Cdnddldn Film

CdndDldn FILm Major developments The result was a law virtually re funds to acquire rights and for prelimi It has been a period ofgrea t activity since written, although much the same in con nary expenses, without having a first we last spoke together. Behind the tent and conseque nce. And o n June 12th draft o r a commitment for definite pro scenes. that is - certainly not in front of th e bill receiv ed Second reading, with a duction. Twenty-five scripts are possi the cameras. But hi story moves o n , so te ntative third reading the fo llowing ble for funding under the budget allotted. let ' s recount a small but significant po r week. Changes inc lude all o wingall film s Meanwhile, up to Ottawa. A series of tion of it. News arrived from across the permissio n to be shown without prior CRTC hearings took place that will have Great Pond, Montreal. Toronto and a pproval beyond cla ssific ation. There incredible effect on all Canadian media even Ottawa. fore it 's up to local police to charge obs especially television and film . Th~ From all reports , including those cenity. But the Film Institute can reduce CRTC received briefs and is examining e lsew he re in thi s issue . Canada's efforts ads to title and directo r, warn patrons Cable. Back in 1970, Juneau warned that at Cannes this May proved to be a re through screen blurbs , and info rm the proliferation of cable would hurt Cana sounding success. Michel Brault shared public about the nature of the film. The dian programming. but allowed it be the Best Director Award, o f course, and in stitute it self will have more influence cause of public pressure . Now the fruit is it ' s the first time in the twenty-eight by the commercial side and less from the ripe , andeverything'srotten. Canadians years of Cannes Festivals that a Cana artistic, as the make-up of the board will are watching more American stations dian feature gained a major prize . So have seven members: five from lists and le ss Canadian, thereby causing fi even though the CBC deemed the event submitted and then two chosen by the nancial headaches for Canadian sta of in signifi cant importance and refused five a nd the minister. A quo ta is still pos tions, because the advertisers won't to anno unce it. it does give added credi s ible, though not official; Hardy favo urs buy. At the same time a national cable bility to the qualit y level of o ur film s. one week per year, but most exhibits can network is being proposed , as well as T ha t doesn't mean box office success - get by without financial strain by show Pay TV. I'll summarise the whole thing LesOrdres played to mediocre sale s in its ing four, so that's not too helpful. An next issue. but for now it's best not to first Toronto run . and was returned after exhibitor will be re-imbursed for losses underestimate the significance of these wi nning. only to close after two mo re inc urred. The definition ofa Quebec film hearings. When they' re over. a picture of weeksofaudience no n-support. Perhaps will be determined by the Institute . our future in this area will be very much it will return in the Fall w hen a ll the Minor changes include re-imbursing apparent. The crucial issue, besides media a re re-enacting the October Crisis producers for deposit s in archives. and making sure that the advertising dollars o n it s fifth anni versary. no t making de posits compulsory; the are channelled properly so as to fund The rest of the film s s hown at Cannes mini ster will rece ive the minutes of. no t Canadian efforts, is basically what prog d id very well in the sale s department. sit in on, the mee tings of the institute ; ramming will appear on the proliferation C inepix's Parasite Murders, by David ' theatre' is not defined any more, but the of TV outlets that cable will provide: Cronen berg, probably fa red best. and minister will oversee places of ' public who will produce it and what exactly will it be, a nd responsible to whom? Quadrant did well with It Seemed Like a projection. ' One of the best summaries of the state Good Idea at the Time, Sudden Fury, and To the west, events in Ontario, ho t on of the Struggle is the Council of Canadian othe rs . Black Christmas arranged to the eve of an election and down to the Filmmakers annual meeting in May . travel. as did Duddy Kravitz. Canadians wire during the last two weeks oflegisla Several hundred people from all seg attending were no t as nume rous as in tive s ittings, indica te that steps will be ments of the industry gathered in To previous years , but C in e ma Canada kits taken regarding quotas and levies. Cul ronto to hear reports from various could be seen w a lking abo ut Cannes , so ture and Recreatio n minister Robert CCFM and outside committees, and the the True North presence was s tro ng. No We lch and hi s burea ucrats have ex general theme seemed to be that while major breakthroughs, but an attitude a mine d the questions, met with all those the effort required to build and sustain a towards o ur feature indus try as young, in vo lv e d in film , a nd will begin to act: feature industry will be long and ardu but very muc h there. Mini ster Jo hn White will pro pose to ous, gains have been made, most impor Meanwhile, on the Quebec front, var Cabinet that the present law have the tantly in the attitude toward the CCFM ious cons tructio n strikes, scanda ls a nd word ' British' changed to 'Canadian' , by government. As one member said, inquiries effectively postponed the thus a llowing implementation of a defi " There is a qualitative difference in rus hed passing of the govern ment film nite quota. New legislation is needed for treatment by government." la w . It caused minister Hardy to have a levie s, but disc ussion centres on a start The main problems stem from lack of look at the bill, get feedback, a nd learn at 2% with agradual buildup to 15%, thus government policy. The Secretary of about film. Producers, distributors, a nd returning fifty per cent of the box office State's department is currently being e xhibit ors presented briefs, but the to the producer instead of twenty. As re-organlzed. management studies ofthe with Diet Pepsi, it's a start , even though " Front C ulture lle" refused to meet with NFB and CFDC are in progress, the action must be postponed until after a Hardy, and simply denounced the law as CFDC Act comes up for revision this totall y useless. The group includes the certain fall election. summer, and a cable policy must be de di rectors , critics, unio ns. c inematheque Back to Montreal: the CFDC has offi termll1ed. Allof which leaves the pro cially a nnounced it s program for funding Quebecoise, Co nseil Quebecoise, and Vll1ces actll1g In a vacuum. Neither gov o thers . The Union des artistesjoined the script development, and basically it says ernment level can do all or enough' both that an experienced feature writer can be Front, but they did meet with Hardy re mus t have firm goals and prog~ams . garding dubbing. paid the going rate, a producer can have SImIlar routes must be taken by film- 6 Cinema Canada Stephen Chesley makers ; concrete proposals have had all generate enough income to survive' they mer. He will direct his screenplay co effect on the longer run. As Pen Den need prime time exposure and th~ net authored with Jim Henshaw. and John sham put it regarding shorts and small works will now produce for the local sta Hunter will produce. Bob Brooks will firms, "We are learning to manipulate tIons. They are American programs, but handle cinematography and Sam Jeph the systems to achieve long term goals." they performed two important functions cott will be production manager. Cast Problems involving inter-union dis because they were made in Toronto: includes Henshaw, Susan Petrie, Cayle cussions; U.S. crews working in Calgarv traInIng Canadian crews and actors. and Chernin, Linda Hous ton, Andre Lawr placmg a vast amount of money into with the tacit approval of the Feder~1 ence. Nick Mancuso, and others, in a government;university and community CanadIan pockets for eating purposes: story Eastman describes as a comedy of Police Surgeon. with a budget of$70 000 college traInIng programs and liaison sexual values and identities. and a study per episode. pumped a million dollars with the p.ro fessional film community; of a Toronto subculture. into the Canadian industry while it ex the estabhshment of a National Film More in the planning stages include isted. ~chool; the increased importance and projects from Quadrant Films, and an Finally a further report from Sodom Involvement of municipal levels of gov adaptation of Gogol's The Inspector and Gomorrah . Rivalry being what it is , ernment In the film industry ; and recent General planned by Tony Kranreither, after Quebec has its Inquiry into Tainted events in the Quebec industry. were ex to be called The Centennial Express, with Meat, Ontario has come back fighting amined.

Load more