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Sep 21, 2022

Sinking Ship Entertainment, Leif Films, and Amazon Freevee Begin Principal Photography On New Series Beyond Black Beauty

Toronto, Canada (Wednesday, September 21, 2022) - Canada’s Sinking Ship Entertainment (SSE), Leif Films, and Amazon Freevee today announced that they have started principal photography on their new coming-of-age series Beyond Black Beauty. The international series will be filmed in Canada and Belgium.  

Inspired by the beloved novel, Beyond Black Beauty is a coming-of-age series that follows Jolie Dumont, an Olympic-driven equestrian whose journey is suddenly halted when her mother, Janelle, moves them from their posh Belgium life to Janelle's childhood home in Baltimore. Jolie struggles to find roots but as she bonds with an equally spirited horse named Black Beauty, she learns to embrace the family's ranch where Black cowboys have been entrenched in their DNA for over a century. In this multi-generational tale of adversity, humility and love, Jolie finally discovers the value of family and home. From Amazon Studios, the Emmy-winning production company Sinking Ship Entertainment and Leif Films, Beyond Black Beauty is executive produced by Leif and Agnes Bristow, Blair Powers, Carla de Jong, Pilar Golden, and J.J. Johnson.

“Having the opportunity to film in both Canada and Belgium provides a vast canvas that enriches the series' authenticity, " said Pilar Golden, executive producer of Beyond Black Beauty. "As we near the end of our Canadian production shoot, the cast have developed a beautiful bond and as filming continues in Belgium in October their relationships are sure to strengthen in ways that will only help buoy the theme of the value of family.”

"Sinking Ship Entertainment is thrilled to bring this coming-of-age story to the screen. We're confident that this all-new take on the classic book will resonate with youth around the world," says Executive Producer, Carla de Jong of Sinking Ship Entertainment.

"Generations of children and families,  around the globe, have experienced the power of Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty in film, television and as readers. Beyond Black Beauty is the right story at this moment in history, to bring this new and inspiring series to life,” stated Leif Bristow, executive producer. “Together, with the support of Amazon Freevee, Sinking Ship Entertainment, and all of our partners we are excited to share this series with a new generation of viewers.”

Kaya Coleman (The Sinners) will star as “Jolie Dumont,” Sagine Sémajuste (13: The Musical) as “Janelle Dumont,” Gina James (Hogtown: Code\Switch) as “Ronnie Parrish,” and Lisa Berry (Workin’ Moms) as “Yvonne Parrish.” The Canadian/Belgian co-production began filming in August in Canada with production scheduled to wrap in Belgium in October. The international series is set to be released on Amazon’s Freevee as part of their 2023 slate.

Kaya Coleman is represented by The Characters and Capstone Talent. Sagine Sémajuste is represented by Oscars Abrams Zimel & Associates. Gina James is represented by FilmComm Talent. Lisa Berry is represented by Oscars Abrams Zimel & Associates.

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About Sinking Ship Entertainment

Named as the number one Kids’ Entertainment Production Company on Kidscreen’s Hot50 list in 2020, Sinking Ship Entertainment is a globally renowned and industry leading Production, Distribution, VFX and Interactive studio specializing in children’s and family content. Since its founding in 2004, Sinking Ship has won 24 Daytime Emmy® awards, including series wins for Ghostwriter (Apple TV+), Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures (Nickelodeon), Odd Squad (PBS KIDS), and Giver (ION) and was named the Most Innovative Producer at the 2021 Banff World Media Festival. With a global reputation for quality, ground breaking original series and companion interactive experiences, Sinking Ship has produced more than 24 series and distributed to more than 200 countries across the world. Upcoming projects include the third season of the worldwide success, Odd Squad, the company’s first fully 3D animated series Builder Brothers Dream Factory, in partnership with Scott Brothers Entertainment and the highly anticipated series, Jane, co-produced with the Jane Goodall Institute. For more information, visit our website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

About Leif Films

Leif Bristow (Director/EP) together with Agnes Bristow (Writer/Producer) have carved a significant career specializing in the creation and production of some of the highest rated, award winning international coproductions including Mix Up in the Mediterranean, To Catch a Spy, Veteran’s Christmas, Nostalgic Christmas, Christmas Next Door, Love Blossoms, Love, Romance & Chocolate, propelling Hallmark Channel to the #1 network in the US for the month. They are completing Christmas at Castle Hart, in Ireland for a November 27th release on Hallmark. 

Leif has been the producer on 18 films for HBO which garnered 6 Primetime Emmy’s as well as some of the highest rated films for the Hallmark Channel. Leif specializes in filming in global locations to enrich the storytelling and the viewer experience. He has filmed in Belgium, South Africa, Italy, Ireland, Croatia, Kenya, Malta and Taiwan. He has worked with some of the industry’s most incredible talents including Oscar Winners Christopher Plummer, Brenda Blethyn and Whoopi Goldberg.

 

About Amazon Freevee

Amazon Freevee, formerly IMDb TV, is a free streaming video service with thousands of premium movies and TV shows available anytime. Amazon Freevee is available as an app on Fire TV, Fire Tablets, and many third party devices as well as within Prime Video, across hundreds of devices.

 

Media Contact:

sinkingship@ledecompany.com

 

General Inquiries
marketing@sinkingship.ca