‘Heated Rivalry’ celebrated in Ottawa as Canadian production and subsidies take center stage

On Thursday evening in Ottawa, Jan. 30, 2026, Canada’s national capital became the center of attention for the global television phenomenon “Heated Rivalry” during the Canadian Media Producers Association’s Prime Time conference. The event featured a public meet between Hudson Williams, the Canadian actor who plays Shane Hollander, and Prime Minister Mark Carney, who hugged Mr.

Williams on stage. The modest-budget series debuted on Crave in Canada (and on HBO Max elsewhere) and follows a nine-year clandestine romance between Canada’s Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie; the show is based on the “Game Changers” books by Nova Scotian author Rachel Reid.

Organizers and creators pointed to distinctly Canadian elements in the series: it was made in Canada with mostly Canadian cast and crew, features iconic Canadiana such as a lakeside cottage and a loon, and — as creator Jacob Tierney noted on the red carpet — even the loon “is on our money.” The series was subsidized in part by Canadian tax revenue under a government policy meant to preserve the country’s cultural creations.

Industry leaders said the show highlights Canada’s production capabilities. The Canadian Media Production Association estimates that filming, animation and location services in Canada are worth nearly 10 billion Canadian dollars (more than $7 billion) and employ about 180,000 people.

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