Announced at a ceremony on the opening evening of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Winnipeg-headquartered prodco Frantic Films was named the recipient of the inaugural TV Producer Indiescreen Award.

Headed by CEO and Executive Producer Jamie Brown, Frantic Films has been producing award-winning series for over 25 years, including Still Standing, which is now in its 11th season; Baroness Von Sketch Show; Winnipeg Comedy Festival; and cult classic sci-fi comedy Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, among many others. Frantic Films was awarded a $20,000 cash prize, accepted by company president Stephanie Fast.

Paula Devonshire was named the recipient of the 2025 Feature Film Producer Indiescreen Award. Devonshire’s projects have screened at festivals including Venice, Sundance, and TIFF, including Survival of the Dead (2009), Wet Bum (2014), and Atom Egoyan’s Remember (2015), starring Christopher Plummer. Recently, she has served as an executive producer on Steal Away (2025), Nika & Madison (2025), and Blood Lines (2025), all of which are set to premiere this year at TIFF. Her latest project, Blood Lines (2025), explores Métis identity, culture, and language. Devonshire was awarded a $20,000 cash prize.

Leena Minifie is the recipient of the 2025 Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award. The CMPA says the Vancouver-based producer was recognized for her dedication to craft and thoughtful approach, demonstrating a versatility of work to come. Minifie’s project, The Good Canadian (2025), a meticulously researched and artfully crafted documentary, traces the legacy of the Indian Act and systemic dispossession of Indigenous people, set to premiere on APTN later this month. Minifie was awarded a $10,000 cash prize.

The award winners were selected by three national juries. To be eligible, nominees must have acted as a producer on a Canadian feature film or series that premiered in the 2025 calendar year.

“With national pride reaching record levels across the country, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on Canada’s outstanding producing talent,” said Reynolds Mastin, CMPA President and CEO. “This year’s Indiescreen Awards winners embody the creativity, grit and skill that define what it means to be an independent media producer in Canada today. Congratulations to Paula, Leena, and Frantic Films for their exceptional ability to connect and inspire.”

The post Frantic Films wins inaugural TV Producer Indiescreen Award appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.

Presented in partnership with Telefilm Canada, the Feature Film Producer Indiescreen Award celebrates a producer’s filmmaking accomplishments over the course of their career and includes a $20,000 prize.

The 2025 nominees are:

• Chris Ferguson (Oddfellows / Phobos) – Keeper
• Matthew Miller (Zapruder Films) – Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
• Merit Jensen-Carr (Merit Motion Pictures Inc.) – Everest Dark
• Paula Devonshire (Devonshire Productions Inc.) – Blood Lines
• Tim Doiron, James van der Woerd (Wango Films Inc.) – Little Lorraine

TV Producer Indiescreen Award

Presented in partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF), the TV Producer Indiescreen Award celebrates the achievements of an independent Canadian television media production company and includes a $20,000 prize.

The 2025 nominees are:

• Blue Ant Studios (Matt Hornburg, Co-President; Mark Bishop, Co-President) – Slaycation
• Eagle Vision (Lisa Meeches, Founder and Co-Owner, Executive Producer; Kyle Irving, Co-Owner, Executive Producer; Rebecca Gibson, Co-Owner, Executive Producer; Dinae Robinson, Head of Content, Executive Producer) – 7TH Gen
• Frantic Films (Jamie Brown, CEO & Executive Producer) – Still Standing
• Lark Productions (Erin Haskett, President, Executive Producer) – Allegiance
• New Metric Media (Mark Montefiore, Founder & CEO; Kara Haflidson, Executive Producer; Max Wolfond, VP of Production) – Shoresy

Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award

The Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award recognizes the potential of an up-and-coming producer and includes a $10,000 prize.

This year’s nominees are:

• Andy Marshall (Mahaica Point Media Inc.) – A Tribe Called Love (feature film)
• Daniel Quinn (When We Were Kids) – Sweetness (feature film)
• Lauren Corber (LoCo Motion Pictures) – My Dead Mom (short form series)
• Leena Minifie (Stories First Productions) – The Good Canadian (feature film)
• Ryan Bobkin (Nine Behind Productions, Bobkin & Sons) – Blue Heron (feature film)

Winners will be announced at the 2025 CMPA Indiescreen Awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 4, as part of the 50^th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The event will take place at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto.

“There’s never been a better time to celebrate talented Canadian producers and the homegrown stories they’ve created,” said Andrew Addison, Senior Vice-President, Strategic Communications & Member Engagement, in a CMPA announcement. “This year’s nominees embody the creativity, grit and world-class storytelling that define the Canadian media production industry and keep audiences at home and around the world entertained.”

 “We’re thrilled to bring the awards back to TIFF this year for the 50th edition of this iconic festival,” he added.

To be eligible for the Indiescreen Awards, nominees must have acted as a producer on a Canadian feature film, series or short form series that premiered, or with new episodes airing, in 2025. Nominees and winners are selected by national juries, each consisting of three industry leaders.

The post 2025 Indiescreen Awards nominees unveiled appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Sunday night that the American film industry was dying “a very fast death” as other countries offer incentives to draw productions outside the U.S.

“Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,” wrote Trump. “This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

The move follows a statement from China last month indicating it would reduce the number of U.S. films it imports in the wake of a 145% tariff on many goods.

Film and television production volumes have been down in many centres across North America, driven in part by two lengthy U.S. labour strikes, the recent L.A. fires, a slowdown in commissioning of Canadian content, and other disruptions as the industry adapts to evolving digital monetization models.

Total production volume declined by 18.5% in Canada in 2023/24, according to the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) Profile 2024 report. Foreign local and service (FLS) production volume declined from 6.4 billion in 2022/23 to 4.73 billion in 2023/24. The majority of FLS production in Canada takes place in B.C. ($1.68B), Quebec ($1.42B), and Ontario ($1.28B). FilmLA’s year-end production numbers were down 5.6% from the previous year and 40% from 2022, making 2024 the second least productive year on record.

CMPA and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) say the proposed 100% tariff on foreign-produced films would directly threaten Canada’s media production sector.

“While specific details are far from clear at this point, the proposed actions outlined in U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement will cause significant disruption and economic hardship to the media production sectors on both sides of the Canada-US border,” said Reynolds Mastin, President & CEO. “Yesterday’s announcement, and the uncertainty it has caused, underscore the incredible importance of ensuring that Canada has a strong, independent domestic media industry. We look forward to making this case at the upcoming CRTC C-11 hearings later this month.”

With Prime Minister Mark Carney set to meet with Trump on Tuesday in Washington, ACTRA President Eleanor Noble is calling on the federal government to stand firm in defending Canada’s cultural industries.

“This is more than a trade dispute — it’s an attack on the livelihoods of Canadian performers and creators,” said Noble.

Noble says with Canada’s film, television, and digital media sector contributing over $11 billion to the national GDP in 2023/24, the imposition of cultural tariffs would not only destabilize decades of industry collaboration, but also threaten thousands of jobs.

“Now is the time to invest in a strong, truly domestic media production industry that can withstand external threats and thrive on the global stage,” Noble continued. “ACTRA urges Prime Minister Carney and Canada’s trade team to take a Team Canada approach — one that protects our performers, strengthens our cultural infrastructure, and ensures Canadian stories are seen here at home and around the world.”

The post Tariffs on foreign production could put thousands of jobs at risk, says CMPA, ACTRA appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.