It is a busy summer of shooting in most regions across Canada, with a healthy dose of foreign productions putting down stakes north of the 49th. But there are also numerous indigenous projects going to camera, and some technically challenging ones, at that.

The recommendation that the CBC should get out of both advertising and sports coverage has reignited long-standing debates about the network while making for strange bedfellows among lobbyists and insiders.

Following up on his sexed-up Lie with Me, director Clement Virgo is tackling the very different themes of race, revenge and forgiveness in his latest movie, Poor Boy’s Game, starring Danny Glover and now shooting in Halifax.

TVOntario is going digital, thanks to a $25-million boost from the province, and will refocus its programming on education as part of a major overhaul of the pubcaster and its French-language sister, TFO, announced in late June.

Representatives of Quebec’s film community say they are optimistic about the province’s lack of film funding following a meeting with Minister of Heritage Bev Oda.

Bit by bit, the specialty channels have pulled back the curtain on their plans for the 2006/07 season. Highlights announced so far include:

The Hot Sheet tracks Canadian box-office results for the period June 23-29, 2006 and DVD sales in Canada for the period June 12-18, 2006.

The Quebec-made romantic comedy Duo was a box-office disappointment in its opening June 16 weekend but rebounded somewhat in the week of June 23, taking a per-screen average of $1,486, up from $1,121, and claiming the number-one spot among domestic films.

Christal Films says it is seeing great returns after its Quebec release of Les Boys 4 on DVD, with the title debuting at number four on the Nielsen VideoScan chart for the week ending June 11.

Top 20 TV Programs tracks ratings for the top 20 television shows in Canada for the period June 26-July 2, 2006.

CTV premiered its nighttime soap Whistler on June 25, drawing a respectable 550,000 viewers, and winning its Sunday 10 p.m. timeslot, though by the following week its BBM numbers had slipped to 371,000.

Representatives of Quebec’s film community say they are optimistic about the province’s lack of film funding following a meeting with Minister of Heritage Bev Oda.