Telefilm Canada New Voices recipients announced

Five screenwriters have been selected for the Toronto Screening Writing Conference’s (TSC) Telefilm Canada New Voices Award. The 2019 recipients are playwright Darren Anthony, Tony Faria, comedian Lauren Greenwood, ME studios founder Jennifer Irons and director James Stewart. Award winners receive a free pass to the annual conference and a meeting with Telefilm executives, conference speakers, TSC founder and Meridian Artists president Glenn Cockburn and members of the TSC advisory committee. This year’s conference guests include Lost and Jack Ryan showrunner Carlton Cruse, CMF president and CEO Valerie Creighton and Halt and Catch Fire co-creator Christopher Cantwell.

Wolf Joe begins production

Production is underway on the animated series Wolf Joe. The series is produced by Amberwood Entertainment and Media RendezVous and follows a First Nations boy named Joe who explores his Indigenous culture and identity. It is created by executive producer Alexander Bar and was in development with TVO. Dave Courchene, the Anishinabe elder and knowledge keeper, will serve as a spiritual advisor. Media RendezVous’ Charles Clement is a producer, while Amberwood’s Sheldon Wiseman is an executive producer. The series is set to air in 2020 on TVOkids, TVOkids.ca, SRO, TFO and Knowledge Network. FilmOption is the distributor.

WIFT-T Showcase winners announced

The winners of the 10th annual Women in Film and Television – Toronto (WIFT-T) Showcase have been selected. Karen Chapman and Danardo Jones have picked up Best Screenplay for the film Lessons Injustice (pictured), which includes visits to the writer’s rooms of CBC shows Kim’s Convenience and Coroner as well as a $2,500 cash prize. Best of Showcase was awarded to Lina Roessler’s Mustard Seed. Roessler and producer Fabian Martin’s prize includes postproduction services at Deluxe, a meeting with a Mongrel Media exec and a $2,000 cash prize. Finally, the Audience Choice was awarded to Chrisann Hessing’s Turning Tables. Hessing and producer Tanya Hoshi will also receive a prize that includes a $2,500 equipment rental voucher and a $1,000 cash prize.

The CW sets Burden of Truth‘s return

Burden of Truth will return to The CW this June as part of the U.S. net’s summer programming. Set to debut on June 2 at 8 p.m., The CW first announced it had picked up season two of the legal drama this October. Season one of the show also previously aired as part of the network’s summer lineup last year, debuting that July. Produced by ICF Films, Eagle Vision and Entertainment One (eOne), the show stars Smallville‘s Kristin Kreuk as a big-city lawyer who returns to her hometown to take on what seems to be a straightforward case. Last month, CBC announced that it had renewed the show for a third season. eOne holds the worldwide rights to Burden of Truth.

Canadians set to head to Cannes 2019

Six producers will represent Canada at the Marche du Film at the 72nd Festival de Cannes. Set to take part in this year’s Producers Network Breakfast are Avi Federgreen from Federgreen Entertainment (Ontario); Felize Frappier from Max Films Media (Quebec); Nicole Robert from Go Films (Quebec); Simone Urdl from The Film Farm (Ontario); Aonan Yang from Greenground Productions (Quebec); and Justin Oakey from Black River Pictures (Newfoundland). The event will be held at the Plage des Palmes on May 19 at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CET.

Meanwhile, up-and-coming talent will also be featured as part of the Marche’s Doc Corner. Projects headed to France include director/producer Polina Teif’s Eulogy for the Dead Sea; Damascus Dreams from producer Audrey-Anne Dupuis Pierre and director Emilie Serri; director/producer Marlene Edoyan’s La mer entre nous; and finally, Finding Sally from producer Isabelle Couture and director Tamara Dawit. All four Canadian projects, which are directed and produced by women, will be pitched at this year’s Canadian Showcase, which takes place on May 18 at 10 a.m. CET.

With files by Lauren Malyk

Image courtesy Caribbean Tales Film Festival