Founder Pasha Patriki frames the move as a creative evolution, calling Lights, Camera... Kitchen! a series built around 'real personalities, real pressure' and promising audiences deeply human storytelling in a new format for the company.
Insiders note that launching an unscripted division without a distributor already attached is a risky bet — especially in a crowded reality market. The Russia-Ukraine pairing could either charm viewers or raise eyebrows given current geopolitical tensions.
Four-part series Lights, Camera... Kitchen! premieres May 28 on Bell Fibe's TV1. Company founded by Patriki in 2015; Patriki previously cinematographed Black Water starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.
A production company betting millions on unscripted without a sales partner already signed is either visionary or reckless — we'll know which come May 28.
Toronto-based 9 Light Entertainment is making its biggest gamble yet. The Canadian production house, historically devoted to scripted TV and genre films, has announced the launch of an unscripted division — and their debut project doesn't play it safe. Lights, Camera… Kitchen! is a four-part reality series premiering May 28 on Bell Fibe's TV1, the Bell Canada-owned community network.
The show follows Nataliya and Leeza, described in press materials as business partners whose nationalities are notably different: she is Russian, he is Ukrainian. Their shared love of cooking evolved into a multi-generational catering operation serving film and TV productions across demanding shoots — including remote locations and harsh North Ontario winters. The cast includes both mothers (Nataliya's mother Irina and Leeza's mother Sasha) as well as Nataliya's daughter Kristina, making this very much a family affair.
Episodes will capture menu planning, on-set chaos, entrepreneurial tension, and what the press release delicately calls "cultinary mishaps" — all under production deadlines that never wait for anyone. 9 Light Entertainment founder Pasha Patriki, a cinematographer whose credits include action feature Black Water with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, said in a statement that he wanted the series to feel "deeply human." "Lights, Camera… Kitchen! is a series built around real personalities, real pressure, and the beautiful chaos that happens behind the scenes of filmmaking," Patriki said.
The company was founded in 2015 and has previously partnered with Raven Banner Entertainment through joint venture Hangar 18 Media — which recently launched sub-brand Berserkergang as a genre lab created alongside rock guitarist Slash. Here's where things get interesting: no distributor is currently attached to Lights, Camera… Kitchen!. The company designed the show with international sales in mind, but they're launching an entire unscripted division on faith and good PR. Recent 9 Light titles include Frankie Freako, You Gotta Believe, and UK-Canadian co-production Owen, which remains in post-production.
