levelFILM inks multi-year deal with New York distributor

The deal will see levelFILM handle the Canadian releases of Greenwich Entertainment’s slate, beginning with The Capote Tapes.

Toronto adds $800k to screen sector training programs

The new investment will see more than 200 diverse members of the community receive access to screen sector career training.

Night Raiders to open 22nd annual imagineNATIVE festival

Considered the largest presenter of Indigenous screen content in the world, this year’s imagineNATIVE will screen more than 145 works from 51 Indigenous nations.

Vampire dark comedy brings new blood to genre

TIFF ’21: Fifteen years after the idea was born, Canadian musician/filmmaker Blaine Thurier’s Kicking Blood was shot in 14 days in Sudbury, ON after New Real took a stake in the project.

RTR Media expands with trio of hires

The Toronto prodco behind HGTV series Home Town has bolstered its production and development teams.

Back to the big screen: Exhibitors balance buzz and blockbusters

The return to movie theatres has seen Cineplex lean into megahits, while indie exhibitors and distributors look to draw audiences away from streamers, over to the art house.

WildBrain refreshes Strawberry Shortcake

A new 2D-animated YouTube series, CG specials for streaming, a Roblox game, toys, music, books and events are all on the way for the evergreen brand.

Hot Sheet

Hot Sheet: Digital Demand for Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, 2021

Ted Lasso stays on top of the digital originals chart as The Walking Dead leads overall demand in Canada.

TIFF selection Scarborough acquired by levelFILM

The film, based on the award-winning novel by Catherine Hernandez, will have its world premiere today in Toronto.

U.S. hedge fund acquires stake in Thunderbird Entertainment

UPDATED: Voss Capital points to kids division Atomic Cartoons as a chance for “tremendous growth opportunities ahead.”

Blue Ant Media reflects on 10 years of innovation

The company launched as a homegrown media channel in a new digital age, and reinvented itself into a groundbreaking, global entity with stakes in distribution, studios, co-pros and streaming.

All3Media Int’l taps former Kew Media exec as SVP, North America

Based in New York, Jennifer Askin will manage sales and lead factual co-production in Canada and the U.S.

VIFF lineup includes five world premieres for Canadian features

The festival will open with Will Sharpe’s The Electrical Life of Louis Wain and close with Celine Sciamma’s Petite Maman.

Eight women directors selected for Academy development program

The fourth edition of The Canadian Academy’s bilingual six-month program kicks off at the Toronto International Film Festival.

TIFF ’21: What to expect from this year’s event – and the road ahead

As the festival opens today with expanded in-person offerings, co-heads Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente share their expectations and plans to keep the lights on at the Lightbox.