Focus Features announced today it will be releasing Bugonia, the latest film from acclaimed director Yorgos Lanthimos, for a special limited engagement on October 24th, ahead of a wide expansion on October 31st. The weeklong cinematic event will feature screenings of the film, which was shot in VistaVision, at select locations in New York and Los Angeles.

Bugonia stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. Lanthimos directs from a screenplay by Will Tracy whose recent credits include The Menu and Succession. Lanthimos is an internationally renowned, five-time Academy Award®-nominated director, producer, and screenwriter known for such visionary films as Poor Things, The Favourite, and The Lobster.

Bugonia sees two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced she is an alien intent on destroying Planet Earth. The film is produced by Element Pictures’ Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe; Yorgos Lanthimos via Pith; Emma Stone via Fruit Tree; Square Peg’s Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen; and CJ ENM’s Miky Lee and Jerry Kyoungboum Ko.

The new Bugonia release plan comes as Focus continues to solidify its slate for the fall. Last week, the company set late 2025 release dates for Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, and Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. Other upcoming films include Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme; Ronan Day-Lewis’ feature debut Anemone, starring and co-written by Daniel Day-Lewis; Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t!, starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Evans; and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the final installment of the global hit franchise.

About Focus Features
Focus Features’ upcoming slate includes auteur-driven works like Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, featuring an all-star ensemble led by Benicio del Toro; Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons; Ronan Day-Lewis’ directorial debut Anemone, starring and co-written by Daniel Day-Lewis; Song Sung Blue, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson; Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, based the New York Times bestselling novel, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley; Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t!, starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Evans; and the highly anticipated final chapter of the global franchise Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, among others. Focus’ recent releases include Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini; Robert Eggers’ reimagining of Nosferatu, starring Bill Skarsgård; and Steven Soderbergh’s spy drama Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender

Telefilm Canada has announced the titles of 12 feature-length films receiving a total of $17,750,000 in funding, under its Production Program for the French market, in both the big budget and low budget streams.

The selected projects appeal to a wide range of audiences, from children’s films and historical dramas to comedies and dramas. This represents 65 per cent of Telefilm’s annual budget for financing French-language films. The balance of the budget will be allocated following the second application deadline.

Ce qu’on respire sur Tatouine (comedy) 
Screenwriter and director: Ian Lagarde 
Production: Gabrielle Tougas Fréchette 
Distribution: Maison 4:3 and Best Friend Forever 

Créatures du hasard (drama) 
Screenwriter and director: Nadine Gomez 
Production: Rocio Barba Fuentes and Giacomo Nudi 
Distribution: H264  

Folichonneries (comedy) 
Screenwriters: Alexandre Auger and Éric K. Boulianne 
Director: Éric K. Boulianne  
Production: Hany Ouichou, Laurie Pominville and Éric K. Boulianne 
Distribution: Entract Films 

Hantée (comedy) 
Screenwriter: India Desjardins 
Director: Rafaël Ouellet 
Production: Guillaume Lespérance 
Distribution: Immina Films 

Histoire de fous (action/adventure) 
Screenwriter: Émilie Rosas 
Directors: Émilie Rosas and Christine Dallaire-Dupont 
Production: Nancy Florence Savard 
Distribution: Maison 4:3 

La fille du manguier (drama) 
Screenwriter and director: Marilyn Cooke  
Production: Kélyna N. Lauzier 
Distribution: H264

Le prince (mystery/crime/police) 
Screenwriter and director: Nicolas Krief 
Production: Julie Groleau, Toufik Ayadi, and Christophe Barral  
Distribution: H264
*Canada/France Coproduction

Le sablier (drama)  
Screenwriter and director: ​ Kim Nguyen  
Production:​ Pierre Even  
Distribution: ​Les Films Opale  
*Canada/Spain Coproduction

Les filles du Roy (historical drama) 
Screenwriters: Pascal Plante and Dominique Dussault 
Director: Pascal Plante 
Production: Dominique Dussault and Stéphanie Morissette 
Distribution: Entract Films   
*Canada/France  Coproduction

Pauline Julien : Femme pays (historical drama) 
Screenwriters: Véronique Côté and Anaïs Barbeau-Lavallette
Director: Anaïs Barbeau-Lavallette 
Production: Étienne Hansez 
Distribution: Axia Films 

Sortie de zone (comedy) 
Screenwriter: Jean-François Léger 
Directors: Louis Morissette and Rachel Graton 
Production: Marie-Claude Beaulieu and Louis-Philippe Drolet 
Distribution: Les Films Opale / KO Distribution 

Violence du corps de l’autre (drama) 
Screenwriter and director: Denis Côté 
Production: Guillaume Vasseur 
Distribution: H264  

Telefilm continues to receive an increasing number of applications for its Production Program year after year. To date, a total of 85 applications were assessed under the big budget and low budget streams in the French market, representing over $131 million in funding requests. Telefilm will announce other funding decisions, including films titles in the English-language market, in the coming weeks. Statistics on all films funded in the year will be published in the 2025-2026 Annual Report.

An advisory committee composed of external and internal representatives has evaluated the projects and made its recommendations. The decision-making process is designed to ensure that Telefilm funds a balanced production portfolio reflecting a variety of genres, budgets, company sizes, regions of the country, and perspectives. A list of the selection committee members will be posted on Telefilm’s Project Financing Advisory Committees page once all funding decisions have been made.

About Telefilm Canada

As a Partner of Choice, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation dedicated to the success of Canada’s audiovisual industry, fostering access and excellence by delivering programs that support cultural resonance and audience engagement. With a lens of equity, inclusivity and sustainability, Telefilm bolsters dynamic companies and a range of creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund raises private donations which principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on LinkedIn,  X, Facebook,  Instagram and Letterboxd.  

Continue to Stream Canadian in May on nfb.ca! This month, explore two new documentaries from Yukon and British Columbia. Each in its own way offers an inspiring perspective:

In Saturday, by Jessica Hall, the filmmaker explores the joyful, creative life of her sister, who has an intellectual disability.

Incandescence, by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper, leads us to a new understanding of massive wildfires, a worldwide challenge.

May is also Asian Heritage Month in Canada, which will be celebrated with a rich themed channel. The NFB wants to highlight the importance of sharing the distinctive stories and important contributions of people from Asian communities across the country. This is all the more crucial in the wake of the terrible attack on Vancouver’s Filipino-Canadian community on April 26, Lapu-Lapu Day.

In addition, a blog post in conjunction with Mental Health Week (May 5–11) will explore animation filmmakers’ perspectives on the subject.

Is Montreal on your itinerary? Starting Thursday, May 8, stop by the Alanis Obomsawin Theatre in the Quartier des Spectacles to enjoy a few gems from the NFB’s collection on the big screen, at the Hello Film! series. Free films, first-come, first-wowed!

Remember, nfb.ca is home to more than 7,000 streaming films and a collection of over 100 interactive works.

NEW ONLINE RELEASES

Starting May 16

Saturday by Jessica Hall (2025, NFB)
Documentary (13 min 8 s) / Press kit

Filmmaker Jessica Hall’s sister Katherine manages her intellectual disability by leading an independent, creative and joyful life. Saturday documents her story. An inspiring tribute to a daughter and mother’s close and supportive relationship.
The film has been screened at a number of Canadian festivals, including the Available Light Film Festival in Whitehorse, where it was shot.

Starting May 26

Incandescence by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper (2024, NFB)
Documentary (105 min 22 s) / Press kit

Wildfires are burning with increasing intensity around the world. Following the rhythms of the seasons, the film is an immersive cinematic experience, weaving on-the-ground footage with extraordinary stories of survival and adaptation that transform our understanding of wildfire. From the flightpath of bees to an osprey’s aerial perspective, floating over the landscape: the Earth comes back.
The doc has been selected for festivals in Canada and the US, including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. This spring, it played at sold-out screenings across British Columbia.
Incandescence will be shown in Montreal on Thursday, May 22,* as part of the Hello Film! series at the NFB’s Alanis Obomsawin Theatre.

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

THEMED CHANNEL AND BLOG POSTS

Marking Asian Heritage Month

Channel: Asian-Canadian Perspectives

Watch close to 30 NFB animated films and documentaries that centre around Asian communities and stories told from Asian perspectives. The selection includes Eisha Marjara’s Am I the skinniest person you’ve ever seen?, which won the prestigious Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

Celebrating the NFB’s 86th anniversary

English Collection Curator Camilo Martín-Flórez is publishing a new blog post on April 30.
“The NFB: 86 Years, 7,000+ Awards… and Counting!” celebrates the NFB’s anniversary on May 2 by taking a deep dive into its long list of awards—a staggering total of more than 7,000 honours received between 1941 and 2025!

Marking Mental Health Week (May 5–11)

French Collection Curator Marc St-Pierre will publish the blog post “An Animated Journey into Mental Health,” available soon.

In it, he explores a variety of perspectives on the subject, drawn from several animated films. A few examples: Zeb’s Spider by Alicia Eisen and Sophie Jarvis, The Great Malaise by Catherine Lepage, I Am Here by Eoin Duffy, The Head Vanishes by Franck Dion, Mystery of the Secret Room by Wanda Nolan, LOCA by Véronique Paquette, Lipsett Diaries by Theodore Ushev and Animal Behaviour by Alison Snowden and David Fine.

HELLO FILM! – FREE SCREENINGS IN MONTREAL

Free admission (reservations required)
Details: events.nfb.ca/hello-film-free-screenings-at-the-nfb

Each of the films below will be preceded by a short to open the program.

Marking Asian Heritage Month
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 7 p.m.: The Apology by Tiffany Hsiung (104 min)

The film follows three former “comfort women” who were among the 200,000 girls and young women kidnapped and forced into military sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

Marking the International Day of Families
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 7 p.m.: Seguridad by Tamara Segura (76 min)

Once dubbed “Cuba’s youngest soldier” in a militia publicity stunt, Tamara Segura uncovers family secrets and portrays her troubled relationship with her father.

Marking International Day for Biological Diversity
*Thursday, May 22, 2025, 7 p.m.: Incandescence by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper (105 min 22 s)

See the announcement about the film’s May 26 online premiere on nfb.ca.

Looking ahead to Father’s Day in June
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 7 p.m.: Sons by Justin Simms (70 min)

As Donald Trump is elected to a first term in 2016, a first-time dad wrestles with traditional methods of raising boys. How do we teach our boys to become better men?

The Hello Film! series will continue through July 31, with more films to discover or rediscover.

At the NFB’s Alanis Obomsawin Theatre
1500 Balmoral Street
Montreal
Place-des-Arts Metro

Accessible to persons with reduced mobility.

Hollywood Suite invites you to stay awhile this June with the exclusive broadcast premiere of Hell Motel, the highly anticipated new eight-episode limited horror series from Slasher creators Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter. Featuring Emmy® Award-winner Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, Departure), Paula Brancati (Slasher), Shaun Benson (The Boys), Atticus Mitchell (The Hardy Boys), Emmanuel Kabongo (Murdoch Mysteries), Jim Watson (Slasher) and Genevieve DeGraves (Slasher), the first episode of the Shudder original series, Hell Motel, will premiere in Canada on June 13, 2025 at 9pm ET. Additional episodes will then premiere weekly on Tuesdays beginning June 17 2025, and will be available on Hollywood Suite On Demand.

Horror fans are also invited to attend a FREE advance screening of the first episode of Hell Motel on June 13 at Revue Cinema in Toronto, featuring scary surprises and a special Q&A with select cast and crew. Tickets are first come, first served, so follow @hollywoodsuite and @revuecinema for updates in the coming days.

The new series follows a group of 10 true crime obsessives, who are invited to the opening weekend of the newly renovated Cold River Motel. The site of a 30-year-old unsolved satanic mass murder, history soon repeats itself at the motel when the guests are stranded and start getting knocked off one by one, in increasingly gruesome ways.

“We are thrilled to be the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of Hell Motel,” said Suzanne Marshall, Hollywood Suite Senior Manager, Programming. “With a chilling new setting and story, Aaron and Ian have delivered all of the terrifying scares and gore that genre fans have come to expect. We can’t wait for viewers to discover it this June!”

“Our ongoing partnership with Hollywood Suite means that we get to keep bringing Canadian-made horror to fans who love something fresh and fearless,” said Christina Jennings, Chairman and President of Shaftesbury. “Hell Motel is another great example of what we can do together – creating bold, genre-pushing horror that builds on our past successes and takes things in exciting new directions.”

Eric McCormack leads the cast in the role of Hemmingway, a chef with a wickedly sinister flair. He’s joined by fellow motel guests Paige (Paula Brancati), a former actress and scream queen looking to revive her career; Crow (Shaun Benson), a new-age medium with an apparent connection to the massacre’s victims; Blake (Atticus Mitchell), a true crime writer; Kawayan (Emmanuel Kabongo), a talented artist with a dark focus on murder; Andy (Jim Watson), an academic at the forefront of contemporary true crime studies; and Adriana (Genevieve DeGraves), a flight attendant with several notorious serial killer notches on her bedpost.

Canadian drag superstar and winner of Canada’s Drag Race Season 2, Icesis Couture, makes a guest appearance as Magenta, a stylish real estate agent who sells the Coldwater Motel to new owners Ruby (Brynn Godenir) and Portia (Michelle Nolden).

Hell Motel is a Shudder Original Series, developed and produced by Shaftesbury, in association with Hollywood Suite, with the financial participation of the Bell Fund. The series is created and executive produced by
The series is created and executive produced by Aaron Martin and showrunner Ian Carpenter. Additional executive producers include Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie and director Adam MacDonald. AMC Networks holds distribution rights.

Yonge Street Theatricals (Linda Barnett & Natalie Bartello) is thrilled that two of its current Broadway productions, the highly celebrated musicals Buena Vista Social Club and Maybe Happy Ending, both received 2025 Tony Award Nominations for Best Musical this morning.

In total, Buena Vista Social Club and Maybe Happy Ending combined for 20 nominations across all categories.Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, the 78th Annual Tony Awards will return to the legendary Radio City Music Hallin New York City on Sunday, June 8.

Yonge Street’s acclaimed new musical LIFE AFTER is also currently playing at Toronto’s storied CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre. Following rave reviews and an extension due to popular demand, the show plays through next Saturday, May 10 only.

LIFE AFTER first debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in Summer 2016. It features a book, music & lyrics by Britta Johnson, one of Canada’s most acclaimed young musical theatre writers, and is directed by Annie Tippe.

Canadian critics raved:

“Britta Johnson’s astounding chamber work is brought to life in a slick production with a knockout cast. Sonically, her score is more akin to the works of Sondheim – dense, layered and richly coloured. Annie Tippe’s slick production, moving between scenes with dreamlike ease, pays close attention to the smallest of details. Isabella Esler, onstage for the entirety of Johnson’s 90-minute musical, is superb. And she’s surrounded by an ensemble cast that’s equally strong.”- Toronto Star

“At its core, LIFE AFTER is a poignant and powerful exploration of grief – one of those rare experiences that is both universal and at the same time unique and deeply personal. Johnson, Tippe, and company manage to deftly capture both of those elements in this musical – bringing a sense of familiarity and authenticity without ever relying on tropes or shortcuts as they explore this complex theme. It’s as if Johnson trusts her audience to feel and experience this piece, rather than simply watch it. Her book rewards them with many a warm, hearty laugh to accompany the tears. The humour in the show is such an authentic part of grief and, I suspect, is a huge reason why it works so well.” – BroadwayWorld

“The show’s tender excavation of grief’s ambiguities hasn’t lost any power in its transfer to a bigger house; in fact, it’s clearer than ever.” – Intermission Magazine 

LIFE AFTER is the celebrated and luminous musical that played Toronto’s Canadian Stage and Musical Stage Company in 2017 in a sold-out run at the Berkeley Street Theatre. It was subsequently produced at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre and Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Now it returns to Toronto’s CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre in a major new production helmed by Tony Award and Olivier Award-winning producers Yonge Street Theatricals for a strictly limited engagement.

Despite being a famous self-help author, Frank Carter’s optimistic advice offers little solace to his 16-year-olddaughter, Alice. After his untimely death, Alice embarks on a quest for truth, unravelling the events that changed her family forever. Filled with heart, and extraordinary music, the show offers a powerful exploration of love, memory, and the journey of moving forward.

LIFE AFTER is a “stirring, fully original” (Chicago Tribune) new musical, “exquisite from start to finish” (BroadwayWorld) that moves through the complexities of life with wit, humour and grace.

LIFE AFTER‘s cast features Isabella Esler (First National Tour of Beetlejuice the Musical) with Jake Epstein (Beautiful and Spider-Man Broadway), Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful, Jesus Christ Superstar and Mamma Mia! Broadway) and Mariand Torres (Lempicka and Wicked Broadway). Alongside them, Valeria Ceballos (First National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen), Jay Davis (Dear Evan Hansen Mirvish), Kaylee Harwood (First National Tour Beautiful, Titanique (Mirvish/Segal)), Arinea Hermans (Pollyanna Theatre Aquarius), Isidora Kecman (The Louder We Get Theatre Calgary), Zoë O’Connor (Frozen Neptune Theatre), Eva Petris (Mamma Mia! Thousand Islands Playhouse) and Julia Pulo (Original Canadian cast of Six).

LIFE AFTER’s creative team includes Ann Yee (choreography), Lynne Shankel (music supervisor / orchestrations & arrangements), Tony Award winner Todd Rosenthal (scenic design), Tony Award nominee Sarafina Bush (costume design), five-time Tony Award nominee Japhy Weideman (lighting design), Tony Award winner Kai Harada (sound design), Haley Parcher (sound design), Greg Dougherty and Wendy Churton (production managers),and Kate Sandeson (production stage manager). Canadian Casting by Dayton Walters Casting and New York Casting by Tara Rubin Casting.

We checked it out recently. More here:

Tickets are available now at mirvish.com/shows/life-after.

(Photo credit: Michael Cooper)

Krispy Kreme Canada is proud to announce that it is bringing its iconic Original Glazed Doughnuts® to Hamilton this spring, marking the first location in the city and another sweet milestone for the brand!

Opening on May 13, 2025 at 1290 Rymal Road East, the new shop will be Krispy Kreme Canada’s new Hamilton home and promises more than just doughnuts. The 4,600-square-foot space will include the brand’s signature Hot Light Theatre Shop, where guests can watch doughnuts being made fresh throughout the day. The shop will also feature a drive-thru for added convenience, making it easy to swing by for a dozen Original Glazed Doughnut® or a coffee on the go.

“Hamilton has such an incredible sense of community, pride, and momentum and we’re thrilled to become a part of it,” said Chris Lindsay, Co-CEO at Krispy Kreme Canada. “We can’t wait to introduce the magic of our hot, melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts to Hamilton!”

The new location is another step in Krispy Kreme Canada’s ongoing growth, as the brand continues to expand its presence and connect with more communities across Ontario and beyond. To celebrate the grand opening, guests can look forward to a variety of fresh treats and exciting giveaways. Plus, the first 12 guests in line will receive a coveted Golden Ticket, each redeemable for a free dozen Original Glazed doughnuts every month for an entire year.

Krispy Kreme Canada’s arrival in Hamilton means more than just fresh doughnuts; it also means new local jobs. Hiring is already underway, and the team is looking for enthusiastic, community-minded people to join the crew. Interested applicants can check out current opportunities at krispykreme.ca/recruiting-hamilton.

Connect with Krispy Kreme Canada:

Website: www.krispykreme.ca

Instagram: @krispykremecan

Facebook: @KrispyKremeCanada

X: @krispykremecan

About Krispy Kreme Canada
For over 85 years, Krispy Kreme has been delighting doughnut lovers with its world-famous Original Glazed® doughnuts. The Krispy Kreme experience first came to Canada on December 11, 2001, with the opening of our first shop in Mississauga, Ontario, followed shortly by our debut in Quebec with a location in Montreal. Since then, Krispy Kreme Canada has become a beloved destination for Canadians looking to enjoy hot, fresh doughnuts and premium coffee. Today, Krispy Kreme Canada proudly operates and owns 19 locations nationwide and continues to grow. To learn more, visit www.krispykreme.ca.

About Krispy Kreme
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Krispy Kreme is one of the most beloved and well-known sweet treat brands in the world. Our iconic Original Glazed® doughnut is universally recognized for its hot-off-the-line, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Krispy Kreme operates in 40 countries through its unique network of fresh doughnut shops, partnerships with leading retailers, and a rapidly growing digital business with more than 17,500 fresh points of access. Our purpose of touching and enhancing lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme guides how we operate every day and is reflected in the love we have for our people, our communities, and the planet. Connect with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts at www.krispykreme.com and follow us on social: X, Instagram and Facebook.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, we get a first look at photos for the upcoming Yan Dining Room x Good Behaviour dinner, taking place Saturday, May 11, 2025 at longtime institution, Hong Shing.

This one-night-only collaboration brings together three chefs blending nostalgic flavours with serious culinary technique. The $148 eight-course menu features over 15 thoughtful bites inspired by Chinese and Italian traditions—designed to celebrate the women who shape us and the food that brings us home.

While Good Behaviour is best known for its cult-favourite ice cream and sandwiches, the team behind it—Chef Michael Lam and Eric Chow—bring a wealth of fine dining experience, with past roles at The Modern (NYC), Quay (Sydney), Il Covo, Luckee, and The Broadview Hotel.

Expect a menu that’s both comforting and refined, with highlights like:

•YDR’s rhubarb char siu bbq glazed duck paired with GB’s chicken liver and rhubarb macaron

•YDR’s braised radishes with mom’s chili crisp paired with GB’s scallop and potato tartlet

•YDR’s shrimp stuffed asparagus with xo sauce paired with GB’s strawberry and montenegro ricotta crostini

•A limited-edition ma lai goh ice cream created just for this dinner [see here]

Reservations are available via Tock: HERE

CBC today announced the renewal of popular original homegrown dramas including CBC’s most-watched new series SAINT-PIERRE for a second season, as well as Canadian Screen Award-nominated series ALLEGIANCE for a third season and enduring hits HEARTLAND and MURDOCH MYSTERIES for their 19th seasons. CBC original blue sky procedural WILD CARDS has also been renewed for seasons three and four. In the past year, all five dramas were among the Top 20 Canadian programs on television, and within the Top 10 series on CBC Gem. Additional CBC renewals across all genres and content areas will be announced later this spring.

“With the renewal of these five hit dramas offering compelling characters, unique stories and a strong sense of place from different regions across Canada, CBC will continue to showcase homegrown storytelling that audiences can’t find anywhere else,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC.

Police procedural SAINT-PIERRE (12×60 in Season 2) was CBC’s #1 most-watched new series of the year and one of the top Canadian drama series nationwide. From creators Allan Hawco, Robina Lord-Stafford and Perry Chafe, the series stars Hawco and Josephine Jobert as two seasoned officers – with very different policing skills and approaches – working together to solve unique and exciting crimes in the French territory of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon. The series is produced by Hawco Productions in association with FIFTH SEASON, which handles global distribution. Production to begin this spring in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, France.

Set and filmed in Vancouver, WILD CARDS (10×60 for both Seasons 3 and 4) is a blue sky procedural with a comedic twist that follows the unlikely duo of a by-the-book, sardonic cop Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) and a spirited, clever con woman Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) who are partnered together to solve crimes. From Blink49 Studios, Front Street Pictures and Piller/Segan in association with The CW, the series is created by Michael Konyves with international distribution handled by FIFTH SEASON. Konyves recently won the 2025 WGC Screenwriting Award in the Drama Series category for his writing on WILD CARDS.

Created by Anar Ali (Transplant), ALLEGIANCE (10×60 in Season 3) is a character-driven police procedural set in Surrey, BC, about identity and belonging, policing and politics, and finding new paths to truth and justice for all. The series is nominated for eight Canadian Screen Awards including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Performer for Supinder Wraich and Best Supporting Performer for Enrico Colantoni, and is produced by Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Set against the glorious backdrop of the foothills of Alberta, HEARTLAND (10×60 in Season 19) is a multi-generational family drama that is much loved by fans of all ages in Canada and around the world. Based on the bestselling series of books by Lauren Brooke, the series follows Amy Fleming (Amber Marshall) and her family as they deal with the challenges of running the Heartland Ranch that has been with them for generations. Star Michelle Morgan is nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the category of Best Lead Performer. The long-running series is produced by Dynamo Films and SEVEN24 Films.

Available in more than 120 countries and territories around the world, MURDOCH MYSTERIES (21×60 in Season 19) is set in Toronto in the early 1900s during the age of invention, where Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) enlists innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city’s most perplexing murders. The much-loved series has received 10 Canadian Screen Award nominations including a Best Lead Performer nomination for Hélène Joy and Best Supporting Performer nods for Jonny Harris, Daniel Maslany and Clare McConnell, and is produced by Shaftesbury in association with ITV Studios and UKTV and distributed by Shaftesbury Sales Company and ITV Studios.

HEARTLAND, MURDOCH MYSTERIES and WILD CARDS are also nominated for the 2025 Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award, which will be announced as part of THE 2025 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS. Hosted by Canadian actress and creator Lisa Gilroy, the awards show will stream live in its entirety on Sunday, June 1 beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBC Gem. THE 2025 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS is Canada’s biggest night in entertainment, with legendary icons and rising stars coming together to honour the very best in homegrown film and television.

Source:

TV: Numeris TV Meter, 9/30/2024 – 4/6/2025, Total TV English, Ind.2+, M-Su 2a-2a, Total Canada, AMA, generated by Instar.

CBC Gem: Adobe Analytics, CBC Production, OTT Segment, On-Demand Programs, Content Starts, Content Time Spent, 10/6/24 – 4/19/25.

After closing the chapter on his Mathematics series, Ed Sheeran is finally back and stepping boldly into a fresh new phase for 2025. An artist known for constantly evolving, Sheeran’s latest album, ‘PLAY’ finds him exploring new musical ground through collaboration with producers and musicians from around the world, as well as diving deeper into the timeless sounds and themes that have made him one of the world’s best-loved pop artists. Inspired in part by his exposure to Indian and Persian musical cultures—and their surprising connections to the Irish folk tradition he grew up with, through shared scales, rhythms, and melodies—he explored this borderless musical language, giving the album its distinctive, fresh edge. On more familiar ground, Sheeran also reminds us why he remains the most influential singer-songwriter of his generation, delivering a series of stunning ballads and acoustic-driven songs. The result is a collection that plays with both the familiar and the new, creating a bold, pop-driven sound that only Ed Sheeran could deliver — a vibrant showcase of his artistry that feels both exciting and transformative, and promises to be one of the defining albums of the year.

Ed said…”Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life. Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring. I made this record all over the world, finished it in Goa, India, and had some of the most fun, explorative creative days of my life. It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, it encapsulates everything that I love about music, and the fun in it, but also where I am in life as a human, a partner, a father. Going into this album campaign I said to myself ‘I just want everything I do to be fun and playful’ – so that’s why we are building pubs for folk jams, doing gigs on open top buses and singing in pink cowboy hats on bars. The older I get the more I just want to enjoy things, and savour the moments that are mad and chaotic. You can preorder play now, many many more playful things to come before it’s out x”

After the release of his global, hedonistic, technicolor pop hit ’Azizam’, Sheeran gets nostalgic on his brand new single ‘Old Phone’, narrating the disorienting act of reconnecting with his past. Powering up an old phone unused since 2015, he unearths messages from a lost friend, an argument with an ex, and distant family, highlighting how time and separation reshape identity. Blending nostalgic acoustic melodies with raw emotion, the song recalls Ed’s early songwriting roots while exploring growth and memory, capturing an artist that is shaped and transformed by his past ‘Old Phone’ has been produced by Blake Slatkin & Ilya Salmanzadeh.

‘PLAY’ will be released on 12th September 2025. (Pre-order here). 

To mark the occasion he has released a new single ‘Old Phone’  (Listen here). 

Today, Prime Video released the official trailer and key art for the upcoming thrilling crime drama The Better Sister, starring Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks. All eight episodes of the highly anticipated limited series produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Tomorrow Studios (part of ITV Studios) will premiere on Thursday, May 29, 2025 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The Better Sister, based on the book by bestselling author Alafair Burke, is an 8-episode electric thriller limited series about the terrible things that drive sisters apart and ultimately bring them back together. Chloe (Jessica Biel), a high-profile media executive, lives a picturesque life with her handsome lawyer husband Adam (Corey Stoll) and teenage son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan) by her side while her estranged sister Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) struggles to make ends meet and stay clean. When Adam is brutally murdered, the prime suspect sends shockwaves through the family, reuniting the two sisters as they try to untangle a complicated family history to discover the truth behind his death.

The series stars Jessica Biel as Chloe Taylor, Elizabeth Banks as Nicky Macintosh, Corey Stoll as Adam Macintosh, Kim Dickens as Detective Nancy Guidry, Maxwell Acee Donovan as Ethan Macintosh, Bobby Naderi as Detective Matt Bowen, Gabriel Sloyer as Jake Rodriguez, Gloria Reuben as Michelle Sanders, with Matthew Modine as Bill Braddock, and Lorraine Toussaint as Catherine Lancaster.

The Better Sister is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Tomorrow Studios (part of ITV Studios). Olivia Milch (Ocean’s 8) and Regina Corrado (Mayor of Kingstown) are executive producers and showrunners. Series director Craig Gillespie (Pam & Tommy) and Annie Marter are executive producers through Fortunate Jack Productions alongside executive producers Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, and Alissa Bachner through Tomorrow Studios (One Piece), Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Purple, and Kerry Orent.