Today it was announced that John Cena, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu are set to star in Prime Video’s action-comedy Grand Death Lotto, from director Paul Feig. Feig is directing the film from a script penned by Rob Yescombe (Outside the Wire). The film, which hails from Amazon Studios, will be produced by Roth/Kirschenbaum Films’ Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum, and Feigco Entertainment’s Laura Fischer and Paul Feig. John Cena, Zack Roth, and Rob Yescombe will executive produce.

In the very near future, the Grand Lottery has been established in economically challenged California. The only catch? Kill the winner before sundown and you can legally claim their prize. New LA transplant Katie (Awkwafina) accidentally finds herself with the winning ticket and must join forces with amateur jackpot protector Noel (John Cena) to make it to sundown in order to claim her multi-billion dollar prize, all while dealing with Noel’s protection rival Louis Lewis (Simu Liu), who also wants to get her to sundown in order to claim his rich protection commission.

The Amazon Original Movie will be available to stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Production begins next week.

“Grand Death Lotto is the kind of original idea audiences have been craving, and there’s no one better than the endlessly talented Paul Feig to steer the ship,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “We can’t wait to watch John Cena, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu bring this fun, action-packed script to life for our Prime Video customers around the world.”

“I love action comedy and extreme physical comedy and this movie has both in abundance, as well as a boatload of heart and hilarity,” said director Paul Feig. “This lotto will make winners of us all.”

John Cena recently starred as Peacemaker in the No. 1 HBO Max Original series of the same name. His upcoming credits include the tenth main installment in the Fast & Furious franchise Fast X, Matthew Vaughn-helmed spy thriller Argylle, Prime Video’s Ricky Stanicky, and the sequel to Vacation Friends.

Awkwafina will next be seen in Universal’s Renfield opposite Nicolas Cage and Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Additionally, she will star opposite Sandra Oh in an upcoming Untitled Sister Comedy Project for Hulu and the third season of Comedy Central’s Nora from Queens.

Simu Liu’s credits include Disney’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings and Warner Bros.’ upcoming feature Barbie.

Paul Feig is a DGA-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, writer, producer, and author who most recently served as the director, producer, and co-writer of The School for Good and Evil, which debuted as the #1 film on Netflix in 88 countries worldwide upon release. In television, he is a writer, executive producer, and director of FOX’s Welcome to Flatch, which is currently airing its second season, and an executive producer of Minx, which will premiere its second season on Starz later this year. He has a proven track record of films that have grossed over one billion dollars worldwide including Bridesmaids, Last Christmas, The Heat, Ghostbusters, Spy, and A Simple Favor, the latter of which Feig will direct and produce a sequel.

Cena is represented by WME, Intenta Media, and JSSK. Awkwafina is represented by UTA, Artists First, Schreck Rose & Kovert Creative. Liu is represented by CAA, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Feig is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Yescombe is represented by A3 Artists Agency and Curtis Brown.

Father-Son Duo Rob and John Owen Lowe team-up in upcoming Series UNSTABLE! All eight episodes coming to Netflix March 30, 2023.

Synopsis:

Ellis Dragon is a universally admired, eccentric, narcissist-adjacent biotech entrepreneur working to make the world a better place. He’s also in emotional free-fall. His son Jackson Dragon is… none of those things. Can Jackson save Ellis and his company and salvage their estranged relationship while also doing what may actually be impossible: escaping the shadow of his larger-than-life father?

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Toronto Comicon, presented by FAN EXPO Canada, is back and bigger than ever! Toronto’s annual pop culture convention returns with an epic assembly of special guests that brings together heroes, villains, and vigilantes from the worlds of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, comics, and more for three days of non-stop entertainment. From Grogu to Yoda, fans of all ages can interact with stars from their favourite franchises and enjoy celebrity panels, autograph & photo opportunities, and programming for the whole family. This year, Toronto Comicon will be moving into the North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre during March Break, from March 17-19, 2023.

“We have incredible guests coming this year, in our biggest Toronto Comicon lineup ever,” said Andrew Moyes, Vice President, FAN EXPO HQ. “From iconic characters to scary villains, to the heroes even the littlest fanatics look up to, there’s someone exciting here for fans of all genres and ages this March Break.”

Things are about to get diabolical, as Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, and Claudia Doumit from The Boys head to Toronto Comicon; along with actor, director, and motion capture maestro Andy Serkis; Guardians of the Galaxy’s arrow-wielding Sean Gunn; The Mandalorian’s beskar forger Emily Swallow; occult detective Matt Ryan from Constantine; Robbie Amell, Danielle Panabaker, and Carlos Valdes from The Flash; Stars Hollow’s favourite diner owner Scott Patterson of Gilmore Girls; and Task Force X’s own Mr. John Economos Steve Agee.

TORONTO COMICON 2022 GUESTS INCLUDE:

ANDY SERKIS (Andor, The Batman, Black Panther, The Lord of the Rings)

KARL URBAN (The Boys, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings)

JACK QUAID (The Boys, Scream, Star Trek: Lower Decks)

JESSIE T. USHER (The Boys, Smile, Shaft)

LAZ ALONSO (The Boys, Avatar)

TOMER CAPONE (The Boys)

KAREN FUKUHARA (The Boys, Suicide Squad)

CLAUDIA DOUMIT (The Boys, Timeless, Call of Duty)

STEVE AGEE (Peacemaker, The Suicide Squad)

SEAN GUNN (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, Gilmore Girls)

SCOTT PATTERSON (Gilmore Girls, Saw)

EMILY SWALLOW (The Mandalorian, Supernatural)

ROBBIE AMELL (The Flash)

DANIELLE PANABAKER (The Flash)

CARLOS VALDES (The Flash)

MATT RYAN (Constantine, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Assassin’s Creed IV)

More information including guests information, tickets, and pricing for Toronto Comicon is available at fanexpohq.com/comicontoronto.

Follow @FANEXPOCanada for more guest and programing updates over the coming weeks.

Chef Eyal Shani has redefined Israeli Street Food around the world with this resounding success story, MIZNON. The Toronto location of this popular eatery is just one of 40 restaurants around the globe owned by Shani, who is a beloved culinary figure in his native Israel, even starring as Head Judge on MasterChef Israel. Ambitiously launching in the City’s upscale Yorkville Village, having a more casual-leaning dining option at reasonable price points in the neighbourhood actually makes a lot of sense. And if the response since opening February 3rd has been any indication, Shani has yet another hit on his hands.

We were so thrilled finally to be able to try MIZNON and we were not disappointed. The festive and open space at Yorkville Avenue x Bay Street is as vibrant and colourful as the food it serves. The bustle of the kitchen is in plain sight and servers are energetic and attentive. Our eyes went to the displays of fresh local produce like tomatoes and cauliflower throughout the restaurant, and also the proud graffitti naming all the cities where MIZNON has thrived over the years.

Placing our trust in the staff at MIZNON TORONTO with recommendations, we would not be disappointed. Firstly, we’ve never experienced a Pita like the ones served here. Soft, fluffy and pillow-like, paired with a plate of what literally is The Best Tasting Hummus That You Will Ever Eat, aromatic in its roasted sesame notes and laced with chilis – just the way we love it. The signature Minute Beef (thinly-sliced Short Rib) In-a-Pita was juicy and inviting, brightened by pickles and a little heat. The Original, World-Famous Roasted Baby Cauliflower was outstanding – charred and caramelized with a sprinkling of sea salt for balance. And did you know you can eat the leaves? Mindblowing. The real showstopper though is an item we haven’t seen much of on Instagram – yet. The Fish-n-Chips In-a-Pita is an exceptional value, with pieces of grilled Branzino stuffed into the fluffy flatbread with Garlic Aioli, potato and vinegar. Just absolutely to die for.

Our thoughts and more in this highlight reel:

MIZNON TORONTO is located at 1235 Bay Street, Toronto. Website here.

Expect waits during peak times. The plus side though, is that food is served at lighting-quick speed.

IG: MiznonTO

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

To be honest, we’ve never read DAISY JONES & THE SIX, so we came into this with a clean slate. This limited series adaptation of Taylor Jenkins-Reid’s New York Times bestseller, already has many of its fans emphatically excited. 

Centering on Daisy Jones (Riley Keough), a young woman with a troubled past, hanging initially on the fringes of L.A.’s music scene in the ‘70s. With a talent for writing lyrics and poetry, she stumbles into the thick of things, forming relationships that lead her into almost accidental stardom. She’s paired together with a struggling band led by Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin), who is opposed to having her join the group and relinquishing his control.

Despite Daisy and Billy’s frequent clashes, it is that electric chemistry generated by their immense friction that leads them to create musical magic and finding fame. Success doesn’t come easy as Billy loves his wife Camila (Camila Morrone), but cannot deny his feelings for Daisy. Their relationship is intense and complicated.  We also explore some of the Band’s own internal struggles whether it be love, power or vices, which could very quickly destroy everything in an instant.

Without even knowing its premise, it is very apparent right away that all this very loosely is based on the rise of Fleetwood Mac. Their Music is legendary but the stories behind the making of it is even more intriguing. DAISY JONES & THE SIX lends its focus exactly to this with James Ponsoldt (Smashed, The End of the Tour) and Nzingha Stewart (For Colored Girls, Tall Girl) splitting directing duties over ten episodes.

Though things take a few episodes to set the stage, things begin to get really interesting when Daisy and Billy work closely together, butting heads and bickering about everything down to a single lyric. Keough and Claflin’s chemistry is palpable. The amount of commitment and detail they put into their performances is rather astounding.  They are unquestionably convincing as musicians and would-be lovers tangled in an impossible situation. Moments on-stage and in-studio make for the most compelling moments of this Series and the Music is unmistakably Fleetwood Mac-inspired.

Where the Series falters is its pacing. It is in no rush bringing us to the point where the band is formed. A story line with Daisy and her best friend Simone (Nabiyah Be) is a running subplot but we aren’t quite sure where it goes as she disappears and resurfaces. Daisy and Billy’s vices serve as plot mechanisms, which aren’t quite treated with the care and sensitivity they deserved. Pacing then almost seems a bit too quick when Daisy goes off to Greece finding love and has to confront trouble in her friendship with Simone. But then everything comes together so beautifully late as the Band deliver what would be their final performance and they come to terms with where they are today as the Series cuts between the past and its current Mockumentary.

The Series is definitely made for faithful fans of the source material and despite some flaws, Keough and Claflin make it all worthwhile, supported by solid performances from its Supporting Cast including Suki Waterhouse as keyboardist Karen Sirko, the captivating Camila Morrone as Billy’s wife Camila Dunne and Tom Wright as powerful producer Teddy Price.

Prime Video Canada release DAISY JONES & THE SIX March 3, 2023.

Paramount+ today revealed the official teaser trailer and art for the upcoming original series FATAL ATTRACTION. The series premieres Sunday, April 30 with three episodes exclusively on Paramount+ in Canada and the U.S.. The series will premiere the following day in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. The premiere date in South Korea will be announced at a later date. Following the premiere, new episodes of the eight-episode season will be available to stream weekly on Sundays in Canada and the U.S., and on Mondays in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. The final two episodes will be available to stream on Sunday, May 28, 2023.

The announcement was made during the series’ panel at Paramount+’s Television Critics Association presentation. The FATAL ATTRACTION panel featured series stars Joshua Jackson, Lizzy Caplan, Amanda Peet, Alyssa Jirrels and executive producers Alexandra Cunningham, Kevin J. Hynes and Silver Tree.

FATAL ATTRACTION is a deep-dive reimagining of the classic psychosexual thriller and ‘80s cultural touchstone. The new series will explore fatal attraction and the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders and coercive control.

The series stars Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher, Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forrest, Amanda Peet as Beth Gallagher, Alyssa Jirrels as Ellen Gallagher, Toby Huss as Mike Gerard, Reno Wilson as Detective Earl Booker and Brian Goodman as Arthur Tomlinson.

Alexandra Cunningham (“Dirty John,” “Chance”) serves as writer, showrunner and executive producer on the series alongside executive producer Kevin J. Hynes (“Perry Mason”), with whom Cunningham shares co-story credit, and executive producers Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey for Amblin Television. Silver Tree also serves as executive producer and directed five episodes.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount+)

Sid Sriram already is a huge star globally but he is about to build a fanbase in the English-speaking world very soon. He has devout fanbases in the Tamil ,Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi-speaking communities and now is prepping the release of his English-language debut album with Universal Music.

The Berklee graduate was raised and educated in California before moving to Chennai, and then Colorado where he is based now. His sound can be described as California, Minnesota, R&B and Carnatic Music fused together.

Sriram worked with Ryan Olson and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver on this upcoming studio disc and it was an amazing experience seeing and hearing him perform live before an intimate audience at a private showcase held in Toronto at Drake Underground. He tells the audience he actually has been to the City before, but this is somewhere we wanted to debut this new material.

In support of the Album, Sriram did three days of Press in the City, ensuring he reaches that deserved new audience. His voice is a magical emotive instrument and his Music truly takes you to a different place. Debut single “Do the Dance” arrives late March.

Some highlights from his performance below:

(Photo/video credit: Universal Music/Mr. Will Wong)

Super Channel and the Canadian Film Fest (CFF), an indie-spirited festival dedicated to celebrating Canadian filmmakers, are pleased to team up for the fourth time to present a hybrid festival from March 28 to April 1. Canadian Film Fest Presented by Super Channel will showcase nine features, 25 shorts, and a digital series, running concurrently for audiences to enjoy in-person at Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre and virtually on Super Channel Fuse. Tickets for the theatrical screenings can be purchased at canfilmfest.ca starting March 7, 2023.

“With the festival returning to the theatre this year, we are proud to be able to continue our partnership with the team at the CFF to bring these unique and engaging Canadian stories to a national audience to enjoy,” said Don McDonald, President and CEO, Super Channel.

“We have continued to see an incredible amount of submissions from Canadian filmmakers of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The level of talent and originality truly demonstrates the need for more homegrown storytelling. We’re proud to partner with Super Channel again to give cinephiles across Canada the opportunity to watch some of the best Canadian films and we’re also thrilled to invite local audiences back into the theatre,” said Ashleigh Rains, Festival Director, Canadian Film Fest.

The festival will open with the Toronto premiere of the Quebec-made comedy, Babysitter from director Monia Chokri, which was recently nominated for multiple 2023 Canadian Screen Awards. Adapted by Canadian playwright and screenwriter Catherine Léger’s play of the same name, and starring Patrick Hivon, Monia Chokri, Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Steve Laplante, the film explores what happens to a man after a sexist joke goes viral and the therapeutic journey he embarks on to free himself from sexism and misogyny. Opening night will also include the World Premiere of Streams Flow From a River as an exclusive Super Channel presentation. This six-episode short digital series directed by Christopher Yip is a character-driven drama about the struggles immigrant families face while trying to make a home. This marks the festival’s first digital series to be part of its line-up.

The Canadian premiere of the Super Channel Original feature film, Wintertide from writer/director John Barnard will close the festival. The film stars Niamh Carolan as a volunteer watchperson of an isolated northern city who battles a plague of depression that transforms the few remaining residents into empty, zombie-like automatons.

The festival includes an incredible line up of feature films this year including the Canadian Premiere of Polarized by director Shamim Sarif, about the unexpected connection between two women from the same town as they face barriers of race, religion and class; the documentary Bloom by director Fanie Pelletier, which explores the world of today’s teen girls; and Bystanders directed by Koumbie where a group of childhood friends share their traditional weekend getaway and forced to confront the elephant in the room. CFF will proudly showcase 25 Canadian short films including Joy Webster’s Menace about a young woman who gets reverent against her ex-boyfriend; Alex from director Aisha Evelyna following an unassuming Black woman shopping with her friend who is forced to reckon with judgement when all-too-familiar oppressive systems kick into gear; and Sean McCarron’s comedy Corvine about an eccentric boy who has trouble fitting in at school due to his obsession with crows.

This year’s slate of compelling Canadian features and shorts includes 61% female and 54% BIPOC filmmakers.

See below for the complete festival schedule or visit at canadianfilmfest.ca. All of the feature films will be available on Super Channel and will have a limited broadcast presentation during the festival’s run.

The 2023 Canadian Film Fest presented by Super Channel features schedule:

(All feature presentations both in theatre and on-air are preceded by a brief introduction and short film. All times are ET. Check local listings for Super Channel broadcast times)

Tuesday, March 28:

7 pm ET – Babysitter (Drama) – Toronto Premiere
Director: Monia Chokri
Cast: Patrick Hivon, Monia Chokri, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Steve Laplante
Middle-aged Cédric is suspended from work after drunkenly kissing a female reporter on live TV. Stuck at home with his girlfriend, Nadine and their crying baby, Cédric teams up with his brother, Jean-Michel, to co-author a book apologizing for their past misogyny. Enter Amy: a mysterious and provocative young babysitter who, like a Mary Poppins of the libido, forces the trio to confront their sexual anxieties while turning their lives upside down.

Opening with the short film Momma’s Boy (director Sonny Atkins, World Premiere)

9 pm ET (Special Super Channel broadcast presentation only) – Streams Flow From a River (Drama) – World premiere (Super Channel Original Production)
Director: Christopher Yip
Cast: Jane Luk, Jinny Wong, Raymond Chan, Danielle Ayow, Liam Ma, Simon Sinn, Benjamin Sutherland, Brett Houghton, Wesley French
A freak snowstorm traps a dysfunctional Chinese Canadian family together in their rural Albertan hometown, forcing them to confront the events a decade prior that tore them all apart.

Wednesday, March 29:

7 pm ET – When Time Got Louder (Drama) – Toronto Premiere
Director: Connie Cocchia
Cast: Willow Shields; Locklyn Munro; Elizabeth Mitchell; Jonathan Simao
Departing for college, Abbie leaves her parents and brother who has autism and is non-verbal. As she explores her independence and sexuality, she’s torn between her new life and her love for her brother.

Opening with the short film Great Seeing You (director Holly Pruner, Toronto Premiere)

9 pm ET – Bystanders (Drama) – Toronto Premiere (produced in association with Super Channel)
Director: Koumbie
Cast: Marlee Sansom, Katelyn McCulloch, Deborah Castrilli, Cavell Holland, Peter Sarty, Taylor Olson
Kyle is Justin’s brother, Zeke is Justin’s roommate, Lily is Justin’s biggest fan, Sophia is Justin’s critic and Ayda is Justin’s first love. This group of childhood friends, now in their 20s, share their traditional spring weekend getaway and are forced to confront the elephant in the room: Justin.

Opening with the short film There Are No Children Here (director Shehrezade Mian, Toronto premiere)

Thursday, March 30:

7 pm ET – How to Get My Parents to Divorce (Comedy) – Toronto Premiere
Director: Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers
Cast: Charlotte St-Martin, Isabelle Blais, Pierre-Luc Brillant, Liam Patenaude, Charlie Fortier, Louka Amadeo Bélanger-Leos et Simone Laperle
Justine is about to finish grade six and is tired of her parents fighting all the time. Maybe she’ll be happier if they divorce? In order to force their hand, the pre-teen decides to create her own court. The end-of-school-year show is the pretext for this. With her friends, she must find young people from her entourage who will serve as lawyers and judges. When her plan turns into an obsession, her friendships may suffer. Especially since the situation could very well escape her…

Opening with the short film Sissy (directors Caleb Harwood, Simon Paluck, World Premiere)

9 pm ET – Golden Delicious (Drama) – Toronto Premiere
Director: Jason Karman
Cast: Cardi Wong, Chris Carson, Parmiss Sehat, Ryan Mah, Leeah Wong, Claudia Kai, Jesse Hyde, Hunter Dillon, Zavien Garrett, Jeffrey Joseph
When basketball-obsessed Aleks moves in across the street, Asian-Canadian teen Jake finds himself trying out for the basketball team to get his attention in this classic coming-of-age drama set in the digital age.

Opening with the short film majboor-e-mamool (director Haaris Qadri, Toronto Premiere)

Friday, March 31:

7 pm ET – Bloom (Documentary) – Toronto Premiere
Director: Fanie Pelletier
Through moments in the lives of three groups of girls, images gleaned from the web and live streams of young women around the world, BLOOM delves into the world of today’s teenage girls. We delicately observe a hyper-connected but lonely generation inhabited by great lucidity, an inner struggle with self-image obsession, and a need for self-affirmation in the face of a complex sense of alienation.

Opening with the short film Shallots and Garlic (aka Bawang Merah Bawang Putih) (directed by Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto, Toronto Premiere)

9 pm ET – Retrograde (Drama) – Toronto Premiere
Director: Adrian Murray
Cast: Molly Reisman, Sofia Banzhaf, Bessie Cheng, Meelad Moaphi, Dean Tardioli, Erik Anderson
A minor traffic citation spirals into an all-consuming obsession for a neurotic young woman.

Opening with the short film Alex (director Aisha Evelyna, Toronto Premiere)

Saturday, April 1:

2 pm ET – Homegrown Shorts Program 1 – featuring Corvine, Amani, The Untouchable, Junior’s Giant, Soap, Everything Will Be Alright, October 5^th, Quiet Minds Silent Streets

4 pm ET – Homegrown Shorts Program 2 – featuring The Temple, There Was Nothing, Bach Ma, Fursona, Call Me Daddy, No Bedroom, The English Teacher, Desi Time Travel

7 pm ET – Polarized (Drama) – Canadian Premiere
Director: Shamim Sarif
Cast: Holly Deveaux, Maxine Denis, Tara Samuel, Adam Hurtig, Hesham Hammoud, Abraham Asto, Baraka Rahmani
North America, present day. In a fading small town, Lisa goes to work at an ‘urban farm’ – the kind of controlled production that has helped push traditional farms like her family’s out of business. The political climate – leaning against immigrants – feels threatening for the urban farm owners – Dalia and her successful, Muslim family. Weeks before Dalia’s wedding, a heated encounter between the two women exposes deep prejudices and results in Lisa losing her job. But it’s only the start of an unexpected connection between these two women from the same town, but very different worlds. As the pair face a growing attraction, they will have to break the barriers of race, religion and class that separate them, or risk settling for the lives their families have laid out.

Opening with the short film Rachel and Raha (director Nedda Sarshar, Toronto Premiere)

9 pm ET – Wintertide (Drama, Horror, Zombie) – Canadian Premiere (Super Channel Original)
Director: John Barnard
Cast: Niamh Carolan, Solange Sookram, Jeremy Walmsley, Michael O’Sullivan
Beth, a volunteer watch person of an isolated northern city battles a plague of depression that transforms the few remaining residents into empty, zombie-like automatons. She discovers that by entering an alternative dimension through her own dreams, she’s able to stave off the illness during the long, possibly endless winter. But will her power be enough to sustain her?

Opening with the short film Menace (director Joy Webster, Toronto Premiere)

Sunday, April 2: Rebroadcast of winning films (to be announced)

TIFF is delighted to announce the 2023 TIFF Writers’ Studio participants. Now in its 12th year, Writers’ Studio is a collaborative, five-day intensive lab offering Canadian and international screenwriters and writer-directors a space to consolidate skills, exchange ideas, and navigate challenges, while participating in workshops, artist talks, peer-to-peer mentorships, and one-on-one project development consultations guided by industry experts. Writers’ Studio will take place March 20–24, 2023, at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

With more than 200 submissions from around the world, TIFF is proud to announce that the following writers have been selected: Teyama Alkamli, Berkley Brady, Harry Cepka, Luis De Filippis, Idil Ibrahim, Aaron Lucas, Nesaru Tchaas, and Farida Zahran. Five participants from the 2023 class will also be awarded a grant generously supported by CHANEL to further the development of their feature-length script. The selected participants are Teyama Alkamli, Berkley Brady, Luis De Filippis, Idil Ibrahim, and Farida Zahran.

“Programmes like the Writers’ Studio help spark the next generation of storytellers, both in Canada and internationally,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “At TIFF, we are committed to providing professional development and access to the industry, with leading experts to foster new talent. We see the big impact every year.”

This year’s lab will support the development of feature-film scripts through dedicated one-on-one discussions with international story consultants Andrew Ahn, Trey Ellis, Christina Lazaridi, and Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith. Additionally, the participants will engage in daily artist talks and workshops facilitated by renowned filmmakers and industry experts including Ashley Comeau, Brad Fraser, Marilyn McCallum, and Anthony Shim. From the Canadian Film Centre’s CBC Actors Conservatory, alumni including Getenesh Berhe, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, and Araya Mengesha will join for a full-day table read of the projects in development.

As a major supporter of Share Her Journey, the CHANEL Women Writers’ Network provides funding to advance the careers of women and non-binary participants and alumni of TIFF Writers’ Studio. The multi-year program, launched in 2021, includes additional access to script consultants and established screenwriters, peer-to-peer sessions with emerging filmmakers, and a talent summit that allows writers to showcase their work to producers and other industry insiders. CHANEL’s participation extends and enriches TIFF’s support for writers and writer-directors by facilitating the acceleration and development of their projects and by offering opportunities to connect with a diverse network of mentors and peers.

TIFF’s Talent Development programmes are produced by Jane Kim, Industry Programming Producer, and Anita Tavakol, Talent Development Manager, and supported in part by TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative. Now a permanent initiative, Share Her Journey began in 2017 as a five-year campaign and commitment to address gender parity and to champion women in front of and behind the camera through TIFF’s Festival and year-round initiatives.

Now in its second year, the Renee Perlmutter Memorial Fellowship for Literary Adaptation will provide one writer focusing on adapting literary work for the screen with an additional grant toward developing their project. This year’s recipient is Berkley Brady, who is working on an adaptation of the novel The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson.

Notable TIFF Studio alumni include filmmakers Cory Bowles (Black Cop), Romeo Candido (Another Life), Tracey Deer (Beans), Martin Edralin (Islands), Lisa Jackson (Indictment: The Crimes of Shelly Chartier), Molly McGlynn (Mary Goes Round), Fawzia Mirza (Noor & Layla), Jasmin Mozaffari (Firecrackers), Sanja Živković (Easy Land), Silvina Schnicer (Carajita), and Taratoa Stappard (Taumanu). Following their involvement in TIFF Studio, many of these filmmakers have gone on to present their films at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Berlinale, and SXSW.

More here including Participant Bios.

Focus Features will release New Regency‘s acclaimed Telluride Film Festival favorite, THE BIKERIDERS, in theatres on June 21, 2024. Universal Pictures International to handle international distribution.
The highly anticipated crime-epic was written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Today we get a new Trailer!

THE BIKERIDERS, starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy and Norman Reedus, follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.

Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones are producing through Tri-State, the company they share with Nichols, alongside New Regency. Fred Berger is executive producing.

Focus Features’ slate includes Alexander Payne’s THE HOLDOVERS starring Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, along with upcoming titles DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS from Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, BACK TO BLACK about the life and music of Amy Winehouse from director Sam Taylor-Johnson, Robert Eggers’ reimagining of NOSFERATU, Edward Berger’s thriller CONCLAVE, Zelda William’s feature directorial debut LISA FRANKENSTEIN written by Diablo Cody, Kobi Libii’s satrical comedy, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES, Baltasar Kormakur’s TOUCH, and Goran Stolevski’s new feature, HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS, among others.

New Regency’s most recent release was the sci-fi film THE CREATOR, directed by Gareth Edwards. The company’s upcoming titles include a series for Amazon based on their hit 2005 film MR. AND MRS. SMITH and starring two-time Emmy® winner Donald Glover that will premiere on February 2, 2024.
The film is inspired by Danny Lyon’s book of photography.