Janette's TV Podcast

What drew you to your business or career? And what keeps you going?   I reunited with Canadian actress Kim Roberts once again at this year’s Vaughan Film Festival (VFF) in what has now become an annual tradition.   This was my FIFTH time interviewing her. Always a riveting conversation.   Kim never stops working. She is known for her roles on Paw Patrol, The Sinner, The Handmaids Tale, and Schitt’...

Could you work with your family?   Arianna Baldassarra is Vice-President of Greenpark Group, the Presenting Sponsor at the 2023 Vaughan International Film Festival (VFF).    Greenpark Group is Arianna’s family business, started by her grandfather. I sat down with her to discuss her VP role and being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated business: construction, building & development. We al...

Crank up the radio to the most popular Top 40 hits and you’re bound to hear American/Canadian singer/songwriter, Derik Baker’s, better known as  Virginia to Vegas .   He’s released two studio albums and seven extended plays. His gold and platinum-certified upbeat, hyper catchy, indie pop songs.  include: " We Are Stars ", " Lights Out ", "Selfish", "Just Friends&...

Have you ever been scammed? So much of our world is full of fake news, fake people, and fake things. But who would have ever thought that the largest fake ID empire in North America could be invented by two teenage girls in West Vancouver, British Columbia?  That’s the theme of the show Fakes - an American-Canadian television comedy/drama series, which premiered in 2022 on CBC Gem in Canada and Ne...

Have you ever regarded Canadian actors, TV & film negatively now or in the past? Tammy Frick  is a Canadian film industry executive, who was appointed as chief executive officer of the  Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television  in October 2022. Previously, she was executive director of the  Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival  from 1995 to 2022, and an associate director of Cultural...

Remember high school? How hard it was and still is when you're different? That’s how it is for outcast BFFs Astrid (Jana Morrison) and Lilly (Samantha Aucoin) who, after being bullied and deciding enough is enough, accidentally crack open a portal to a terrifyingly quirky monster dimension, causing their world to become a lot more complicated. Not only do Astrid & Lilly have to navigate hi...

Thinking about your kids going back to school, what courses & extra-curricular activities to register them for, and what their future holds? Time to experience the incredible filmmaking of some of this year’s brightest VFF’s (Vaughan International Film Festival’s) Student Screenings that took place at York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts this June in this week’s DOUBLE FEATURE. First up -The...

Thinking about your kids going back to school, what courses & extra-curricular activities to register them for, and what their future holds? Time to experience the incredible filmmaking of some of this year’s brightest VFF’s (Vaughan International Film Festival’s) Student Screenings that took place at York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts this June in this week’s DOUBLE FEATURE. First up -The...

How was your weekend - everything you expected or a complete bore? Let’s get your week rocking! Take a moment to experience yet another fascinating tale & lifestyle of the accomplished, influential, and motivational!  Sheba Mason  is a comedian, singer, actress, MC and the “love child” of the late comic genius  Jackie Mason  and  Ginger Reiter .  Since 2020, Sheba has been running “ Speakeasy”...

Set in the 1870s, Gabe Polsky’s adaptation of John Williams’ literary western stars Nicolas Cage as a buffalo hunter who lures a naïve young man into an ambitious expedition in the Colorado Rockies.   On the red carpet at tiff 2022 and at the premiere of the film  Butcher’s Crossing , I caught-up with actors Nicolas Cage, Rachel Keller, and the rest of the cast, followed by the film’s Q & A to...

The life, music, and activism of legendary Indigenous singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie are explored in this documentary that is as captivating as its subject, who smashed through barriers to become an inspiration to fans and fellow musicians alike.   Just in time for Canada and Independence Day, comes a tribute to Canadian/American singer & activist, Buffy Sainte-Marie’s extraordinary life...

Voiced by actress, Keira Knightly, Charlotte, the movie is an animated drama that tells the true story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish painter who comes of age in Berlin on the eve of the Second World War. Fiercely imaginative and deeply gifted, she dreams of becoming an artist. Her first love applauds her talent, which emboldens her resolve. But the world around her is changing quickl...

May 16th marked Vaughan International Film Festival’s Spring Launch. As an Official VFF Media Sponsor, I was on hand to speak to Reshmi with Newstalk 1010’s The Rush, Host & Spring Launch MC, Reshmi Nair. about what can be expected at this year’s June 19th-June 22nd event from The Talent & Screenings to The After-Parties and Awards Gala with this year’s nominees, winners, and musical guest...

What is masculinity and how do we embrace & display masculinity across cultures? That is the main theme of the movie, Brother  and a large part of what I discussed on The Canadian Screen Actors red carpet and in the press room with the cast of the 2022 Canadian drama film, written, produced, and directed by Clement Virgo. An adaptation of David Chariandy's award-winning novel, Brother  sco...

It’s something we don’t like to speak or think of happening in Canada – a country that prides itself on welcoming immigrants and embracing cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity and differences Yet, many minorities contend with racism and intolerance every day. Perhaps, you are one of those people.   In  Riceboy Sleeps , Korean/Canadian Actor, Filmmaker, Writer and Producer, Anthony Shim, addre...

Whatever season or occasion, we owe it to ourselves to always look our best and make a good impression.   Our wardrobe is a key factor in achieving this and should reflect our unique personal style & brand, as well as accentuate our bodies, and make us feel comfortable.   As a fashion lover and accredited media at The One of A Kind Spring Show Toronto’s ladies night, it was wonderful to watch...

Regardless of how you define it, art is something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful, expressing important ideas or feelings. It’s interpretive, surrounding our homes, offices, streets, and cities, and thus, a significant part of our lives. While covering The One Of A Kind Spring Show Toronto Ladies Night as accredited media, I met Mixed Media Toronto-based Artist, Mo...

Have you stayed longer than you should have in an abusive relationship due to codependency?  Do you recall being anxious all the time without being sure why?     Filmed in Canada,  Alice, Darling , Oscar-Nominated actress, Anna Kendrick (“Alice”) captures the anxious psychology of a woman in an abusive relationship as her friends try to reconnect with her while on a cottage getaway.   When Alice i...

Whether you marched in the civil rights movement, personally experience, or know a visible minority who continues to experience racism in our society today (sadly, incidents of crimes against humanity, discrimination and racism are still reported regularly), Sidney is a documentary portrait of the late, great Sidney Poitier. Produced by Oprah Winfrey & Derik and directed by Reginald Hudlin (Ho...

Women Talking  is a 2022  drama  film written and directed by  Sarah Polley . It is based on the Canadian  2018 novel of the same name  by  Miriam Toews , and inspired by the  gas-facilitated rapes  that occurred at the  Manitoba Colony , a remote and isolated  Mennonite  community in  Bolivia . It features an  ensemble cast  that includes Oscar-Winning actresses,  Rooney Mara  ,  Claire Foy  (you...

With Passover and Easter upon us, this time of year, we often think about the meaning of freedom, survival, and renewal. Directed by  Sally El Hosaini  from a screenplay that she co-wrote with  Jack Thorne ,  The Swimmers  is a 2022  biographical   sports drama film  dealing with similar themes. The plot follows the true life story of teenage Syrian refugees  Yusra Mardini  and her sister  Sarah M...

Hunter and Rylee have been besties since kindergarten. They share everything and have developed a level of respect, kinship, and a very strong bond. But when they reunite post-grad, bitter truths emerge threatening to tear their friendship apart.   In this episode, I interview   Jared Marino , Director, Cinematographer, Producer & Writer, Lead Actresses, Jenna Schaefer   (plays “Rylee”),  Clar...

Born out of Director Sharon Lewis’s own muted struggle with not fitting into neat racial/Queer/Christian boxes,  With Wonder  takes an intimate look at the journey of members of the Queer, Christian community of colour and their attempts to answer the question: Can you be both Christian and Queer? This feature length documentary, features the diverse stories of several members of the LGBTQI+ commu...

Founded in 2019 by producers Corey Ross and Svetlana Dvoretsky and developer – Slava Zheleznyakov, Lighthouse Immersive is the first experiential entertainment multi-plex, aiming to cultivate community and creativity through large-scale events and exhibitions of all art forms.   With locations in Toronto, Chicago, and San Francisco, Lighthouse Immersive offers versatile spaces for creators to pres...

Take a trip down memory lane with all your favorite Disney characters at the Disney Animation Immersive Experience at Lighthouse Immersive Studios Toronto. Extended by popular demand, this exhibit, featuring 500,000 cubic feet of projections, takes you through the 100 years of Disney’s Animation Studios history - everything from  Snow White  to  Peter Pan  and from  Frozen...