castillo, Martin Starr, Mileiah Vega, Riki Lindhome, and Shannon Cochran, and is written by Micah Bloomberg based on a screenplay by Amanda Silver. The producers are Michael Schaefer, Mike LaRocca, and Ted Field, and the executive producers are Michael Napoliello, Maria Frisk, and Seth William Meier.

ABOUT DISNEY+

Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In Canada, it also includes the general entertainment content brand, Star. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ offers an unmatched collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, next day TV, documentaries, live-action and animated series, short-form content, and live events. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.

tiff50 SELECTION OUT STANDING TO RELEASE THEATRICALLY CANADA WIDE ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 via SPHERE FILMS.

Starring Nina Kiri and based on Sandra Perron’s acclaimed memoir
Out Standing in the Field: A Memoir by Canada’s First Female Infantry Officer

Out Standing brings to life the groundbreaking story of Canada’s first female infantry officer in a gripping and emotional film

PARTICIPATING MARKETS:

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Out Standing, by director Mélanie Charbonneau (Fabulous), had its World Premiere this September at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film boasts a stellar cast that includes Nina Kiri (Handmaid’s Tale) as Sandra Perron, Vincent Leclerc (Allen Sunshine), and Enrico Colantoni (Humane, English Teacher).

In 1995, after returning home from a peacekeeping mission in Croatia, Captain Sandra Perron—Canada’s first female infantry officer—stuns the military by resigning abruptly. When a disturbing photo surfaces of her tied to a tree in uniform, apparently unconscious, questions spiral. Pursued by journalists and a relentless military investigation, Sandra is thrust into a reluctant journey to confront buried traumas and the true cost of loyalty and sacrifice. Refusing to label herself a victim, she reveals a story of fierce courage and resilience, uncovering the battles fought within her own ranks. Based on a powerful true story of endurance against the odds.

Director: Mélanie Charbonneau
Screenplay: Mélanie Charbonneau, Martine Pagé
Principal Cast: Nina Kiri, Vincent Leclerc, Enrico Colantoni, Adrian Walters, Antoine Pilon, Stephen Thomas Kalyn, Conrad Pla
Producer: Marcel Giroux, Julia Rosenberg
Production Company: GPA Films, January Media
Canadian distributor: Sphere Films

From Maggie Gyllenhaal (Academy Award-nominated writer/director of The Lost Daughter) and starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley and Academy Award winner Christian Bale comes THE BRIDE! A bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories.

A lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A wild and radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!

The film stars Buckley, Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, with Bening, Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs from her own screenplay and produces alongside Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren. The executive producers are Carla Raij, David Webb and Courtney Kivowitz.

Gyllenhaal is supported behind the camera by a team of award-winning film artisans, including director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Karen Murphy, editor Dylan Tichenor, music supervisor Randall Poster, composer Hildur Gudnadóttir and costume designer Sandy Powell.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A First Love Films / In The Current Company Production, A Maggie Gyllenhaal Film: THE BRIDE!. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theatres and IMAX® in North America on March 6, 2026, and internationally beginning 4 March 2026.

Today, Prime Video unveiled the season two trailer for FACEOFF: Inside The NHL, the docuseries produced by Box To Box and NHL Productions. The second season of the critically acclaimed docuseries launches October 3 on Prime Video and continues to give unprecedented access to the National Hockey League’s biggest teams and most compelling characters, all at different stages of their careers. All six episodes will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

FACEOFF: Inside the NHL season two takes fans behind-the-scenes with athletes who display an extraordinary blend of skill, determination, and sacrifice required to excel in one of the world’s most demanding sports. See Sidney Crosby, Anže Kopitar, Seth Jarvis, BradMarchand, William Nylander, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Werenski and more NHL stars in a way you’ve never seen them before.

EPISODE1: Brady Tkachuk starts this season with big skatesto fill as the little brother of the reigning Stanley Cup Champion, Matthew Tkachuk. He ends the season as a face of the NHL, a father, and his own man.

EPISODE 2: The hockey world experienced unimaginable devastation over the summer with the untimely deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. This episode is about how those closest to Johnny Hockey – his wife, Meredith Gaudreau, and teammates Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski – redefine what it means to be a family, a team, and a community in the face of tragedy.

EPISODE 3: Two of the league’s biggest superstars (Sidney Crosby and Anže Kopitar) let us into their world with intimate access in a pivotal 2024-25 season. As we see them fight Father Time in their own way, Quinton Byfield represents the next generation of superstars, eager to learn from his elders and leave the league better than he found it.

EPISODE4: Brendan Shanahan’s master ‘Shanaplan,’ years in the making, is finally coming to fruition thanks to his star forward, William Nylander. This playoff-centric story allows us to witness the Toronto Maple Leafs beat their in-Province rival from Ottawa and clash with the reigning champion from Florida in the second round. If they don’t deliver this season, changes could come for the team Brendan grew up rooting for.

EPISODE5: Seth Jarvis is supposedly too small, too unserious, and out of place in the NHL. His team, the Carolina Hurricanes, have been on the verge of greatness for years – but they keep falling short. ForSeth and the Hurricanes, the 2024-25 season is about proving that they indeed are good enough.

EPISODE 6: The ‘Rat Kings’ of the Florida Panthers are bigger, louder, and nastier than ever—and now Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand are on the brink of hockey immortality. In the shadow of last year’s heartbreak, Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers are back on hockey’s biggest stage—facing the same villains, the same wounds, and the same question: Can they rewrite the ending?

The series is executive produced by James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin, co-founders of Box ToBox, Steve Mayer for NHLProductions, and Daniel Amigone.

Prime Video is also the home of Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English throughout the 2025-26 season, and NHL Coast to Coast, the weekly whiparound show on Thursday nights. Prime Monday Night Hockey and NHL Coast to Coast are available exclusively for Prime Members in Canada.

SOCIALS: @sportsonprimeca | @primevideoca | @primevideo | @nhl |@NHLPR

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About Prime Video Sports 

Prime Video supports a growing lineup of live sports globally, including Thursday Night Football, NASCAR, the New York Yankees, Overtime Elite, and Premier Boxing Champions in the United States; the NWSL, the WNBA, and ONE Championship in the United States and Canada; NHL Prime Monday Night Hockey in Canada; Premier League in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark; UEFA Champions League football in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom; Roland-Garros and Ligue 1 in France; The Championships, Wimbledon in Germany and Austria; New Zealand Cricket in India; as well as Copa do Brasil football and the NBA in Brazil; and boxing and the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Japan. While availability varies by marketplace, fans can also subscribe to streaming services such as Eurosport, FOX Sports (Mexico), Viaplay Sport, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, NBA TV, DAZN (Germany and Spain), and Premiere FC (Brazil) through Prime Video Channels. This is in addition to a selection of Amazon Original documentaries including Kelce, Bye Bye Barry, Coach Prime, Giannis, and the Amazon Original All or Nothing franchise, including All or Nothing: Arsenal, All or Nothing: Juventus, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, and All or Nothing seasons with various NFL teams, as well as the NCAA’s Michigan Wolverines football team. 

About BOX TO BOX

Box To Box is an award-winning content studio specializing in high-end feature documentaries, documentary series, and formatted factual entertainment. With offices in London, Paris, Mexico City, and Los Angeles, Box To Box is a global force in premium unscripted storytelling, pushing the medium to new heights and redefining traditional narrative structures – both across the sports world and beyond. The company has partnered with the most influential platforms in entertainment and revolutionized the sports documentary series genre with international phenomenon FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE, SEC FOOTBALL: ANY GIVEN SATURDAY, BREAK POINT, FULL SWING, TOUR DE FRANCE: UNCHAINED, SIX NATIONS: FULL CONTACT, and SPRINT for Netflix; MAKE OR BREAK and ONSIDE: MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER for Apple TV+; FACEOFF: INSIDE THE NHL for Amazon Prime Video; and many more. In addition to acclaimed series, Box To Box is the force behind renowned feature documentaries such as the Oscar-winning AMY, SUPERSONIC, MARADONA, and SENNA. Box To Box’s latest project, MATCHROOM: THE GREATEST SHOWMEN, premiered globally on Netflix on September 17, 2025. A six-part documentary series, SIMON COWELL: THE NEXT ACT, is currently in production and set to be released later this year.

About NHL Productions

NHL Productions is the National Hockey League’s award-winning production company, focused on documenting, preserving, and promoting the game of hockey and its players. Established in 2011, NHL Productions develops long- and short-form hockey programming for the League’s social and digital platforms – NHL Network, NHL.com, NHL Social and the NHL’s YouTube Channel – as well as national, regional and international rightsholders. Its original programming lineup has included Quest For The Stanley Cup, Road To The NHL Winter Classic, Saving Sakic, Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle, Behind The Glass, NHL All-Star All Access, Hat Trick Trivia, Stanley Cup Live, and many more. “Welcome to the NHL,” which chronicled the top prospects in the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, earned a 2023 Sports Emmy Award for Edited Event Coverage.