Ethiopian director Beza Hailu’s (pictured) debut feature The Last Tears of the Deceased, a Canada/Ethiopia/France/Germany coproduction, has won the Next Step Award at La Semaine de la Critique, a parallel section to the Cannes Film Festival.

The Next Step programme supports filmmakers who have previously screened a short film at La Semaine de la Critique in making their first feature. The award is presented to the filmmaker with the most promising project and provides them with €2,500 (CA$3,900) and an invitation to the Cannes Film Festival. Hailu premiered his short film Alazar at La Semaine de la Critique in 2024.

The Tears of the Deceased is produced by Toronto- and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia-based prodco Gobez Media with France’s Les Cigognes Films and Germany’s Die Gesellschaft DGS. The Ethiopia-set film follows a newly ordained Ethiopian orthodox priest as he goes on an investigation to uncover the truth of his childhood death and resurrection.

The film is currently in the financing stage with production support already secured from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund. Development support is provided by Région Centre CICLIC, Ontario Creates, DW Akademie, and IEFTA.

The CW acquires season four of Global’s Family Law

The CW has acquired the fourth season of Global’s legal drama Family Law (SEVEN24 Films, Lark Productions).

The 10 x 60-minute fourth season will premiere July 23 on the network. Season three aired on Global beginning January 5, and the fourth season wrapped filming on April 23, 2024.

The network first acquired U.S. rights to the series in April 2022. The fourth season was first renewed by Global in January 2024. Lionsgate distributes the series internationally.

David Bezmozgis to direct adaptation of his novel The Betrayers

Latvian-Canadian writer and director David Bezmozgis is set to enter principal photography in June as director on the adaptation of his 2014 novel The Betrayers.

The film is a Ukraine-Canada coproduction produced by Bill Marks along with Volodymyr and Anna Yatsenko. It is co-written by Bezmozgis and Montreal-based writer Paige Cooper.

The psychological drama follows a disgraced Israeli politician who, while seeking refuge in a Crimean resort town, encounters the man who betrayed him decades earlier. It stars Michael Aronov (The Americans), Simon McBurney (Nosferatu), Kaelen Ohm (Hit & Run) and Tina Benko (The Report).

The film received support from Hollywood Suite and the Canada Media Fund. It is distributed in Canada by Vortex Media with remaining world rights currently available.

Anastasiia Starova brings A Remarkable Woman to Germany

Canadian-Ukrainian Anastasiia Starova has been selected to present her original scripted series A Remarkable Woman at this year’s Seriencamp Co-Production
Pitch in Cologne, Germany on June 2.

The period dramedy is set in 1880s Paris and follows a young woman who is determined to achieve fame following a terminal illness. U.K.-based Pat Tookey-Dickson of Right Side Productions is attached as producer alongside Caleb Ranson as co-writer. Starova is seeking international coproduction and distribution partners at Seriencamp.

Stingray shuts down two Alberta stations

Stingray has shut down its CITL-TV and CKSA-TV stations in Lloydminster, Alta., due to increasing financial difficulties.

The channels have experienced a significant decline in viewership and revenue over the past six years, with revenues dropping by more than half. Despite efforts to control costs, Stingray said the high expenses of local TV production in Lloydminster have led to substantial losses, making it unsustainable to continue operating the TV stations.

Steve Jones, president of Stingray Radio, noted that contributions from programs like ILNF, Distant and DTH 4+1 Signal have been reduced, and despite promises of increased support for conventional TV through the Online Streaming Act, the actual support received so far has been limited.

In June last year, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that new funding from online streaming services would be directed to areas of immediate need in the Canadian broadcasting system. The Act requires online streaming services to contribute 5% of their Canadian revenues to support the local broadcasting system. By that time, the CRTC also determined that a new temporary fund for commercial radio stations in smaller markets should be created since local news has an important role in small communities across Canada.

“This difficult decision to cease our television operations in Lloydminster was made after prolonged consideration and thorough exploration of alternative possibilities for the properties, including ownership transfer to other broadcasters,” said Jones. “We wish to recognize the dedication and perseverance of the staff of CITL/CKSA whose commitment and passion for television have informed and entertained their community. We also sincerely thank our viewers, our community partners and our advertisers.”

CITL and CKSA had been part of Lloydminster for more than half a century and represented Stingray’s only conventional TV properties.

With files from Media in Canada and Nicholas Sokic

Image courtesy of Gobez Media