David J. Vainola (born 5 October 1961) is a Canadian television and film writer and producer.
David J. Vainola (born 5 October 1961) is a Canadian television and film writer and producer.
Vainola was born in Leicester, United Kingdom, and became a Canadian citizen in 1967.
For the National Film Board of Canada, Vainola directed the short dramatic film "The Drive Away" in 1989. [1] He directed the short film "The Other Prison" (1990), [2] [3] which won a Silver Plaque at the Chicago Film Festival and a Reel Award (Ottawa). [4]
Vainola directed the short film "Curiosities" in 1995. [5] [6] "Curiosities" was nominated for two Gemini Awards, including best short program, [7] and won the Best Canadian Film award at the Toronto Worldwide Film Short Festival in 1996. [8]
Vainola wrote and directed the one-hour documentary 30 Second Democracy in 1997. [9] [10] The film has been nationally broadcast in more than a dozen countries, including Canada. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
In 2008, Vainola wrote the TV mini-series Diamonds (aired May 2009). [17] [18] [19] [20] Diamonds aired around the world, including a prime-time broadcast on ABC Television in 2008, [21] [22] and received 12 Gemini Award nominations. [23] At the 24th Gemini Awards in 2009, Vainola was nominated for Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for his work on Diamonds. [24]
Vainola was a story consultant on Season 1 of the award-winning Cardinal (first aired January 2017), [25] and was a consulting producer for Combat Hospital. [26]
Vainola created, with Frank Spotnitz, the television show Ransom. [27] [28] He is an executive producer on the show, [29] [30] which is inspired by the real-life negotiators Laurent Combalbert and Marwan Mery . [31] [32] [33] Combalbert and Mery have also provided commentary on episodes of Season 1 of Ransom, available on YouTube. Season 1 of Ransom aired December 2016; Season 2 [34] [35] aired April 7, 2018. [36] On July 16, 2018, CBS and Global announced that the series has been renewed for a 13-episode third season, which premiered February 16, 2019. [37] [38]
Kristin Laura Kreuk is a Canadian actress. Debuting on teen drama Edgemont, she became most known for her roles as Lana Lang in the superhero television series Smallville (2001–2011), also as Catherine Chandler in The CW sci-fi series Beauty & the Beast (2012–2016) and as Joanna Hanley in the CBC legal drama series Burden of Truth (2018–2021).
Made in Canada is a Canadian television comedy which aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2003. Rick Mercer starred as Richard Strong, an ambitious and amoral television producer working for a company which makes bad television shows. A dark satire about the Canadian television industry, the programme shifted into an episodic situation comedy format after its first season.
Wendy Jane Crewson is a Canadian actress and producer. She began her career appearing on Canadian television, before her breakthrough role in 1991 dramatic film The Doctor.
Lauren Lee Smith is a Canadian actress. She is known for her television roles, including Emma DeLauro in the syndicated science fiction drama Mutant X, Riley Adams in the CBS forensics drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, police Sergeant Michelle McCluskey in the CTV fantasy drama The Listener and Frankie Drake in the CBC detective series Frankie Drake Mysteries.
Felicity Kendall Huffman is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lynette Scavo in the ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives and her performance as a transgender woman in the independent film Transamerica.
The Earle Grey Award is the lifetime achievement award for television acting of the Canadian Screen Awards, and its predecessor the Gemini Awards. It can be presented to an individual or collaborative team.
The Margaret Collier Award is a lifetime achievement award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, to a Canadian writer for their outstanding body of work in film or television. Formerly presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been part of the Canadian Screen Awards. It can be presented to an individual writer or writing team.
Night Heat is a Canadian police crime drama series that aired on both CTV in Canada and CBS in the United States. Original episodes were broadcast from 1985 to 1989. Night Heat was the first Canadian original drama series that was also aired on a United States television network during its original broadcast. It was also the first original, first-run drama series to be aired during a late night time slot on a television network in the United States.
The John Drainie Award was an award given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to broadcasting in Canada. Although meant to be presented annually, there have been years where it was not presented.
Noah Nicholas Reid is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his work on the television series Franklin and Schitt's Creek. In 2016, he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Song for his work in the feature film People Hold On. In 2019, he received a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his work on Schitt's Creek.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Motion Picture to the best Canadian film of the year.
Jo Vannicola, formerly known as Joanne Vannicola, is a Canadian actor. They are most noted for their roles as Dr. Naadiah in Being Erica, Dr. Mia Stone in PSI Factor, Jerri in Love and Human Remains, Sam in Stonewall, Renee in Slasher: Guilty Party, Amber Ciotti in Slasher: Solstice and Slasher: Flesh and Blood, as well as voice roles in Crash Canyon and My Dad the Rock Star.
Frank Charles Spotnitz is an American television screenwriter and executive producer, best known for his work on The X-Files and The Man in the High Castle. Spotnitz is also the chief executive officer and founder of Big Light Productions, a London- and Paris-based production company, which specializes in international television series, including drama, comedy and documentaries. Spotnitz's career includes creating, writing and producing series with networks, cable, streaming and other broadcast platforms around the world.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Dramatic Series. Formerly presented as part of the Gemini Awards program, since 2013 the award has been presented as part of the expanded Canadian Screen Awards.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Comedy Series.
The Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television to the best leading performance by an actress in a Canadian television series. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.
Red Serge is a Canadian television comedy-drama series, which aired on CBC Television in 1986 and 1987.
Ransom is an internationally co-produced drama television series created by David Vainola and produced by Frank Spotnitz, starring Luke Roberts, that began airing on CBS. Ordered straight-to-series with 13 episodes on June 6, 2016, the series is a co-production between Canada's Global, France's TF1, the United States' CBS, and Germany's RTL, while the latter is airing the series on its sister network VOX. The series premiered on Global and CBS on January 1, 2017.
The Donald Brittain Award is a Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to honour the year's best television documentary on a social or political topic. Formerly presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards. The award may be presented to either a standalone broadcast of a documentary film, or to an individual full-length episode of a news or documentary series; documentary films which originally premiered theatrically, but were not already submitted for consideration in a CSA film category before being broadcast on television, are also considered television films for the purposes of the award.
The World Is Watching is a Canadian short documentary film, directed by Peter Raymont and released in 1988. The film examines media coverage of the Nicaraguan Revolution through the lens of an ABC News crew on the ground in the country, documenting the various production pressures and limitations that can hamper the efforts of journalists to fully and accurately report a story; its thesis hinges in part on the fact that Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega's key announcement that he would negotiate with the Contras was made only after the network's news production deadline for the day, leaving the network's initial reports on ABC World News Tonight able to report that he had made a speech but almost completely unable to say anything informative about it.