Framing Agnes (pictured) has sold its North American distribution rights to U.S. film and video distributor Kino Lorber.

The Canadian narrative and documentary feature film, produced by Toronto’s Fae Pictures, features a cast of transgender artists, including Angelica Ross (Pose) and Jen Richards (Better Things), as it centres on the story of a young trans woman who entered a UCLA study in the 1960s.

The film was produced, written and directed by Chase Joynt, alongside producers Samantha Curley and Shant Joshi. Morgan M. Page co-wrote the script. UTA holds sales rights. The feature won two awards at Sundance and will have a theatrical release from Kino Lorber in December.

UP Faith & Family

UP Faith & Family, a streaming service for uplifting and family-friendly entertainment, has picked up season two of Canadian police drama Hudson & Rex.

Produced by Shaftesbury and Pope Productions, in association with Citytv, Hudson & Rex is about a detective who teams up with a multi-scent trained German Shepherd named Rex. The St. John’s-set series’ executive producers include Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Oliver Bachert, Friedemann Goez, Nataline Rodrigues and the late Paul Pope, with Lisa Porter as producer. Munich-based producer and distributor Beta Film GmbH handles international distribution.

Three episodes will be released on July 28 on the streaming platform, with a new episode added each subsequent week.

Cineflix Rights

Cineflix Rights has closed multiple international deals for content from North American producers, including the 6 x 60-minute Secret Nazi Expeditions from Toronto-based prodco Go Button Media for Super Channel. The series, which looks at the covert missions behind Hitler’s propaganda machine, has sold to AETN of the U.K. and Europe, the Middle East and Africa; History Channel in Spain and Portugal; Mediaset of Italy; Germany’s BILD; Foxtel History in Australia; and A&E, Latin America.

The other deals announced by Cineflix Rights on Monday (June 6) include CBC picking up season one of Law&Crime Productions’ Killer Cases.

Hulu

U.S. streamer Hulu has picked up the Canadian feature Wildhood as part of its “Pride Never Stops” campaign, which features new LGBTQIA+ stories and events.

The film will premiere on Hulu on June 24 after a one-week theatrical run at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills, beginning on June 17.

Written, directed and produced by Bretten Hannam, Wildhood follows a two-spirit teen who connects with his Mi’kmaw heritage. It was shot in Nova Scotia in late summer 2020 with producers Gharrett Patrick Paon of Rebel Road Films and Julie Baldassi of Younger Daughter Films, while Damon D’Oliveira is executive producer. Other production companies attached are Flimshow and Mazewalker Film.

The coming-of-age drama had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021 in the Discovery programme, and was acquired by Berlin sales agency Films Boutique in the same year.

Gusto TV

Ottawa-headquartered international food channel Gusto TV is serving up its content in New Zealand on Samsung TV Plus. The deal allows viewers in new Zealand to have full access to Gusto TV’s culinary originals on Samsung TV Plus for free, on all 2017-2022 Samsung Smart TVs and screens.

Gusto’s titles are available in English, Spanish and Mandarin across more than 160 countries on 30-plus different platforms, with recent expansions including Sweden via Samsung TV Plus, and in the U.K. and U.S. via DistroTV.

FilmRise

New York-based studio and streaming network FilmRise has acquired SVOD and AVOD rights to Gotham Comedy Live stand-up specials from Toronto-headquartered Anthem Sports & Entertainment. The deal includes 127 specials, which will stream for free across the FilmRise Streaming Network, including the FilmRise Comedy App.

The deal was negotiated by Jonitha Keymoore, VP of global content acquisitions at FilmRise and Ariel Shnerer, VP of business development at Anthem Sports & Entertainment.

Image courtesy of Sundance Institute