The History of #CandianContent Posts

Canada Day 2024 – This series of blog posts was initiated in 2015 with the intention to share some Canadian content ideas on Canada Day – including films, music, TV programs, books, games, and more.

While we know every day is a good day to consume and share #CanadianContent, Canada Day is another reason to celebrate it, be proud of it, and support the creation of more of it.

New Canadian Music Releases in 2024

It’s been a breakout year for a variety of Canadian performers including Mindflip, Leila Dey, LAVI$H, Jules is Dead, J3M, and many more.

Jules is Dead & Lyndra Griffith-Harnden — Lyndra Griffith-Harnden (entertainment lawyer) with Jules is Dead at her show in Toronto, Canada

The JUNOs which took place this past March in Halifax highlighted the many songs popular on streaming platforms to radio, around the world, from Canadian vocalists, producers and composers.

Winners included William Prince (Contemporary roots album of the year), to Aysanabee (songwriter of the year). The annual event moves locations to Vancouver, BC in 2025. Our entertainment lawyer Byron Pascoe attended the JUNOs in Halifax and enjoyed taking in all the performances and activities.

Byron Pascoe at the 2024 JUNO Awards — Byron Pascoe (Partner & Entertainment Lawyer) at 2024 JUNO Awards (JUNO pictured was for photo only!)

For recommendations to build your playlists, check out the recently announced Polaris Prize longlist, with albums from Canadian artists such as Beverly Glenn-Copeland and NYSSA. The short list is being announced on July 11 with the winner chosen on Sept 17.

Music Festivals Across Canada

If you love listening to your music live and outdoors, you’ll want to check out this summer’s Canadian Music Festival lineup across Canada, in which clients among other Canadians will be performing.

Toronto

Mixto Music Festival (July 13-14) is now a FREE event! Festival goers can choose to donate to non-profit organizers Uma Nota Culture to further support this music initiative. Lineup features artists like Phoenix Pagliacci, Sonic Griot, Sophia Alexandra and others.

Ottawa

From July 4-14 Ottawa Bluesfest celebrates 30 years of toe-tapping fun and features City Fidelia, Danielle Allard, Mia Kelly, Raphael Weinroth-Browne, Tyler Shaw, and many more.

Vancouver

The 47^th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival is heating things up from July 19-21^st in ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park. Browse their lineup of incredible artists you can look forward to hearing at this event.

Yukon

Planning to be in Dawson City, YK from July 19-21^st? You’ll want to grab tickets to the Dawson City Music Festival, featuring sets by Zoon, Boy Golden, Abigail Lapell, Ombiigizi, and the list goes on.

Montreal

Come August each year, Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts never disappoints. This year, from August 2-4 at Parc Jean-Drapeau you can see shows by TALK, Cadence Weapon and more.

Nova Scotia

If you’re looking for a weekend of incredible country music and you’re in Aylesford, NS you should check out the Fox Mountain Country Music Festival from August 2-3^rd.

Prince Edwards Island

This year’s Cavendish Beach Music Festival is set to take place between July 5-7^th. It is Atlantic Canada’s largest outdoor concert and features and exciting line-up of artists on three stages (including one for emerging artists).

Calgary

Don’t have plans for August 3 and 4^th? You’ll want to head down to the Max Bell Centre Festival Grounds in Calgary, AB for the Chasing Summer Music Festival. This is the largest EDM event in Western Canada giving you the opportunity to dance and celebrate summer before it’s over for another year.

Winnipeg

If you feel like kicking back with friends to some acoustic sounds in an outdoor setting, look no further than the Winnipeg Folk Festival. From July 11-14 you can do just that (they even have camping). This year’s lineup features Kaia Kater, Madeleine Roger, Zoon and others.

New 2024 Canadian Film and Television Series

Ottawa is routinely featured in Christmas-themed movies and other made-for-TV films but most of the time it’s pretending to be other cities. But for the new British Canadian 10-part TV series Geek Girl, not only was it filmed entirely in Ottawa, two of the episodes are set in Ottawa.

The series made its international debut on Netflix May 30^th (which was celebrated by a screening at the Fairmont Château Laurier by The Ottawa Film Office in which our firm’s managing partner Mark Edwards attended). Canadians can currently watch Geek Girl on StackTV and on Netflix beginning in November. Source

Mark Edwards at Geek Girl Premiere — Mark Edwards (Managing Partner & Entertainment Lawyer) at the Geek Girl premiere (May 2024)

Speaking of Hallmark movies filmed in Canada, Paging Mr. Darcy premiered on the Hallmark Channel February 3, 2024. Directed by Peter Wellington and produced by Shane Boucher, Caitlin Delaney, Hayden Baptiste and Gaylyn Fraiche, this period film follows Dr. Eloise Cavendish (Mallory Jansen) as she prepares to deliver the keynote speech at a Jane Austen conference.

When she meets Sam (Will Kemp) who rubs her the wrong way. They must move past their prejudices, overcome their pride to admit, like Austen’s work, they both have an absolute belief in love. Source

Super Channel recently commissioned a feature documentary call Know Her Name. This doc, which is directed by Zainab Muse, produced by Creatorland (Zainab Muse) and Pelee Entertainment (Heidi Lasi) and executive produced by Oya Media Group (Ngardy Conteh George and Münire Armstrong) delves into the legacy of filmmakers and uncovers the mysteries behind why women, especially from underrepresented communities, have been forgotten in discussions of film, erased through historical amnesia – and, how to make sure this doesn’t continue to happen. Source Source (paywall)

Fans of horror films should run to check out recent releases from Hangar 18 Media. Most recently released, Brooklyn ’45 follows five military veterans, who have been buddies since childhood, get together to support their troubled host but the metaphoric ghost of their pasts become literal… Source

If you prefer heartwarming to horror, you’ll want to watch award winning film Wilfred Buck. Written/directed and produced by Lisa Jackson whose portrait of Cree Elder Wilfred Buck moves between earth and sky, past and present, bringing to life ancient teachings of Indigenous astronomy and cosmology to tell a story that spans generations.

An adaptation of Buck’s memoir I Have Lived Four Lives, the film brings together stories from his life, including years of displacement and addiction. In a film that combines present-day scenes with cinematic re-enactments and archival footage, this intimate yet expansive documentary takes us on an inspiring journey to the space beyond, and to the spaces between us all. Source

Canadian Publishing 2024

The Royal Academy of Illustration & Design, aka R.A.I.D., is an award-winning artist collective located in Toronto’s historic Parkdale. With a primary focus on comics and graphic novels, R.A.I.D. is a creative ecosystem where artists can build their ideas, collaborate, and access varied expressive platforms.

Through its network of creatives, R.A.I.D. also operates as a scalable creative agency that offers expertise in creative concepts, idea development, and visual solutions involving illustration, design, animation, film, multi-media, and sequential art. Source: RaidWorld

For comics, make sure to check out all TCAF has to offer with their annual conference and other activities. Our entertainment lawyer Michael Duboff is on the board of directors, and also did a presentation about legal considerations in publishing at their most recent event in Toronto.

#CanadianContent – Video Games

Video games have always been a significant part of the Canadian cultural landscape, as this genre of entertainment has surpassed all others as the fastest growing industry in 2024. In fact, according to Statista, there are 19.9 million gamers, who plau an average of 7.9 hours a week and contribute to the USD$ 5.5 billion annual revenue for the industry in Canada.

In May 2024, Pavlov Shack (Vankrupt Games), a VR first-person-shooter game with classic and social gamemodes, made Beebom’s 15 Best Meta Quest 3 Games in 2024. According to the article, “Pavlov delivers intense, tactical gameplay with various classic game modes, like Valorant’s team deathmatch and search-and-destroy.”

On April 16, 2024, Ottawa based mobile game developer-publisher, Magmic announced that the company recently joined Blockchain Game Alliance. In further exemplifying its expertise in the Web3 realm, Magmic’s focus remains on remaining ahead of the curve in the ever-changing mobile game development landscape and monetization models.

In addition, Magmic secured an official partnership and license with a major sports brand to develop a tycoon-style management mobile and web videogame, leveraging Web3 technology. The ‘first-of-its-kind’ mobile sports game will deliver ‘in-gameplay’ management of one’s digital collections within Magmic’s custodial platform, allowing ownership of one’s digital collections with an anticipated reveal and launch in mid 2024. Source: Magmic

For more info on the gaming sector, be sure to check out the XP Game Summit, in which our entertainment lawyer Ian Harris recently attended.

If you’ve been waiting for a good time to start spending more of your entertainment bandwidth with content made in your Canadian neighbourhood and/or by other Canadians, it’s Canada Day. Enjoy!

Canada Day 2024: The Perfect Day to Support Canadian Content (8th Edition)