Burnaby, B.C. (August 14, 2023) – Knowledge Network has moved four ambitious documentary projects from B.C. filmmakers into production.

As Canada breaks its historical record for total area burned during a single wildfire season, the limited series Wildfire captures the staggering magnitude and scale of modern wildfires in B.C. The creative team behind the series includes Executive Producer and Showrunner Kevin Eastwood. Producer and Additional Cinematographer Simon Shave, and Field Director and Director of Photography Clayton Mitchell each bring 10 years of on-the-ground wildfire experience and advanced safety training to the production which will be shooting throughout the summer.

A Ballad for Judi is a one-hour documentary produced by Baljit Sangra of Viva Mantra Films and Brishkay Ahmed. Directed by Sangra, it tells the remarkable and little-known story of Judi Singh, a Punjabi-Black singer-songwriter who was a prominent fixture in the Edmonton Jazz scene from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Kent Donguines and Jacob Crawford of Aimer Films are producing Treasure of the Rice Terraces. Directed by Donguines, the film explores the global impact of traditional Filipino tattooing, a once stigmatized practice which is now a cultural phenomenon fueling a resurgence of cultural pride. At the heart of the documentary is the story of 106-year-old tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od who was recently featured on the cover of Vogue Philippines.

Clan of the Painted Lady is a feature documentary produced by Jennifer Chiu and Mel D’Souza of SILO Entertainment. This first-person journey directed by Chiu, explores the experiences of members of the Hakka-Chinese diaspora and what it means to belong.

“These are distinctive, bold projects that we are excited to advance” said Patrice Ramsay who was recently promoted by incoming CEO Michelle van Beusekom to the role of Senior Manager, Independent Production. “We look forward to bringing these powerful stories by talented B.C. storytellers with unique, insider perspectives to our viewers.

About Knowledge Network:

Knowledge Network is British Columbia’s viewer-supported public educational broadcaster. Available on television throughout the province of British Columbia and on streaming platforms across Canada, we feature quality programming for pre-schoolers and parents; curated dramas, premium factual series and documentaries from around the globe; and Knowledge Original documentaries commissioned from BC based producers. Our service is free and commercial free. For more information, visit www.knowledge.ca