It’s that time of year again folks! All film fan’s favourite time of the year, Oscar season! And with the nominations announced and the ceremony just days away, our team want to share who we believe is going home with those coveted golden statues! As you can see, even within our team we have some categories we believe are 100% locks to win, while others we’re not quite in agreement. What are your predictions? Drop a comment below with yours!
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.
Over the past few years there’s been a content war both in Canada and the United States. The main players in this battle for premium content- big telecommunications companies. In Canada, Bell recently bought the Toronto Argonauts and Rogers has owned the Blue Jays for years to get a hold on sports content. The two came together to purchase Canada’s most important sports organization, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. In the United States, AT&T purchased DirectTV and Sprint recently bought a majority stake in music streaming service Tidal. The latest content war isn’t between big telcos, but their younger counterparts-…
“Your ancestors took the lash, the branding iron, humiliations and oppression because one day they believed you would come along to flesh out the dream” ~ Maya Angelou Black people, we have some work to do. I often see our generation and others after us not taking life seriously, saying things like, “It’s just music” or “It’s just entertainment” when talking about the messaging in our music. I see people circle jerking and giving out community service awards and accolades like oranges at a soccer practice, and to be honest I’m irritated. I’m irritated by the low standards that…
For many, Barack Obama’s election in 2008 was the fulfillment of a dream; the culmination of a century long struggle for civil rights. There was even talk, however wishful, of a post-racial America. His election, on the wings of one of the most memorable campaign slogans in U.S. history, “Yes We Can”, was underpinned by record levels of minority political participation, as well as significant support from white Americans. Eight years later, an appropriate response would be “How Did We Do?” For many black folks, the prospect of a black President was something they never thought they would see in…
There’s never been a better time for artists to go independent, whether in music, writing, fashion, or film and television. Being independent has always been a part of being a fashion designer or filmmaker, but more and more musicians, authors and content creators are finding mainstream success taking the independent route. Why? One word. The internet. In the past if you were looking for mainstream success as a musician you needed to get signed to a record label so they could distribute your work to the masses. If you were an author you needed a publishing company to do the…
Name: Hayden Cashion Home Base: Ottawa, Canada Industry/Creative Discipline: Write, record, mix, and master Hip-Hop music Biggest Accomplishment So Far: The growth in support over the last eight months, and the clarity of my vision for 2017. What Creativity Means to Me: Creativity allows me to look at the world and go, “Hey, you see your perspective, but take a second to check out mine.” For me it’s about shedding new light on a situation and showing people that you can look at the world from different angles, without either side being right or wrong. I could’ve done this in…
Never before has it been easier to take what used to be just a hobby and turn it into your bread maker. For evidence of this reality look no further than YouTube. Today, individuals are using the YouTube platform as a career builder and source of income. For this generation, YouTubers are the new celebrities, garnering even more popularity than musicians and actors. Some videos created by today’s top YouTubers are getting more views than the most successful television shows. One of these YouTubers turned celebrities that comes to mind is Ryan Higa, whose channel nigahiga contains over nine years…
Wisdom from the world’s hottest rapper, Drake. Are you living or just existing?
He’s a throwback to Shakespearean theatre, has embraced the role as advocate for the Puerto Rican community, and has extended the reach of hip-hop into Broadway. Among his many accolades, this is what Lin-Manuel Miranda did in 2016. Hamilton’s accomplishments this year are noteworthy- the Pullitzer Prize for Drama, the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and a record-setting 16 Tony Award nominations, 11 of which it won, including Best Musical. Miranda won the Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical,…
This article was originally published by jocelynmandrykphoto.com. Reposted with permission from the author. The New Year is just around the corner and with that comes resolutions, a fresh start, and of course an analysis of what’s to come in photography. If you’re looking to give your business and brand a refresh, then photography is inevitably a part of that strategy and it’s important to take a closer look at what trends will give you the most engagement for your efforts. Just like fashion, photography goes through trends. If burgundy is the new black, then patterns are the new minimalism. Tune…
The following article was a guest post by our editor, Kevin Bourne, for apt613.ca At a recent meeting for the House of Paint festival I sat around a table with some of the most engaged and civic minded fans of hip-hop culture in the capital. During one of the icebreakers we were asked three questions, “Who are the legends of hip-hop?”, “Who are the legends of Canadian hip-hop?”, and “Who are the legends of Ottawa hip-hop?” The first two questions were easy to answer, but as a Toronto native I drew a blank when trying to figure out who the…
Our team recently had a heated debate on who in popular culture we considered “Shifters”- people who use their creativity and influence to impact the world around them. They’re creators, whether artists, entrepreneurs or thought leaders, who had an idea or inspiration and have cultivated it to live out their dream. When Kim Kardashian came up in our discussion reactions were mixed. Most people fail to see the significance of what the Kardashian clan has accomplished. Anyone can create art. Few people can create products. Even fewer people can create a successful brand, whether personal or corporate; the Kardashians have.…
