Charlie David's Blog, page 7

Get to Know Drag Heals Season 3 Comedian Al Val

Al Val is a professional stand up comedian from Toronto. Her 'newness' out of the closet and into this drastically different phase of her life makes for some interesting and compelling material, which she delivers with an endearing, universal, playful honesty.

Tell us, what's been exciting about participating in this season of Drag Heals?

It's been exciting stepping (somewhat) outside of my comfort zone and trying on a different show format! It's always exciting getting a chance to express myself artistically outside of the platforms I'm used to. I've always had plenty to say - not all of it funny - and I relish an opportunity to say something completely different for a change.

What do you find has been the biggest challenge with participating in Drag Heals?

It's been a big challenge silencing my inner critic, which ironically enough is exactly what my piece is about! Although the cast and crew have made me feel welcomed and supported, I still feel like I don't resonate with drag as an art form, and am therefore not necessarily performing a 'drag' number; as a result it does kind of feel like I'm cheating the show and not being a good sport about playing along. I hope people don't mind! It's also been difficult navigating how much of my trauma I'm willing to share, because there are still some wounds I need to scar over before I can feel comfortable enough broadcasting them to the world. Lastly, it's been quite the challenge squeezing all the material I want to share into this 8-minute space. It's certainly been an exercise in concise but evocative writing.

Why do you think a show like Drag Heals is important when it comes to representation in today’s media? I think the 'healing' aspect of "Drag Heals" is the strongest quality of its representation in media. While it is important to tell stories about queer trauma, I think it's just as important to 'conclude' these traumatic threads with some positivity and optimism. "Drag Heals" does an excellent job of representing triumph over trauma, but also does an insightful job of zooming in on the in-between: the work that it takes to confront our own demons and reshape them into something beautifully resonant and representative of our own individuality.

What conversations from Drag Heals should be had more in today’s world?

I think the gender diversity of this cast has fostered a unique platform for conversations about gender expression and the gender spectrum in general. In addition, I think it's opened an interesting conversation about what 'fitting in' means to LGBT people, and how a large portion - I would even go so far as to say a majority - of queer people feel like they don't belong. Diversity may be a strength, but there are so many intricacies to the queer experience that it seems common to feel like one doesn't 'fit in' with certain gay norms. I'm confident that every cast member has felt 'left out' or disconnected from the gay community at one point, and I think it's an interesting subject that could afford to be explored a lot more in popular media.

What is the biggest takeaway or transformation you have gotten out of participating in Drag Heals?

MY biggest takeaway has been a joy of dancing!! I've been so repressed my whole life and I only really dance when I've had enough alcohol - usually copious amounts of it - to relax my inhibitions. Also, if any part of me doesn't like the song (and my music tastes can be extremely picky), I won't find any joy in dancing to it. However, this closing number that we've been rehearsing has been a major breakthrough for me in terms of connecting with the joy of dancing and for acutely accessing my femininity while I do it, which is such an exhilarating joy! I often feel like such a graceless gorilla, and this closing number has made me feel feminine, lithe and sexy! I just want to hang onto that feeling forever. I'll continue to work on being courageous enough not to care what people think, getting on my feet, and just enjoying moving my body to a beat that I like!

What was it like working with someone like Tracey Erin Smith, as well as the rest of the cast and crew? Working with Tracey has been eye-opening, for me. It's been incredible watching her work on her feet, finding insightful prompts and questions during some pretty emotionally precarious moments. For example, in our "Exaggerated Self" exercise she asked some incredibly insightful leading questions that helped myself and other cast members go to some more intimate personal places, and I was so struck at her therapeutic way of drawing out and supporting the emotional response when we got there. She's really good at what she does. I don't know what this says about me, but I want to make her proud! It's been really lovely working with this cast and crew. Honestly, I've felt supported and celebrated, and it's made relaxing my guard and immersing myself wholeheartedly into the experience that much easier. I truly feel that I'm not being judged, and that is a rare, inspiring feeling for me.

Who or what made the biggest impact on you when participating on Drag Heals? I feel like I've learned in pieces what the black experience feels like from Rose-Ingrid, and I've been inspired by Tristan's gender-play: Tristan makes me want to explore outside my single-mindedness about my transition goals, and to challenge the cisnormative standards I'm so used to desperately trying to live up to.

How would you describe your drag, or sense of fashion and artistry in general? My sense of artistry and fashion tend to be pretty direct, when I think about it. My sense of fashion is still a bit in the early stages of experimentation, but it tends not to be particularly flamboyant and pretty understated (minus the ripped jeans, which are very much a staple of mine). Likewise, my sense of artistry tends to feel, in my opinion, just as plainly expressed as my clothes are: I tend to be fairly blunt and straightforward about my messaging and my own experience. My comedy is honest and transparent about my life's experience without too much exaggeration. However, I am pretty silly and expressive, so I suppose that's where my clothing tastes and performance style differ.

What makes you a unique drag performer?

If any of what I do could remotely be categorized as 'drag' then I suppose I'd be a comedy queen with a rock n' roll edge. I think what makes me unique is that I don't necessarily play a character, and that what you're seeing is very truly what you're getting: just a sexy lady on a mic, crafting insightful, relatable and vulnerable jokes with a positive spin - all ass, no sass.

What message should audiences, near and far, take with them after they watch Drag Heals? I hope that audiences watching "Drag Heals" can understand that they deserve their catharsis. Of course it isn't easy processing deep hurt and while it is a courageous endeavor that requires work and discomfort, we all have it in us to make that journey. Furthermore, we deserve to make the journey. I just hope people understand that however you find your happiness, it does take work and internal confrontation sometimes, but it is truly worth it in the end.

Watch now! https://www.border2border.ca/drag-heals

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/draghealsseason3?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=5513653

DRAG HEALS season 3 premieres on Friday, February 10th, 2023

Toronto, ON – January 2, 2023

Season three of the documentary series DRAG HEALS is set to premiere on Friday, February 10th, 2023 at 9:30pm ET/PT on OUTtv, and the OUTtv channel on Amazon and Apple TV in Canada and the USA. Drag Heals is produced by Charlie David at Border2Border Entertainment, directed by Charlie David and Spencer Glassman with season 3 support from the Bell Fund TV Selective program and Canada Council for the Arts.

DRAG HEALS is a hybrid stage workshop and documentary TV series that follows drag artists over an intensive month long workshop series to build their own stage show. In each episode, a guest coach joins show creator and host Tracey Erin Smith in exploring soul-deep story sharing techniques as well as the unique talents and skills required from a drag performer.

The season 3 cast features comedian Al Val (headliner Just for Laughs), Canada’s drag wrestler Alice Starr, draglesque performer Tristan Ginger, DJ Jade Elektra, vocalist Rose-Ingrid Benjamin, and event promoter and parent Buster Highman.

The guest coaches include professional makeup artist Kosta MUA who helps refine and elevate the performers looks, L’Uomo Strano fashion designer Mic Carter, celebrity vocal coach Lorraine Lawson, choreographer Steven Chau and stylist Garçonnnne.

Over the course of the intensive workshops and story crafting, the participants dive deep into their personal lives to unearth lessons learned and bring them back to the audience as a gift. They are both the pirate and the pirated, the island and treasure. The resulting stories are emotional and cathartic, both for the drag artists and the audience who share in the experience.

“Viewers see how a diverse group of strangers can come together, and by sharing their deepest stories, create a beautiful community.” said Creator and Host Tracey Erin Smith.

"Drag Heals challenges the conventions of drag dominating television and ushers in something new - an inclusive and diverse ensemble featuring drag kings, queens, and monarchs.” said director Charlie David. “Instead of a competition series, Drag Heals is a celebration of the uniqueness of each participant. We tackle tough discussions head-on around the language and culture used in drag and when it can be unknowingly hurtful. I hope the series sheds a light on some of these challenges so we as the LGBTQ community can learn and do better. In Drag Heals, the cast isn’t just performing a lip synch, they’re grabbing hold of the mic and saying something important.”

“After a successful second season, we’re thrilled to welcome Drag Heals back for a third,” said Philip Webb, Head of Originals and Development at OUTtv. “This documentary series gives drag fans an emotional insight behind the scenes of drag artists who are at the very start of their drag journey and explores important topics such as gender expression and queer identity. Drag Heals is moving, relatable and uplifting.”

Season Three will feature eight episodes that will release weekly on Friday nights at 9:30pm ET/PT from February 10th to March 31st, 2023 on OUTtv.

About Border2Border Entertainment

Border2Border Entertainment produces and promotes award-winning, critically acclaimed film, television and digital projects for the LGBTQ+ audience. Border2Border Entertainment’s ongoing relationships with TV networks, film festivals and digital platforms ensures its home-grown Canadian content is watched by millions around the globe. Border2Border Entertainment originals include the series Dating Unlocked, Avocado Toast, Womb Envy, Shadowlands and Drag Heals.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok

About OUTtv

OUTtv is the world’s first LGBTQ+ television and streaming service. Home to a compelling mix of inclusive, queer-focused content from comedy to drama, documentaries, reality, and award-winning movies. OUTtv is dedicated to telling stories by and for the community and is the world’s leading provider of queer content. OUTtv Originals include Call Me Mother, Gogo For The Gold, Shine True, Boy Boy Montréal, The Villbergs Chronicles, Iconic Justice, Hot Haus, Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend, My Trans Journey and the documentary strand OutSpoken.

OUTtv’s streaming platform is available at ,OUTtv.com where subscribers can stream their favorite series' and movies and discover new content exclusive to the service. ,OUTtv.com is available for iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Roku and on web browsers in Canada and the USA. OUTtv is also available in Canada and the USA as an Apple TV Channel and in Canada and Australia as an Amazon Prime Video Channel and on The Roku Channel in the USA.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @OUTtv or TikTok @OUTtv

For more information, please visit:

www.border2border.ca

www.outtv.ca

To view the season 3 trailer, please click here

Screeners are available upon request

For media interviews and inquiries, please contact:

Project Four Public Relations

Amira de Vera

amira@projectfourpr.com

647-865-1804

Hospital, Doctor office, Nurse Station, 1950s home sets in Toronto for TV, Film, Webseries

Turn Key Building With Existing Sets And Rooms For All Departments

See the profile, more photos, pricing and calendar to book in with your production.

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Building has 15 rooms with some existing sets (described below) and rooms for all your departments for small to medium Film, TV series, Digital Media, Music Video, photoshoots and other productions.

This 4000 square foot building consists of 15 individual rooms on 2 floors (plus basement).

2 kitchens (1 on each floor) with fridge and microwave.

2 washrooms on main level and 1 washroom on level 2.

Private parking lot for building can hold up to 14 personal cars or a couple cube trucks and personal cars. We've also previously arranged spill over parking with a church within a half block walk of the building available on daily, weekly or monthly rates.

Overnight storage of gear/sets/supplies is optional for longer bookings (at your own risk) and the building is monitored by a security system with motion detectors and 24hour security call centre surveillance.

We've used this location for TV series, webseries, podcast recording and photoshoots. It is surprisingly quiet (audio recording not an issue) and is within walking distance to amenities like Starbucks, Shoppers Drug Mart and several restaurants who have catered our lunches.

We have had cast and crews up to 40 people comfortably using the building and with so many rooms - each department can have an area to call home for their gear and supplies.

For longer bookings, we are open to your production team painting/wallpapering/etc to make the set of your dreams for your show/photoshoot/music video, etc.

Existing sets include:

1) a 1950s home set with kitchen, living and dining area including vintage TV, fridge, stove and fish tank.

2) Modern bedroom set with bed

3) Hospital set (furniture/hospital apparatus not included) with hospital room, nursing station, and nursery or operation recovery area

4) Creepy basement with 2 bank vaults

5) Wood-panelled rooms (2) great for a living room, cabin, CEO office or home library set

See the profile, more photos, pricing and calendar to book in with your production.

Bell Fund approves funding of $2.4 million for 12 short-form digital series

Toronto and Montreal, December 20, 2022

The Board of Directors of the Bell Fund has announced its decisions for the September 26, 2022 Short-Form Digital Series Program deadline. Bell Fund has committed $2.4 million to the production of 12 short-form digital series (8 English and 4 French), including 1.8M for production and 600K for audience development

The Fund remains committed to supporting Black, Indigenous, Racialized, and underrepresented communities, enabling all producer/creators, emerging and established, to tell their original stories.

The Board of Directors of the Bell Fund has announced its decisions for the September 26, 2022 Short-Form Digital Series Program deadline. Bell Fund has committed $2.4 million to the production of 12 short-form digital series (8 English and 4 French), including 1.8M for production and 600K for audience development.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/1ec4df_1a1de0a90d91464b9e54b56d4a1c0a68/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Second season renewals lead the way for Zarqa, (FUNdamentalist Films), Farm Crime (Big Cedar Films), Second Nature (Blue Ant Digital) and Dating Unlocked (Border2Border Entertainment). This speaks to the audience appeal of stories that range from true crime to a 2SLGBTQ+ dating show, a comedy about a divorced Muslim woman and a series that answers big evolutionary questions. Creator/showrunner Zarqa Nawaz will be shooting Season 2 in Saskatchewan with an all-women, and majority BIPOC, story room. Stories from my Gay Grandparents combines an intergenerational comedy and a late-in-life, coming out series, created by Perrie Voss (co-creator of Avocado Toast) and rising writer/actor Scott Farley and produced with digital series veteran Andrew McCann. Rounding out the funded series are Nesting, Near or Far and the Nature of Design, all from successful, women-led companies.

1.1. The following English-language series received production funding under Bell Fund’s Short-Form Digital Series Program:

SHORT-FORM DIGITAL SERIES (English)Dating Unlocked, Season 2

Border2Border Entertainment

OUTtvGo

8 x 20 minDaters compete in elimination-style relationship games to unlock the chance of a second date.Farm Crime, Season 3

Big Cedar Films

CBC Gem

6 x 17 minFrom stolen sheep scandals to pigeon breeding Ponzi schemes, Farm Crime is a true crime documentary series investigating unconventional offences in farming and agriculture.Near or Far

Harlow Entertainment

CBC Gem

8 x 12 minExplores the unexpected betrayals between Sadie and Lauren, twin sisters from an immigrant family, as they embark on drastically different paths for the first time.Nesting

Project Undertow

Crave.ca

8 x 8 minSince the romantic comedy dream hasn't panned out for best friends Anna and Rosa: no house, no partner, no baby; they go hunting for a baby daddy to knock them up so they can parent together in a new version of family. Second Nature, Season 2

Blue Ant Digital

Animalogic (YouTube)

26 x 8 minExamines the most extreme and fascinating examples of how plants and animals are forced to adapt to a harsh and changing planet earth.Stories From My Gay Grandparents

Play Management Media

KindaTV (YouTube)

10 x 8 minAfter Grandma and Grandpa survive a near-death experience, it catapults them to come out of the closet and grab life by the boas. With the help of their big-city grandkids, they make up for lost time as they finally start to live life as gaily as possible.The Nature of Design

Bee Video Production

Blue Ant - Homeful

8 x 11 minExplores the fascinating world of biophilic designs, which connect people and architecture with nature. This exciting new series uncovers public and private spaces that manage to incorporate nature in the most remarkable ways.

Zarqa, Season 2

FUNdamentalist Films

CBC Gem

6 x 11 minZarqa’s pursuit of a holier-than-thou, social influencer’s clout backfires when she gets cancelled, sending her life spiraling out of control as she claws her way out of her latest disaster.

1.2. The following French-language series received production funding under Bell Fund’s Short-Form Digital Series Program:

For further details on the series below, please see our French language website: fondsbell.ca

SHORT-FORM DIGITAL SERIES (FRENCH)Cœur Vintage

Zone3

ICI Tou.tv

10 x 10 minLa dernière communion

Telequebec.tv

Roméo & Fils

8 x 17 minLes racines du hip-hop au Québec

Major Productions

Telequebec.tv

10 x 20 minPa t’mentir Saison 2

Trio orange

ICI Tou.tv

8 x 20 min

Pat Rocco Dared - and inspired us

Pat Rocco Dared is a feature length documentary film that is available on ,Vimeo, ,Vudu and the ,Border2Border Entertainment store with more platforms to come.

Logline: One of Hollywood’s original boundary pushing gay pioneers, erotic filmmaker and activist Pat Rocco opens up to a new generation with one last passionate story, his own.

https://vimeo.com/border2border/patroccodaredtrailer

Why this team? Why this project?

Activist. Filmmaker. Pioneer. Playboy magazine called Pat Rocco the King of the Nudies, but this man was much more than an erotic filmmaker. He paved the way for generations of LGBT activists and artists - including myself and the directors of the film, Bob Christie and Morris Chapdelaine. In our research it became hauntingly apparent how the life of Pat Rocco and my own are in a tango across the decades - performers who came out of the closet early in our careers, television hosts, travel aficionados, human rights activists and envelope pushers when it comes to reflecting the lives of LGBTQ people on film.

My previous documentary films examine sex, sexuality, gender, and activism through a queer lens. With titles like ,PolyLove, ,Sex Club 101, Drag Heals, ,Into and ,Serviced I don't shy away from exploring LGBTQ people's lives - in and out of the bedroom.

Pat Rocco arguably paved the way for writers and documentarians like me. He was filming the speeches and demonstrations of people like Harvey Milk and Reverend Troy Perry (who organized the world's first pride parade in Los Angeles - and thankfully someone I interviewed for this film, now in his 80s.) while also creating a new style of romanticism in film just as the Hays Code (which applied rigid moral scrutiny to films, banning everything from interracial dating to "lustful kissing.") was being phased out of Hollywood (1969) but prior to hardcore pornography becoming ubiquitous (mid-1970s).

This is the era we are examining, 1969 when it was still a psychological disorder to be gay, the year of Stonewall and the first Pride March in the USA. 1971 marking 'We Demand' in Canada - a march on Ottawa by gay men who had been routinely blackmailed and arrested during McCarthyism to demand 10 points of equality. Unfortunately, it would take decades and decades for those demands of equality to be won.

I'm often gobsmacked when watching a Pat Rocco film or interview from this period of 1969-1975 because the people and topics he is exploring feel like they could be from an interview I just did in the Village in Toronto or Vancouver or Montreal this year. Gender confirmation, polyamory, monogamy, racial inequity, barriers to employment opportunity, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, police brutality... It's haunting. Here we are over fifty years later and we're talking about all the same things. So much has changed for the better and we still have so far to go.

We took a small film crew to meet Pat Rocco at his home in Hawaii in 2017 and we spent a few days together watching his films and swapping stories. I'm 42 years old and Pat was in his early 80s. Between us is the generation that suffered so many deaths to AIDS and consequently a major void in story sharing, learning, and legacy in the queer community.

Pat assigned his life rights and body of film work to us to make this documentary. Most of the films are 16mm or 35mm and stored at the UCLA archives. We've slowly paid for them to be digitized and preserved both for the archives there as well as to donate to the ArQuives - Canada's LGBTQ archive in Toronto.

Pat Rocco passed away at the age of 84 in 2018. Over this past year during the pandemic, our small team made it a priority to interview his surviving contemporaries who are also in their 80s including his partner for over 40 years David Ghee, Reverend Troy Perry and film historian Whitney Strub.

Pat Rocco was a filmmaker, activist, provocateur, documentarian and friend. He started a LGBTQ homeless shelter, a back-to-work program for queer people who had difficulty finding employment and perhaps most importantly - was brave enough to go out with his camera and capture the events of the era - from police raids of gay clubs, to the first pride parades, to hunger strikes, to ,Harvey Milk's famous speech in 1978.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkEi6zlgtz8

The mainstream media was not covering LGBTQ issues and so without Pat Rocco, we would have very little by way of moving images to understand the beginnings of this human rights movement and the rights and freedoms we enjoy today.

It's important for me both personally and for the LGBTQ community to preserve the legacy of early leaders like Pat Rocco. I invite you to watch Pat Rocco Dared, our tribute to one of our courageous elders.

https://vimeo.com/border2border/patroccodaredtrailer

Dating Unlocked nominated for Realscreen Awards 2023 edition

Realscreen is happy to announce the nominees advancing to the second, final round of judging in the upcoming 13th edition of the Realscreen Awards.

The Realscreen Awards have comprehensively recognized the best in unscripted and non-fiction programming from around the world since 2010. The upcoming edition will be presented during a ceremony held at the JW Marriott in Austin on January 24, during the upcoming Realscreen Summit, which takes place January 23 to 26.

Winners will be awarded in 22 genre-specific categories, along with our grand prize Awards of Excellence, from each of our five main categories (Competition, Lifestyle, Reality, Non-Fiction, and Short-Form Content), our award for the Best New Format, and the DIALOG (Diversity, Inclusion, Accountability, Opportunity and Growth) Award.

The ceremony will also recognize the newest inductees into the Realscreen Hall of Fame, including documentarian Alex Gibney, with more news to come.

In terms of this year’s nominees, Netflix projects scored 13 nominations across categories, while Discovery+ racked up seven nods, Hulu scored four and AppleTV+ garnered three. UK PSBs have a good showing as well, with projects for the BBC grabbing four nominations, and Channel 4 racking up three. Magnolia Network has also made a strong showing in its first year of programming, with six nominations.

And now, the nominees (with credits supplied by the submitting companies):

SHORT-FORM CONTENT – REALITYOn EdgeProduction Company: Bunim/Murray ProductionsProduced For: Olympic Channel – International Olympic Committee

Dating Unlocked Production Company: Border2Border EntertainmentProduced For: OUTtv

Chrissy’s CourtProduction Company: Huntley Productions; Alfred Street Industries; 3 Arts EntertainmentProduced For: The Roku Channel

COMPETITION – GAME OR QUIZ SHOWThe 1% ClubProduction Company: Magnum MediaProduced For: ITV

Bullshit: The Game ShowProduction Company: Nobody’s Hero; ITV AmericaProduced For: Netflix

To Tell The TruthProduction Company: FremantleProduced For: ABC

In Other News, Today Production Company: PanenkaProduced For: VRT/Eén

COMPETITION – LIFESTYLEThe Great British Bake OffProduction Company: Love ProductionsProduced For: Channel 4

The Hype Production Company: HBO Max; Scout ProductionsProduced For: HBO Max

Next Level ChefProduction Company: Studio Ramsay Global; Fox Alternative EntertainmentProduced For: Fox

Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron LegendProduction Company: Keller Productions; 3 Ball ProductionsProduced For: Netflix

COMPETITION – REALITYBig BrotherProduction Company: Fly on the Wall Entertainment; Endemol Shine North AmericaProduced For: CBS

Hunted UKProduction Company: ShineProduced For: Channel 4

AloneProduction Company: Leftfield Productions (an ITV America company)Produced For: The History Channel

The One That Got AwayProduction Company: Amazon StudiosProduced For: Prime Video

COMPETITION – TALENT & STUDIO-BASEDLego Masters Australia Production Company: Endemol Shine AustraliaProduced For: Nine Network Australia

The VoiceProduction Company: MGM Television; Warner Bros. Unscripted Television; Warner Horizon; ITV Studios; The Voice USA, Inc.Produced For: NBC

Blown Away: ChristmasProduction Company: MarblemediaProduced For: Netflix

RuPaul’s Drag RaceProduction Company: World of WonderProduced For: VH1

LIFESTYLE – DOCUREALITY-STYLE FOOD PROGRAMGordon Ramsay: UnchartedProduction Company: Studio Ramsay; Objective Media Group; All3Media Group Company; National GeographicProduced For: National Geographic

Cooking On The TopProduction Company: RaiProduced For: Rai 2

The Lost KitchenProduction Company: Anchor EntertainmentProduced For: Magnolia Network

Diners, Drive-Ins and DivesProduction Company: Citizen Pictures; Knuckle SandwichProduced For: Food Network

LIFESTYLE – STUDIO-BASED FOOD PROGRAMSelena and ChefProduction Company: HBO Max; IPC; July Moon ProductionsProduced For: HBO Max

Mary McCartney Serves It UpProduction Company: Pacific ProductionsProduced For: Food Network

Valerie’s Home CookingProduction Company: Triage EntertainmentProduced For: Food Network

Magnolia Table with Joanna GainesProduction Company: Blind NilProduced For: Magnolia Network

LIFESTYLE – HOUSE & HOME (RENOVATION, ETC)Queen of Versailles Reigns AgainProduction Company: Ample EntertainmentProduced For: Discovery+

Escape to the ChateauProduction Company: Two Rivers; Chateau TVProduced For: Channel 4

Ugliest House In America Production Company: Big Fish EntertainmentProduced For: HGTV

For The Love Of KitchensProduction Company: Betty TVProduced For: Magnolia Network

LIFESTYLE – TRAVEL & EXPLORATIONThe World According To Jeff GoldblumProduction Company: BBC StudiosProduced For: National Geographic

Stanley Tucci: Searching For ItalyProduction Company: CNN Original Series; RawProduced For: CNN

Life Below ZeroProduction Company: BBC StudiosProduced For: National Geographic

Monty Don’s Adriatic GardensProduction Company: Alexandra Henderson AssociatesProduced For: BBC Two

NON-FICTION – ARCHIVE-BASEDUprisingProduction Company: Rogan Productions; Lammas Park; Turbine Studios; Amazon StudiosProduced For: Prime Video

Muhammad AliProduction Company: Florentine Films; WETA-TVProduced For: PBS

Elizabeth: The Unseen QueenProduction Company: BBC StudiosProduced For: BBC One

Once Upon A Time In QueensProduction Company: A Kimmelot and ITV production in association with Major League Baseball and Nick Davis ProductionsProduced For: ESPN

NON-FICTION – ARTS & CULTUREPaper and GlueProduction Company: Imagine Documentaries; Time Studios; Shark Island Institute; Impact PartnersProduced For: MSNBC

Watch The Sound with Mark RonsonProduction Company: Tremolo Productions; AppleProduced For: AppleTV+

McCartney 3, 2, 1 Production Company: Hulu, Endeavor Content; A Tetragrammaton; Film 45; Kennedy/Marshall Company; MPL CommunicationsProduced For: Hulu

Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop ComedyProduction Company: Amazon StudiosProduced For: Prime Video

NON-FICTION – CRIME & INVESTIGATIONFruitcake FraudProduction Company: ITV America’s Good Caper Content; Dial Tone FilmsProduced For: Discovery+

Curse of the ChippendalesProduction Company: LightboxProduced For: Discovery+

The Tinder SwindlerProduction Company: A Netflix Documentary / Raw Production with Gaspin Media and AGC Studios in association with VGProduced For: Netflix

Keep Sweet: Pray and ObeyProduction Company: Netflix Documentary Series; A Participant / Ark Media ProductionProduced For: Netflix

Captive Audience: A Real American Horror StoryProduction Company: Hulu; Wonderburst; High Five ContentProduced For: Hulu

To Live and Die In AlabamaProduction Company: The New York Times; Left/RightProduced For: FX

NON-FICTION – ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL HISTORYMy Garden of a Thousand BeesProduction Company: Passion Planet; WNET Group; HHMI Tangled Bank Studios; Ammonite FilmsProduced For: PBS

The Green PlanetProduction Company: BBC Studios, Natural History UnitProduced For: BBC1, PBS, bilibili, ZDF, China Media Group CCTV9, France Télévisions – BBC, The Open University – BBC

Prehistoric PlanetProduction Company: BBC StudiosProduced For: AppleTV+

Puff: Wonders of the ReefProduction Company: Bioquest Studios; Wild Pacific MediaProduced For: Netflix

NON-FICTION – HISTORY & BIOGRAPHYThe Invisible Pilot Production Company: Ample Entertainment; Hyperobject IndustriesProduced For: HBO

9/11: Inside The President’s War RoomProduction Company: Wish/Art Films; BBC One; AppleProduced For: AppleTV+

Dean Martin: King of CoolProduction Company: CreativeChaos; VMG; Appian Way; Danny Strong ProductionsProduced For: Turner Classic Movies

Turning Point 9/11 and the War on Terror Production Company: Netflix; Luminant MediaProduced For: Netflix

NON-FICTION – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Move Fast and Vape ThingsProduction Company: The New York Times; Left/RightProduced For: FX

Brian Cox: Seven Days On MarsProduction Company: Arrow MediaProduced For: BBC Two

The Future Of… Production Company: Netflix; Vox Media Studios; The Verge; 21 Laps EntertainmentProduced For: Netflix

The Nature of Things: The Machine That FeelsProduction Company: Yap Films Inc.Produced For: CBC

NON-FICTION – SOCIAL ISSUES & CURRENT AFFAIRS37 WordsProduction Company: ESPN Films; Industrial Media; Trilogy FilmsProduced For: ESPN

The Hunt for the Chicago StranglerProduction Company: eOneProduced For: Discovery+; ID

Jacinta Production Company: Hulu, Impact Partners, Endeavor Pictures Production, Lunamax Films, Shotglass ProductionsProduced For: Hulu

A Man Named ScottProduction Company: Amazon StudiosProduced For: Prime Video

NON-FICTION – SPORTS DOCUMENTARYFormula One: Drive To SurviveProduction Company: Box to Box FilmsProduced For: Netflix

Man In The Arena: Tom BradyProduction Company: ESPN; The Religion Of Sports Media inc; 199 Productions; NFL FilmsProduced For: ESPN+

Citizen AsheProduction Company: CNN Films; Dogwoof; Sidewinder Films; Rexpix MediaProduced For: CNN

14 Peaks: Nothing Is ImpossibleProduction Company: Noah Media Group; Little Monster FilmsProduced For: Netflix

REALITY – DOCUREALITYLove After LockupProduction Company: Sharp Entertainment (part of Sony Pictures Television)Produced For: WEtv

Jailhouse RedemptionProduction Company: Magilla EntertainmentProduced For: Discovery+

The Program: Prison DetoxProduction Company: Big City TV (part of The Content Group)Produced For: Discovery+

Love on the SpectrumProduction Company: Northern PicturesProduced For: Netflix

REALITY – DOCUSOAP90 Day FiancéProduction Company: Sharp Entertainment (a part of Sony Pictures Television)Produced For: TLC

RuPaul’s Drag Race: UntuckedProduction Company: World Of WonderProduced For: VH1

The KardashiansProduction Company: Fulwell 73, Kardashian Family Production Company, HuluProduced For: Hulu

Day Fiancé: Before The 90 DaysProduction Company: Sharp Entertainment (a part of Sony Pictures Television)Produced For: TLC

REALITY – STRUCTURED Queer EyeProduction Company: Scout Productions; ITV EntertainmentProduced For: Netflix

Body PartsProduction Company: Lucky Dog FilmsProduced For: TLC

Married At First Sight UKProduction Company: CPL ProductionsProduced For: E4

Love Is BlindProduction Company: Kinetic ContentProduced For: Netflix

SHORT-FORM CONTENT – LIFESTYLE Rentfluencer Production Company: TremendousProduced For: HGTV

Magnolia Workshops: Techniques for CookingProduction Company: Blue ChalkProduced For: Magnolia Network

The Cabin Chronicles Production Company: Blue ChalkProduced For: Magnolia Network

Where We Call HomeProduction Company: York and WilderProduced For: Magnolia Network

SHORT-FORM CONTENT – NON-FICTION Betsy & IrvProduction Company: ESPN Films, ESPN Investigative and Enterprise UnitProduced For: ESPN

The FixProduction Company: Jeff Hays FilmsProduced For: The Roku Channel

Bad NaturedProduction Company: BBC StudiosProduced For: BBC Earth

Follow The ThreadProduction Company: MinusL ProductionsProduced For: Turner Classic Movies

SHORT-FORM CONTENT – REALITYOn EdgeProduction Company: Bunim/Murray ProductionsProduced For: Olympic Channel – International Olympic Committee

Dating UnlockedProduction Company: Border2Border EntertainmentProduced For: OUTtv

Chrissy’s CourtProduction Company: Huntley Productions; Alfred Street Industries; 3 Arts EntertainmentProduced For: The Roku Channel

Find out more about the nominated shows and Realscreen Awards program here.

Bell Fund interviews producer Charlie David about new series Womb Envy

Please introduce yourself and give us a brief description of Womb Envy.I’m Charlie David, producer and owner of Border2Border Entertainment. Border2Border Entertainment produces and promotes a unique brand of award-winning, critically acclaimed digital, film, and television projects for the LGBTQ and Ally audience. Border2Border Entertainment currently pursues a digital first strategy through the production, procurement and distribution of short and long form documentaries, scripted and lifestyle series, audiobooks, voice recordings and branded video.

Womb Envy is a unique project in that it is being created concurrently for two Canadian broadcaster owned SVOD platforms – AMI-tv and OUTtvGo. The broadcasters approached us to create a series that would engage and serve their very different audiences. Persons with disabilities with a focus on the blind/partially sighted for AMI-tv and the LGBTQ+ population for OUTtvGO. In addition to having the challenge of serving these two diverse audiences we are the first production company to write and produce a scripted series using IDV (Integrated Described Video).

The purpose of creating a series from the onset of writing with IDV incorporated is to ensure a level playing field for the consumption and enjoyment of the show by a sighted and partially sighted/blind audience. In other words – everyone is invited, no one is left behind in comprehension.

Diversity and inclusion are top of mind for us and in addition to persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ participation we also have a focus within Womb Envy of storytelling with and for queer Black people as well as inclusion of roles for women over the age of 60 for which employment opportunities are unfortunately often diminished.

Can you tell us what it means to have “womb envy”?Womb Envy is about a sympathetic pregnancy. It’s an actual documented physiological phenomenon whereby a man develops the physical, mental and emotional aspects of a pregnancy due to increased empathy for a pregnant partner. It’s called couvade syndrome. Incredible right?

In our series, when a gay burnt-out party boy’s estranged straight small-town best friend shows up expecting him to play daddy to her pregnant belly, even a beautiful blind lover and fairy drag queen can’t stop the womb envy. Womb Envy is an Mpreg romantic comedy.

Your series is described as an “Mpreg romantic comedy”. Can you explain what this means and what people can expect to see on the show?First couvade syndrome and now Mpreg right? What are these terms and what do they mean!? Mpreg is a highly popular deep niche of fiction, fan fiction, and entertainment in which men have the ability to get pregnant. We didn’t know how PASSIONATE this audience segment was or just how DEEP this niche was until we started our research. If you’re not in the know, you can certainly be forgiven for this going over your head. However a google search for Mpreg results in nearly 9 million results. There is a hungry, underserved and enthusiastic audience who wants to see men get pregnant. Our comedy Womb Envy is here to scratch that itch!!

What inspired you to tell this story and why did you feel it was important to explore these themes?Champagna, a Toronto drag queen who we’ve worked with on our television series Drag Heals, created the concept for the show and Mark Keller is the screenwriter. This is really their bizarre, wonderful, brain baby and I’m happy to help be a doula as the producer! My mandate and mission at Border2Border Entertainment is really to shine the light and hand the mic to underrepresented creators and make content for underserved audiences. Womb Envy checks a lot of boxes that are really exciting for me.

We are making queer content, we’re making accessible content, we’re creating conversations that change the dial on cis gendered, non-binary, trans and queer bodies. And most importantly to me, we’re providing a BIG sand box in which to play and inviting more and more people to join us. We’re working hard to ensure that at each stage of a production we’re inclusive. We don’t make the kind of stuff that most companies make and I’m really proud of that.

You have received support from Bell Fund for previous projects such as Avocado Toast, Dating Unlocked and Drag Heals. What has it been like working with the Bell Fund in developing your projects, and how has their support been instrumental in seeing these projects come to life?The Bell Fund has been a strategic partner and incredible support for the growth of my business and the creation of our work. I honestly don’t know that it would have been possible to make Avocado Toast the series (now in its second season), Dating Unlocked or Drag Heals (now in its third season) without the Bell Fund. I don’t say that lightly at all. Having the support for both the production and marketing of these stories has been the difference between them getting made or not making them.

When we speak of LGBTQ content, homes for shows created with and by women and with persons with disabilities, there is still unfortunately huge barriers and very few homes. We only have a few doors we can knock on with any confidence in terms of broadcasters and digital platforms who will rally behind the work.

That’s changing, slowly, but I do have hope that the shows we’ve been creating for over a decade that have ALWAYS been fringe are finding more acceptance and an appetite on the side of commissioners who see there is an audience.

Can you speak to the importance of institutions like the Bell Fund in supporting a series like this, and what it means for creators wanting to tell this kind of story?In addition to each project individually, as a production company, the Bell Fund has helped us steadily grow in our business practices and made us a better, stronger competitor in this challenging industry. It’s constant adaptation, evolution and agility in order to survive as any producer worth their salt can attest. The Bell Fund has ensured we’ve had a solid foundation with these shows to experiment, to be daring, and to take some creative risks and for all of that I’m humbled and grateful to be a recipient.

Find out more about the Bell Fund here.

WELL VERSED catches IPF equity investment

November 22, 2022

The IPF announces funding for nine scripted short form series.

The IPF Board of Directors has approved 2022 production financing for nine (9) scripted short form series. These are series which have been created for exploitation primarily on digital platforms and channels. Five (5) of the approved series are in English and four (4) are in French. The IPF makes equity investments in these series totaling over $1.7M as well as providing consultation, training and advisory services.

Border2Border Entertainment's series Well Versed was among the 9 series selected for an equity investment by the Independent Production Fund.

https://youtu.be/MarWTkZX8fI

The IPF/CMF Development Packaging Program and the IPF Short Form Series Production Program exist to stimulate Canadian creative and business expertise in the digital story-telling world and encourage and support new voices in our industry. Successfully marketing and distributing the original linear digital content and the talents behind it, to Canadian and international audiences, is an important measure of success for the program.

129 projects were submitted to the IPF from across Canada in March. A 30+ member evaluation committee selected 20 projects to receive development financing. Seventeen (17) out of those twenty projects completed their development phase and were eligible to apply to the Short Form Series Production Program on October 5th.

Production funding applications were analyzed and rated by a select jury of evaluators, as well as the IPF Board of Directors, providing a wide range of perspectives. Evaluators reviewed the creative materials, producer and writer team leads, production schedule, budget and financing, business and distribution strategies, audience engagement planning, as well as recoupment potential as well as financing and distribution partners.

A wide range of genres are represented, including comedy, drama, mystery, thriller, musical and animation. The creators are both new talents and experienced digital production companies. IPF Chair Emilia King commented: “Thank you so much to our jury, the IPF staff and the board for their dedication and hard work in selecting these phenomenal projects! We are beyond excited to see these projects move from concept to reality. We can’t wait to see these new perspectives, ideas and voices come to life through these incredible stories. It’s a privilege to be able to play a role in these talented creators’ journeys."

Award-Winning Dramedy AVOCADO TOAST THE SERIES Returns With Hilarious and Heartfelt Final Season

TORONTO (August 25, 2022) – Who is Molly without Elle? It’s time for a new chapter. Picking up where Season 1 left off, Avocado Toast The Series (10x15) returns as a friendship hangs in the balance and unseen illnesses threaten to change their lives forever. Created by screenwriters and stars Heidi Lynch and Perrie Voss and produced by Border2Border Entertainment, the second and final season of the critically acclaimed, award-winning dramedy begins streaming Friday, Sept. 9 on OUTtv.com (Canada), Amazon.com (USA) and froot.tv (U.K./Ireland).

(L to R: Perrie Voss as Elle, Alexander Nunez as Jordan, and Heidi Lynch as Molly)

Watch the Season 2 teaser

Photography available for download here

Molly (Lynch) is in London, England, processing her heartbreak from ‘The One’ and facing her new endometriosis/adenomyosis diagnoses. Meanwhile, back in Toronto, Elle (Voss) has found herself a member of “Community,” a retreat she signed up for to recoup after a nervous breakdown. But what was meant to be a two-week mental health break is now going on five months – and the fact that it is definitely a cult is clear to everyone but Elle. As a result, the ambitious Jordan (Alexander Nunez) has been left to juggle the ad agency that he and Elle started all on his own, and when a high-stakes client requires him to track Elle down, he finds a very different version of his old workaholic/party-girl friend.

Ultimately, Molly returns to Toronto and must learn how to ask for help to receive the surgery and support that she needs, while Elle feels like everyone who ever loved her in the real world has abandoned her. As Molly and Elle navigate their illnesses and their paths continue to diverge, a permanent friendship breakup seems inevitable... or could their paths to self-discovery bring them back together?

“It was connecting with the endowarrior community online that first helped me find the sanity and support I really needed in my own journey with endometriosis, and I wanted to share that experience and raise awareness through Molly’s story,” said Lynch. “More than anything this season, I wanted to give Molly and Elle’s powerful friendship the send-off it deserved and fully explore the theme of female friendship breakups, something not widely represented on screen. I also cannot wait to see Alexander Nunez and Prince Amponsah continue to take over the industry! Writing with and for them was an absolute highlight for me.”

“I wanted to look at overwhelm and burnout. It can feel extremely daunting to get the help we need for our mental health and I wanted to explore this alongside the added layer of overcoming manipulation and control from those we thought we could trust and how that affects our wellbeing. Ultimately, I wanted to reach our viewers through personal and shared experience to create community and connection,” said Voss. “We always approach our writing from the lens of ‘What is the worst that can happen and how can we also find the humour and absurdity in it?’. My hope is that humour continues to keep our story grounded and humanizes the characters.”

Created by screenwriters and stars Heidi Lynch and Perrie Voss and directed by Sam Coyle (Hazy Little Thing, Darkside), Season 2 of Avocado Toast The Series boasts a dynamic all-Canadian cast, featuring Alexander Nunez (Moonshine, A Teacher), Prince Amponsah (Station Eleven, Killjoys), Nelu Handa (Baroness Von Sketch Show, Workin’ Moms), Mag Ruffman (Alias Grace, Road to Avonlea), Jefferson Mappin (Unforgiven, The Freshman), Clare McConnell (Murdoch Mysteries, Nurses), and Elena Juatco (Jann, Schitt’s Creek).

Avocado Toast The Series is produced by Border2Border Entertainment with Charlie David, Heidi Lynch of Bone Vault Inc., and Perrie Voss serving as producers. Executive producers are Jefferson Mappin along with Brad Danks and Phillip Webb from OUTtv.

An OUTtv original series, Avocado Toast the Series went to camera with the financial support of the Canada Media Fund, the Bell Fund, and Ontario Creates IDM Production Fund.

Avocado Toast The Series Online

Website: www.avocadotoastseries.com

Instagram: @avocadotoastseries

TikTok: @avocadotoasttheseries

Twitter: @AvoToastSeries

Facebook: @avocadotoastseries

About Heidi Lynch

Heidi Lynch is an award winning actor, writer and producer. She is a recipient of the IPF/CMF development packaging fund 2022 for her upcoming series "Finding Green" a mockumentary about climate change, and the grateful recipient of Ontario Creates development funding 2022 for her queer women's fishing dock series entitled "Get Hooked". Both shows are produced by her new female/queer owned production company Bone Vault Inc.

About Perrie Voss

Perrie Voss is an award winning screenwriter, picture editor, producer and Canadian Screen Awards nominated actor. As a queer filmmaker Perrie focuses on telling stories with diverse and underrepresented narratives, especially female led and LGBTQ2ia+ projects. As well as Avocado Toast the series, seasons 1 & 2, she is continuing to develop a digital series Stories from my Gay Grandparents (recipient of full funding from the 2021 IPF/CMF Short Series Fund). Perrie recently edited and starred in a film called Alex which premiered at Hollyshorts in L.A., August 2022.

About Border2Border Entertainment

Border2Border Entertainment produces and promotes award-winning, critically acclaimed film, television, and digital projects for the LGBTQ+ audience, and is dedicated to making each production experience enjoyable for the artists, business and broadcast partners, co-workers, and audience. Border2Border Entertainment’s relationship with TV networks, film festivals and digital platforms keep their content in demand and watched by millions around the globe.

About OUTtv

OUTtv is the world’s first LGBTQ+ television and streaming service. Home to a compelling mix of inclusive, queer-focused content from comedy to drama, documentaries, reality, and award-winning movies. OUTtv is dedicated to telling stories by and for the community and is the world’s leading provider of queer content. OUTtv Originals include Call Me Mother, Gogo For The Gold, Shine True, Boy Boy Montréal, The Villbergs Chronicles, Iconic Justice, Hot Haus, Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend, My Trans Journey and the documentary strand OutSpoken.

OUTtv’s streaming platform is available at OUTtv.com where subscribers can stream their favorite series' and movies and discover new content exclusive to the service. OUTtv.com is available for iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Roku and on web browsers in Canada and the USA. OUTtv is also available in Canada and the USA as an Apple TV Channel and in Canada and Australia as an Amazon Prime Video Channel and on The Roku Channel in the USA.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @OUTtv or TikTok @OUTtvca

For media screeners, interview requests, or more information, please contact:

Steph Perron, BAE Communications

steph@baecommunications.ca

647.278.6799

Focus on Crew - Nico Stagias

This month we highlight one of our mainstays at Border2Border, Nico Stagias.

Nico is a Toronto based DOP, producer and editor who has worked in television for the past 20 years. His education includes an MFA degree in Film Production at the University of British Columbia and an Honour’s BA in Communication Studies at Concordia University. As a filmmaker/ visual creator, Nico’s achievements include 2 awards at the Inside Out Film Festival for Best Artistic Achievement in a film and Best Audience Choice Award at the Oregon Queer Film Festival. In addition, Nico’s visual elements for “TimeCode Break” (a Toronto Dance Theatre dance performance) helped garner the show a DORA Award for Best Production.

As an editor, Nico was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for the documentary “Christopher House: Ahead the Curve”. Nico directed, produced, shot and edited over 20 promotional commercials for Nickelodeon TV. This campaign, which was shot in India, Malaysia and the Philippines, won two Silver ProMax awards for Best Campaign and Best Comedic Campaign.

Nico has helped create a slew of TV series and documentaries with Border2Border. These DOP credits include: Shadowlands (scripted series) I’m A Stripper (doc series), PopPorn (doc series), Drag Heals (doc series), Dating Unlocked (dating show), and the following stand alone documentaries: Serviced, Sex Club 101, Into, Studlebrity, Balls, Drawn this Way, and Positive Youth. DOP and camera credits include work on shows like: Great Canadian Cottages, Bahamas Life, Storage Wars, Canada’s Worst Driver, Don’t Drive Here, Dinner Party Wars, Four Weddings, Bump! and Keeping Canada Alive.

To learn more about Nico, check out this interview! https://www.border2border.ca/post/nico-stagias-director-of-photography