Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

The only large photochemical film lab in Canada is slated to close .. and film lovers are lobbying the owners to reverse their decision. Film professor Michael Yaroshevsky says that if MELS closes in Montreal – it’s not just the loss of an essential service … it’s going to weaken cinema in this country as we know it.

Plus, Playstation announced it will discontinue making video games on physical discs by 2028. Jonathan Ore and Camille Salazar Hadaway join Commotion to discuss what this means for physical media and the future of gaming.

Canada is only one game away from the World Cup quarter-finals. All eyes will be on their match against Morocco this weekend. On Monday, CBC’s Shireen Ahmed and Zameer Karim join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to talk about this pivotal game for Canada, and reflect on Toronto and Vancouver’s experiences as host cities as their hosting duties officially wind down. Plus, Lainey Lui checks in her report on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s epic all-star wedding at New York’s Madison Square Garden this past Friday: who was there, what went down, and how social media is reacting.

Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp, broadcaster Garvia Bailey, and culture writer Mel Woods join the Friday Group Chat to discuss Canada joining the Eurovision song contest; Madonna’s long-awaited new album Confessions II; and a documentary about trailblazing Canadian queer rock icon Carole Pope.

"Nirvanna the Band: A comedy about Matt and Jay, a duo unrelated to the legendary band Nirvana, who devise a ridiculous plan to build a time machine for a performance and travel back 17 years to when they first met" is the full translated title for the Korean version of the Canadian hit film "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie." Michelle Cho talks with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about how a Korean YouTuber brought the movie to South Korea. Plus, the acclaimed culinary drama, The Bear, just dropped its fifth and final season. Guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by former line cook and TV junkie Grace Onasanya and TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk to talk about if the series serves fans a Michelin-star ending.

It's Canada Day, which means the first half of the year is over. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critics Jackson Weaver, Riley Yesno and Eugénie Lépine-Blondeau to look back on the Canadian artists making the biggest impact on pop culture this year so far (Hudson Williams! Drake! Charlotte Cardin! Matt Johnson! Angine de Poitrine!) and what they are most looking forward to in the next half of the year (North of North! Carly Rae Jepsen! Mico! Celine Dion! More Matt Johnson!).