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EMMANUELLE VAUGIER JOINS THE CAST ON THE THIRD SEASON OF MISTRESSES TO PREMIERE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 18TH 9/8C AND WILL BE AIRING ON ABC IN THE US AND CTV IN CANADA

Emmanuelle Vaugier continues to reprise her role as The Morrigan in the popular television series Lost Girl now airing on the Syfy Network in the USA

Now in production, stunning actor Emmanuelle Vaugier is shooting a six-episode guest role on the upcoming third season of ABC’s summer series Mistresses. She will play Niko, who’s tough, sexy, rocks a very distinctive style and doesn’t care what you think about it. She becomes the new mixologist at Wunderbar and a thorn in Joss’ (Jes Macallan) side. The third season of Mistresses premieres on June 18^th at 9pm on ABC in the US and CTV in Canada.

Emmanuelle continues to reprise her role on the innovative series Lost Girl, a supernatural highly rated drama series. Playing the role of The Morrigan, Emmanuelle breathes life into her vain and dangerously sociopathic character. The fifth season of ‘Lost Girl’ promises to be the most electrifying season yet. Lost Girl premiered on Showcase in Canada and is now airing on Syfy in the USA.

Photo Credit: Brie Childers

Emmanuelle is best known for her popular role as Charlie Sheen’s ex-fiancée Mia on the award-winning CBS comedy Two and a Half Men in which her character returned for the series finale earlier this year. For three seasons she played Detective Jessica Angell on CSI: NY, and in the USA Network crime series Covert Affairs.

One of the roles that Emmanuelle connected most with was playing a woman who rescues animals in Susie’s Hope, a role for which she won best actress at the Greensville International Film Festival. It’s Christmas, Carol! another starring role for Emmanuelle, won her a Leo Award. Emmanuelle also stars in Absolute Deception alongside Cuba Gooding Jr.

Her numerous television appearances include the female superhero for the SYFY television pilot of the comic Painkiller Jane, and had a starring role in the Master of Horror series directed by John Carpenter. She also portrayed Dr. Helen Bryce; Lex Luthor‘s wife on the WB‘s hit drama Smallville. Emmanuelle spent two seasons in a recurring role on One Tree Hill.

Emmanuelle’s feature film endeavors are just as impressive include Saw II, Saw IV, Secondhand Lions (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall), 40 Days and 40 Nights (Josh Hartnett) and House of the Dead 2: Dead Aim to name a few.

Off-screen, Emmanuelle is an avid animal lover. A project that is very close to her heart is her own 501c3 charitable foundation ‘The Fluffball’, which raises money for various animal charities through her annual cocktail event. This year ‘The Fluffball’ will be held in Los Angeles on October 3^rd. A dedicated equestrian Emmanuelle competes on a horse rescued from a situation of neglect. Emmanuelle paints to express her creativity and contributes a major portion of her sales to the many charitable animal rescue organizations she supports.

Emmanuelle’s inner and outer beauty shines through as she is among the select group of women to be on ‘Maxim‘s Top 100’ list twice. She was also named fifth on Femme Fatal magazine’s 50 Sexiest Women on the Planet’, and was named ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’ for the sixth time by Smartasses Magazine. Emmanuelle has graced the covers of Maxim, Femme Fatal, Dolce Vita, Flare, UMM, Status, Modern Dog, LA Health, Vancouver View, Vancouver Lifestyles, Western Living Condo, Donato, Steppin’ Out and Infamous.

Social Media Handles

Website: emmanuellevaugier.com, syfy.com/lostgirl
Twitter: @evaugier
Facebook: The Real Emmanuelle Vaugier

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

Award Winning Actor Gabrielle Rose is nominated for a Leo Award for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture for her role in the Multiple Award Winning Feature Film ‘Two4One’

Gabrielle plays the mother of a transgendered man who is wrestling with his state of life when he suddenly becomes pregnant

Gabrielle Rose, one of the most respected actors in Canada, is nominated for a Leo Award for for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture for her role in Two4One’.

With close to 150 credits to her name Gabrielle is most proud of the multiple Award Winning feature film Two4One: the story of a transgendered man (Gavin Crawford who won an ACTRA award for his performance) wrestling with the state of his life – an unfulfilling job, mixed feelings for his ex (Naomi Snieckus), and a mother (Gabrielle Rose) yearning for grandchildren – when he suddenly finds himself unexpectedly pregnant.

Two4One is bittersweet comedic drama written and directed by Maureen Bradley. After two years of living as a man, Adam has almost saved enough money to make it official: undergo gender reassignment surgery, and he can finally feel complete. But when he agrees to help his baby-crazy ex-girlfriend artificially inseminate, they wind up in bed together—and they both conceive. Now Adam must reconcile his identity with his biological reality, grapple with his feelings for his ex, and try to figure out what it means to be a man. Two4One will be screening in San Francisco – Frameline: June 20th and Los Angeles- Outfest LA: July 12^th. Nominated for 6 Leos, including best feature, Two4One is on a roll.

Critically acclaimed in film, stage and television Gabrielle most recently received the Sam Payne Lifetime Achievement Award for her accumulative outstanding body of work in the performing arts. Last fall she was honoured with the UBCP/ACTRA Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction Award. Gabrielle has worked repeatedly with some of Canada’s most notable directors including Atom Egoyan (The Adjuster, The Sweet Hereafter), Bruce Sweeney (Excited, The Dick Knost Show, Crimes of Mike Recket) and Carl Bessai (Sisters & Brothers, Mothers & Daughters). Rose has acted in numerous local shorts and television series.

2014 and 2015 have been extremely busy with Gabrielle working on both television and feature films. In the upcoming feature film The Devout, Gabrielle plays Ava a devout, somewhat overbearing grandmother. The Devout is a story about crisis of faith, reincarnation and the power of belief. It centers around a Christian schoolteacher (Charlie Carrick), his wife (Ali Liebert) and their 4-year-old daughter(Olivia Martin) who has terminal cancer. Written and directed by Connor Gaston

Gabrielle also stars in Siobhan Devine’s upcoming film, The Birdwatcher. The Birdwatcher is about a woman (Camille Sullivan) who is dying of cancer. At the end of her rope with no one to turn to she seeks out her birth mother (Gabrielle) in order to find someone to care for her children after she passes. Gabrielle plays Birdie, an exacting and complex character with a deep secret, an ornithologist and writer who is obsessed with publishing her latest book on birds, she loves no-one but her husband, Finch (played by Garwin Sanford), and her birds, they have never had children. Written by Roslyn Muir and directed by Siobhan Devine.

The past year Gabrielle was also busy filming television series including a recurring role on TNT’s upcoming series Proof starring Jennifer Beals, Ruth in ABC’s Once Upon a Time and a guest spot on Lifetimes’s UnReal. She also had the great pleasure of working with Peter Deluise who directed her in Garage Sale Mystery- the Deadly Room, for Hallmark.

Gabrielle’s awards include a UBCP/ACTRA Award for Best Actress, five Leo Awards, two Atlantic Film Festival Awards, a National Board of Review (NY) Award. She has been nominated five times for a Gemini and four times for a Genie.

Social Media Handles

Website: two4onefilm.com
Twitter: @GabrielleRose79, @Two4OneFilm, @TheDevoutMovie
Vimeo: vimeo.com/106037011
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm0741388/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

FEATURE FILM ‘ENEMY ALIENS’ IS A HISTORICAL DRAMA BASED ON ACTUAL EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN BANFF NATIONAL PARK INTERNMENT CAMPS DURING WW1. THE PROJECT WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL

‘Enemy Aliens’ is a film about betrayal, love, injustice, hope and survival against all odds

Writer/Producer Ryan Boyko of Armistice Films, Producer Terry Mialkowsky of Prairie Threat Entertainment and Anthony Towstego of Thomega Entertainment are pleased to announce their collaboration in the production of the feature film ‘Enemy Aliens’ at the Banff World Media Festival June 7^th to 10^th 2015in Banff, Alberta Canada. Nowhere is there a more fitting location to represent ‘Enemy Aliens’, a historical drama ‘based on actual events’ in WW1.

Set in Canada much of the story takes place in Alberta, near Castle Mountain in one of the twenty-four internment camps that housed enemy aliens during World War One: a short drive from the Banff town site. Banff National Park housed 3 internment camps during WW1, one of which is in walking distance to The Banff Springs Hotel at The Cave and Basin Historic Site.

The script for ‘Enemy Aliens’ has been historically approved and is as accurate to History as a “based on actual events” film can be. Boyko spent years researching and reaching out to scholars and producers and finally has a product that will inspire audiences around the world.

Thousands of Eastern European men and women arrived in Canada’s western frontier with the hopes of building a better life. They settled the West by working the land, farming, clearing brush and trees, and harvesting grain. This was the immigrant dream, a dream of freedom. Their sacrifice and strength is the foundation on which Canada was built.

The film follows brothers, Ruslan and Vasil Kotelko who leave everything in search of the Canadian dream. Their hopes are shattered when they are caught up in the injustice of the War Measures Act. They are deemed ‘Enemy Aliens’, and struggle to maintain their dignity as they are forced through some of Canada’s most severe concentration camps. Fear and hardship pushes them beyond their limits, and leads to a daring escape attempt that goes tragically wrong. One man makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure his brother’s freedom.

While Boyko was working on the script for ‘Enemy Aliens’ he met Terry Mialkowsky who had always dreamed of making a film about his Grandfather’s experiences during World War 1, experiences that no one would ever believe. Terry’s Grandfather was interned as an enemy alien at Castle Mountain, Alberta in picturesque Banff National Park. Not for anything he had done but simply because of where he was born. 8,579 so-called “enemy aliens”, including women and children, were interned, including Ukrainians, Alevi Kurds, Armenians, Bulgarians, Croatians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Italians, Jews, Ottoman Turks, Polish, Romaninas, Russians, Serbians, Slovaks, and Slovenes, among others, of which most were Ukrainians and most were civilians. Terry’s dream of producing a world class Feature Film is very close to becoming a reality.

‘Enemy Aliens’ has, since its conception, received financial support from the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Foundation. The UCCLF plays a leading role in educating Canadians about Canada’s first national internment operations. It recently completed the unprecedented unveiling of 100 commemorative plaques nationwide in connection with the 100-year anniversary of the First World War-period internment.

“‘Enemy Aliens’ is a vital film,” said Andriy Harasymiw, chairman of the UCCLF. “Ryan Boyko and his team are tremendously passionate about filmmaking and about the internment story — a story that has been in the shadows of Canadian history for too long. The UCCLF has been a proud sponsor and supporter of ‘Enemy Aliens’ since ‘day one’. The film promises to be equally educational and thought-provoking. We are very eager for its debut.”

Arriving in Banff just in time for the World Media Festival Mialkowsky along with Producers Ryan Boyko, Anthony Towstego and Doug Steeden aim to secure an Executive producer, Pre-sales, and Distribution for ‘Enemy Aliens’ at the Banff Media Festival.

Social Media Handles

Website: armisticefilms.ca
Twitter: @enemyaliensfilm
Facebook: facebook.com/EnemyAliensTheMovie

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

So, You Want To Work In Promotion and Publicity?

Like most promotion agencies, we receive several speculative CVs every week. If you’re thinking of sending in your CV or are looking for some advice on how to break into the promotion and publicity industry then here are some important hints and tips:

Be Prepared to Work Hard

Many young people choose publicity and promotion as their chosen career path without any real idea about what the industry or the profession entails. The entertainment industry has a reputation for being glamorous and exciting, and for many this is an attractive prospect. For the most part this is true, and working for and on behalf of some of the most important and influential talent in the business is an incredible way to spend your working career. However the entertainment business is still just that: a business. Its hard work and many aspects of the industry are completely devoid of the glamor that those entering the industry without any real experience initially expect. Perseverance, hard work, and dedication will all help you to get your foot into the door of the right agency: don’t underestimate the importance of undertaking a work experience placement if there aren’t any full time jobs available. Hard work never goes unnoticed and by proving yourself to be competent, dedicated and able to undertake whatever job is thrown at you, you’ll soon rise to the top of the pile when a permanent position does arise.

Focus on Your Skills

Ensure that you constantly focus on promoting your core skills, and ensure that you develop those skills that will best suit the career you want to undertake. If you want to work in promotions and publicity then a post graduate degree in rocket science is unlikely to be of much use, but that crash course in PR is likely to look great on your CV and boost your skill base too. Know what your main skills are, and understand what skills your interviewer or boss are likely to be looking for. You can then focus on developing these skills whilst learning as much as possible from those more experienced team members around you.

Let Your Head Rule Your Heart

Although you may be tempted to choose to start out your career working for the agency that represents your favourite star, there are much more important things to consider: these are the same factors you should consider before you accept a job role in any field. Job security is a powerful and reassuring thing, and not something offered to every new graduate, so a role that comes with a long term contract should certainly be considered. Other essential perks such as the health protection afforded by a corporate health insurance policy and a pension plan are also vital considerations, and should certainly hold sway when choosing where to work, if you are presented with more than one option. When you’re just starting your career, perks such as health insurance policies and health insurance plans often seem unimportant or irrelevant to your current lifestyle, however in the long term you will find that your life is very uncomfortable without them so it is certainly something to plan ahead for and consider.

Tailor Your CV

Finally, in order to get that interview, be invited for that work experience placement, or otherwise get your foot in the door, you need to make yourself stand out. Your first tool for doing this is your CV. The best applicants tailor their CV for every single job they apply for and personalise their cover letter so that is resonates with the company that you are hoping to work for. It may be more time consuming, but doing a little research and addressing your CV to the HR Manager by name, rather than simply addressing it ‘For the attention of the HR manager’ will immediately capture the attention of the individual you are addressing and guarantee that your CV will be read. Ensure that the content is just as punchy and attention grabbing, and you will stand a much better chance of getting an interview and being able to talk your way into the job of your dreams in a face to face situation.

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

Gastown’s anticipated Bauhaus Restaurant opens, bringing a new style of German cuisine to Vancouver

Gastown’s new Bauhaus Restaurant, led by celebrated chef Stefan Hartmann and owned by film director Uwe Boll, has finally opened this week after months of renovations.

Bauhaus Restaurant is named after the famous design movement from Germany, which seamlessly marries form and function. Many of the dining room elements were custom designed in the original Bauhaus style.

The restaurant is situated inside one of Vancouver’s unique historical buildings, also known as The Boulder Hotel, originally built in 1890. Over the last 100 years, the building has gone through many changes: from its early years as a saloon and bank to its most recent home to Boneta’s Restaurant.

The renovation was led by Vancouver designer Andrea Greenway. The goal of the design was to keep as much of the original structure as possible, an effort that included exposing the original 1890’s brick and marble, and uncovering the historical Bank Safe.

“It was a real challenge to keep the integrity of the building and incorporate our Bauhaus design concept. Modernist design can be a bit austere, so I hope that we have created a nice balance of modern and warm.” ~ Andrea Greenway

The restaurant aims to bring a new style of dining to Vancouver. The beautifully designed restaurant features both a dining room and a large lounge area. The menu incorporates both local and fresh seasonal ingredients and features a chef tasting menu, an à la carte menu, a German classics menu and a lunch menu.

When people think about German cuisine they think Sausage, Schnitzel and Sauerkraut. Unlike its French neighbour, Germany has not historically been known for its haute cuisine. But a modern trend of revitalizing reliable staples, from poached veal tenderloin with polenta and peas to brioche dumpling and white asparagus soup, has ushered in the gastronomic age of neue deutsche Küche, or, New German Cuisine. According to an article by James Brennan (Fine Dining Lovers), Germany has become “one of the powerhouses of modern European gastronomy,” proven further by the impressive accolades awarded by the 2015 Michelin Guide: a whopping total of 281 starred restaurants.

Michelin star chefs, such as Bauhaus Restaurant’s own Stefan Hartmann, have been creating light, lean and local gastronomic delicacies by infusing contemporary flair into traditional favourites. And, lucky for us, Hartmann has brought the taste of Germany to Vancouver’s trendy Gastown district, where the communal spirit of neue deutsche Küche will likely resonate with British Colombia’s local food scene. Much like Canada, according to Food Republic writer Drew Lazor, Germany possesses “a storied agricultural backbone, including a strong citizen gardening tradition dictated by the communal cultivation of seasonal vegetables.”

But don’t be intimidated by chef Stefan Hartmann’s Michelin star title: prices at Bauhaus range from $20-40, and the 8 course chef tasting menu, priced at $110, is a real experience. The seasonal à la carte menu currently features: spot prawns with white asparagus, hollandaise and tarragon; halibut with caper crust, bean puree and lemon butter; goat cheese strudel, with white or green asparagus; and beef tenderloin with celery three ways.

The lunch menu, with prices between $14 and $27, features Arctic char, white asparagus soup, and German classics like beef roulade and wiener schnitzel.

“The good part about the long renovation is that it gave me more time to explore and sample ingredients from suppliers and farmers all over the lower mainland to ensure I have the best on my menu.” ~ Chef Stefan Hartmann

The Bauhaus Bar is led by award winning German bartender Florian Rupp, who recently won the Giffard Liqueurs Iron Bartender award. The signature cocktail menu features original German-inspired drinks like the Buttermilk Margarita (tequila, buttermilk, fresh lime, lemon, agave nectar, and quince jam) and the Ranglum (dark rum, wray, nephew overproof, fresh lime and falernum).

“We look forward to complementing Vancouver’s diverse restaurant scene with the first ever neue deutsche establishment in the city! There really is something on the menu for everyone.” ~ Uwe Boll.

Social Media Handles

Website: bauhaus-restaurant.com
Twitter: @BauhausRest
Facebook: facebook.com/BauhausRestaurant
Instagram: @bauhausrestaurant

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada and IndustryWorks Studios Announce WRECKER Home Entertainment Distribution Plans in Canada

One Road Trip, Two Friends, A Wrong Turn

Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada is proud to announce plans with IndustryWorks Studios, the producers of American Mary, to bring the new horror-thriller film Wrecker to Canada.

Wrecker tells the story of best friends Emily (Anna Hutchison of The Cabin in the Woods) and Lesley (Andrea Whitburn of Lonesome Dove Church) who take a road trip to a music festival in the desert. When Emily makes a decision to turn off the busy highway and onto a lone, desert road, all hell breaks loose. They soon find themselves the target of a relentless tow truck that forces them into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Harrowing escapes, deadly situations and near captures, turning their road trip in to a living, breathing nightmare.

“Wrecker takes road rage to a new level, it is a game of supernatural cat and sexy mice. Reminiscent of Duel, Wrecker will demolish audiences!” says Susan Curran, Director of Marketing and Acquisitions for Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada of the new addition to the company’s catalogue. Evan Tylor, President of IndustryWorks Studios, echoes the enthusiasm for this deal, “We are proud to have Anchor Bay Entertainment as our Canadian distribution partner. It was exciting to create a unique take on such a familiar genre.”

About Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada
Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada is the Toronto based office of Anchor Bay Entertainment, a leading independent home entertainment company celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015. Anchor Bay acquires and releases a wide array of filmed entertainment in the theatrical and home entertainment markets, including STARZ Original series, children’s entertainment, fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports and specialty films on Blu-ray™ and DVD formats. The company has long-term distribution agreements in place for select programming with The Weinstein Company, AMC Networks and RADiUS, among others. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a full service distributor in the North American market. Anchor Bay Entertainment is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com. For more information visit www.anchorbayentertainment.ca

About IndustryWorks Pictures/Studios – Canada, International
IndustryWorks is a fully integrated Distribution, Production, Finance and New Media, worldwide content provider. IndustryWorks sets itself apart by having a keen sense of recognizing the potential in projects for distribution and is dedicated to releasing unique and marketable content to the world market place. The Company has several in-house projects in development and acquires films from producers around the world. IndustryWorks distributes its content to through all media outlets, including box office, VOD, SVOD, broadcast, airlines, internet and digital platforms, retail and rental outlets.

Social Media Handles

Website: industry-works.com, anchorbayentertainment.com
Twitter: @IWPictures, @Anchor_Bay
Facebook: facebook.com/IndustryWorksPictures

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

Is Gary Busey really ‘God’? IndustryWorks Studios Acquires the World Wide Rights to Independent Film CANDiLAND (2015)

Oscar Nominee Gary Busey stars in CANDiLAND

IndustryWorks Studios has acquired the World Wide distribution rights to the psychological drama CANDiLAND starring Gary Busey in what might very well be his ‘comeback role’. IndustryWorks will be bringing the film to Cannes to sell at the 2015 Marche du Film.

CANDiLAND stars Oscar nominee Gary Busey (The Buddy Holly Story), Chelah Horsdal (Arrow, Hell on Wheels) and James Clayton (Foodland). CANDiLAND marks a nuanced departure for Busey, who has been seen recurrently as a contestant in reality TV shows such as NBC’S The Apprentice. Busey was drawn to the role, finding parallels between his character Arnie and himself and the echoes of the father/son relationship shown in the film familiar. His performance plays earnest and sincere.

CANDiLAND tells the story of intensified mutual attraction to the point of deadly obsession. Peter (James Clayton), a retired and embittered tennis pro, who is estranged from his father Arnie (Gary Busey), decides to leave the solace of his apartment and happens upon Tess (Chelah Horsdal). Tess, a recent vulnerable divorcee, finds Peter’s intensity and attention irresistible. Together they pursue ‘oneness’ and consciously shut out the world, barricading themselves inside Peter’s apartment. A desperate Arnie attempts to liberate the pair from CANDiLAND– but will he make it in time?

Gary Busey states “CANDiLAND teaches us to pay attention to the heart of the injured like you haven’t paid attention before.”

Rusty Nixon says, “Elizabeth Engstrom’s cult novel has haunted me since I first read it twenty years ago. It was an honour to bring the book to life and to work with such a passionate cast and crew to create an unforgettable film experience.”

Produced by Motorcycle Boy and Greendale Productions, CANDiLAND was written and directed by Rusty Nixon.

ABOUT INDUSTRYWORKS STUDIOS/PICTURES – CANADA, INTERNATIONAL

IndustryWorks is a fully integrated Distribution, Production, Finance and New Media, worldwide content provider. IndustryWorks sets itself apart by having a keen sense of recognizing the potential in projects for distribution and is dedicated to releasing unique and marketable content to the world market place. The Company has several in-house projects in development and acquires films from producers around the world. IndustryWorks distributes its content through all media outlets, including box office, VOD, SVOD, broadcast, airlines, internet and digital platforms, retail and rental outlets.

CANDiLAND in CANNES: Please visit IndustryWorks in Cannes, at the Marche du Film – B3 Riviera

Social Media Handles

Website: industry-works.com/content/candiland
Twitter: @candilandfilm, @IWPictures, @THEGaryBusey
Instagram: @candilandfilm
Facebook: facebook.com/candilandfilm
IMDb: pro-labs.imdb.com/title/tt3620120/

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

Actor Nicole Oliver keeps busy with roles in Hallmark’s Radio Hype, Lifetime’s Ungodly Acts, and the feature film Marrying the Family

As one of the most respected voice-over actors Nicole continues to be in demand in animation

Multi-faceted Nicole Oliver continues to keep extremely busy with roles on screen as an actor and in the voice-over market. This spring Nicole divides her time with roles on Hallmark (Eone) “Radio Hype,” Lifetime’s “Ungodly Acts” and the feature film “Marrying the Family.” As one of the most respected voice-over actors Nicole continues to be in demand in Animation on Season 5 of “My Little Pony” now airing on Discovery Family and “Kate and Mim Mim” airing on the Disney Channel.

Hallmark’s “Radio Hype” is directed by Kris Tabori and is starring Alison Sweeney. Nicole has the role as Julie, the owner of a fashion boutique and sister to Nick (Jonathan Scarfe – Hell on Wheels). Carl Bessai directs Lifetime’s “Ungodly Acts”. Nicole plays Paula Martin one of the leaders of the Church of the Blessed Light Ministry.

“Marrying the Family” unites Nicole with many of the ensemble cast from the Film Festival darling (VIFF 2013; TIFF Next Wave 2014) “Leap for Your Life”. “Marrying the Family” follows Dylan (Taylor Hill), as she is getting ready for her wedding to her high school sweetheart Corey (Adam Di Marco). However, any plans for a simple wedding are put on hold when her wedding planner mother Kathy, played by Nicole, steps in to design a wedding Dylan will never forget. Marrying the Family is a sweet comedy about love, family, growing up and letting go and is directed by Peter Benson (What An Idiot).

Nicole Oliver has been nominated for several Leo Awards for her work on both the small and big screen. She is the recipient of the UBCP/ACTRA award for Best Voice for her work in animation.

She has guest starred on numerous television series “Supernatural and “Rogue”. She has also starred in many MOW’s including “The Christmas Ornament” starring Cameron Mathison and Kellie Martin, “The Woodcarver” with John Ratzenberger; “Taken Back – Finding Haley” with Amanda Tapping and “Innocent” with Bill Pullman and Marcia Gay Harden. For four seasons, Nicole was also the host on the hit Slice Network series “Crash Test Mommy”. A high light for Nicole was acting along side her young son, William Ainscough, who starred as Billy in City TV’s “Seed” for two seasons.

Well known throughout the world at Brony and Fan Conventions as Princess Celestia and Cheerilee on “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” and Zoe on the cartoon “Littlest Pet Shop”, her voice-over work continues to thrive. In animation, she has popular roles on “Max Steel”, “Martha Speaks”, “Strawberry Shortcake”, and “Superbook”. She is currently the voice for Wireless Wave, and has provided her voice to over 100 companies including American Express, Starbucks, Salon Selectives, Club House, and IKEA.

Nicole Oliver has worked for over twenty years in the entertainment industry as an actor, producer, and director. This multi-talented, incredibly busy mother and professional has mastered the balance between family and work, and has furthered her education with a Masters of Arts in Communication from Royal Roads University (2011). She is the recipient of both the Founders Award for leadership and sustainability and the Chancellors Award for highest academic achievement.

Nicole believes that diversification is the key to success, and that with success in life there can be balance. She resides in Vancouver with her husband and their two sons. Nicole is available for interviews and photographs upon request.

Social Media Handles

Website: nicoleoliver.com
Twitter: @mouthnoize
IMDb: Nicole Oliver

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

Read Sonja Bennett’s journey to writing her first screenplay for the now popular feature film Preggoland now playing in theatres in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal in Canada and opens in the US on May 8th to a limited release in 10 cities.

By Sonja Bennett

The almost rise, kinda fall, and sorta resurrection of a Canadian actress

In 2001 I was in theatre school getting the dregs of the acting roles. In the last production, I played eight parts – two of which were barnyard animals. My career goal at that point was to be a Bard on the Beach regular and maybe not have to live with three roommates. But my prospects weren’t looking great.

Then something happened. My father, Guy Bennett, was about to direct his first feature, Punch, about a father-daughter relationship. The story goes that the producer said offhandedly, “Too bad your daughter isn’t an actress, that’d be a good hook.” Um, does a proficiency in the back half of a horse costume count? I was “cast” in the movie and my career in film was put in motion.

Headhunters from Fox television were at our TIFF premiere and put me on a contract old-school style like I was Shirley Temple or something. Me and a little unknown comic named Zach Galifianakis. Ever heard of him?

Suddenly I was being groomed as “the next Calista Flockhart.” But my body rebelled against this idea. Somewhere I had read that cashew nuts were a healthy snack and I was eating them by the Dan-D-Pak. I gained 20 pounds, had a stress rash all over my face and had developed an audition-selective stutter. I was completely unprepared for 12-page last minute auditions in LA where I had no support network except my loyal agent, Dylan Collingwood, who came down and tried to help jam lines in my head and figure out the LA highway system.

Needless to say, I didn’t get my Ally McBeal, nothing came of my Fox contract and I slinked back to Vancouver with my tail between my legs. My ego was bruised pretty bad and I took to embarrassing behaviour like hitting gold-level tanning beds to give the town the impression I was “just up from LA for the weekend.”

Six months after my Fox contract had ended, I booked the new lead character on the seventh season of the Canadian series Cold Squad, and despite my whole management team’s disappointment, I was very happy. From that point on I worked steadily for almost a decade. I did comedy, I did drama, I got to work with Atom Egoyan and I won awards and stuff. Life was pretty sweet. I’d once again redefined what my dreams were and could say I was now living it.

And then the recession happened.

Movie stars were turning to shitty TV for work, and the roles I realistically had a shot at were getting smaller and sillier and less lucrative. I had also turned 30 and was apparently no longer the “right kind” of pretty for Smallville. So I did what most actresses do when the work dries up. I decided it’s time to have a baby!

I’m kidding – sort of. Motherhood gave a context to my career. I tried being pickier with roles, but all the good ones went to Oscar winners.

My body was starting to rebel against the slog of being a Vancouver actress in her 30s; to the high probability that the project I was auditioning for had the word “Fatal” or “Tornado” in the title.

I was getting bitter-actress-itis.

I remember my kid saying, “Mama sad, mama have dish-in.” I guess I was sad about my “dish-in” and more importantly I wasn’t a good enough actor to hide it from my son.

So I stopped acting. For almost three years. It was hard. But it was the right decision. I detoxed from the crack that is the highs and lows of the entertainment industry, I had a second child without consulting the UBCP/ACTRA “what’s shooting” list, and I went back to university to seek out another career path cause god knows if I’m not pretty enough for Smallville I’m definitely not getting a job at Cactus Club.

But I still found myself drawn to my husband’s (actor Stephen Lobo) callsheets and scripts. I missed being creative and telling stories and making movies. I wanted back in but knew it had to be different this time round.

I decided to write myself the juicy lead role that no one was going to give me otherwise. The plan was to write a starring vehicle to resuscitate my nearly dead career. I had stories from my motherhood experiences and I came up with the concept for a movie called Preggoland.

And then I wrote. Before my kids woke up, during their naptimes, in the middle of the night if I couldn’t sleep. I channeled all that creative energy into a story. My dear friend Kevin Eastwood agreed to produce. Ironically, by far the most difficult thing about getting the film made was convincing the decision makers to have me star in it. But the producers and the director, Jacob Tierney, supported me entirely – which meant a much smaller budget and a bigger pain in the ass for all involved. They did it anyway and never made me feel guilty.

Now, of course, I would never be so cavalier as to suggest the answer to all out-of-work actresses is to just “go out and make a feature.” It was the simple act of being creative on my own terms and taking control of my own destiny that empowered me. My bitter actress-itis was cured long before Preggoland went into production.

And did all my dreams come true with this film? Has Hollywood come knocking?

I guess the answer is, I don’t know yet. I’m not thinking about it all that much because I’m too busy with my family and the new ideas in my head. In my quest to write a vehicle to launch a “comeback,” I fell in love with writing along the way. And so the parameters of my dream life have shifted once again.

I won’t pretend that it doesn’t twinge my heart a little when I see Zach Galifianakis hosting Saturday Night Live and wonder what could have been if I’d laid off the cashews. But then I move on fast because I’m too busy writing my next feature.

-Sonja Bennett

Social Media Handles

Website: sonjabennett.ca, mongrelmedia.com/film/preggoland.aspx, indiegogo.com/projects/preggoland-help-us-finish-the-movie
Twitter: @sonjabennett123, @Preggoland
Facebook: facebook.com/Preggoland
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm1060641/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

W Network’s Biggest Prize Winners, Charlotte Fenton and Sean Duncan, Take Home the House They Renovated in the Season Finale of Game of Homes

Teams of amateurs transformed four decrepit houses in the competition to win their dream home

The final episode of W Network’s Game of Homes aired last night awarding Charlotte Fenton and Sean Duncan the ultimate prize: their renovated house and a plot of land to put it on. With eight weeks to renovate four decrepit homes room-by-room, four teams of amateur renovators battled small budgets, tight deadlines, cramped quarters and each other for a chance to win their dream home. The competition came to a close as Charlotte and Sean impressed the judges and the public with the broad appeal of their West Coast-meets-modern-style home to beat out the other three teams.

Charlotte Fenton and Sean Duncan, winners of W Network’s Game of Homes

Each week, Game of Homes host Cameron Mathison guided the teams as they competed for the biggest prize of its kind. The season finale was a breathtaking race to the finish as teams had only 24 hours to correct their renovation mistakes from previous challenges. Throughout the series, judges Cheryl Torrenueva (Home to Go, Restaurant Makeover) and Jeremy MacPherson (The Re-Inventors) assessed the design and workmanship of each team’s room transformation with guest celebrity judges. Teams faced weekly challenges that would prepare them for the final presentation. In the grand finale, Cameron welcomed the public to view the finished houses and cast their vote on which team achieved the most spectacular home renovation. The public vote, along with the views of the judges, changed the lives of the winning team by awarding them with the ultimate prize.

Competitors House 1 included father and daughter duo, Ray and Crystal Moon; family-focused PJ (Pawan) and N
ina Johar; vibrant and confident couple, and recently engaged pair, Disa Ottosdottir and Russell Schaper-Kotter.

Weekly celebrity guest judges have included Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot from W Network’s Love It or List It Vancouver; Drew and Jonathan Scott from W Network’s Property Brothers; Kortney and Dave Wilson from W Network’s Masters of Flip; Colin and Justin (Colin and Justin’s Home Heist, I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here); Kelly Deck (Take it Outside); and Dee Dee Eustace (Love By Design, Real Designing Women).

About W Network
W Network is the leading destination for Canadian women delivering/with a range of compelling entertainment from original programming to lifestyle series, blockbuster movies and popular dramas. W Network’s online offerings include WNetwork.com, W Dish and W View. With its extensive research capabilities and consumer insights, W Network is recognized as a leading expert in marketing to women. W Network is owned by Canadian-based media and entertainment company Corus Entertainment. For more information, visit WNetwork.com and corusent.com.

About Great Pacific Media (GPM)
Great Pacific Media is a global leader in factual television. Started by TV veterans Blair Reekie and Mark Miller, their programs are seen in more than 170 countries. They specialize in development, production, co-production, and financing of factual, documentary, game show and reality television. Great Pacific Media was recently acquired by the Thunderbird group of companies to accelerate the growth of Thunderbird’s presence in the unscripted television space. The Thunderbird Group includes London-based theatrical distributor Soda Pictures and Vancouver-based production company Reunion Pictures.

Social Media Handles
Website: corusent.com, greatpacifictv.com, Wnetwork.com
Twitter: @Char_Dijon, @SeanDijon, @2fleas, @GameOfHomesTV, @CameronMathison, @CorusPR, @GreatPacificTV, @w_network
Facebook: facebook.com/gameofhomes, facebook.com/wnetwork

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople