Maudie wins Best Feature at Women’s Image Awards

Canada/Ireland copro Maudie (pictured) picked up the best feature prize at the 19th Annual Women’s Image Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 10. The awards aim to advance gender parity by honouring filmmakers whose work progresses the image of women in cinema. Maudie‘s director Aisling Walsh was also nominated for best director, while star Sally Hawkins got an outstanding actress nod. Maudie is based on the lives of Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis (played by Sally Hawkins) and her husband Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke). The film is currently nominated for seven Canadian Screen Awards, including best motion picture and six Irish Film & Television Awards, including best film. Maudie is produced by Bob Cooper and Mary Young Leckie of Toronto’s Solo Productions, Mary Sexton of Newfoundland’s Rink Rat Productions and Susan Mullen of Dublin’s Parallel Films. The film is distributed by Mongrel Media International and Sony Pictures Classics.

North of 60 returns to APTN

After being off the air for a little over a decade, APTN is bringing the complete North of 60 series back to television screens. The series, which originally ran for six seasons on CBC beginning in 1992, follows the day-to-day lives of the inhabitants of the fictional community of Lynx River. APTN acquired non-exclusive broadcast rights for the series, and is set to begin airing all six seasons in consecutive order starting Feb. 19. According to a release, an online petition to bring the show back garnered 1,500 signatures, while a Facebook fan page has more than 4,000 subscribers. North of 60 was created and produced by Barbara Samuels and Wayne Grigsby. It stars Tina Keeper, Tom Jackson, Tracey Cook, Gordon Tootoosis and Gerry Bean.

Marie-Christine Jean named MELS sales director, postproduction, picture & sound

Montreal-based MELS Studios and Postproduction has named Marie-Christine Jean as the company’s sales director, postproduction, picture and sound. In her new position, Jean will work to develop new clientele for the company. Jean will work under the supervision of Paul Bellerose, vice president of sales and business development, prostproduction, picture and sound. Prior to joining MELS, she was a general manager at Peak Media and previously a director of operations and post-production at Peak.

Amazon Adventure takes home a Lumiere Award

SK Films’ Amazon Adventure has won the award for Best 3D Documentary Motion Picture at the Lumiere Awards. Presented by the Advanced Imaging Society, the awards honour international achievement in immersive storytelling using advanced visual technologies. The Toronto company’s Amazon Adventure follows explorer Henry Bates’ 11-year journey through the Amazon rainforest. Coproducers on the film include the U.K.’s Picture Projects and Brazil’s Aventuras Produções. The 2018 Lumiere awards were held on Feb. 12 in Los Angeles.

Karleen Pendleton Jiménez adapting her How to Get a Girl Pregnant novel

Author Karleen Pendleton Jiménez is partnering with animator Barb Taylor to adapt her memoir How to Get a Girl Pregnant into a web series pilot. Published by Tightrope Books in 2011, How to Get a Girl Pregnant follows Karleen as she attempts to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. The web series is being supported by the Ontario Media Development Corporation and Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT). Pendleton Jiménez and Taylor have previously collaborated on the short film Tomboy.