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Sylvia Kwan realized her experience making the TV movie List of a Lifetime would be inclusive and welcoming on one special day in February.

It was Lunar New Year 2021, and the cast and crew all donned red clothing in honor of the holiday. It’s a tradition the Grey’s Anatomy vet had experienced and cherished in her personal life lots of times, but had never seen in the workplace. The Lifetime flick (premiering this Sunday at 8/7c) follows Brenda (Kelly Hu), a woman battling breast cancer while reveling in the budding relationship she has with Talia (Kwan), the long-lost...

Real-life couple Ben Lewis (“Arrow”) and Blake Lee (“Fam”) have been cast in “The Christmas Setup,” Lifetime’s first-ever LGBTQ-lead original holiday movie, while Jacky Lai (“V-Wars”), Tony Giroux (“Motherland: Fort Salem”) and Tzi Ma (“Mulan”) will star in “A Sugar & Spice Holiday,” centered on an Asian American Family, the network announced Monday.

Lifetime also said it is working with GLAAD and Cape (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), on the respective movies, to ensure they represent the communities depicted accurately.

“The world we create on camera should reflect the world we live in. ‘The Christmas Setup’ and ‘A Sugar & Spice Holiday’ are important additions to the It’s a Wonderful Lifetime slate because they continue our effort to tell the stories of the diverse communities represented by our viewers,” said Amy Winter, executive vice president and head of programming, Lifetime and Lmn. “Our hope with these inclusive films and...

Lifetime has cast married actors Ben Lewis and Blake Lee as the stars of “The Christmas Setup,” the network’s first-ever holiday movie centered on a gay romance.

Additionally, the cable channel has set Jacky Lai (“V-Wars”), Tony Giroux (“Motherland: Fort Salem”) and Tzi Ma (“Mulan”) as the leads of “A Sugar & Spice Holiday,” Lifetime’s first film focused on an Asian-American family and and featuring an Asian director, writer, casting director and cast.

Described as a “feel-good LGBTQ holiday romance,” “The Christmas Setup” was set as part of Lifetime’s lineup of holiday movies for the season, which begin airing Oct. 23, last month. The movie follows New York lawyer Hugo (Lewis), who heads to Milwaukee with his best friend Madelyn (Ellen Wong) to spend the holidays with his mom Kate (Fran Drescher), who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations.

Per Lifetime, “Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges...

Lifetime has set the cast for The Christmas Setup, its first holiday movie with a lead LGBTQ storyline, and A Sugar & Spice Holiday, its first movie centered on an Asian American family. Real-life married couple Ben Lewis and Blake Lee will headline The Christmas Setup, along with Fran Drescher and Ellen Wong (Glow); and Jacky Lai (V-Wars) and Tony Giroux (Motherland: Fort Salem) will star in A Sugar & Spice Holiday, alongside Tzi Ma (Mulan).

Written by Michael J. Murray, The Christmas Setup follows the story of New York lawyer Hugo (Lewis) who heads to Milwaukee with his best friend Madelyn (Wong) to spend the holidays with his mom Kate (Drescher), who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations. Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick (Lee), Hugo’s high school friend and secret crush,...

Jacky Lai (V-Wars), Tony Giroux (Motherland: Fort Salem) and Tzi Ma (Mulan, Wu Assassins) will enjoy A Sugar & Spice Holiday, in Lifetime’s first movie centered on an Asian-American family and featuring an Asian director, writer, casting director and cast.

Premiering December 2020, the movie follows Suzie (played by Lai), a rising young architect who returns to her small hometown in Maine for Christmas, where her Chinese-American parents, Pete (Ma) and Mimi (Motherland: Fort Salem‘s Lillian Lim), run the local Lobster Bar.

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Lifetime is making plans for its biggest Holiday slate to date. 

Reaching over 80.1 million total viewers during last year's It's a Wonderful Lifetime programming block, the cabler emerged as the #1 holiday movie destination.

For 2020, the star studded It's a Wonderful Lifetime slate will feature 30 new movies, and over 1200 hours of holiday programming - 24/7 - from mid-October through December with many new and returning stars.

Hooray, right?

This year Lifetime dives deeper in the commitment for diverse storytelling with its storylines, talent and characters.

Following last year's Twinkle All the Way which featured an on screen, same sex kiss between couple Lex and Danny (Brian Sills and Mark Ghanimé), Lifetime has greenlighted The Christmas Set Up, the networks' first movie with a LGBTQ romance as the lead story.

Additionally, Lifetime has greenlighted its first holiday movie centered on a Chinese-American family in A Sugar & Spice Holiday, to be directed by...

Lifetime’s 2020 slate for their “It’s A Wonderful Lifetime” holiday programming will feature 30 new movies with two pics serving diverse narratives, talent and characters. Starting mid-October and continuing through December, the network will offer over 1,200 hours of programming to give you some holiday cheer.

After last year’s Twinkle All the Way featured an on-screen, same-sex kiss between couple Lex and Danny (Brian Sills and Mark Ghanimé), Lifetime will continue to bolster their LGBTQ representation with The Christmas Set Up. This marks the network’s first movie with an LGBTQ romance as the lead story. In addition, Lifetime has greenlit A Sugar & Spice Holiday, its first holiday movie centered on a Chinese-American family. Jennifer Liao is set to direct with Eirene Donohue writing. Casting is currently underway on both movies, with production set to begin this month.

“We are thrilled to continue our legacy of creating a holiday destination that...

Your move, Hallmark!

Lifetime announced on Monday as part of its virtual Television Critics Association summer press tour that, following last year’s Twinkle All the Way (which featured a same-sex kiss between characters played by Brian Sills and Mark Ghanimé), the cabler has greenlit The Christmas Set-Up, its first movie with a LGBTQ romance as the lead story. The synopsis reads:

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Hugo,...

Editors’ Note: Deadline’s latest series, Reopening Hollywood, focuses on the incredibly complicated effort to get the industry back on its feet while ensuring the safety of everyone involved. We intend to examine numerous sides of the business; if you have suggestions about things to consider, please leave a comment.

Ten days into the film and TV production shutdown — originally scheduled for two weeks — One Day At a Time co-creator/Ep/showrunner Gloria Calderon Kellett on March 23 posted a tweet to the Hollywood community:

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“Industry folks: Can we have a real & honest conversation about the realities that need to be in place...

Exclusive: Genre sales outfit will introduce four titles to the market, including Italian thriller Double Crossing (Il Traduttore).

Genre sales company Devilworks will introduce four titles to buyers at Cannes this year.

On the roster is Dennis Ho’s feature debut A Better Place [pictured], which tells the story of a young man who uses his abnormal regenerative powers to heal people, despite the cost to himself.

The film has already picked up prizes at Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival (best independent film, emerging actor for star Stephen Todt), and the Los Angeles Movie Awards (Best Narrative Feature).

Also on the slate is Jennifer Liao’s debut feature, the comic thriller End Of Days, Inc, which follows a group of laid-off employees who discover that processing the last of their inventory will lead to catastrophic consequences.

Devilworks has picked up world rights to Massimo Natale’s Double Crossing (Il Traduttore), which stars The Passion Of The Christ actor...

Jennifer Liao's dark comedy with a supernatural twist End of Days, Inc. opens here in Toronto, Friday, February 19th, at the Carlton Cinema. Liao, producer Sandy Kellerman, and the cast (Carolyne Maraghi, Janet Porter, Anna Ferguson, Yulia Petrauskas, and Paulino Nunes) will be in attendance at the 7pm screening on opening night.  End of Days, Inc. will then screen at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival on March 11th at 9:30pm at the Vancity Theatre. The staff of Godfrey Global Inventory arrive for their last day of work as the company will close its doors. Mr. Godfrey announces to the staff that he and his sister are hosting a party after work where the staff will get their severance checks. At the party the staff are...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

From Clerks to Office Space, workplace comedies have become increasingly popular over the years and now here’s another movie to remind you that your job doesn’t suck as much as you think it does.

From first time filmmaker Jennifer Liao comes End of Days Inc., a supernatural spin on the workplace comedy. The ensemble film, written by Christina Ray (Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning), stars Mark O’Brien (Republic of Doyle), Carolyne Maraghi (Picture Day), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience), Janet Porter (The Listener), Anna Ferguson (Heartland), Yulia Petrauskas (Nikita), and Paulino Nunes (The Strain) as Mr. Godfrey. Liao’s film began it’s festival circuit run with it’s World Premiere at the USA Film Festival in Dallas and has since been picked up for North American distribution by Indican Entertainment. Watch the trailer below.

End Of Days, Inc. Trailer from Jennifer Liao on Vimeo.

It...

We are happy to debut the poster for the dark comedy, with a supernatural tinge, End of Days Inc., the feature debut for Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Liao. From the look on Paulino Nunes' face clearly he is someone you can trust. Clearly. I have also included the trailer as well, where there is no shortage of quirk and pugilism with the elderly. End Of Days, Inc. puts a supernatural spin on a workplace shutdown to darkly comic and chilling effect. It's the last day of business before Godfrey Global Inventory shuts down for good, and the enigmatic Mr. Godfrey (Nunes) and his officious sister Esther (Ferguson) invite the company's downtrodden staff- Jason (O'Brien), Janet (Maraghi), Mort (Lee), and Misty (Porter) -to a farewell party where they are to receive...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...