Degrassi: Whatever It Takes is some good old Canadiana mixed with nostalgia, and an ode to one of Canada’s greatest entertainment exports. The Toronto International Film Festival features films and series from all over the world, but despite the festival’s global profile and influence, it’s still the preeminent platform for Canadian films. One that had locals buzzing this year was Degrassi: Whatever It Takes which chronicles the rise of the legendary drama series, from its humble beginnings to its rise to global phenomenon. The story of Degrassi wouldn’t be what it is without starting with its creator, teacher turned producer…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne, also known as "KB The Boss" or simply "KB", is a Toronto-based host/on-air personality, arts & entertainment journalist, TV/film producer, and communications and content strategist. As a commentator and freelancer, he has appeared nationally as a correspondent on CBC News Network and host on CBC Music. He has also appeared locally on CTV, CBC Radio, CityNews, Newstalk 1010, and ByBlacks.com, and in the United States on Fox’s Black digital TV network, Fox Soul. He has covered some of Canada’s top red-carpet events, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Canadian Screen Awards, and has interviewed everyone from Kevin Hart and "Fast and the Furious" star Tyrese Gibson to Ziggy Marley, Ava DuVernay, Dascha Polanco, Lilly Singh, and Howie Mandel. His years of work as an entertainment journalist led to him being named a Golden Globe® Awards voter and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved critic and being quoted as a critic in national ad campaigns for Black films and TV shows, both in Canada and the United States. Pivoting into the world of film and television, Kevin co-founded the film, TV, digital content, and live experiences company, SHIFTER Entertainment, alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah. Through SHIFTER he has produced a number of projects, including the Bell Fibe TV1 unscripted reality series A Date In The Life, serving as showrunner, executive producer, writer and co-director. Now, with a number of pilot and feature film scripts written and projects in development, KB is poised to continue to be a champion for Black entertainment and culture alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah.
James Vanderbilt’s historical drama is “dark” and “haunting”, but a “magnificent piece of storytelling.” Here’s our Nuremberg film review. The 2025 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival featured a few historical and political dramas. One of them was writer-director James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg, based on Jack El-Hai’s 2013 non-fiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. The film is a retelling of the events leading up to and throughout the Nuremberg Trials which brought the Nazi high command to justice after World War II. It was a seminal moment in world history—a first of its kind international war crimes tribunal presided over by…
Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League is informative and inspiring, proving dreams do indeed come true. One of the series premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival is Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League. Co-directed by Richard Brown and Tebogo Malope, and produced by basketball heavyweights like former Toronto Raptors vice-president and chairman, Masai Ujiri, the series documents the NBA and FIBA’s creation and launch of the Basketball Africa League, known affectionately as BAL. The league was the brainchild of former Dallas Mavericks scouting director, Amadou Gallo Fall. But the series isn’t just about the creation…
In his Hedda film review, Kevin Bourne says Nia DaCosta’s latest is “bold, sexy, and brash” and “still relevant in 2025”. Brooklyn-born writer and director, Nia DaCosta, has been making some noise since her success with Candyman (2021) and her return with The Marvels (2023). which was popular with fans despite receiving mixed reviews and bombing epically at the box office. Now, DaCosta comes to TIFF 2025 with her latest film based on a beloved classic. Set in 1950’s England, Hedda is a modern take on Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 play Hedda Gabler. Starring Tessa Thompson (Creed), Imogen Poots (Green Room),…
In his The Lost Bus film review, Kevin Bourne calls Paul Greengrass’ latest “one big ball of anxiety, wrapped in a great story.” There are many standout films at the Toronto International Film Festival, but my top pick throughout the first five days of the festival is the survival thriller The Lost Bus starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera. Based on actual events, the film is set in November 2018 in northern California and recounts the deadliest fire in California history. Surrounded by an inferno, school bus driver, Kevin McKay (McConaughey), is tasked with defying the odds and bringing 22…
In his Roofman film review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says Channing Tatum “arguably delivers his best performance yet.” One of the highly anticipated films from the Toronto International Film Festival was Roofman. Starring Channing Tatum (Magic Mike, Blink Twice), Oscar nominee Kirsten Dunst (Civil War, Spiderman), and LaKeith Stanfield (The Book of Clarence, Judas and the Black Messiah), Roofman is based on the outrageous true story of Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum), also known as the “Rooftop Robber,” a former soldier and father who uses his exceptional talents to turn to a life of crime in order to provide for his wife and…
In his Poetic License film review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Maude Apatow’s directorial debut a “resouncing success”. In his Poetic License film review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Maude Apatow’s directorial debut is a “resounding success”. On paper, one of the films that stands out most at TIFF 2025, is Poetic License. It’s a family affair with the film marking the directorial debut of actor, Maude Apatow, daughter of famed writer and director Judd Apatow, and starring her real-life mother Leslie Mann. Starring opposite Mann is rapper turned actor, Clifford Smith, aka Method Man, as her highly successful and overachieving professor…
SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne attended the Twisted Metal season two set visit hosted by Sony Pictures Entertainment in Toronto. Here’s a behind the scenes look. SHIFTER had the opportunity to attend a set visit for season two of Twisted Metal hosted by Sony Pictures Entertainment in Toronto. Media from all over the world, including Spain, Poland, the United States, and the UK, were in attendance as we spent a day at the soundstage at Downsview Park. Filming moved to Toronto for season two after they encountered weather issues while filming season one in New Orleans. Twisted Metal set visit When we…
In his Smurfs film review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says the film “underwhelming” and “falls flat with very few high notes”. One of the more hyped and heavily marketed films in the past few months is Smurfs which sees the cutesy blue humanoids once again battle the forces of evil which threaten their village and the world on a whole. This time Paramount Animation is taking a stab at it after the end of the previous series of films from Sony. The film follows Smurfette and her fellow Smurfs on a quest to save Papa Smurf from a new and more…
In his Boxcutter film review, Kevin Bourne calls the film “authentically Toronto in the best way possible” and a “testament to the growing crop of Toronto talent”. If you’ve read my reviews lately, this will sound a bit repetitive, but Toronto is having a moment when it comes to filmmaking. Toronto has always attracted Hollywood productions with competitive tax credits, and Toronto directors are getting regularly getting hired to work on major TV series in the United States. But now, Toronto filmmakers and producers are starting to tell our own stories, set in Toronto. And they’re actually getting theatrical runs…
In his King’s Court documentary review, Kevin Bourne calls it “beautiful”, “visually stunning”, and “another reason to get excited about filmmaking in Toronto”. “When I was young, I was frustrated. I was angry. You wanna know why? Because I wanted to be heard. But I hear myself now.” The world of cinema is typically dominated by big blockbuster films with billion dollar budgets, but there are a number of independent films and filmmakers who fly under the radar everyday, especially in Canada. That’s beginning to change with a growing crop of local filmmakers telling both Black and inner city stories…
Jermaine Dupri took to social media to announce Canadian R&B duo, Dvsn, has signed to to So So Def Recordings/HYBE American under a new deal. Jermaine Dupri sent some ripples through the music industry announcing that he has signed Canadian R&B duo, Dvsn, to So So Def Recordings with global distribution from HYBE America. Dupri took to Instagram to share the news. “After working with Dvsn on their last album, going to their shows, seeing how much their fans love them, and then when I heard that they had just become free agents, I had to sign them and make…
