Author: Kevin Bourne

On the heals of her New York Fashion Week debut, this past weekend fashion designer and Kania Couture founder, Stacey Bafi-Yeboa, held an encore of her NYFW show at Mark Motors’ Audi Ottawa in front of a hometown crowd. The who’s who of Ottawa fashion and fashion lovers alike waited patiently outside Audi Ottawa to witness the city’s biggest fashion success story since Herieth Paul started gracing runways and magazine covers all over the world. As the garage door opened, the crowd was ushered onto the Audi Ottawa showroom floor to take their seats. Everything about the night said “luxury”, from the cars to…

Nneka Elliott, formerly known as Toronto’s news anchor on CP24, decided to launch her own lifestyle brand. Since launching, Nneka has developed quite a name for herself in the entertainment business, from acting appearances, starting her own Caribbean lifestyle show online, blog, speaking engagements, and the list goes on. Nneka isn’t stopping anytime soon and has proved that it’s never too late to pursue and follow your dreams! Listen to this amazing woman’s story and be mesmerized. Ep. 21 – Nneka Elliott, lifestyle and media entrepreneur Photos by Jodianne Beckford For more photos of Nneka Elliott visit jodiannebeckford.com …

For fans of the film industry, this past week has been tough. Allegations of sexual abuse, terminations due to said accusations and reports of cover-ups have run rampant across the various entertainment news outlets, with seemingly no sign of slowing down. The initial allegations against Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein made in an expose by New York Times writers Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey on October 5th, 2017, opened the floodgates and gave other women the strength to share their stories. And it’s not just the studios themselves. With multiple victims coming forward (with clear cut evidence), Screen Junkies founder, Andy Signore, was…

In a year already rife with good science fiction, French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve seeks to make his mark with the highly anticipated sequel to everyone’s favourite 1982 cyberpunk classic. Blade Runner 2049, set thirty years after the events of the original film, is the story of K (Ryan Gosling), an LAPD blade runner who discovers a long-buried secret that could cause a war between species. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who has been missing for three decades. The story here doesn’t seem as complex as in the original, which is a blessing in disguise:…

The Weeknd is one of those guys that can’t seem to stop winning. Late last year he performed at the Victoria’s Secret runway show in front of a global television audience. This past August he collaborated with Puma on the XO Parallel high top sneaker. He also had spring and fall lines with H&M. And now The Weeknd and Marvel are collaborating on a Starboy comic book. Yes, you heard that right. I respect all of The Weeknd’s business moves; he’s obviously smart. Looking back at his career, he’s been a master at branding himself, starting with his former signature hairstyle…

“I am who I am. Your approval isn’t needed.” -Jack Nicholson

Cy Kari of SHIFTER On Films recently had the opportunity to chat with film producer Patrick Kirezi and director Pacifique Cyusa about their upcoming debut feature film “Ace of Heart”. The We Next Films founders, Rwandese filmmakers currently based in Ottawa, Canada, talked about their creative process for “Ace of Heart” and their vision for film in their native Rwanda. Check out our in-depth interview below. Also listen to: INTERVIEW WITH OSCAR NOMINATED DIRECTOR OF ROOM, LENNY ABRAHAMSON

Gloria Chik, founder of The Flight Pack digital agency and lifestyle blog Rogue Stories, is the ultimate media maven you need to know! She has worked with some of the top names in the industry; Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs Enterprises is just one of many. After working two years in New York city, Gloria made the decision to move back to Toronto and further pursue her passions, and this is where The Flight Pack was born. Her innovative idea to create a sleek, minimalist, stylish, and eco-friendly travel pack is just genius. This maven is one to watch! Listen to hear…

Yesterday, the Canadian government announced that Netflix would be spending $500 million on original Canadian content over the next five years. The investment is the cornerstone of the government’s Creative Canada plan. The popularity of Canadian content and storytelling is at an all-time high with the success of shows like “The Handmaid’s Tale” based on the novel by legendary Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood. The CBC, Canada’s national broadcaster, reported: “Internet streaming service Netflix will spend at least half a billion dollars over the next five years to fund original Canadian productions, CBC News has learned. The funding will officially be announced tomorrow by…

At the end of the day, we all need to thank Donald Trump. Seriously. Yes, he says some idiotic things. Actually, he says things people like him always wanted to say. Looking at the headlines and social media, we have players in most major sports protesting for freedom of speech and equality. Even some NFL owners, symbols of elitism and power, have come around. No doubt, Donald Trump has been dividing people since the launch of his campaign but we’ve finally arrived at the “enough is enough” point where the opposite is happening- people are uniting and standing together. Most…

Nike Onile, founder of 800 SQ Feet, and Cityline’s very own design expert is the real deal, say it as it is kind of woman we all need in our lives. Nike began her career as a scientist, but realized she wasn’t fulfilling her creative desires. Design has always been apart of her life, she sees interior design as her canvas, and she talks about furniture and fabrics being her medium. Nike believed in her passion and took the steps to make it all happen. To listen to her amazing story click the links below. Ep. 19 – Nike Onile, founder…

This fall, I was lucky enough to land a contract gig working for the Toronto International Film Festival, which ran from September 7–17. On the staff side, the festival runs like a well-oiled machine, though a very large one comprised of over 3500 staff and volunteers. The sheer size of the festival is sometimes hard to fathom; it’s the largest publicly attended film festival in the world, as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of screening attendees, press and industry reps, and film fans lining the streets at all hours. It was a wonderful experience. I got to meet and…