Crave brings Once Were Brothers release forward

With the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to evolve, Bell Media has moved up the OTT release of the Daniel Roher-directed documentary Once Were Brothers, Robbie Robertson and The Band to today (April 3). As well, the 100-minute doc, which opened Toronto International Film Festival in the fall, will receive its world TV premiere on Crave’s pay-TV channel on Friday, April 10 at 7 p.m.

The switch to OTT comes after the doc’s theatrical release in the U.S. via Magnolia was ended by the COVID-19 pandemic last month. With cinemas across the U.S. closed for the forseeable future, Magnolia is releasing the film on demand in the U.S. today as well.

Produced by White Pine Pictures, Bell Media Studios, Polygram Entertainment and Imagine Documentaries, the project documents Robertson’s young life and the creation of one of The Band.

“With so many Canadians currently at home, it’s the perfect time to take a break and go on a journey revisiting the story of one of Canada’s larger-than-life cultural icons,” said Bell Media president Randy Lennox in a statement.

Wattpad, Shaw Rocket Fund partner on writing contest for self-isolating teens

Wattpad and the Shaw Rocket Fund are looking to inspire teenage storytellers through a new screenwriting competition. Launched today, the competition tasks young writers (aged 13 to 17) with writing a Wattpad story they would like to see adapted into a movie. According to Wattpad, 13-to-17-year olds make up around 40% of Wattpad’s Canadian users. As well, Wattpad said its research indicates that 52% of the Gen Z age group in Canada are seeking better representation in today’s media landscape. The winner will receive a one-on-one mentoring session with an acclaimed screenwriter, to be named at a later date.

“In an unprecedented time where teens across the country are isolating in their homes, we are so pleased to work with Wattpad and their exceptional platform to launch this fantastic program to engage and celebrate the creativity of Canadian teens,” said Agnes Augustin, president and CEO of the Shaw Rocket Fund.

Food Network Canada, so.da turn to baking in self isolation

As Canadians continue to find activities to keep themselves occupied during self isolation, Corus Entertainment has launched a new series that aims to tap into the baking boom. Food Network Canada and so.da have launched a new short-form series called The Substitute Baker, which offers creative solutions for people dealing with a shortage of ingredients. According to Corus, data indicates that online mentions of “baking” have increased by 47% over the past three weeks, while mentions of “vegan baking” has increased by 90%.

The show, which debuted last week on Facebook Watch, is hosted by holistic nutritionist Sarah Britton, who demonstrates plant-based recipes such as “Raspberry Cashew Cheezecake” in which she substitutes cashews for traditional cream cheese.