Astral Communications has announced a $10-million fund to aid the financing, development and production of both French- and English-Canadian documentaries….

A programming supply deal gone sour has newly launched Crossroads Television Systems now buying its commercial programming from various distributors and Canadian rights holders, with plans to add two more hours of original programming per week to its schedule by January….

West Coast distribution company Red Sky Entertainment has signed a wide-ranging international sales and distribution deal with l.a.’s Myriad Pictures….

Director Henry Sarwer-Foner’s Gemini win for best direction in a variety or performing arts program or series for an episode of This Hour Has 22 Minutes brings long overdue public recognition to an integral cog in Salter Street Film’s East Coast…

A moving tribute to an ailing Jim Burt, cbc head of movies and miniseries, was the emotional highlight of the 13th Gemini Awards, which took place in its new fall time slot Oct. 2, 3 and 4 in Toronto….

Current ‘It Boy’ Don McKellar confirms that seven more episodes of his quirky sitcom Twitch City will go before the cameras in Toronto this January for Susan Cavan’s Accent Entertainment….

Low-budget feature film producers beware: if your film uses the current actra Canadian Independent Production Incentive Program, Motion International, one of Canada’s few remaining independent theatrical distributors, will not buy Canadian rights to your film….

A real estate switcheroo appears to be in the offing as sources say that distribution company Odeon Films may be headed for Alliance Communications offices at 121 Bloor Street East, while Robert Lantos’ new prodco Serendipity Point Films will set up…

Industry speculation that Rogers Communications will be raising basic cable rates by a dollar with the launch this week of specialty services CTV Sportsnet and Crossroads Television System on basic, is unfounded says Rogers vp communications Jan Innes….

Using a 1996 u.s. Federal Communications Commission ruling as a model, Canada’s largest animation production companies, Cinar and Nelvana, are asking the crtc to require every licensed television service to provide three hours per week of high-quality, first-run Canadian children’s programming…

Toronto upstart Annex Entertainment has formed a joint venture with Toronto-based action movie producer Film One Productions to produce and distribute several projects together….

Guidelines for next year’s Canadian Television Fund should be available to the industry by early December at the latest, says Garry Toth, executive director of the Licence Fee Program….