The annual RTÉjr Animation Dingle Awards ceremony in Ireland saw Canadian Marie Kishchuk from the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts win The Big Pitcher Award for her series concept Fished & Found (pictured).

In this comedy/mystery, a pair of fish detectives run a lost and found business, reuniting people with their lost items—and dealing with bizarre cases such as criminals stealing thoughts. Kishchuk’s prize is a three-month paid internship with Ireland and U.K.-based JAM Media and the opportunity to pitch her project at Madrid’s Cartoon Springboard in October.

The series was chosen among five other projects.

The Groomsmen: Second Chances recognized at GLAAD Media Awards

The MOW The Groomsmen: Second Chances, from Blink49 Studios-owned Front Street Pictures, won Outstanding TV Movie at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards.

The awards ceremony was held yesterday (March 27) in L.A.

Prime Video’s U.S. film My Old Ass, written and directed by Lindsay, Ont.-born Megan Park, won Outstanding Film – Wide Theatrical Release. The film also stars Oshawa, Ont.-born Maisy Stella.

As well, an episode of The View, in which Halifax-born Elliot Page discussed the final season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy and fighting anti-LGBTQ legislation, won Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode.

Edmonton-headquartered video game studio BioWare also won for its fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Other Canadian nominees included the CBC and Max series Sort Of (Sphere Media), D.W. Waterson’s feature Backspot (Night is Y, Page Boy Productions, Prospero Pictures) and Tubi’s Wynonna Earp: Vengeance (SEVEN24 Films).

CMF, Creative BC fund five video game studios with $1M

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Creative BC announced a $1 million investment in five B.C.-based video game studios.

Each studio will receive $200,000 via the CMF-CrBC Video Games Business Development Program which encourages growth for mid-level and experienced studios beyond the constraints of project-by-project funding.

The studios are Burnaby’s Critical Path Games, Comox-based Blue Wizard Digital, Victoria’s Kano Applications as well as Brace Yourselves Games and Yumebau, both from Vancouver.

Telefilm names Stéphane Cosentino as CMFPA national director

Telefilm Canada has named Stéphane Cosentino as national director of the Canada Media Fund Program Administrator (CMFPA).

With more than 33 years at Telefilm, Cosentino had been in the position on an interim basis since May, following Jeremy Spry‘s departure from the role at the end of 2023. Cosentino was appointed to the permanent position on February 28, a Telefilm spokesperson told Playback Daily.

In the role, Cosentino is responsible for leading the cross-country team that administers television and digital media funding programs on behalf of the CMF. He reports to Francesca Accinelli, SVP, program strategy and industry development, Telefilm Canada.

Cosentino spent 16 years as Telefilm’s legal counsel and in 2006 took on the role of deputy director for the CMF’s convergent and experimental teams. During the 2010 transition from the Canadian Television Fund and Canada New Media Fund to the CMF, he assumed the role of interim director of the CMFPA for the French market and in 2011 was named the deputy director of the experimental stream.

With files from Kidscreen and Jamie Casemore

Image courtesy of The Dingle Awards