As the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games ends, Canadian broadcaster CTV will debut 3 new original TV series. Starting March 1, CTV will debut its comedy block on Monday nights to 2 hours including the new series “Hiccups” and “Dan For Mayor”.

Both comedies will be joined by Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. On March 5, CTV’s new 60m cop drama series “The Bridge from E1″ will debut. “The Bridge” will move to its regular time slot of Fridays at 10p beginning March 13 on CTV.

Toronto’s Cinespace is developing a 30-acre complex in the western part of the city, with 50,000 square feet of production offices available now and studio space in early 2010.

The new acquisition will make the company Canada’s largest provider of film studio space, according to Cinespace prexy Steve Mirkopoulous.

Cinespace operates its flagship studio in Toronto’s east end, where “Resident Evil: Afterlife” and “Saw 7″ are in production.

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Cinespace, soundstage

Toronto will be the first North American city to be host of Bollywood’s version of the Oscars in 2011, a clear nod to the increasing pop-culture clout wielded by the region’s large and growing South Asian community.

News of the four-day event, announced in Mumbai Wednesday by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, is a sign of the ethnic broadening of the city’s already solid position as a mainstream cinema powerhouse, observers said.

…They not only consume Bollywood movies and music, but have spawned a satellite film industry of their own, complete with acting classes and costume shops in the suburbs west of the city.

…The credibility of the International Indian Film Academy Awards, which is expected to draw 500 top players in Indian film, 40,000 visitors to Toronto and a global television audience of more than 350 million, should provide a substantial push toward that goal.

See entire article on The Globe and Mail.

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Canadain showbusiness, Canadian Films, Indian Film Academy Awards, Indian Films

The Canadian Film Centre has launched the North-South Marketplace to promote US ties.

The Copyright Collective Of Canada is supporting the venture, which will use Canadian Film Centre community of filmmakers and industry professionals to broker creative, business exchanges and development assistance between Canadian talent and industry professionals in the United States.

An advisory board of Canadian and US production and studio executives will be on hand to offer guidance. As part of the CFC North-South Marketplace, online contest The Reel Challenge: Make Your Own Movie will launch in early December.

Canadian filmmakers will be encouraged to submit a film spot that addresses the importance of content protection in a compelling way. The winner will receive a $10,000 prize and second and third placed entries will each collect $2,500.

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Canadain Film, Canadain showbusiness, Canadain TV, Canadian Film Centre

Winners announced in the Toronto Made-for-Mobile Challenge

The winners of Toronto’s Mobile Film Award have been chosen. As part of Mobifest, Canada’s mobile film festival, 6 new local filmmakers created a 90-second mobisode using only a cell phone. Film maker Maya Bankovic’s film Potholes won first place and was awarded a cash prize of $2,500. A mobisode titled Chaseism created by Ben Murray, Film Maker won second place.

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Toronto Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto Made-for-Mobile Challenge

For the past 3 years, actresses giving Oscar Award acceptance speeches have been sprinkled foreign accents. And what does this trend mean for American actresses? See the article in today’s Variety.

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Academy Award Winning Actors, australian actresses, canadian actresses, variety newspaper, Oscars

TAFTA’s National Actors Intensive in Melbourne

An exhausting, but incredibly rewarding week.
In five days and one evening (58 hours) this intensive course will give you what no other course in Australia can do. You will spend 5 x 4 hr sessions with some of Australia’s most respected currently working Film & TV Producers and Directors.

You will also spend 7 x 4 hr sessions with some of Australia’s best known and respected Casting Directors. You will have the opportunity to perform for all of them and receive an instant evaluation of your work.

You will also spend 4 hrs with Melissa Agnew (Phd), who will conduct a voice evaluation and corrective class. Melissa is one of the best and most qualified voice teachers in Australia. Your work load will be huge with masses of work to prepare. A piece and or scene will have to be learnt for each Producer, Director, Casting Director and Melissa Agnew.
See the sample schedule below!!!

ARE YOU UP TO IT???

DEPENDING ON AVAILABILITY….

The Teacher Participants will be chosen from the following:

The Producers:

Bill Hughes (All Saints),
Cameron Welsh (Home & Away)
The Directors: Sam Atwell, Jeffrey Walker, David Cameron, Samantha Lang, Kevin Carlin, Mark Piper, Ian Gilmour, Marcus Cole
The Casting Directors:
Tom McSweeney
Faith Martin (Syd)
Jodie Brearley (Canal Road)
Lou Mitchell (City Homicide)
Alison Telford (ABC)
Greg Apps (Syd – Power Rangers , Knowing – Nicholas Cage etc),
Dave Newman (Christine King Casting)
Tim Littleton (Helen Salter Casting)
Kirsty McGregor
Marianne Jade (Maura Fay – Syd)
Leigh Pickford (Maura Fay – Syd)
Thea McLeod (Fox – Showtime)
Jan Russ, Barbara Leane (Wicked)

Voice: Dr Melissa Agnew

DATE: Wednesday 13th January to Monday (incl) 18th January 2009
Location: TAFTA – 430 Waverley Road, East Malvern

Call : 03 9702 5702 or email : tafta@westnet.com.au

TYPICAL NAI SCHEDULE

DAY 1: Orientation Session : 6.30pm to 10.30pm John Orcsik

DAY 2: 3sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6pm, (dinner)7pm – 11pm

DAY 3: 3sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6pm, (dinner)7pm – 11pm

DAY 4: 3sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6pm. (dinner)7pm – 11pm

DAY 5: 2sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6.00pm

DAY 6: 2sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6.00pm

TESTIMONIALS

“What a wonderful course that was! I’m very glad I came. Thank you for running it. Do let me know of anything you run in Auckland. I’d definitely be interested. – Rebecca Leys – Auckland. NZ

“The course overall was “one out of the box”. Never before have I experienced one like that. Very Very Good” – Melinda Macdonald – Auckland. NZ.

“I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you from the depths of my heart and soul for providing me the experience of the national intensive. I feel myself tearing up just thinking about it because of how special it was to me, as an actor and as a person and as a human being. It was the greatest experience of my life and this completed me. Acting has been the one truth in my life and to be able to do that every day and night for five days with SUCH AN AMAZING group of people, my God, were these people meant to be together this group! It was a whole different life i led for those five days and i haven’t even begun to think of the actual people we saw!!! How much I’ve learnt! “ – Cate Commisso – Melb

“Hey there John, have to tell you that the Intensive for me was life changing!!!!!I have learnt so much. Can’t thank you enough for organizing this week” – Belinda Divito – Melbourne. Aus.

“Another big thank you from me for last week. I had high expectations for the week and the outcome far exceeded my hopes. I learn’t a lot about myself and my acting and most importantly what I need to do to improve” – Kim Stark – Melbourne Aus.

“Hey John, just a quick email to thank you again for bringing such an inspirational course to Sydney. We packed so much into those five days that my head is still spinning” – Alix Armstrong – Sydney. Aus

“That course was a really inspiring, intensive trip on many levels. I learnt something from everyone. It was great to have such fantastic people informing us about the industry from the inside out” – Natalie Marsland – Sydney. Aus.

“ John I would like to thank you so much for what you created over the last five days. I feel inspired and confident in where I am heading.
It was really one of the highlights of my acting career so far” – Mark Ure – Sydney.Aus.

“As I have been extremely fortunate to be a full time “working” actor
For the past seven or eight months, I found this course to be “expanding” for me. To see directors at work other than those I worked with, to meet casting Directors, other than those I’d already met, was a real experience I wouldn’t have dreamed of” – Osama Sami – Melbourne Aus.

Thanks so much for putting the NAI together. It was not only educational, but also one hell of a ride. I learned much more than I thought I would and came away knowing it was one of the best things I ever have done to further my acting career. – Juanita Grayson – Brisbane Qld

DID YOU KNOW
Vancouver is the core of the third-largest foreign film and production center in North America, known worldwide as “Hollywood North”.

In addition to excellent sound stage facilities, Vancouver has strong capabilities in post-production. It is home to a number of companies that have created state-of-the-art, award winning visual effects. Vancouver’s strong digital media sector is a major asset that will be increasingly important as film/TV and digital media continue to blend.

“Isn’t it time Vancouver’s Film, Television & Theatre community caught a break?”

~Kenji Maeda

Vancouver actor Kenji Maeda just introduced a book for Vancouver actors, the “Production Heads Coupon Book” This is a must have for actors in the BC, Canada area.

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Acting Book for Canadian Actors, acting book, Canadian actors, Vancouver Actors

Canada at war over tax incentives
Media centers outdoing each other to lure Hollywood.

There’s a war going on in Canada — over entertainment tax incentives. Just as in the U.S., where numerous states are leapfrogging each other’s tax breaks in order to pull in film and TV productions, a high-stakes bidding battle has recently erupted north of the border.

Canada’s three big media centers — Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver — are vying with one another to attract American productions

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Canadain Film, Canadain TV, Canadain showbusiness