This week was positively bursting with industry news and dealmaking, in no small part because the Banff World Media Festival was held June 9 to 12. Here are numerous briefs to round out the week’s news fare.

TV Premieres

SHRED!, a new original Canadian factual series (pictured), is to premiere on Discovery July 7. Produced by yap films and developed and produced in association with Discovery Canada, the series explores the world of the hard-core demolition industry, focusing on the crews of maverick engineers and master tradesmen who specialize in dismantling and destroying everything from heavy-duty industrial equipment to hardy electronics to boats and amusement-park rides. The 13 by 30-minute series is distributed internationally by Cineflix International Media. It’s executive producers are Elliott Halpern and Elizabeth Trojian, who is also the series creator. The series producer is Robin Bicknell. It was made with the participation of the Rogers Cable Network Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and documentary channel will premiere the hour-long Dads… June 16, which of course is Father’s Day. The documentary, created by Ian Pierpoint and produced by Vancouver-based The Sound Films, in association with Tabula Dada Productions, the CBC and documentary channel, is billed as an effort to uncover the highs and lows of being a father circa 2013. It is direct by Dave Rees, head of The Sound Films.

Film Production

Laura Dern has joined the cast of Strings, a feature-film location shoot taking place in Manitoba. The indie drama is from Los Angeles-based Strings of Films LLC, a shingle established by the film’s writer-producer Oscar Torres and director-producer Daniel Duran. The on-screen talent includes Maria Bello, Lucas Till and Kherington Payne, among others.

CMPA board

The Canadian Media Production Association elected new members to its board of directors recently. It’s new board looks like this:

B.C.

Rob Bromley (Force Four Entertainment)
Brian Hamilton (Omnifilm Entertainment)
Alexandra Raffé (Thunderbird Films)
Cal Shumiatcher (Paperny Entertainment)

Alberta
Tom Cox (SEVEN24 Films)
Joe Novak (1400 Months)

Saskatchewan
Bob Crowe (Angel Entertainment)

Manitoba
Jamie Brown (Frantic Films)
Kim Todd (Original Pictures)

Ontario
Mark Bishop (marblemedia)
Paul Bronfman (Comweb Group)
David Cormican (Don Carmody Productions)
Sandra Cunningham (Strada Films)
Sari Friedland (Factory Films)
Scott Garvie (Shaftesbury)
Ira Levy (Breakthrough Entertainment)
Margaret O’Brien (Entertainment One)

Quebec
Ina Fichman (Intuitive Pictures)
Arnie Gelbart (Galafilm)
Janis Lundman (Back Alley Film Productions)

Atlantic
Charles Bishop (Six Eleven Media)
David MacLeod (Big Motion Pictures)
Paul Pope (Pope Productions)
Mary Sexton (Rink Rat Productions)

TMN Go carriage

Astral’s The Movie Network announced earlier this week that The Movie Network GO (TMN GO), HBO GO Canada and TMN Encore GO will be available to Source Cable subscribers, effective immediately. Source cable is a privately-owned regional TV service provider based in Hamilton, Ont.