Megan Folden

Eric Jackson is a successful grant recipient of our Feature Film & TV Production Grant for his TV series, CHUMS Season 1. The show is now in its second season and pending approval for another grant.

Television programming is often more than just pure entertainment. CHUMS, an animated show from the creator of the award-winning children’s series, Wapos Bay, is a shining example.

CHUMS, a joint production by Zoot Pictures Inc. and CHUMS Media, is airing on APTN and Citytv this year. It tells the story of a rag-tag group of furry friends on Turtle Island as they discover their relationship with the animals and their environment on Mother Earth.

The show, aimed at preschoolers, presents a culture that has faced eradication to children at the beginning of their lives. Zoot Pictures CEO, Leslea Mair, states, “We’re teaching kids to be proud of who they are.”

In addition to providing a positive cultural impact, CHUMS is also helping to strengthen and grow Saskatchewan’s film industry and economy. Through the production process, a lot of younger, up-and-coming people in the industry, such as animators and producers, are gaining crucial industry experience. This experience will do wonders in helping them have lucrative careers right here in Saskatchewan, where they will buy homes, pay taxes, eat out, and spend locally.

Much of the labour and equipment costs associated with this project are paid for with grants and tax credits from outside Saskatchewan – money that otherwise wouldn’t enter our province without this production. Financing from Creative Saskatchewan helps to attract this outside investment. The Saskatchewan-based directors, writers, producers, and creative and technical teams work extremely hard to create this meaningful show that benefits our province’s economy.

As CHUMS Season 2 nears 50% completion, there’s no slowing down in sight. Mair states, “This project has so much heart and so much good in it, I’m so proud to be a part of the team.”

Tony Towstego is a successful grant recipient of our Feature Film & TV Production Grant for his TV documentary series, Canada Remembers Our Heroes, now in its second season.

Freedom does not come free. This is the message Tony Towstego passionately shares through his documentary series, Canada Remembers Our Heroes.

Canada Remembers Our Heroes, which can be streamed on Accessible Media Inc.’s AMI+ in Canada or seen on WPBS in the US, follows the remarkable stories of Canadian War Veterans from different eras. The series educates and entertains viewers while honouring our national heroes.

Viewers are introduced to such Canadian heroes as Reginald “Crash” Harrison. Harrison left his family farm in Saskatchewan to join the Royal Canadian Air Force as a bomber pilot in 1942. He earned his nickname, Crash, after surviving four separate plane crashes during WWII. Not only did Towstego and his team interview Harrison for Canada Remembers Our Heroes, but they also put the 101-year-old veteran back up in the air in a vintage Tiger Moth – the same plane he flew for his original training.

Though there is a lot of coverage and documentation of heroes like Harrison and other World War veterans, what makes Canada Remembers Our Heroes so unique is that they do not just focus on wars of the 20th century and before. “There’s nobody else in Canada doing as much on current-day veterans,” Towstego notes. “We specialize in this area.” Heroes such as Aaron Ledoux, a Canadian who served as a Canadian in the American Army, fighting terrorism after 9/11, are featured on the show.

Towstego and his all-Saskatchewan crew have filmed all across the province, from Prince Albert and North Battleford to Moose Jaw and Muskeg Lake. When on location, the crew spent money locally and built strong relationships, which led to an investment partnership with the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation.

Important shows like Canada Remembers Our Heroes cannot happen without investment partnerships and financing from organizations like Creative Saskatchewan. As Towstego humbly puts it, “Without Creative Saskatchewan’s support, thousands of children across Canada wouldn’t be learning about the sacrifices of these veterans. It’s historic. It’s bigger than us.”

This morning, Creative Saskatchewan and the Government of Saskatchewan representatives attended a thought-provoking screening event in Regina, and met the creators behind the groundbreaking series, Treaty Road, at the IMAX theatre.

Treaty Road, a captivating new documentary series filmed in the Saskatoon area, invites viewers on an eye-opening journey into Canada’s history with treaties and Indigenous people. Through the lens of Saxon de Cocq and Erin Goodpipe, the series delves into the untold stories, hidden sites, and profound impact of the numbered treaties that shaped our nation.

“The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to support projects like Treaty Road through our investment of $12 million into the Creative Saskatchewan Film and Television Production Grant Program.” said Laura Ross, Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport. “This is a powerful story coming out of Saskatchewan, and film is the perfect avenue to deliver it.” From windswept prairies to dense forests, the duo uncovers forgotten locations where treaties were signed.

The show was made possible thanks to Creative Saskatchewan’s Feature Film and Television Production Grant. “We were pleased to commit $377,424 towards this production,” said Erin Dean, CEO of Creative Saskatchewan, “it has yielded remarkable results.” The positive economic output for Saskatchewan is estimated to be $1.5 million. Saskatchewan’s film industry continues to serve as a strong contributor to the province’s economic growth, facilitating job creation, local expenditures, and external investment.

“The support we have received from Creative Saskatchewan has fueled our growth as a new production company, allowing us to tell stories that carry the spirit of reconciliation, understanding, and respect that resonates far beyond these borders.” said Hannah Hermanson, Producer with 3Story Pictures.

For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:

Hannah Hermanson, Producer, 3Story Pictures

Email: hannah@3storypictures.com

Megan Folden, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Creative Saskatchewan

Email: megan.folden@creativesask.ca

Office: (306) 798-2191 Cell: (306) 529-7377

Jamie Gibson, Communications Consultant, Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport

Email: jamie.gibson2@gov.sk.ca

Office: (306) 527-8152

Note to editors: High-resolution images and press kits are available upon request by contacting Hannah Hermanson at hannah@3storypictures.com.

As the official film commission for the province, Creative Saskatchewan serves to help facilitate and attract business connections in Saskatchewan’s film and television production industry.

We’re proud to roll out our new, digital Production Directory, connecting the world with Saskatchewan-based crew, cast, and production partners.

View the Directory

Take a virtual tour here:

Interested in being added to the Directory?

Fill out our intake form here.

The Directory contains automation features to ensure that the information listed is up to date. Account holders of Company Listings are empowered to update their information at any time by logging in here, and will receive an annual notification email requiring the user to confirm information is accurate. Listings that do not respond to the notification may be suspended until Creative Saskatchewan can confirm that the information is accurate.

Please note that only Saskatchewan-based companies/freelancers with a minimum of two professional credits will be considered for inclusion into the Directory.

For additional resources, don’t forget to check out industry associations, co-operatives, unions, and post-secondary institutions here.

Jackie Kripki is a successful grant recipient of our SaskTel Max Equity Grant for their TV show, Staying Wild.

Jackie Kripski’s six-episode series, Staying Wild, documents the ups and downs of the busiest wildlife rescue centre in Saskatchewan, the Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. When Kripski received the green light from CityTV that the show would go ahead, she was excited but quickly realized that filming was going to happen simultaneously with applying for a grant from Creative Saskatchewan.

Kripki was quick to point out how supportive the Creative Saskatchewan team was during the application process. “The team was very helpful in answering our questions, which only helped to strengthen our application,” she says.

Staying Wild directly employs approximately 20 Saskatchewan residents. This includes highly skilled people such as camera operators, location audio, camera assistant, director, audio post-production, assistant editor, editors, color and finishing, legal and accounting, story consultant, story editors, producers, and an executive producer. The show also promotes Saskatchewan to international markets where viewers learn about local wildlife and natural surroundings.

Receiving the SaskTel Max Equity Grant allowed Kripki to produce the show at a level that secured interest from a broadcaster and a major distributor. With a goal of getting Staying Wild seen in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe, this interest provides the opportunity to sell it into those markets outside of Canada. “Without Creative Saskatchewan producing Staying Wild would not be possible,” Kripki notes.

When asked why she chooses to live and work here, Kripki states, “I love being here in Saskatchewan, the people are great and there are amazing stories still to be told. It’s an exciting time to be here because the real opportunity is taking a local story and turning it into something that people from other parts of the world will find interesting. And with the help of Creative Saskatchewan, I feel that goal is within reach.”