Check out the full list below of the film and television content coming to CBC Gem in June 2024.
THE 2024 INDSPIRE AWARDS, honouring First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement in their communities and beyond, streams Friday, June 21 at 7 PM (8 AT, 8:30 NT) on CBC Gem
The Pride Month collection features a new season of CBC Arts’ CANADA’S A DRAG (June 3); the first season of acclaimed genre-toppling spy series KILLING EVE (June 14) starring Golden Globe-winner Sandra Oh and Emmy-winner Jodie Comer; comedy series PLEASE LIKE ME (June 7) from Australian comedian Josh Thomas; documentary CASA SUSANNA (June 1) about a safe space in the 1950s and ‘60s; and the Canadian premiere of docuseries NOT YOUR AVERAGE FAMILY (June 17) following a 2SLGBTQ+ influencer couple as they try to start a family
Feature films in the Pride Month collection include BAFTA-nominee BLUE JEAN (June 7), Xavier Dolan’s MATTHIAS & MAXIME (June 12), Francis Lee’s GOD’S OWN COUNTRY (June 14) with Josh O’Connor (Challengers) and Sean Baker’s award-winning TANGERINE (June 19)
The Indigenous History Month collection highlights Indigenous voices with NSI IndigiDocs shorts (June 1); the Canadian premiere of documentary WATERMAN – DUKE: AMBASSADOR OF ALOHA (June 1), the inspiring story of five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku, narrated by Jason Momoa; lifestyle series BEARS’ LAIR (June 1), offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to aspiring Indigenous business owners; and feature A STORM BLOWS OVER (June 3) following a young woman on a mysterious journey after the disappearance of her boyfriend
Season 1 of acclaimed international series LOUDERMILK begins streaming June 5, created by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Mort, and starring Ron Livingston (OFFICE SPACE) as a recovering alcoholic and substance abuse counsellor
A documentary Channel Original feature NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT JACOB APPELBAUM (June 26) follows the top American in Wikileaks as Julian Assange’s extradition to the US draws closer
CBC Gem is Canada’s streaming service, offering more than 6500 hours of live and on-demand Canadian programming and a curated selection of acclaimed, best-in-class content from around the world, including more than 800 documentaries, 500 hours of ad-free content for kids and tweens, and a collection of over 200 Canadian feature films. CBC Gem is available free as an app for iOS and Android devices and online at CBCGem.ca, and on TV screens via Roku, Samsung, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, LG, Google Chromecast, Android TV and Xbox.
PRIDE MONTH COLLECTION
CANADA’S A DRAG Season 4 (6×7, Docuseries, CBC Arts)
Begins streaming Monday, June 3
Following three highly successful seasons, the CBC Arts docuseries CANADA’S A DRAG returns with a six-episode fourth season that highlights a diverse array of performers from Halifax to Vancouver. Providing an all-too-rare showcase for alternative drag performers, the show continues to prove that drag doesn’t always need to be a race: in Canada, we run together.
CASA SUSANA (97min, Documentary, directed by Sébastien Lifshitz, USA/France)
Begins streaming Saturday, June 1
In the 1950s and ’60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreamed—dressed as and living as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalised for their self-expression. Told through the memories of those who visited the house, the film provides a moving look back at a secret world where the persecuted and frightened found freedom, acceptance and, often, the courage to live out of the shadows.
“A deeply affecting exploration of a secret chapter in LGBTQ History.”
Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
PLEASE LIKE ME Seasons 1-4 (32×30, Comedy, Avalon, Australia)
Season 1 begins streaming Friday, June 7
Season 2 begins streaming Friday, June 14
Season 3 begins streaming Friday, June 21
Season 4 begins streaming Friday, June 28
Based on the award-winning comedy of Josh Thomas, PLEASE LIKE ME is about cavoodles, custard tarts, boyfriends and girlfriends. Mostly, though, it’s about growing up quickly and realising that your parents are not heroes, but big dopes with no idea what’s going on – just like you. This critically lauded hit has been described as “the hilariously awkward coming of age TV show you didn’t know you needed.” Created by and starring Aussie comedy wunderkind Josh Thomas, it tells the story of a young man in no hurry to grow up, as his parents and friends rely on him to keep them sane. Contains clumsy sex, delicious food, occasional singalongs and an adorable cavoodle.
“Please Like Me raised the bar for Australian TV comedy.”
BLUE JEAN (97mins, Drama, directed by Georgia Oakley, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, June 7
In BLUE JEAN, it’s England, 1988, and Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean (Rosy McEwen), a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new student catalyzes a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core.
“powerfully poised film”
MATTHIAS & MAXIME (119mins, Romance/Drama, written and directed by Xavier Dolan, Canada)
Begins streaming Wednesday, June 12
Two childhood best friends are asked to share a kiss for the purposes of a student short film. Soon, a lingering doubt sets in, confronting both of them with their preferences, threatening the brotherhood of their social circle, and, eventually, changing their lives. MATTHIAS & MAXIME premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where writer and director Xavier Dolan was nominated for two awards.
GOD’S OWN COUNTRY (105min, Romance, directed by Francis Lee, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, June 14
Johnny Saxby (Josh O’Connor, CHALLENGERS, THE CROWN) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge-drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Alec Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself having to deal with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship starts to form, which could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, GOD’S OWN COUNTRY is the award-winning debut feature from writer/director Francis Lee. Bracingly open hearted, this is a thrillingly romantic story set in the heart of rural Yorkshire. Both poignant and moving, this finely crafted British film features a host of standout performances, marking it out as an absolute must see.
KILLING EVE Season 1 (8×60, Thriller, Sid Gentle Films/BBC America/Endeavour Content, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, June 14
Based on the novellas by Luke Jennings and created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (FLEABAG), KILLING EVE centres on two women: Eve is a bored, whip-smart, pay-grade MI5 security officer whose desk-bound job doesn’t fulfil her fantasies of being a spy. Villanelle is a mercurial, talented killer who clings to the luxuries her violent job affords her. KILLING EVE topples the typical spy-action thriller as these two fiercely intelligent women, equally obsessed with each other, go head to head in an epic game of cat and mouse. Starring Emmy-winner Jodie Comer (THE LAST DUEL, FREE GUY) and Golden Globe-winner Sandra Oh (THE SYMPATHIZER, GREY’S ANATOMY).
NOT YOUR AVERAGE FAMILY (3×30, Documentary, Studio Something, UK)
Begins streaming Monday, June 17
Exclusive Canadian Premiere
Influencers and 2SLGBTQ+ couple Charlie Allan and Lauren Faulkner exploded onto the social media scene in 2019, inspiring thousands to open up about mental health, trans issues and working on OnlyFans. But theirs is also a love story, and they have supported each other through Charlie’s transition from female to male, Lauren’s OCD and emetophobia and extreme cyber bullying. Now this series follows Charlie and Lauren on a new journey as they try to start a family.
TANGERINE (87min, Crime/Comedy, directed by Sean Baker, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, June 19
It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend (James Ransone, STARLET, “Generation Kill”) hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the sex worker and her best friend, Alexandra (newcomer Mya Taylor), embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumour. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity. Director Sean Baker’s prior films (STARLET, PRINCE OF BROADWAY) brought rich texture and intimate detail to worlds seldom seen on film. TANGERINE follows suit, bursting off the screen with energy and style. A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the streets of L.A., TANGERINE defies expectation at every turn.
“fast, raucously funny comedy”
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH COLLECTION
BEARS’ LAIR (9×22, Reality, Sparkly Frog Clan Productions, Canada)
Begins streaming Saturday, June 1
BEARS’ LAIR is an exciting new unscripted series that offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to Indigenous entrepreneurial hopefuls. Would-be Indigenous tycoons hone and polish their business concepts with support from experts and then hit the hot seat to pitch them to established business leaders – The Bears (our Mentor-Judges). In the end, all the participants will receive thousands of dollars worth of valuable hands-on support and mentorship to get their businesses started, and one promising entrepreneur will be awarded a grant for $100,000 to jumpstart their business. While Canada’s Indigenous population makes up only a small percentage of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs at present, this is changing at a rapid pace. BEARS’ LAIR is all about training Indigenous entrepreneurs and inspiring viewers to build their businesses and grow their success the Indigenous way!
WATERMAN – Duke: Ambassador of Aloha (88mins, Documentary, directed by Isaac Halasima, USA)
Begins streaming Saturday, June 1
Canadian Premiere
Narrated by Jason Momoa, discover the inspiring story and considerable impact of five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku. He shattered swimming records and globalized surfing while overcoming racism in a lifetime of personal challenges.
A STORM BLOWS OVER (74min, Drama, directed by Gavin Baird, Canada)
Begins streaming Monday, June 3
A young woman’s reality is put into question after the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend. She finds herself on a mysterious journey, seeking the answers she so yearns for.
PORTRAITS FROM A FIRE (92min, Comedy/Drama, written and directed by Trevor Mack, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, June 7
PORTRAITS FROM A FIRE is a coming-of-age film that follows Tyler, an eccentric and lonely teenager
who spends his days filmmaking, vlogging his Indigenous community, and hanging out with his grandparents. His father, Gord, is physically present but remains emotionally absent from Tyler’s life for reasons Tyler cannot understand. That is until he meets Aaron, a mysterious, charismatic, and influential figure who encourages Tyler to showcase his most personal film about his mother’s disappearance to the community, leading to a reckoning between past and future, life and death, and father and son. The film follows Tyler’s journey to heal the wounds of the past by opening them once again. And by finding the courage to face the fear of the unknown, he weaves together the strong sacred bonds of family through both living and ancestral realms.
NSI INDIGIDOCS
Begin streaming Saturday, June 1
Three short documentaries made through the NSI IndigiDocs training program, where Indigenous filmmakers received training and mentorship to develop a short documentary idea into a 10-minute finished film.
ATHEGUS (11min, Short Documentary, Canada)
A Cree man embarks on a journey of healing from intergenerational trauma, finding support from an unlikely source.
LIVING WEAVING (10min, Short Documentary, Canada)
Debra Sparrow’s journey to breathe new life into the Musqueam nation’s living culture of weaving. Directed by emerging IndigiQueer director and writer Dustin McGladrey.
pî-kiwîk (10min, Short Documentary, Canada)
A Cree youth recalls their reconnection journey of coming home to their First Nation. Official Selection at the 2023 Red Nation International Film Festival.
ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL SERIES
LOUDERMILK Season 1 (10×30, Comedy, Primary Wave Entertainment, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, June 5
Loudermilk centres on Sam Loudermilk (Ron Livingston, Office Space, Sex and the City), a recovering alcoholic and substance abuse counsellor with an extremely bad attitude about, well, everything. He is unapologetically uncensored, and manages to piss off everyone in his life. Although he has his drinking under control, Loudermilk discovers that when your life is a complete mess, getting clean is the easy part. Created by Peter Farrelly (Green Book, Dumb and Dumber) and Bobby Mort (The Colbert Report, Circle of Pain).
DOCUMENTARIES
NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT JACOB APPELBAUM (1×88, documentary Channel Original, directed by Jamie Kastner, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, June 26
Rolling Stone called American Jacob Appelbaum “the most dangerous man in cyberspace.” In his youthful heyday Appelbaum was an ascending powerhouse in the internet freedom/security movement, heir-apparent to Julian Assange at Wikileaks, frontman for the TOR project (aka the Dark Web). His cutting edge technological and political work sets him on a tightrope between the world’s insurgents and intelligence communities, each of whom want access to the revolution of which he is fast becoming the poster boy. As Edward Snowden’s leaks drop, revealing America’s digital surveillance of its own citizens, life in the US gets too hot for Appelbaum and he decamps to Berlin. Collaborations there with the likes of Ai Wei Wei and Laura Poitras only serve to drive his stock ever-higher, penning multiple exposés for Der Speigel, accepting whistleblower awards on behalf of Snowden, addressing European Parliament on internet security… When suddenly everything goes dark. Appelbaum is dumped by the TOR project. Assange, ensnared in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, can do little to help him. Friends back away. The internet, once the milky way of Appelbaum’s stardom, transforms into a toxic pit. Filmmaker Jamie Kastner sets out to determine what happened and why now Nobody Wants to Talk About Jacob Appelbaum. Interviews so exclusive as to have been pried from their secretive subjects blend with a trove of little-seen stock footage and original investigation in this spy-story cum cautionary tale-of-our-times, improbably framed by filmmaker Kastner’s bumbling, self-deprecating dark humour.
“The doc offers a complex — and at times comedic — examination of secrecy, ethics, celebrity and the post-#MeToo landscape”
LIFESTYLE
CHATEAU DIY Season 7 (A) (16×60, Unscripted, Spark Media, UK)
Begins streaming Monday, June 3
Exclusive Canadian Premiere
Narrated by Adjoa Andoh of BRIDGERTON, CHÂTEAU DIY follows courageous château-owners as they tackle monumental reno projects and transform worn-yet-wonderful castles across France. From first-time buyers to seasoned homeowners with grand expansion plans, every episode focuses on three unique transformation stories and restoration trials, tales, and tribulations.
JUNIOR BAKING SHOW Season 9 (15×60, Unscripted, Love Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Monday, June 10
Canadian Premiere
JUNIOR BAKING SHOW is back! From thousands of applicants, sixteen talented junior bakers aged 9-12 battle it out in the iconic white tent to be crowned winner of JUNIOR BAKING SHOW. Harry Hill oversees proceedings with his characteristic wit and warmth, alongside seasoned judges Liam Charles and Ravneet Gill.
KIDS & TWEENS
A KIND OF SPARK Season 2 (10×24, Tween, 9 Story Media Group, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, May 31
A face from the past and a mysterious bookshop bring new challenges for Addie and her loved ones. Growing up is hard, growing up autistic is harder. Can Addie work out what’s next? A KIND OF SPARK is a heart-warming story about friendship, courage, and self-belief. Aimed at children 8-12, the second season continues to tell the inspirational story of Addie, a neurodivergent teenage girl. After successfully working with her town to honour and advocate for those who might seem different, Addie is determined to make the world around her a better place. But she soon learns that helping people in the present day can be more complicated than honouring people from the past.
THE BEST OF CBC
The Canadian streaming home of hit CBC original series including THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, HEARTLAND, KIM’S CONVENIENCE, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, SCHITT’S CREEK and WORKIN’ MOMS, plus BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, BLACKBERRY, BONES OF CROWS, MR. D, PRETTY HARD CASES, THE PORTER, RUN THE BURBS, SKYMED, SON OF A CRITCH, SORT OF, STILL STANDING and TALLBOYZ, and classic CBC hits like BEING ERICA.
Source: CBC Gem
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
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