Justin Trudeau brings his red carpet tour to TIFF with new venture

Former PM's new Hollywood venture revives old Liberal slogan

Published Sep 11, 2026  •  Last updated 11 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry attend "Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour" Premiere during the 2026 Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2026 in New York City. Photo by Theo Wargo /Getty Images for Tribeca Festiva

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Justin Trudeau will continue his red carpet parade as he makes an appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival Friday night to launch a new entertainment production company called Hope & Hard Work.

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Co-founded alongside his former chief of staff, Katie Telford, the company aims to bring “more hope, humanity and possibility into the world.”

According to a press release, the company is actively developing a slate of audience-driven projects, with a focus on original scripted series and feature films, alongside select premium documentaries and docuseries.

Titles in active development include Closer by Sea, a national best-seller by writer and producer Perry Chafe (Republic of Doyle, Son of a Critch). Trudeau and Telford will also produce Detective Aunty, written by best-selling novelist Uzma Jalaluddin.

“At a time when the world can feel increasingly divided, we believe in the power of great storytelling to bring people closer. In building Hope & Hard Work, we are finding stories that evoke empathy and understanding that can reach audiences in transformative ways; stories that transcend our own beliefs, and help us see the world through someone else’s eyes, and remind us of what we share. The projects we are working on reflect this ambition and we are excited to bring these stories to the screen,” Trudeau and Telford said in a joint statement.

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“As a Canadian company, we have an opportunity to bring values including kindness, optimism, openness and a belief in one another to everything we make, wherever the story comes from and wherever it ultimately finds its audience.”

Hope & Hard Work has also inked a strategic partnership with Earth Tones, a media company run by Aliya Jasmine and Aliza Sovani that will develop premium documentaries and docuseries.

Trudeau’s move into the realm of entertainment follows U.S. President Barack Obama, who launched Higher Ground in 2018.

Hope & Hard Work was famously used by Liberals during decade in power

The slogan Hope & Hard Work was used by Trudeau and the Liberal Party throughout his nearly decade-long tenure.

But by the end of his time in office, Trudeau left office amid historically low support. Before he resigned as Liberal leader in early 2025, numbers released by Angus Reid showed support for Trudeau’s Liberals at just 16% of decided and leaning voters.

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“It represents the lowest level of support for the party in Angus Reid Institute tracking dating back to 2014,” read the institute’s report.

“It is also quite possibly the lowest vote intention the Liberals have ever received in the modern era.”

Just a thought, but maybe Trudeau can reach out to some of the Canadians looking for work after employment fell by 42,000 in August.

Since resigning, Trudeau has continued to make headlines globetrotting with gal pal Katy Perry, including appearances at her red carpet premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival back in June and accompanying her on her European tour this summer.

Earlier this year, amid an ongoing trade war with the United States, he had the pop star in tow when he spoke about the value of “soft power” at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“Last summer, I went on a date with an American girl on a rooftop bar in Montreal,” Trudeau said, referencing the start of his relationship with Perry, according to the National Post. “And when she ordered Jack and Coke, the server kindly informed her that there is no more American alcohol in the bar and anywhere in Montreal. That’s an example of Canadians standing up for themselves. That’s an example of soft power.”

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