In this episode, host Marriska Fernandes sits down with Hamza Haq. You likely know Hamza from CTV’s Hit medical drama Transplant, now in its second season, where Hamza plays the lead role of Bash, a doctor who comes to Canada as a Syrian refugee during the ongoing Syrian civil war. The role earned him a Canadian Screen Award for ‘Best Lead Actor’ in 2021. At the age of nine, Hamza himself immigrated to Canada from Saudi Arabia with his Pakistani family. Today, he shares with us his continued journey towards authenticity, his message to all immigrants and the importance of staying true to yourself.

A podcast hosted by Marriska Fernandes, produced by The Brand is Female and powered by Telefilm Canada.

In this episode, host Marriska Fernandes sits down with Michael Greyeyes, actor, director, scholar, educator, choreographer and graduate from Canada’s National School of Ballet.

Michael is Plains Cree from the Muskeg Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, and you may know him for his iconic roles in award-winning Canadian horror film Blood Quantum, Canadian cult classic, Dance Me Outside, and more recently for his roles as Terry Thomas in the new hit TV series Rutherford Falls and as Makwa in the thriller Wild Indian.

Both have garnered much media attention and recognition, with Michael twice nominated at the Gotham Awards! Tune in to the conversation and discover Michael’s self-proclaimed “most Indigenous quality” and his love of both Indigenous joy and Indigenous creator Sierra Ornelas, showrunner of Rutherford Falls.

In this episode, host Marriska Fernandes sits down with Newfoundland’s sweetheart, Allan Hawco!

Allan is no stranger to the Canadian film and television scene. You likely know Allan as private investigator Jake Doyle from the hit TV show Republic of Doyle. Filmed in St. John’s, NL, the comedy-drama fast became a Canadian weekly favourite, airing for six seasons.

Over the years, Allan managed to create work for himself and others on his beloved island with his production company Take The Shot Productions, and to this day, continues to devote his time to writing, producing, and acting. Currently, Allan is executive producer on the new CBC comedy series Son of Critch, based on comedian Mark Critch’s life.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation and catch a few laughs as we surprise Allan with a blast from the past.

In this episode, host Marriska Fernandes sits down with three up-and-coming Canadian filmmakers: Shasha Nakhai, Martin Edralin, and Priscilla Galvez.

Shasha co-directed and co-produced Scarborough with fellow filmmaker Rich Williamson. The film won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Picture, and Nakhai and Williamson won the award for Best Director, at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022. The feature drama follows the stories of three children and their surrounding community as their lives collide at a community reading club all while navigating their own personal challenges.

Islands is Martin Edralin’s directorial feature debut on which Priscilla Galvez worked on as producer. The feature centres around Joshua, a shy middle-aged Filipino man who takes on the role of caretaker for his father.

Join us as we navigate the Filipino-Canadian diaspora represented in contrasting narratives — one on growing up in Scarborough and the other on growing old in Islands – and the importance of diasporic communities’ representation in Canadian film and television.

From the stages of Stratford, to Hollywood, all Canadians have watched Colm Feore in one of his extraordinary roles. On the big screen, you may have seen him in Thor, or in the hilarious 2006 buddy cop flick Bon Cop Bad Cop, alongside Patrick Huard. You’ve noticed him on your TV screen if you’ve watched 24, The Borgias, and The Umbrella Academy. From playing King Lear, to playing former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, time after again, Colm has proved his reflexiveness as an actor and his ability to take on difficult roles and make them his own. Colm has been nominated for numerous awards, and won two for his performance in Trudeau, both for Best Actor in a Mini-Series; he has also been awarded a Governor General Award. Throughout his success, Colm has remained a down-to-earth Canadian, beaming with pride at the development of his country’s contemporary film scene.

In this episode, host Marriska Fernandes sits down with two Toronto-made filmmakers, Clement Virgo and Thyrone Tommy.

Clement moved to Toronto from Jamaica as a young man and in 2015, he directed and co-wrote a six-part miniseries adaptation of The Book of Negroes, which captivated audiences across Canada and the US, winning a grand total of 12 Canadian Screen Awards. Clement is also behind the foundation of the Black Screen Office, created to expand the reach of stories and works by Black filmmakers in Canada.

Thyrone Tommy has seen his films celebrated internationally at over 30 festivals. His 2016 short film Mariner was named one of the TIFF Canada’s Top Ten shorts of the year and saw him awarded the Lindalee Tracey Award at Hot Docs the same year, In 2017, Mariner won him the Audience Award at the Scenic City Film Festival.

Tune in to this episode to hear the duo discuss what drives them to make movies, the importance of Black representation in the film industry — both in front and behind the camera — and how they view the future of Canadian cinema.

If you love a good scare, this episode is for you! This week on the podcast, our host chats with Adam MacDonald and Katharine Isabelle, two veterans of the horror genre, who call Canada home.

Since he was a little boy, Adam MacDonald was captivated by the horror genre. The thrills and chills from classics like The Exorcist and Evil Dead had him wondering how directors figured out the perfect scares. Fast forward to today, Adam is a filmmaker with two features under his belt, his 2015 film Backcountry and his 2017 film Pyewacket. He is also a director on the Netflix series Slasher Solstice.

Katherine Isabelle grew up on the gloomy film sets of Vancouver, as she watched her father work as an art director on shows like the X-Files. Since then, her acting career has blown up, and you can catch her in major films like American Mary, Freddy vs. Jason, and in television shows such as Hannibal and The Order on Netflix. Perhaps Katharine is best known for her role as Ginger in the 2000 horror film Ginger Snaps, which is now hailed as a feminist horror classic.

So sit down, kick back, and get comfortable (but not too comfortable, because you never know what’s lurking in the shadows) and get a behind-the-scenes look at Canadian horror!

In this episode, we are joined by two impressive filmmakers, Tracey Deer and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers. This conversation has them bravely sharing their vulnerabilities, addressing both their careers and the personal struggles they continue to experience as Indigenous women in Canada.

Tracey was born and raised in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake, Quebec. She is an award-winning television director and filmmaker, and her television show Mohawk Girls was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards. Her recent coming-of-age feature-length film Beans debuted at TIFF and screened at the Berlin Film Festival, and picked up the John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award and Best Motion Picture at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards.

Elle-Máijá is a member of the Kainai First Nation (Blood Tribe, Blackfoot Confederacy) as well as Sámi from Norway. In 2020, Elle-Máijá and co-director Katherine Hepburn won the Canadian Screen Award for Directorial Achievement and Best Original Screenplay for The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open. Her recent documentary Kímmapiiyipitssini – the Meaning of Empathy, won her the Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Director. Tune in to this episode and hear the duo discuss the importance of truth in their filmmaking, and the duty they feel they have to tell stories that reflect their communities’ unique experiences.

Trigger warning: this episode was recorded just a few days after the tragic discovery of a mass grave containing children’s remains at the site of a former Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The landscape of Canadian cinema has changed drastically over the years, with our homegrown talent getting more international recognition for their unique and impactful work. In this episode, we sit down with three women who are changing the rules of the game in Canadian cinema and advocating for representation of diverse voices in today’s film and TV industry.

Gloria Kim, Supinder Wraich, and Mary Galloway are all graduates from the Canadian Film Centre and have been making waves with their recent projects. In 2019, Gloria Kim released her feature film Queen of the Morning Calm, which garnered rave reviews for its stylistic and aesthetic excellence. Supinder Wraich won an international Emmy in 2013 for her web series Guidestones, since then, she has released another web series, The 410. Mary Galloway made her directorial debut in 2017 with her film Unintentional Mother. Since then, she has worked on numerous projects, with an Indigi-Queer focus, and in 2019 The Hollywood Reporter listed her as one of 15 “Breakouts Making an Impact on Hollywood”. Don’t miss this insightful conversation, and join us in celebrating our homegrown Canadian talent!

You know him for his roles as the quintessential bad boy in both Canadian and American films and TV series, but behind Kim Coates’ tough guy exterior is a proud Canuck, with humble roots in the Canadian Prairies. Growing up playing hockey on the rinks in Saskatchewan, Kim dreamt of making it into the NHL. That is, before he took a drama course that changed the trajectory of his adult life, and he fell in love with the art of acting.

Coates has appeared in over 100 titles, but his most iconic Canadian role was his part as Coach Ronnie Hortense in the 2011 film Goon. Highly decorated as an actor, he has a long list of prestigious awards and nominations for his performances.

Listen to the very first episode of Maple Popcorn to hear host Marriska Fernandes and Kim Coates discuss his extensive body of work, why he believes it’s so important to stay true to one’s roots, and the love he has for Hollywood North and its community.

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of your favourite homegrown films and TV shows? It’s time to pop the Maple Popcorn, go behind the camera and meet the people who are making it happen. Discover exclusive interviews with Canadian icons and hear them talk about Canadian flicks and even break the fifth wall to share set anecdotes. Subscribe now and don’t miss an episode; Maple Popcorn launches soon! A podcast hosted by Marriska Fernandes, produced by The Brand is Female and powered by Telefilm Canada.