World Screen

CANNES: CTV has placed an order for the digital-only series Backpackers, produced by Shaftesbury’s digital media division, Smokebomb Entertainment.  Backpackers will be the first stand-alone digital series ordered by CTV. It will go out across the full suite of CTV and Bell Media digital platforms. The show follows two friends …

TORONTO: Rogers Documentary and Cable Network Fund has dispersed C$5.1 million ($5.17 million) to 14 television projects in its latest round of funding decisions. Among the projects receiving funding are Bitten, from Entertainment One Television for Space; BrandMADE, from 2271169 Ontario Inc. for Canada’s Discovery Channel; and Code Breakers, from …

TORONTO: Entertainment One (eOne) has received clearance from the Canadian Competition Bureau regarding its acquisition of Alliance Films. In September, eOne announced its intention to purchase the company from GS Capital Partners and Investissement Québec for C$225 million ($229 million). One of the conditions on the acquisition was the go-ahead …

EL SEGUNDO: The rise of IPTV is taking its toll on the dominance of cable and satellite in Canada’s pay-TV market, according to IHS Screen Digest Television Intelligence. IPTV accounted for nearly 10 percent of Canadian pay-TV video subs in Q3 of 2012. This is up from the 6.6 percent reported for Q3 2011 …

TORONTO: Lou Ragagnin, former Canadian Olympic Committee & 100th Grey Cup chief operating officer, is joining ole as its new COO. Ragagnin will be based in Toronto and will report to Robert Ott, the CEO. His responsibilities will include the execution of annual and long-term business plans at the company. …

TORONTO: Principal photography has commenced in Toronto for Anti Social, an independent horror film from Breakthrough Entertainment. Anti Social is about a group of college students who are forced to remain indoors after learning about a dangerous virus outbreak. The feature is being produced by Breakthrough Entertainment in association with Black Fawn …

TORONTO: The music publisher ole has extended its Canadian sub-publishing deal with Discovery Communications. Through the new agreement, Discovery Studios Music Services will continue to work with ole in an effort to maximize the value of the company’s publishing catalogue. "ole has been an extremely collaborative and effective partner for …

OTTAWA: Canadian television productions reached an all-time high in 2011-12, rising 21.3 percent to nearly C$2.6 billion, according to a new report published by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA). English-language fiction led this rise in activity, with the volume increasing by 41.4 percent to just under C$1.1 billion. This …

SANTA MONICA: Sea to Sky Entertainment, a joint venture between Lionsgate and Thunderbird Films, has tapped Brett Burlock, formerly the head of development for CTV, as its VP of creative affairs. Burlock is based in Toronto, joining Sea to Sky as it increases its efforts to become a full-service studio …

MONTREAL: Ravida Din has been named director general of the English Program for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), effective February 11. Since 2007 Din has served as an executive producer at the NFB, where her credits include such titles as Pink Ribbons, Inc., The Boxing Girls of Kabul, …