Amaze

What Amaze does

Amaze Film & Television Inc. is an independent Canadian film and television production company founded in 2004 by Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence after they attended Queen's University together. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario (20 Maud St, Unit 502), the company operates with a small core team of approximately five members and develops, produces, and licenses premium scripted content across formats — half-hour comedies, one-hour procedurals, kids' sitcoms, feature films, and documentaries — for major streaming platforms and broadcast networks. Its portfolio includes The Lake (Amazon Prime Video's first scripted Canadian Amazon Original), Carter (Sony AXN/Bell Media), Call Me Fitz (HBO Canada, four seasons), The Stanley Dynamic (YTV), and feature films Saint Ralph, Finn On The Fly, and Being Canadian.

Amaze generates revenue primarily through licensing and royalty arrangements: production fees, distribution licensing, and backend participation from commissioning broadcasters and streaming platforms. The company secures greenlights through traditional development deals with tier-1 buyers and pitches original projects both domestically and internationally. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales — taking projects to broadcasters and streamers — supplemented by an inbound screenwriter submission funnel via its website. Notable recent projects include The Lake (Season 1 premiered June 2022; Season 2 premiered June 9, 2023) and Return to Edenview, a new comedy in development with writer Chuck Tatham being taken to U.S. and international buyers.

The company holds no proprietary technology platform; its competitive position rests on two decades of producer relationships with A-list on-screen talent (Julia Stiles, Jordan Gavaris, Jason Priestley, Jerry O'Connell), established showrunner-level creative partnerships, and direct commissioning relationships with Amazon Studios, Sony International/Bell Media, HBO Canada, and Corus Entertainment/YTV. Amaze remains privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed external institutional funding, acquisitions, or material leadership changes.

Name

Amaze

Legal name

Amaze Film & Television Inc.

Website

https://amazefilm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Amaze Film & Television Inc. is a Toronto-based independent Canadian production company founded in 2004 that develops and produces premium scripted series, kids' programming, and feature films for tier-1 streaming platforms and broadcasters including Amazon Prime Video, Sony AXN, HBO Canada, and Corus/YTV.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)

Keywords

• Television production services
• Film production services
• Scripted series production
• Feature film production
• Kids programming production

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Television Series Production: Amaze develops and produces television series for major networks and streaming platforms. Revenue is generated through production fees, licensing deals, and backend participation. Series include 'The Lake' (Amazon Prime Video), 'Carter' (Sony AXN/Bell Media), 'Call Me Fitz' (HBO Canada), and 'The Stanley Dynamic' (Corus/YTV).
2. Feature Film Production: Production of feature films distributed theatrically and through festivals. Films include 'Saint Ralph', 'Finn On The Fly', and 'Being Canadian', which generate revenue through distribution deals, festival screenings, and downstream licensing.
3. Kids & Family Content: Production of children and family programming for broadcast networks and digital platforms. Includes series like 'The Stanley Dynamic' (YTV) and family film 'Finn On The Fly'.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Amaze Film & Television Inc. is an award-winning Canadian film and television production company that develops and produces premium scripted content for major broadcasters and streaming platforms. Its portfolio spans half-hour comedies (The Lake, Call Me Fitz, The Stanley Dynamic), one-hour procedurals (Carter), feature films (Saint Ralph, Finn On The Fly), and documentaries (Being Canadian), with output licensed to Amazon Prime Video, HBO Canada, Sony AXN, Bell Media, and Corus Entertainment/YTV.

Product overview

Amaze is an award-winning Canadian film and television production company founded by Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence. The company produces premium content across multiple formats including half-hour comedies, one-hour procedurals, family programming, feature films, and documentaries. Their portfolio includes streaming original series (The Lake on Prime Video), mystery dramas (Carter on Sony/Bell Media), award-winning comedies (Call Me Fitz on HBO Canada), kids programming (The Stanley Dynamic on YTV), and feature films (Saint Ralph, Finn On The Fly, Being Canadian).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Lake Half-hour comedy series streaming on Prime Video as Amazon's first scripted Canadian original series; centers on protagonist Justin reconnecting with his biological daughter while competing with his stepsister for the family cottage. Stars Jordan Gavaris and Julia Stiles.
• Carter Mystery procedural series starring Jerry O'Connell that aired globally on Sony AXN for Sony International and Bell Media across two seasons (10 episodes each). Follows actor Harley Mackay who retreats to his hometown and gets drawn into solving real mysteries.
• Call Me Fitz Award-winning HBO Canada comedy series starring Jason Priestley. Set in a used car dealership, follows the life of Fitz, a substance-abusing scoundrel whose conscience appears after an accident. Ran for four seasons (2010-2013).
• The Stanley Dynamic Kids multi-cam sitcom for YTV with animated elements. A family sitcom bringing family viewers together to laugh along with the Stanleys. Ran for two seasons, 26 episodes each (2015 and 2016).
• Saint Ralph Drama feature film (98 min) about a 14-year-old orphan who attempts to run the 1954 Boston Marathon to save his mother from a coma. Won multiple international awards.
• Finn On The Fly Family comedy feature film (90 min) about a dog named Finn who is accidentally transformed into a human when a neighbor's science experiment goes wrong.
• Being Canadian Feature documentary (90 min) following Robert Cohen's quest across Canada to celebrate and defend Canadian identity, with interviews with famous Canadians.

Quantifiable outcome

• First scripted Canadian Amazon Original series produced
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chuck TathamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Chuck Tatham, co-executive producer of CBS sitcom The United States of Al, has teamed with Amaze to develop new comedy series 'Return to Edenview'. Tatham, who has also worked on Modern Family and Central Park, created the series. Amaze is taking the project out to buyers in the U.S. and internationally. The series follows Dr. Billy Wendell, Jr., a New York plastic surgeon who returns to his hometown after his father's death.
• Amazon Studios/Prime VideocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2021Amaze produces The Lake for Amazon Studios/Prime Video - Amazon's first scripted Canadian Amazon Original series. The half-hour comedy premiered June 17, 2022 on Prime Video. Amazon has greenlit Season 2 with production beginning in Canada. The series stars Jordan Gavaris and Julia Stiles and is filmed in North Bay, Ont.
• Sony International/Bell MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmaze produced Carter, a mystery drama series starring Jerry O'Connell, which aired globally on Sony AXN for Sony International & Bell Media. The series ran for 2 seasons (10 episodes each) in 2017 and 2019.
• HBO CanadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmaze produced four seasons of the award-winning HBO comedy series Call Me Fitz, starring Jason Priestley. The series is a bleak, black, twisted existential buddy comedy.
• Corus Entertainment/YTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmaze produced The Stanley Dynamic, a kids multi-cam sitcom for YTV (Corus Entertainment). The series ran for 2 seasons with 26 episodes each in 2015 and 2016, striving to bring family viewers together.
• Julian DoucetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulian Doucet (creator, writer and executive producer of Killjoys) wrote and executive produced The Lake for Amaze/Amazon. The series is based in part on Doucet's life experience. He also executive produced additional Amaze projects.
• Karen TroubetzkoyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaren Troubetzkoy (Killjoys, Orphan Black) serves as executive producer on The Lake for Amaze.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Don Carmody Productions: Toronto-based independent producer of feature films and scripted series for Canadian and U.S. networks — comparable scale and indie production model, especially in the feature-film side of Amaze's slate.
• Shaftesbury: Toronto-based independent producer of scripted drama and comedy series (Murdoch Mysteries, Reign) for Canadian and international broadcasters — comparable in size, Toronto base, and focus on premium scripted production for global streamers and Canadian networks.
• marblemedia: Toronto-based independent producer focused on scripted drama, kids & family programming, and digital content — overlaps with Amaze's kids & family vertical (The Stanley Dynamic) and premium scripted work, similar size and buyer base.
• Breakthrough Entertainment: Toronto-based independent producer of scripted series, feature films, and kids programming across multiple genres — a direct peer matching Amaze's broad-format, Canadian-original production model and comparable scale.
• 9 Story Media Group: Toronto-based independent producer specializing in kids & family and scripted content, with strong international distribution — direct peer in Amaze's kids vertical (The Stanley Dynamic) and adjacent in scripted.
• Temple Street Productions: Toronto-based scripted TV producer (Orphan Black, The Kindred) producing premium drama and comedy for international buyers — closely comparable to Amaze's scripted-series focus and Toronto production base.
• Cineflix Productions: Montreal-based independent production and distribution company producing premium scripted series, factual programming, and feature docs for global buyers — a like-for-like Canadian independent competing for similar streaming and broadcaster commissions as Amaze.

Broad incumbents

• Entertainment One (eOne): Canadian-founded, now Lionsgate-owned content company producing and distributing premium scripted TV, film, and kids content globally — a much larger incumbent serving the same buyer pool (streamers, broadcasters) as Amaze, with comparable IP verticals.
• WildBrain (DHX Media): Canadian kids & family content producer/distributor (Peanuts, Teletubbies, Degrassi) — broader incumbent that overlaps with Amaze's kids content vertical and competes for similar Corus/YTV and global kids-streamer commissions.
• Blue Ant Media: Canadian content company with channels, production, and distribution operating across factual, lifestyle, and scripted — a larger Canadian-content incumbent that operates in the same broader commissioning environment as Amaze.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AmazeFilm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amaze-film-television

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Amaze