Exclusive: Toronto-based levelFILM has acquired the comedy-drama Hey Viktor!, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and played TIFF this past week for Canadian distribution.
The pic is written and directed by indigenous actor Cody Lightning, who also stars. The plot is a semi-meta narrative, following Lightning, who rose to prominence as Little Viktor in 1998’s Smoke Signals. Recently he has been forced to move to northern Alberta in Western Canada. However, he still believes himself to be famous— even though the only parts he gets these days are porn and fracking commercials. But when Lightning learns his wife and kids are leaving him for a younger, more successful actor, he decides it’s time to quit messing around and make his masterpiece— writing, directing, and starring in Smoke Signals 2: Still Smoking.
A documentary crew follows Cody on his journey around the Indigenous world— re-uniting the original cast, borrowing money from arms dealers,...
The pic is written and directed by indigenous actor Cody Lightning, who also stars. The plot is a semi-meta narrative, following Lightning, who rose to prominence as Little Viktor in 1998’s Smoke Signals. Recently he has been forced to move to northern Alberta in Western Canada. However, he still believes himself to be famous— even though the only parts he gets these days are porn and fracking commercials. But when Lightning learns his wife and kids are leaving him for a younger, more successful actor, he decides it’s time to quit messing around and make his masterpiece— writing, directing, and starring in Smoke Signals 2: Still Smoking.
A documentary crew follows Cody on his journey around the Indigenous world— re-uniting the original cast, borrowing money from arms dealers,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars Simon Baker and Hannah Cheesman opened up about their new film, Hey Viktor!, which premiered this week at the Tribeca Film Festival in their new uInterivew.
Hey Viktor!, a meta-comedy from director-star Cody Lightning, revolves around a purported remake of the indigenous classic Smoke Signals.
Baker and Cheesman discussed their characters in the movie with uInterview founder Erik Meers at our offices in Manhattan.
“I was young Thomas in Smoke Signals in the original. And say 20 years later, I’m back playing older Thomas, someway somehow, but my character you know has sort of left and left the industry, didn’t want anything to do with the industry anymore,” he said. “Then 20 years later Cody comes knocking on my door trying to get me back to do Smoke Signals 2. Hesitant and didn’t know what to do with it, so I decide to come back.”
Cheesman introduced her ambiguously native character.
Hey Viktor!, a meta-comedy from director-star Cody Lightning, revolves around a purported remake of the indigenous classic Smoke Signals.
Baker and Cheesman discussed their characters in the movie with uInterview founder Erik Meers at our offices in Manhattan.
“I was young Thomas in Smoke Signals in the original. And say 20 years later, I’m back playing older Thomas, someway somehow, but my character you know has sort of left and left the industry, didn’t want anything to do with the industry anymore,” he said. “Then 20 years later Cody comes knocking on my door trying to get me back to do Smoke Signals 2. Hesitant and didn’t know what to do with it, so I decide to come back.”
Cheesman introduced her ambiguously native character.
- 6/16/2023
- by Nina Hauswirth
- Uinterview
Exclusive: New York-based sales company Visit Films has acquired world rights to the Canadian comedy-drama Hey Viktor!, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this week.
Pic is written and directed by indigenous actor Cody Lightning, who also stars. The plot is a semi-meta narrative, following Lightning, who rose to prominence as Little Viktor in 1998’s Smoke Signals. Recently he has been forced to move to northern Alberta in Western Canada. However, he still believes himself to be famous— even though the only parts he gets these days are porn and fracking commercials. But when Lightning learns his wife and kids are leaving him for a younger, more successful actor, he decides it’s time to quit messing around and make his masterpiece— writing, directing, and starring in Smoke Signals 2: Still Smoking.
A documentary crew follows Cody on his journey around the Indigenous world— re-uniting the original cast,...
Pic is written and directed by indigenous actor Cody Lightning, who also stars. The plot is a semi-meta narrative, following Lightning, who rose to prominence as Little Viktor in 1998’s Smoke Signals. Recently he has been forced to move to northern Alberta in Western Canada. However, he still believes himself to be famous— even though the only parts he gets these days are porn and fracking commercials. But when Lightning learns his wife and kids are leaving him for a younger, more successful actor, he decides it’s time to quit messing around and make his masterpiece— writing, directing, and starring in Smoke Signals 2: Still Smoking.
A documentary crew follows Cody on his journey around the Indigenous world— re-uniting the original cast,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifetime greenlit “Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez,” a film based on the real-life kidnapping of 14-year-old Abby Hernandez while walking home from school in North Conway, N.H. in 2013. The film premieres on Feb. 26 at 8 p.m.
“Girl in the Shed” will follow the state’s search for Abby (Lindsay Navarro) as captor Nathaniel Kibby (Ben Savage) psychologically and sexually abused her using a soundproof container and a shock collar, as well as Abby’s fight to stay alive in hopes of seeing her family again, including her mother Zenya (Erica Durance).
Sprott Productions Inc. produces in association with Johnson Production Group. Hernandez executive produces along with Stacy Mandelberg and Michael Vickerman, who also wrote the script. Jessica Harmon serves as director.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates FX announced that Season 5 of “Snowfall” will premiere with two episodes on Feb. 23 at 10 p.m.
“Girl in the Shed” will follow the state’s search for Abby (Lindsay Navarro) as captor Nathaniel Kibby (Ben Savage) psychologically and sexually abused her using a soundproof container and a shock collar, as well as Abby’s fight to stay alive in hopes of seeing her family again, including her mother Zenya (Erica Durance).
Sprott Productions Inc. produces in association with Johnson Production Group. Hernandez executive produces along with Stacy Mandelberg and Michael Vickerman, who also wrote the script. Jessica Harmon serves as director.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates FX announced that Season 5 of “Snowfall” will premiere with two episodes on Feb. 23 at 10 p.m.
- 12/21/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Lifetime is looking ahead to 2022.
The cabler has announced a string of movie premieres for the month of February, including Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez and Single Black Female.
Check out the movie details and premiere dates below.
Single Black Female
Premieres Saturday, February 5 at 8/7c
Reeling from the death of her beloved father and a difficult breakup, Monica (Raven Goodwin), is ready to move forward with her life as she tries to land the new hosting job for an afternoon talk show.
When she hires a new assistant, Simone (Amber Riley), the two quickly become close friends as Simone moves in next door and completely immerses herself in Monica’s life.
But underneath her sweet exterior, Simone harbors a dark secret and as time goes on cracks in her façade begin to appear. Monica decides to sever ties once and for all with Simone, but...
The cabler has announced a string of movie premieres for the month of February, including Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez and Single Black Female.
Check out the movie details and premiere dates below.
Single Black Female
Premieres Saturday, February 5 at 8/7c
Reeling from the death of her beloved father and a difficult breakup, Monica (Raven Goodwin), is ready to move forward with her life as she tries to land the new hosting job for an afternoon talk show.
When she hires a new assistant, Simone (Amber Riley), the two quickly become close friends as Simone moves in next door and completely immerses herself in Monica’s life.
But underneath her sweet exterior, Simone harbors a dark secret and as time goes on cracks in her façade begin to appear. Monica decides to sever ties once and for all with Simone, but...
- 12/21/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
In many ways, Star Trek: Discovery is reinventing Star Trek for television.
Its intentions to do so were clear in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 when it rejected the episodic format of previous series and played out a serialized narrative that included Klingons, interdimensional travel, and the Mirror Universe.
And Mudd. It had Mudd.
Fans of Star Trek: The Original Series appreciated the inclusion of the space-travelling flim-flam man (played with unapologetic amoralness by Rainn Wilson) in this pre-tos timeline offering.
Related: Get CBS All Access via Prime Video Channels for Hit Shows, Exclusive Originals, & Live TV!
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 tripled-down on the nostalgic element with the introductions of Ethan Peck's angsty Spock, Anson Mount's cowboy captain Christopher Pike, and Rebecca Romijn's efficient Number One.
Of the three, Pike was the most interesting and compelling addition to the crew even if Spock was the emotional catalyst for Burnham.
Its intentions to do so were clear in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 when it rejected the episodic format of previous series and played out a serialized narrative that included Klingons, interdimensional travel, and the Mirror Universe.
And Mudd. It had Mudd.
Fans of Star Trek: The Original Series appreciated the inclusion of the space-travelling flim-flam man (played with unapologetic amoralness by Rainn Wilson) in this pre-tos timeline offering.
Related: Get CBS All Access via Prime Video Channels for Hit Shows, Exclusive Originals, & Live TV!
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 tripled-down on the nostalgic element with the introductions of Ethan Peck's angsty Spock, Anson Mount's cowboy captain Christopher Pike, and Rebecca Romijn's efficient Number One.
Of the three, Pike was the most interesting and compelling addition to the crew even if Spock was the emotional catalyst for Burnham.
- 5/8/2019
- by Diana Keng
- TVfanatic
In today’s roundup, “The Flash” promoted Hartley Sawyer and Jessica Parker Kennedy to series regulars, and the Toronto Screenwriting Conference named its 2018 guest speakers.
Casting
Recurring cast members Hartley Sawyer and Jessica Parker Kennedy have been upped to series regulars for Season 5 of the CW‘s “The Flash.” Sawyer will reprise his role as Ralph Dibny, or Elongated Man, while Kennedy will continue on as Barry and Iris’ future daughter, Nora West-Allen, since the Season 4 finale revealed her “Mystery Girl” identity.
Deinstitutionalized has announced the cast of the upcoming dystopian drama “FraXtur.” Series regulars include Brittany Curran, Denise Richards, Karl Yune, Leon Thomas III, Max Adler, Camille Winbush, Kristos Andrews, Cody Saintgnue, Eric Nelsen, Ciara Hanna and Chasty Ballesteros. Pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Jade Harlow are also set to guest star in the show, which follows a misfit bunch of teens who stumble into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Casting
Recurring cast members Hartley Sawyer and Jessica Parker Kennedy have been upped to series regulars for Season 5 of the CW‘s “The Flash.” Sawyer will reprise his role as Ralph Dibny, or Elongated Man, while Kennedy will continue on as Barry and Iris’ future daughter, Nora West-Allen, since the Season 4 finale revealed her “Mystery Girl” identity.
Deinstitutionalized has announced the cast of the upcoming dystopian drama “FraXtur.” Series regulars include Brittany Curran, Denise Richards, Karl Yune, Leon Thomas III, Max Adler, Camille Winbush, Kristos Andrews, Cody Saintgnue, Eric Nelsen, Ciara Hanna and Chasty Ballesteros. Pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Jade Harlow are also set to guest star in the show, which follows a misfit bunch of teens who stumble into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
- 6/18/2018
- by Christi Carras
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes — MipTV and the inaugural edition of Canneseries hosted a joint In Development section for promising early-stage projects from around the world, looking to team them with producers and distributors as early as possible. The event was held April 10-11, to a packed crowd of often young producers.
“It’s our opportunity to make things happen between financing and creative people at a very early stage,” said Benoit Louvet, a former key executive at TF1 Group who last year joined the Cannes International Series Festival as managing director. “We had a very tough process of selection from 344 projects from all over the world. It’s the crème de la crème.”
Of those 344 projects, 12 were selected to pitch. In addition to the exposure, they were competing for co-develppment prizes from Federation Entertainment and La Fabrique des Formats, which eventually went to Germany’s “The Sources of Evil” and Canada’s “Whatever,...
“It’s our opportunity to make things happen between financing and creative people at a very early stage,” said Benoit Louvet, a former key executive at TF1 Group who last year joined the Cannes International Series Festival as managing director. “We had a very tough process of selection from 344 projects from all over the world. It’s the crème de la crème.”
Of those 344 projects, 12 were selected to pitch. In addition to the exposure, they were competing for co-develppment prizes from Federation Entertainment and La Fabrique des Formats, which eventually went to Germany’s “The Sources of Evil” and Canada’s “Whatever,...
- 4/12/2018
- by Jamie Lang and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Period dramas were the big winners on the day at Canneseries and Mip TV’s In Development pitching sessions. German 1993-set murder-mystery “The Sources of Evil” and Canadian 1978-based “Whatever, Linda,” were announced as joint winners of the two prizes granted at the event by Federation Entertainment and La Fabrique des Formats.
Pascal Breton’s Federation Ent. (“Marseille”) one of the most energetic of independent Europe-based production-sales houses, will co-develop, co-produce and distribute the two winners, while the French film-tv think-tank La Fabrique des Formats will help with financing.
Twelve projects competed in total, eight classified as in development and four as a more upstream early-stage. The sessions were designed to allow the projects, chosen from more than 300 submissions representing 46 countries, to pitch to a bevy of high-level industry professionals who fired off often highly relevant questions after an eight-minute or so presentation.
“The Sources of Evil” is set in former East Germany,...
Pascal Breton’s Federation Ent. (“Marseille”) one of the most energetic of independent Europe-based production-sales houses, will co-develop, co-produce and distribute the two winners, while the French film-tv think-tank La Fabrique des Formats will help with financing.
Twelve projects competed in total, eight classified as in development and four as a more upstream early-stage. The sessions were designed to allow the projects, chosen from more than 300 submissions representing 46 countries, to pitch to a bevy of high-level industry professionals who fired off often highly relevant questions after an eight-minute or so presentation.
“The Sources of Evil” is set in former East Germany,...
- 4/11/2018
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Y Tu Mama Tambien director Gael García Bernal, Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller Bridge, Dexter’s Michael C Hall and The Wire’s Michael Kenneth Williams are all set to walk the famous steps of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes this week. However, instead of the film festival’s famous red carpet, the group will be strolling down a pink carpet for the launch of TV festival Canneseries.
The event, which takes place alongside Mip TV from April 4 – 11, is the brainchild of Cannes mayor David Lisnard, who wanted to replicate the success of the city’s film festival with an event celebrating the small screen. It is run by former French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin and former TF1 executive Benoît Louvet, who is managing director.
Louvet tells Deadline: “Our aim has always been to introduce a world class international festival dedicated to series, made possible by the location, the city of Cannes,...
The event, which takes place alongside Mip TV from April 4 – 11, is the brainchild of Cannes mayor David Lisnard, who wanted to replicate the success of the city’s film festival with an event celebrating the small screen. It is run by former French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin and former TF1 executive Benoît Louvet, who is managing director.
Louvet tells Deadline: “Our aim has always been to introduce a world class international festival dedicated to series, made possible by the location, the city of Cannes,...
- 4/4/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Festival brass unveil Rising Stars, Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, and more.
Mary Harron, Kim Nguyen (both pictured above), Ingrid Veninger, and Denis Côté are among the familiar names in the 26-strong Canadian Features slate that Toronto International Film Festival programmers unveiled on Wednesday.
The selection comprises the highest number of feature directorial debutants and films from Western Canada in recent years. More than 30% of the titles are by first-time feature directors.
Festival brass also announced Short Cuts, Tiff Cinematheque, Rising Stars, Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, and the recipient of the 2017 Len Blum Residency.
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7-17.
Canadian Features
“It is exciting to see a new wave of Canadian first-time feature directors play with genres and take risks,” Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock said. “This year’s line-up has a truly international feel to it, too, with a number of features shot all over the globe — something that also...
Mary Harron, Kim Nguyen (both pictured above), Ingrid Veninger, and Denis Côté are among the familiar names in the 26-strong Canadian Features slate that Toronto International Film Festival programmers unveiled on Wednesday.
The selection comprises the highest number of feature directorial debutants and films from Western Canada in recent years. More than 30% of the titles are by first-time feature directors.
Festival brass also announced Short Cuts, Tiff Cinematheque, Rising Stars, Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, and the recipient of the 2017 Len Blum Residency.
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7-17.
Canadian Features
“It is exciting to see a new wave of Canadian first-time feature directors play with genres and take risks,” Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock said. “This year’s line-up has a truly international feel to it, too, with a number of features shot all over the globe — something that also...
- 8/9/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
[caption id="attachment_47854" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Image courtesy of Abberant Pictures./caption]
Per Deadline, Canadian web series, Whatever, Linda, is being developed as a half-hour TV show by The Mark Gordon Company. Orphan Black's Graeme Manson is executive producing. Watch a trailer and the first web episode of the web series, below.
In the web series, co-creator Hannah Cheesman stars as Linda Thoroughbred. Deadline says Cheesman will write and executive produce the TV version with co-creator Julian De Zotti, but won't act in it. The cast of the web series also includes: Terra Hazelton, Cara Ricketts, Martha MacIssac, Mike Shara, Brendan Gall, Julian Richings, Graydon Sheppard, and Sheila McCarthy.
Read More…...
Per Deadline, Canadian web series, Whatever, Linda, is being developed as a half-hour TV show by The Mark Gordon Company. Orphan Black's Graeme Manson is executive producing. Watch a trailer and the first web episode of the web series, below.
In the web series, co-creator Hannah Cheesman stars as Linda Thoroughbred. Deadline says Cheesman will write and executive produce the TV version with co-creator Julian De Zotti, but won't act in it. The cast of the web series also includes: Terra Hazelton, Cara Ricketts, Martha MacIssac, Mike Shara, Brendan Gall, Julian Richings, Graydon Sheppard, and Sheila McCarthy.
Read More…...
- 4/22/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Critically praised Canadian web series Whatever, Linda, is being adapted as a half-hour TV series by The Mark Gordon Company, with Orphan Black co-creator Graeme Manson executive producing. Inspired by America's recent financial crisis, Whatever, Linda is a wickedly dark comedy set in 1978 about four disenfranchised secretaries on Wall Street who become the engineers behind the world's most notorious Ponzi scheme. The web series’ original co-creators Hannah Cheesman, who…...
- 4/20/2016
- Deadline TV
The 38th Toronto International Film Festival has released an incredible guest list of celebrated talent from around the globe. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Catherine Breillat, Nicole Garcia, Pawel Pawlikowski, Bertrand Tavernier, Steve McQueen, Godfrey Reggio, Denis Villeneuve, Bill Condon, Jean-Marc Vallée, John Wells, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Ayoade, Atom Egoyan, Matthew Weiner, John Carney, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman, Yorgos Servetas, Liza Johnson, Megan Griffiths, Fernando Eimbcke, Alexey Uchitel, Johnny Ma, Biyi Bandele, Rashid Masharawi, Paul Haggis, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Álex de la Iglesia, Bruce McDonald, Jennifer Baichwal, John Ridley, and Justin Chadwick.
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
- 8/21/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
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