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We’re back! Sorry for the brief hiatus, but we are officially back in action! This Summer and Fall have been a flurry of activity!

San Diego Comic-Con 2026

I had the pleasure of attending San Diego Comic-Con in July of this year, and had a great time! It was a whirlwind of interviews and panels and running around the San Diego Convention Center, which is around the size of a city block!

I met some very interesting people, and got a chance to be a part of a lot of conversations about the current state of the industry, as viewed from the perspective of large tentpole projects that studios felt confident sending teams to Comic-Con to represent. There’s a lot on the horizon coming up, and this weekend is New York Comic-Con, which will no doubt have many more announcements being made!

Things that stood out for me at San Diego Comic-Con:

Lots more Dr. Alan Grant cosplayers walking around (RIP Sam Neill)
Making Johnny Depp your surprise guest appearance at a panel entirely unrelated to what he was promoting is an… interesting move.
Do we need a Christmas Carol prequel? As far as my understanding is, in November the moviegoing public will be subjected to a prequel to the popular novel (and subject of numerous film adaptations) A Christmas Carol, starring Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge, in the film Ebenezer. Considering that the story of A Christmas Carol covers his backstory, origins, motivations, and pretty much his entire life up to the point of the story at hand, having a prequel seems redundant and unnecessary. They also cover what happens for the rest of his life in the Christmas Carol story as well, so if the plan is for it to actually be a sequel, I’m similarly lost at the motivation.
One more thing about Ebenezer. The tagline for the film is “Before there was Scrooge, there was Ebenezer” is like saying “Before there was Martignetti, there was Adam”. Putting it generously, that doesn’t really make a lot of sense.
Ok one more one more thing about Ebenezer. Johnny Depp is absolutely doing his Jack Sparrow accent, but… older.
Apparently Marvel was going to turn the sky around the convention center green as a marketing stunt for Doomsday on the second last night of the convention, but, despite a successful test run before Comic-Con began, opted not to. Weather conditions seemed optimal, so I’m curious what the reasoning was behind that.
Upon further research, it turns out that Ebenezer is literally just A Christmas Carol. Somehow, I’m even more disappointed.

TIFF

This year’s Toronto International Film Festival began later than it generally does because of how late in the month Labour Day was, and you could tell that a lot of attendees felt a little discombobulated by that. Overall the festival was a great time, if feeling a little subdued.

Lots of films came through our studio for interviews, including some television shows. More interviews were conducted at this year’s TIFF than at any Comic-Con, Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, or any other festival or convention that has been done in the history of Collider [Citation needed, but I’m probably right] with over 40 interviews happening between our interviewers Perri Nemiroff and Steve Weintraub. An impressive achievement indeed!

My takeaways from TIFF:

It’s easy to forget that while being interviewed, in order for people to hear you, you need to be holding your microphone close to your mouth.
A lot of energetic and enthusiastic first time filmmakers are getting opportunities and being championed by veterans of the industry who are fostering support for people with a vision and taking risks on independent films that may not have had a chance without them, and often these films have the most to say, and sometimes the best way to say them.
Some films are going to be divisive, even if they’re just about a gang of aliens who dress like they’re in a biker gang from the 50s and acts as a commentary about how humanity is prone to violence.
A film at the festival was being talked about as “The next Obsession” (the people who were making this comparison the most loudly were the people behind promoting the film, but still) is certainly fitting into that category in some ways, but not others. River, a film that feels like a wonderful throwback to the era of 1970s Horror, is a great film. The comparisons to Obsession fall a little flat, however, when it comes to comparing the substance of each film. Both are great on their own merits, but there is very little overlap, aside from River having a successful sale at TIFF, in the same way Obsession made their own breakout at TIFF last year.
The film that my co-workers most consistently praised is the newest film by Jesse Eisenberg, The Debut. I did not get a chance to see it, however I was a fan of his previous film A Real Pain.
A film that got a lot of buzz was I Play Rocky, a biopic about Sylverster Stallone’s journey in getting his film “Rocky” made. The consensus between people I spoke to who saw it in both the professional capacity as well as those who saw it as a casual viewer was mixed. Some found it a masterpiece while others couldn’t wait for it to end. A film about an underdog story of someone who doesn’t give up on their dreams to make a film about an underdog story about someone who doesn’t give up on their dreams could be good, or it could be predictable. If this film ends up winning an Oscar, that would be an interesting full circle moment, as the original Rocky also won three Oscars. The lead actor who plays Sylvester Stallone also played Al Pacino in a limited series about the making of The Godfather in 2022 called The Offer, which begs the question, what Italian actor from the 70s will Anthony Ippolito be playing next?

The Collider team at TIFF 2026, courtesy of Photagonist

Fantastic Fest

This year’s Fantastic Fest in Austin Texas was an interesting one! Another whirlwind of activity, with the big films kicking things off being Beware Boiúna (a film by Mike P. Nelson, who last year had his remake of Silent Night Deadly Night play at the festival, and has also recently been announced as the Director of the next Saw film) and Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil. Due to a scheduling conflict I didn’t get the chance to see Beware Boiúna, but I did indeed get to see Resident Evil, and it was a perfect marriage of Cregger’s horror and comedic sensibilities. The film is legitimately a scary film, as he’s proven he can do with the likes of Barbarian and Weapons, and also has the comedic chops to bring moments of levity to the story that can still keep you grounded in the reality of the film while getting genuine laughs. Cregger’s Resident Evil is absolutely worth a watch.

I also had the opportunity to see a few other films at the festival, including Alpha Gang (the previously mentioned 50s biker gang alien film from TIFF), Primetime, River, In A Violent Nature 2 (this was a special secret screening where a workprint copy of the film was screened, so it wasn’t completely finished at the time of showing), and an Italian film titled L'estranea (The Spiral).

Of those films I was able to see, the standouts for me aside from Resident Evil were Primetime and L’estranea. Primetime is a sensationalized fictionalized version of real life events in the making of Chris Hansen’s breakout show in the mid-2000s, To Catch A Predator. If you’re aware of the events surrounding the making of the show and the subsequent sudden end of the show, there’s still much to experience in this film. If you are unaware of the conditions of making the show as well as its end, this will be a wild ride. Approaching the film from either perspective, the film does a great job of mythologizing the real life figure of Chris Hansen and his crusade for justice. Chris Hansen himself has expressed that the film portrays him in a negative light, and while I can understand his view on it, I also believe the film shows him to be someone of strong purpose and a clear vision, however the going about of doing so is where things get muddled, along with issues from his personal life. An aspect of the film that I was not expecting was the use of colour and how the film incorporated it. Much like how New York is considered to be the fifth star of Sex & The City, I firmly believe that the colour of the film in Primetime stands out along with the stars Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, and Skyler Gisondo.

L’estranea is a new film from Italian Writer/Director Paolo Strippoli, who recieved much praise for his previous film La Valle Dei Sorrisi (english title: The Holy Boy). L’estranea follows the story of a family in Italy, and explores the dynamics of choices and sacrifices made for the family by the mother. Discussion around the film after the screening was about whether the conceit of the story is meant to be an underlying commentary on the cliché of the matriarch of a family complaining that they give up so much for the family and get no recognition for it, and certainly no thanks. That is a definite part of the story, but the how and why of it is where potentially supernatural elements come into play.

One of the groups that came through our studio at the festival was a group involved with the film Play House, which played at the festival as well. This group is notable because the film was produced as the result of a successful pitch at last year’s Fantastic Pitches. Fantastic Pitches is a program that began at the 20th anniversary of Fantastic Fest, where competitors are given the opportunity to pitch a film to a live audience, as well as to Producers, in almost a Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank style. The prize that is won by a successful pitch is mentorship by the Producers on the panel judging the pitches, along with a $100,000 USD contribution to the budget of making the film, as well as a distribution with Chroma. One of the caveats of winning the pitch competition, however, is that the film needs to be filmed and released within a year of winning, which can definitely add strain to any production! Play House however, rose to the occasion wonderfully, and by all accounts of those who saw the film, is exemplary of the caliber of film that Fantastic Pitches can foster, and that, given the opportunity and resources, people can make great films.

Adam Martignetti and Perri Nemiroff at Fantastic Fest 2026

Enkidu

This Summer work was completed on the short film Enkidu, written by and starring Jon Hedderwick as the titular Enkidu, is based on The Epic Of Gilgamesh. I had the pleasure of working on the short last Fall, and was very pleased that the team finished post-production and, having seen the final version of the film, am so proud of everyone involved. The short is currently in the submission stage to festivals, and those festivals will be lucky to have the film perform there! Congratulations to the passionate individuals on the team!

The Nature Of The Beast

This Summer I also had the opportunity to direct a short film that I had written, currently titled The Nature Of The Beast. Following a day in the life of a Journalist on the edge of burnout, her day takes a surreal turn while conducting a series of interviews.

We shot the short over three days, and this was the largest group of people I have had the pleasure of working with on a project of my own. Including cast, there were around 30 people on set at any given time, which had the possibility of being slightly overwhelming, but with everyone having a fantastic attitude and approach to the work, this collaboration came out wonderfully. I am very satisfied with what we have, and it would not have been possible without the co-operation of many people coming together to help me achieve my vision, and I am eternally grateful for everyone involved.

The short is now in post-production, and I am eager to dive further into the editing process.

In further editions of The Developing Story, I’ll talk more about the short, and go into more detail about how it was made, and the challenges we faced along the way, and opportunities that arose.

Butcher The Pig

As of the time of writing, production is underway for the film adaptation of Marc Ludwig’s Butcher The Pig, originally a stage play performed at As of the time of writing, production is underway for the film adaptation of Marc Ludwig’s Butcher The Pig, originally a stage play performed at The Theater On King. The play, starring Marc Ludwig and Tom Quinn, was directed by Drew Antzis, and now the film is carrying through with that team, with Marc and Tom reprising their roles, and Drew directing the film.

Butcher The Pig is a tense drama where the divide between generations is explored in interesting detail through a familial struggle for control over one’s life, and another’s legacy.

I had the pleasure of visiting set for a few days of the production and was throughly impressed by the work being done. This is a production where everything has been planned with precise detail, and things move quickly. The cast knows the story backwards and forwards, and the crew has managed to make use of the location to fit the narrative in a compelling and interesting way, leading to everything being able to work in tandem successfully and at a rapid pace.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, raising over $18,000 dollars, the film is on track to be completed filming before the end of this month. You can visit the website of the film to see the supporting material that helped to propel the film to successful funding, and you can also add your name to the map on the website to request a screening of the film in your town once completed!

Ring Rats

Another silver screen adaptation of a play performed at The Theater On King that is being worked on is Ring Rats, a feature that I produced and was the cinematographer on. Written and Directed by Derek Weatherdon, starring Samuelle Weatherdon and Brad Brackenridge, the film follows an aspiring wrestler at the beginning of her career and and a veteran wrestler who is long past the end of his career, exploring their relationship to each other as well as to the world of wrestling as a whole.

What’s Happening

Here are some things happening this month in the world of creativity in Peterborough!

Peterborough Camera Meet Up

Tonight (October 6th) at The Roy (380 George Street North), local Photographer Luke Best and local Entrepeneur Pawel Dwulit are hosting an event for local creatives to gather! Beginning at 6 PM and going until 10 PM, the event is sure to have some fun folks and great conversations!

The Developing Story Creative Summit Of The Arts Vol. 3!

In November, we will be holding the third Developing Story Creative Summit Of The Arts! The current date for the event is Saturday November 28th. Bring a friend, an idea, or just yourself, and meet people from within the creative community here in Peterborough! The purpose of these events is to help to nurture, build, and connect the creative community at large here in town. Witn what I have experienced myself while working on projects and connecting with people here in town is that unintentionally, we tend to silo ourselves off while working on projects, and bubbles are created with creative people who have no idea that someone even one street over could be working on a creative endeavour as well! Building a community is important as a way to encourage others, share creativity, positivity, and create something new.

We’ve all been working on projects throughout the year, and now is the time to gather to tell tales, share stories, make new friends and connections, or reconnect with folks who you haven’t seen in a while!

This is an informal gathering where all are welcomed and encouraged to attend. This is a free event, and there is no expectation of presenting something you have worked on or are working on, nor do you have to pitch anything.

Further details about the event will be in the November edition of The Developing Story!

The Peterborough Municipal Elections

Online voting for Petebrorough’s Municipal elections began October 5th! If you are eligible for online voting, visit https://peterborough.elections.vote to make your voice heard in voting for City Councillors and the future Mayor of our town! Online voting ends at 8 PM on October 26th. You can also vote in-person on October 14th for advanced in-person voting at the Healthy Planet Arena from 10 AM until 4 PM.

You can also vote in person on October 26th (election day!) at your ward voting locations:

Ward 1 Otonabee: Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd.

Ward 2 Monaghan: Westdale United Church, 1509 Sherbrooke St.

Ward 3 Town: McDonnel Street Community Centre, 577 McDonnel St.

Ward 4 Ashburnham: Peterborough Lions Community Centre, 347 Burnham St.

Ward 5 Northcrest: Northview Community Church, 1000 Fairbairn St.

Don’t know who to vote for? Learn about who you can vote for here!

Candidates for Mayor spoke to KawarthaNow about themselves and their plaftorms here!

Candidates for Councillors for the wards spoke to KawarthaNow here!

Note that Rob Hailman has suspended his campaign, and Jessica Correa has withdrawn from the race.

You can check out to see where you and the candidates (who took part) align by checking out their answers on this site!

Community

Peterborough and the surrounding area has a wonderful community of incredibly creative people, and we’re only scratching the surface. If you would like to add yourself to the directory for the possibility of collaborating with others, please fill out this form.

The Directory is available to everyone who subscribes to this newsletter.

Working on a project? Want to share something you've worked on? Looking for a crew or collaborators? Holding an event? Want to share information about a casting call, workshop, funding, or something you've learned that's helpful and will help to educate others? Then submit that information here!

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October 2026