In the News

CSC Member Projects Among TIFF’s 2020 Top 10 Canadian Films

Projects shot by CSC members are among Canada’s Top Ten list selected by the Toronto International Film Festival for 2020, it was announced in December. Among the feature films are Funny Boy (Douglas Koch csc), Inconvenient Indian (Chris Romeike csc) and Possessor (Karim Hussain csc), while Benjamin, Benny, Ben (Peter Hadfield) was selected as one of the top 10 Canadian shorts of 2020. The Canada’s Top Ten list is compiled by TIFF’s team of programmers in collaboration with film programmers and critics across the nation.

POV, Comweb Foundation Announce Five-Year Commitment

POV and Comweb Foundation in the fall announced a five-year agreement that will see the donation of a quarter-million dollars directed towards POV’s mission to provide BIPOC and diverse creatives with the access needed for meaningful and successful careers in media production through technical training, career development, mentorship, paid jobs and internships. The commitment by Comweb Foundation comes after the creation of a new bursary in association with the Toronto Film School, Bell Media, RedLabTO, William F. White International, and Project 10, which gives BIPOC creatives access to yearly scholarships followed by paid internships at partner production companies.

Bell Media Partners with Grandé Studios to Increase Quebec Content

Bell Media and Grandé Studios in the fall announced a new partnership that aims to bring increased resources to Quebec’s French-language content creation and production communities. Bell Media has acquired a minority investment in the Montreal-based company, which provides production facilities, camera and lighting equipment rentals in Montreal and Toronto, as well as technical services to the local and international TV and film production industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Grandé Studios facilities have already provided facilities for several Bell Media productions including Transplant, shot by Pierre Gill csc (see June 2020 issue) and the feature film The Song of Names (winner of the 2020 CSC Award for Theatrical Feature Cinematography), in addition to several Hollywood blockbuster movie productions such as X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Jack Ryan, and Moonfall.

Aeon to Open First Sound Stage in Hamilton

Aeon Studio Group announced in December that Aeon Bayfront Studios, located in its Hamilton Studio District mixed-use development, will be open for business this month. Located at 243 Queen Street North, Hamilton, the sound stage comprises an approximately 80,000-square-foot facility on a total of 7.5 acres of land. The site features: a 27,000 square-foot-main stage with 50-foot ceilings and clear span; 40,000-plus square feet of additional production space of varying ceiling heights; 6,500plus square feet of furnished office space; a paint shop in an out-building with two paint booths; and approximately 4 acres of outdoor space suitable for backlot uses. The studio is located across the street from the Barton Tiffany lands, where Aeon is planning to build the rest of the Hamilton Studio District, a live-work-play hub for the creative industries that will feature studios, offices, retail and residential space.