Tag Archives: CBC

Classic Romantic Comedy John Apple Jack To Premiere at VAFF in November

“For those with the luxury to live out loud and proud… now what?”

From Skycorner Entertainment Ltd., new generation film John Apple Jack addresses gay pride and self-acceptance. Producers Monika Mitchell, Rick Tae, and Selena Paskalidis are proud to introduce the fun crowd pleaser, where sexuality is secondary to dreams, self-worth, happiness, responsibility and family.

John Apple Jack will have its world premiere at the Centre Piece Gala Film during the Vancouver Asian Film Festival on Saturday, November 9^th at 7:00pm. For tickets visit: vaff.org/festinfo/vaff-17-day-3-program-8

The feature film will then move on to Montreal’s ImageNation before its network premiere on OUTtv.

Starring Chris McNally as John Jardine and Kent S. Leung as Jack Gaang, the romantic comedy has been featured on NovusTV, Daily Xtra, and GayVancouver.

Interview with NovusTV can be viewed online here: youtube.com/watch?v=lvWjrkyeEmY

About The Film

Set in Vancouver’s East-meets-West glamorous restaurant industry, the challenge for both John Jardine and Jack Gaang is to find a way to blend money, sex, love and family into one sumptuous recipe for life.

John Jardine is a handsome gay man and heir to a restaurant empire. John lives with extravagance – champagne, fast cars and fast men – bedding nearly every hot guy in town. After coming out to his parents, John looks for any opportunity to prove his worth to the world.

Jack Gaang is an overly responsible Asian-Canadian who has slept with no man. Jack finds himself settling into a full-time job, a gal pal, an offspring, and an ambition in the culinary industry to sidestep his feelings for John, his childhood crush. He has quietly given up hope that John would ever fall for him and support his dreams of running a restaurant together one day.

As years of mounting tensions culminate into an over-heated argument in the kitchen, Jack throws an apple at John’s head — bruising his boss’s ego and unfurling a series of ill-timed events that teach them both good reasons to grow up.

For these two opposites, romance must ensue… especially when Jack is about to marry John’s sister! After John finds out about the wedding, passions ignite and his life spirals out of control… losing his job, his playboy reputation and his underwear – all while rushing to the altar to finally confess his love! Promiscuous John was once easy for Jack to ignore. But a newer, penniless, more soulful John may soon prove too hard to kick to the curb.

Chris McNally – imdb.com/name/nm2901423/?ref_=tt_cl_t1
Kent S. Leung – imdb.com/name/nm4141406/?ref_=tt_cl_t2
Mkenzie Scott – imdb.com/name/nm1745779/?ref_=tt_cl_t3

About The Crew

Monika Mitchell – Director/Co-Producer

Monika’s filmmaking career started with three independent films: Night Deposit, Witness and Break a Leg (2000-2003), attending 90 international film festivals, winning 27 awards and qualifying for Academy Award consideration with both shorts. Having won Slamdance’s Anarchy Audience Award in 2000, she was a programming contributor for the festival the following two years (2001, 2002). In 2009, she was chosen by Vancouver Olympic Committee and the Cultural Olympiad to curate the film program for Canada during the Olympics and Paralympics of 2010. She acquired, commissioned and/or produced 72 films that were enjoyed by over 13 million viewers worldwide. In 2011 her original script was chosen to participate in Whistler’s CFC’s Producer’s Lab. Monika continues to direct episodic television (beginning with Robson Arms in 2004) and has worked for networks including CBC, CTV, Lifetime and Logo, while developing her own feature projects. She most recently directed the pilot “The Switch” for Trembling Void Productions and OutTV in Summer 2013.

Rick Tae – Writer/Producer

Rick has created films, shorts, TV, multimedia and theatre content currently in various stages of distribution, production and development. He was selected for the NSI Totally Television Program and awarded Telefilm Canada support as a screenwriter/producer. In addition to writing/producing his first feature John Apple Jack, Walk the Dog sold to The Movie Network and Air Canada, and received a Canadian Comedy Award nod, while web-series Marco Chow Massage has garnered fans worldwide. Rick has worked with VAFF in previous years, coached actors and writers in Vancouver and LA, produced/directed Award winning and nominated theatre productions, garnered Gemini and Leo Award nods and a win for his acting work and assisted director/producer Roland Emmerich for Sony Pictures’ blockbuster “2012”.

Selena Paskalidis – Producer

Selena has worked her way up very quickly in Canada’s film, television and digital industries. She started her career as the head of business affairs in long form drama, moving effortlessly into development before taking the reins of production. In 2013 alone, she ushered two features through production, launched a digital brand and is just about to lock financing on her third feature to shoot in the spring of 2014. For the two features already in the can, Selena secured sales and festival gala premieres for John Apple Jack and Telefilm Post Production support for Naked Night Bike, a mid-life crisis comedy that is just completing post-production. Additionally this year, Selena launched a revolutionary digital brand for the creation of online networks, called Dotstudioz (www.dotstudioz.com); designed and implemented the digital strategy for Vic Sarin’s latest documentary, Hue and the iphone and web apps for the reality series Eat St. for Paperny Productions. In previous years, Selena saw the short film she produced Walk The Dog enjoy Official Selection in the 2009 CFC Humor Me Cross Canada Tour and Canadian Comedy Award nominations. Her project The Bryce Lee Story was selected for the Just For Laughs Comedy Boot Camp. Selena is dedicated to ensuring that the smart, funny writers and directors in her midst get their films made, seen and enjoyed by a world-wide audience.

Executive Producer: Todd Giroux
Associate Producer: Jhod Cardinal

Social Media Handles

Website: johnapplejack.com
Twitter: @johnapplejack
Facebook: John Apple Jack Movie
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=QKKUKIXqE5E
Vimeo: vimeo.com/77379732

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

Canadian funny woman Jessica Holmes to deliver Keynote Finale at WIBN Conference & Urban Retreat in Vancouver on October 6th & 7th, 2013

Jessica has successfully transitioned from an in-demand comedian, to a sought-after comedic motivational speaker and author

Royal Canadian Air Farce & The Holmes Show’s Jessica Holmes, a comedian and motivational speaker, will be bringing her mix of characters, comedy, and inspirational tips to Vancouver this October. Jessica will be delivering a keynote address at the Women in Biz Network conference to uplift and motivate entrepreneurs and business women in Western Canada. As a mom, successful speaker, author, and Life Coach, Holmes has received hundreds of standing ovations in the two years since she transformed her comedy routine into a self-help/humour hybrid. One of the most requested speakers in Canada, Holmes gives an inspiring and engaging appearance. Jessica shares tips on success, re-branding, and motivation, and shares how laughter now defines her life since recovering from post-partum depression. Her talk, called the 60 Minute Perspective Makeover, is detailed below.

The 60 Minute Perspective Makeover
The secrets of success are the same no matter what business you’re in; and success begins with getting motivated. Inspiration and comedy unite in this 60-minute transformation from “I shoulda…” to “I will!” Energizing and funny, this call to action combines Jessica’s humor and savvy to deliver motivational insights into:

•   Finding greater meaning in your work
•   Using positive psychology to be happier day to day
•   Setting and reaching your goals
•   Learning to laugh at life’s shortcomings

Jessica gives quick, achievable how-tos about these topics and more, in a laugh-out-loud hour of fun. The audience receives great takeaways & follow-up resources to guarantee that Jessica’s presentation makes a meaningful impact. See more at: http://goforitevent.com/jessicaholmes/#sthash.doXX9FAz.dpuf

Before her transition to a successful speaker, Jessica was a well-established comedian and performer. She has opened for the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Leslie Nielsen and Ellen DeGeneres throughout her career.

Jessica is best known for her seven-year stint on the award winning CBC series “Royal Canadian Air Farce”. In 2002, Holmes landed her own sketch comedy show appropriately titled, “The Holmes Show”. The show featured dead-on personifications of Celine Dion, Liza Minnelli and Geri Halliwell. That same year, her musical comedy special “Holmes Alone” won the Platinum Award at WorldFest.

In recent years, Holmes has shifted her comedy from the stage to the print world as a comedy author. Her book titled, “I Love Your Laugh: Finding the Light in My Screwball Life”, offers readers her witty observations on everything from her hilarious take on parenthood, her eclectic upbringing by a Mormon father and feminist mother, and her experiences as a missionary in Venezuela.

It’s hard to imagine that this funny woman didn’t always see the laughter in things. Holmes suffered from a near crippling depression that threatened her every day life and career. Once recovered, she made the decision to dedicate her life to discovering what creates lasting balance and fulfillment.

Holmes is shooting the new web series That’s My JD, developing a comedic reality series with Pivotal Media and a tween musical series with Marblemedia, appearing as a frequent guest on shows like “Entertainment Tonight Canada” and “George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight”, and is set to release her second comedy book due out in 2014.

Social Media Handles

Website: jessicaholmes.com
Twitter: @happyfeetholmes

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

In demand actor Emmanuelle Vaugier returns to popular Showcase Series ‘Lost Girl’

Emmanuelle also guest stars on the popular CBC series Republic of Doyle

Stunning actor Emmanuelle Vaugier reprises her role for a fourth season on the innovative series ‘Lost Girl’, a Canadian supernatural drama. Since 2010 Emmanuelle has had a recurring role on this highly rated Showcase original show. Playing the role of The Morrigan, Emmanuelle breathes life into her vain and dangerously sociopathic character. The fourth season of ‘Lost Girl’ promises to be the most electrifying season yet. ‘Lost Girl’ premieres November 2013 on Showcase and January 2014 on SYFY.

Emmanuelle will also guest star in the premiere episode of Season 5’s ‘Republic of Doyle’ slated to air October 2, 2013. This popular CBC series, on air since 2010 focuses on Jake Doyle, and his father, as they run a private investigations agency in St John’s, Newfoundland.

Currently in production in Winnipeg, Emmanuelle co-stars in ‘Teen Lust’, a feature film about an awkward high school student who must lose his virginity before being sacrificed by a local religious cult. The film stars Cary Elwes (Saw, The Princess Bride), Kristin Bauer van Straten (“True Blood”), Jesse Carere (“Skins”), Daryl Sabara (The Philosopher, Machete) and Annie Clark (“Degrassi: The Next Generation”). Blaine Thurier (A Gun to the Head) is directing the film that he co-wrote with Jason Stone (This Is The End).

Extremely busy with MOW’s, Emmanuelle’s projects include starring in the lifetime movie ‘Hidden Away’ as Stephanie, a young mother who fakes her own death (and her daughter’s) in order to escape her abusive husband, which aired on Lifetime in July 2013. Vaugier also co-stars as Rebecca Scott, in ‘Absolute Deception’ alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., as an investigative reporter for Spyglass magazine, in New York City. Believing her husband had been killed in an auto accident, she is forced to deal with the repercussions upon discovering his death had been faked. ‘Absolute Deception’ was released to DVD in June 2013.

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 in 2013. ‘It’s Christmas, Carol!’, another starring role for Emmanuelle aired on the Hallmark Channel in December 2012, which won her a Leo Award for portrayal of a woman journeying through her past, present and future, with the help of her “ghost boss”. Emmanuelle will also star in two upcoming independent films; ‘The Wedding Chapel’, shot in July 2012, and ‘Clara’s Deadly Secret’ shot in May 2013.

Vaugier 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.” For three seasons she also played Detective Jessica Angell on “CSI: NY,” leaving fans devastated when her role came to an end. In 2010, Vaugier was cast alongside Piper Perabo in the USA Network crime series “Covert Affairs,” where she played the recurring role of Liza Hearn, a journalist and blogger not afraid to push boundaries.

Her other recent television appearances include a recurring role on FOX’s action/drama series ‘Human Target’ as well as guest roles on ‘The Mentalist’, ‘Big Shots’ and ‘Supernatural’. She was also the new female superhero for the television pilot of the comic ‘Painkiller Jane’ for the Sci Fi Channel, and had a starring role in the ‘Master of Horror’ series directed by John Carpenter. Her other television credits include: ‘One Tree Hill‘, ‘Monk’, the Fox Television series ‘North Shore’, UPN‘s hit series ‘Veronica Mars’, as well as ‘Call Me, The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss’, and the WB comedy ‘My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star‘. She also portrayed Dr. Helen Bryce; Lex Luthor‘s wife on the WB‘s hit drama ‘Smallville’.

Her feature film endeavours are just as impressive: Emmanuelle starred in the thriller ‘Mirrors 2’, a sequel to the hit 2008 horror ‘Mirrors’, starring Keifer Sutherland. Her appearance in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s acclaimed short story ‘Dolan’s Cadillac’, starring Christian Slater, can be seen on DVD. She also appeared in the feature ‘Hollywood Untitled’, directed by acclaimed director and producer Mun Chee Yong. Her other credits include ‘Saw II’, ‘Saw IV’, ‘Hysteria’, produced by former L.A. Laker Rick Fox, ‘Far Cry’ (Til Schewiger, Inglorious Basterds), ‘Bachelor Party 2’, ‘Unearthed’ (Charlie Murphy), ‘Secondhand Lions’ (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall), ‘40 Days and 40 Nights’ (Josh Hartnett), ‘House of the Dead 2: Dead Aim’ and a lead role in the comedy ‘Blonde and Blonder’, which premiered in Cannes.

Off-screen, Emmanuelle, an avid animal lover, is strongly involved in a project that is very close to her heart. She actively supports the charitable animal rescue organization Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends is an organization aimed at animal rescue and rehabilitation, ensuring the best life possible for injured or unwanted animals. For more information on the Best Friends Animal Society, please visit http://emmanuellevaugier.com/charity.htm or www.bestfriends.org.

This Vancouver native‘s inner and outer beauty shines through as Emmanuelle is among the select group of women to be on ‘Maxim‘s Top 100’ list twice. The stunning actress first made the list in 2006 and then again in 2011. 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 and Infamous.

Photography credit:
Brie Childers
www.briechilders.com

Social Media Handles

Website: emmanuellevaugier.com
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

New Full Service Talent Agency, Hero Artists, Launches in Canada‏

The team of Hero Artists (Jessica Martins and Breann Thordarson) are pleased to announce that their full-service talent agency is launching in Canada and expanding their services. The agency represents some of the country’s top actors, models, children, celebrities and voice over actors. With their head office in Toronto and affiliates in Vancouver and Montreal, the team brings years of experience representing talent throughout Canada and the United States. The seasoned team has been breaking ground for years with their collective skills in casting, acting, modeling, marketing and production. Their talented artists perform regularly in all areas of the industry, including film, television, commercials, print, voice, endorsements, branding and public appearances.

Seeing an opportunity to concentrate on its Canadian clients and at the same time expanding its services, the new Hero Artists is dedicated to providing the best for their clients by concentrating their efforts in a boutique-style approach.

Hero Artists’ clients include a wide range of talent—from popular reality TV stars to widely regarded musicians. Clients include the very funny and much-loved comedian Carla Collins, the band Faber Drive, reality TV star, news reporter and TV host from The Bachelor and Bachelor Pad, Jessie Sulidis, ET Canada’s Rick Campanelli, and numerous athletes, to name a few.

“Our artists are our Heroes. We focus on giving personal attention to them. We select them wisely and strive to build careers and long lasting relationships.” With international affiliates in the US, Europe and emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East, they continue to encourage their talent to seek new opportunities.

Their “Heroes” have appeared in productions by 20th Century Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, HBO, CBC, ABC, CTV, MTV, YTV, TSN, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Family Channel, Corus Entertainment and many others. Our actors and models have had great success in advertising campaigns for clients such as BMW, Audi, GM, Honda, Footlocker, OLG, Rogers, Bell, BMO, TD, LG, Intel, Siblings, DKNY, Diesel, Calvin Klein, fashion editorials, and music videos.

Hero Artists have the support of top Casting Directors, Producers, Directors, Brand Ambassadors and Music Managers, placing them at the forefront of the next generation.

Social Media Handles

Website: heroartists.com
Facebook: Hero Artists
Twitter: @HeroArtists

Contact The Promotion People

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

Inspired by the true story of a sports victory in the wake of tragedy, Vancouver actor Wesley MacInnes takes to the courts in CBC’s “The Phantoms” a heart-warming tale of triumph over adversity

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Vancouver actor Wesley MacInnes takes to the courts as Kevin O’Neill in the upcoming CBC / Dream Street Pictures production, The Phantoms (airs Sunday, November 18 at 8 PM on CBC Television). A true story about the courageous fight in memory of lost teammates and the quest for a basketball championship.

The Phantoms is inspired by the heart-warming, real-life events surrounding the 2009 New Brunswick provincial championship victory of the Bathurst High School (BHS Phantoms) boys varsity basketball team, a year after a terrible road accident that took the lives of seven players and the coach’s wife. In the following school year, as the tragedy hung over the community, the BHS Phantoms were reconstituted. The ragtag bunch of players gelled as a team, and as their season progressed, they lifted community spirit, and went on to win the coveted provincial basketball title for the first time in team history.

MacInnes relocated to the town of Bathurst, New Brunswick for two months in late 2011 where the project was filmed. Before any cameras rolled he spent weeks going through an intense basketball training camp run by Alan Doucet and Glenn States (the actual coaches from the 2009 season), along with his teammates Tyler Johnston (The Killing, Keep Your Head up Kid: The Don Cherry Story, Less Than Kind), Kyle Mac (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Jacob Neayem (Degrassi: The Next Generation) and Emmanuel Sarpong. With former basketball player Sudz Sutherland directing the film “The emphasis was really on the game. It had to be authentic in order to tell this story with the care and respect that it deserves. We all understood that and gave it everything so that what we captured on film would properly convey the life of this real team,” said MacInnes on the process of becoming The Phantoms.

The filming utilized many of the locations in Bathurst where the actual events took place; the community played a large part in the film, as Bathurst residents took on many of the film’s acting and background performer roles. Additionally, many of the Bathurst High School players from the 2009 season returned to the town to appear as basketball players on the competing teams. “Getting to live in Bathurst, to work with the real coaches and players, and to film in so many of the true to life locations was unlike any filming process I’ve ever seen,” said MacInnes. “The sense of community and strength there was remarkable.”

Off the court, his character, Kevin O’Neill was a musician and MacInnes drew from his own musical background to play the part, contributing multiple onscreen performances, as well as a song he produced for the film’s sound track.

Prior to working on The Phantoms, MacInnes has played roles on Smallville, Continuum, Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story, A Dog Named Christmas, The Vampire Diaries and CBC’s Heartland where he portrayed up and coming country musician Austin Mars throughout the shows fifth season.

MacInnes presently resides in Vancouver, BC where he is filming, writing and recording for new projects set to air in 2013.

CBC Television presents an inspiring real-life story of triumph in a small town, as one high school basketball team bands together to rebound from tragedy in THE PHANTOMS, airing Sunday November 18 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT). Inspired by the events surrounding the 2009 New Brunswick provincial championship season of the Bathurst High School varsity basketball team, THE PHANTOMS recounts the team’s difficult road to success after a devastating road accident took the lives of seven players and the wife of the Coach.

In the following year, as tragedy hung over the community, the BHS Phantoms returned to the court to honour the members they had lost. Against the odds, the ragtag group of players gelled as a team, and lifted not only their school ranking, but the spirit of their community. THE PHANTOMS is an inspiring Canadian story about determination, courage and the power of community.

Penned by Gemini award-winning screenwriter Andrew Wreggitt (Mayerthorpe; The Don Cherry Story,) THE PHANTOMS is directed by acclaimed director Sudz Sutherland (Guns; Love Sex & Eating the Bones) and produced by Timothy M. Hogan and Rick LeGuerrier (Canada Russia ’72; Sticks & Stones).

The ensemble cast includes Tyler Johnston (The Killing, Keep Your Head up Kid: The Don Cherry Story, Less Than Kind), Kyle Mac (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Wesley McInnes (Heartland), Holly Deveaux (Less Than Kind), Joy Tanner (Degrassi: The Next Generation) Wally MacKinnon (Canada Russia ’72), Greg Bryk (History of Violence), Tammy Isbell (The L.A. Complex) and Wendel Meldrum (Less Than Kind).

The Phantoms is produced by Dream Street Pictures, in association with CBC, and with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund, the Shaw Rocket Fund, the COGECO Program Development Fund, and, the New Brunswick Film Tax Credit.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus five languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.

About Dream Street Pictures Inc.
Dream Street Pictures is an award-winning full service independent film and television production company specializing in drama, documentary and arts programming. Based in Fredericton, Dream Street has produced the Gemini Award-winning mini-series Canada Russia ’72, the Gemini-nominated MOW Open Heart, and the television movie Sticks & Stones, which captured the prestigious Shaw Rocket Prize and was named Best Picture by the International Family Film Festival in Hollywood.

Social Media Handles

Facebook: PHANTOMS
Twitter: @PhantomsMovie, @WesleyMacInnes
Website: The Phantoms Movie, Dream Street Pictures, CBC Media Centre

Contact The Promotion People

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