Take This Waltz: Behind the Scenes from Tiff to Screen

Home , Battle of the Blades, Being Erica, Call Me Fitz, Don Ferguson (actor), Hugh Dillon, Ian Greenberg

® A PUBLICATION OF BRUNICO COMMUNICATIONS LTD. FALL 2011

TAKE THIS WALTZ: BEHIND THE SCENES FROM TIFF TO SCREEN

PLAYBACK’S 2011 FILM & TV HALL OF FAME •• 10 TO WATCH ASTRAL TURNS 50 • GEMINIS

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PPB.19704.eOne.Ad.inddB.19704.eOne.Ad.indd 1 225/08/115/08/11 2:242:24 PMPM TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2011 table of contents

Director David Cronenberg on set during the ﬁ lming of A Dangerous Method

9 Opening credits 31 Geminis 52 Special awards

The Hot or Not list, #altgeminis and Allan Hawco and Adam Barken are Crafting nominations: The Kennedys Microsoft’s crazy new ad tech honoured for their standout and Stargate Universe crews talk Chanel accomplishments and George and alien workshops 12 TIFF 2011 Stroumboulopoulos gets the inaugural Show diaries: Producers, creators, humanitarian nod Film diary writers and directors share the stories Behind the scenes with Sarah Polley’s of how Republic of Doyle, Todd and the 56 10 to Watch Take This Waltz cast and crew Book of Pure Evil and Call Me Fitz came From all corners in the industry, a crop to life The evolution of indie marketing of fresh up-and-coming talent to keep

From ﬁ nger puppets to press an eye out for in the year ahead kits, Canadian ﬁ lmmakers and 40 Hall of Fame distributors talk marketing indies Playback welcomes Pierre Juneau, 62 The Back Page Denis Héroux, Frédéric Back, Roger Sad (and funny) tales of shows that 22 Astral turns 50 Abbott, Gilbert Rozon and Tantoo never were A tribute to one of Canada’s most Cardinal into the Canadian Film & successful media companies Television Hall of Fame

Cover photo illustration by Tara Hardy, www.tarahardyillustration.com

PPB.TOC.2011.inddB.TOC.2011.indd 3 229/08/119/08/11 3:303:30 PMPM PUBLISHER Mary Maddever • [email protected] EDITOR Katie Bailey • [email protected] STAFF WRITER DERANGEMENT, Emily Claire Afan • [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Rose Behar, Siofan Davies, Mark Dillon, DEPRAVITY AND Lindsay Gibb, Marc Glassman, Kevin Ritchie, Etan Vlessing, Emily Wexler DEBAUCHERY, COPY CHIEF Melinda Mattos

EH? BRUNICO CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR As we were in the midst of creating the Fall 2011 issue of Playback this summer, Hollywood Stephen Stanley • [email protected] ART DIRECTOR seemed to suffer a brief bout with senility, only able to reference decades past, its short-term Mark Lacoursiere • [email protected] memory in retreat. PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION CO-ORDINATOR Lionsgate is bringing Dirty Dancing back for a remake, Ridley Scott confi rmed a follow-up to Robert Lines • [email protected] Blade Runner and even cult comic-book classic The Crow caught headlines with casting shuffl es for its update. ADVERTISING SALES What happened? Did I morph into Jennifer Garner in 13 Going On 30? Am I in its remake right now? (416) 408-2300 What gave me great comfort as all of these headlines rolled in from the U.S. were the ones we FAX (416) 408-0870 1-888-278-6426 were writing here in Canada ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival and the 26th Annual ADVERTISING EXEC Gemini Awards. Jessamyn Nunez • [email protected] The second-most-nominated show of the Geminis, HBO Canada’s Call Me Fitz, is an homage to bachelorhood in its most primitive form. Also highly nominated? Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR a Space channel show in which weed, gore and textbooks form a primetime cocktail of fantastic Vakis Boutsalis • [email protected] teenage hedonism. BRUNICO AUDIENCE SERVICES On the fi lm side, two of the highest profi le Canadian fi lms at TIFF, Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz ASSISTANT MANAGER and David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, chronicle, respectively, the secret desires and Christine McNalley • [email protected] hidden betrayals of an average marriage and what TIFF programmers called “a brooding tale of dark desire and the dread that lurks behind genius” in Cronenberg’s portrayal of psychologists Carl ADMINISTRATION Jung and Sigmund Freud. PRESIDENT AND CEO No one would argue that getting money to make anything in Canada is easy, nor is fi nding a Russell Goldstein • [email protected] place for it to go once it’s made. But thanks to our quirky independent fi lmmaking scene, with its VP AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER complex web of government and private funding and unduplicated wealth of industry talent, we Omri Tintpulver • [email protected] VP AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR have a strange sort of freedom. As Todd director Craig David Wallace notes on page 36, “[Todd is] Mary Maddever • [email protected] Canadian in that what we can get away with separates us from international markets.” VP ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE In many ways, this issue is in homage to the forces that have made Canadian fi lm and television Linda Lovegrove • [email protected] what it is today. Shaped by industry icons like Pierre Juneau (page 41), who during his time at the VP & PUBLISHER, REALSCREEN CRTC enforced new rules limiting foreign ownership of Canadian media companies to 20% and Claire Macdonald • [email protected] raising the minimum amount of Canadian content on TV to 60%, to Harold Greenberg (page 22), VP & PUBLISHER, KIDSCREEN the patriarch of Astral Media and namesake of the Harold Greenberg Fund, which takes a chance Jocelyn Christie • [email protected] and invests in brave, uncompromising fi lms that might not otherwise get made. Playback is published by Brunico Communications Ltd., We hope you take the time to enjoy a TIFF fi lm or two and if not, at least gawk at the celebs 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9 on the TIFF and Gemini red carpets via an episode of eTalk. Out of anyone in Canada, Playback (416) 408-2300; FAX: (416) 408-0870 readers know how long a road it is to that red carpet moment. Internet address: www.playbackonline.ca Editorial e-mail: [email protected] Sales e-mail: [email protected] Katie Bailey Sales FAX: (416) 408-0870 © 2011 Brunico Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Editor, Playback Printed in Canada.

Postmaster Notiﬁ cation Canadian Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Playback PO BOX 369 Beeton ON, L0G 1A0 U.S. Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Playback PO BOX 1103, Niagara Falls NY, 14304 [email protected] Canada Post Agreement No. 40050265. ISSN: 0836-2114 Printed in Canada.

4 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.Editorial.2011.inddB.Editorial.2011.indd 4 226/08/116/08/11 2:082:08 PMPM GALA INDUCTION CEREMONY • SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

In partnership with

Playback congratulates the 2011 Honourees: Industry builder Gilbert Rozon Talent Tantoo Cardinal Creative Frédéric Back Feature Film Denis Héroux Television Pierre Juneau Pioneer Roger Abbott Playback Outstanding Achievement Award Allan Hawco Panavision Award Adam Barken Swarovski Humanitarian Award George Stroumboulopoulos

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Celebrating Playback’s 10 to Watch in partnership with

Supporting Sponsors Media Partners Awards Partner

PPB.19695.HOF.ad.inddB.19695.HOF.ad.indd 1 226/08/116/08/11 10:4310:43 AMAM Keep tabs on all the wins, To red carpets and green futures deals and My fi rst experience with TIFF was decades ago, covering entertainment for a local paper as a student reporter. The greenlights interview was with screenwriter/director Lionel Chetwynd, who was talking passionately about the struggle to make his fi lm — Two Solitudes — and was eloquently frustrated by the irony of having to turn to the U.S. to complete fi nancing on this quintessential Cancon story. Since he’d already won awards for co-writing the script for The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz with the novel’s author and fellow Montrealer, Mordecai Richler, he fi gured tackling another Canadian book, this time by Hugh MacLennan, dealing with Canada’s French/English divide, there’d be a warmer reception in Canada. Not so much. Find them at Little did I know it at the time, but this would be a story I would hear over and over again. But little by little, over the years, the fi lm scene improved as government funders grew stronger and infrastructure grew to the point where there were more windows and support in Canada. While foreign fi lms still have the vast majority of screens in our cinemas, there are more options for getting fi lms seen — certainly since Two Solitudes debuted, the TV market for fi lm exploded with new channels galore. The story of one such fi lm champion, Harold Greenberg, who had faith in a pay TV platform for fi lms and left a legacy of staunch funding for features that kickstarted many an illustrious career, is retold on page 22. With the cost and time of fi lmmaking down dramatically, and the internet giving everyone their 15 minutes of DIY fame, The defi nitive there’s a ton more fi lms vying for attention. Yet, despite new platforms to reach audiences, to truly make a mark — and money — it still comes down to a theatrical launch. In a pre-festival interview with Playback, TIFF head, Piers Handling said, “as a country, we can only afford to market, release, get behind and pay for maybe 50 fi lms.” news source for So it’s still strangely status quo when it comes to building a serious fi lm career and business. The marketing budget Catch-22 — the nonsensical ROI of competing with U.S. blockbuster spends that begat the screen time two solitudes (tiny the Canadian minority of homegrown versus Big Studio screen domination) — remains a stumbling block in any new audience-reaching equation. That’s where social media and digital marketing come in. Films are the perfect content-rich category for viral campaigns entertainment and community-based outreach. Of course, some hot-topic fi lms and fi lmmakers, like The Yes Men, will be able to generate buzz better than others. And without big backing — an offl ine campaign to drive to online — success is not a given, but at industry. least it’s potentially evened the media-spend playing fi eld. Canada has had a rich coproduction history. When ambitions are bigger than budget and market allow, we’ve been adept at pooling funding, talent and tax credits. Maybe there’s opportunity to take that attitude into the marketing arena and more aggressively pursue partners. Canada’s TV industry has been more actively embracing the role brands can play in adding a new revenue stream and Register today promoting content. Maybe that avenue could be explored by fi lm more vigorously, because even in the digital marketing space, you can be up against costly efforts like the massive Dark Knight alternate reality game. The U.S. company that for your FREE did that promotion, 42 Entertainment, won Cannes Lions and earned a ton of free PR for its role. I bet there’s lots of ad agencies here who would be interested in lending a hand to helm a campaign that would mutually help brand-building. Playback congratulates all the Canadians whose fi lms made it into TIFF this year, and also all the Gemini nominees and 14 day trial! winners for breaking through the considerable clutter. We are delighted to share some of those success stories this issue. And on behalf of the entire industry, we thank our 2011 Playback Hall of Fame inductees for their immense lifelong Visit: contribution to the business and culture of Canadian fi lm and TV. Through their vision, talent and perseverance, they’ve elevated Canada on the world stage, and created opportunities for the next generation, such as our more junior inductees, PlaybackOnline.ca/Free who are also impressive. So please read on, and see why the 10 to Watch on page 56 warrant watching, and take pride in the exceptional accomplishments of all our Hall of Fame inductees, starting on page 40. On Sept. 15, they’re being honoured at a red carpet gala at the Glenn Gould Theatre, in partnership with CBC, which shares our desire to celebrate Canadian talent. Everyone here would like to thank all of our Hall of Fame sponsors and the great team at CBC for their support and enthusiasm, and for making this year’s Playback Film & TV Hall of Fame the best ever. Speaking of honouring a rich cultural legacy, Canada’s national public broadcaster turns 75 this year, and Playback’s end of year issue will feature a look back at the highlights, and look ahead, exploring the vision behind the reinvigorated CBC. There’s an amazing amount of talent here. Let’s get the word out wider for Canada’s red carpet-worthy achievements. Subscribe to Playback at www.playbackonline.ca/free Cheers, mm or call 416.408.2448 and become an expert on the Canadian

6 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca entertainment scene.

PPB.Publisher.2011.inddB.Publisher.2011.indd 6 226/08/116/08/11 2:202:20 PMPM Investing in Ontario’s most exciting ﬁlmmakers!

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OMDC’s ﬁlm fund is proud to support these Ontario features screening at TIFF® I’M YOURS TAKE THIS WALTZ TIFF® Contemporary World Cinema TIFF® Gala Presentations

Congratulations to all Ontario ﬁlmmakers and ﬁlms at TIFF® including these feature titles:

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TIFF is a registered trademark of Toronto International Film Festival Inc.

PPB.19693.OMDC.Ad.inddB.19693.OMDC.Ad.indd 1 225/08/115/08/11 2:262:26 PMPM DON’T MISS ’S END OF THE YEAR WRAP... Streeting in early December, Playback’s winter issue delivers the deﬁ nitive wrap up on the year that was, looking back on the news and newsmakers of 2011. The End of Year Wrap will also include a special feature on the 75th anniversary of the CBC, highlighting the public broadcaster and its three-quarter-century run. All eyes will be on this issue, so take advantage of the opportunity to get your message in front of Canada’s production and broadcast decision makers. Booking deadline: November 4

To reserve space in the issue, please contact Playback account executive Jessamyn Nunez: [email protected] THE BIG THE #ALTGEMINIS QUESTION BY EMILY CLAIRE AFAN AND KATIE BAILEY Are we headed for a double dip? BY ETAN VLESSING With 112 categories on tap, the Gemini A rebounding Canadian TV industry suddenly has a dark O’Sullivan and his team are producing reality series Awards have most facets of the TV industry cloud overhead. that feature battling brides in Four Weddings for Shaw’s covered. But, we wondered, is there room The question is how TV revenues and production Slice channel and business-minded ex-offenders in expenditures will be affected if the Canadian economy Redemption Inc. for the CBC. for a few more? We asked our Twitter slips into a double-dip recession and broadcasters gear What worries O’Sullivan about potential pullback in followers to weigh in at hashtag #altgeminis down to weather the storm. Canadian ad-spend growth is retaining the creative and Rogers Media president of broadcasting Scott Moore management team he’s built up to launch Proper’s new on the categories they would like to see is confi dent that if another downturn occurs, its impact shows this fall and beyond. added if they had a chance to program the on revenue (and therefore programming spend) will be “Any downturn can look terrifying. So much of annual awards gala. And the nominees are... short-term. the work done to get the right people and the right “Let’s hope that we don’t go into a double-dip management team is put at risk,” he said. recession,” he says. “If we do, it will affect profi tability, O’Sullivan is also spreading his production slate @WGCtweet: Maybe an International Treaty Award to give the but only in the short term.” across a range of Canadian channels, and pursuing a Canadian-by-technicality shows a proper place While it could just be big talk, Moore’s confi dent mix of format shows and original productions like Prank outlook was recently supported by global media agency Science for Discovery and Red Hot History for the History @klashton27: Best Original Program or Series for Digital ZenithOptimedia’s July 2011 ad spend forecast. Channel. Media - Fiction (Note: @klashton27 also nominated: Best The report pegged Canada in the top 10 global ad “The lesson learned from the last dip is diversify. We markets, predicting that domestic ad spend would rise are working for more channels, that’s for sure,” he says. International Program) from $9.9 million in 2010 to $11.5 million in 2013. One way both both media agencies and independent Noting that although high energy costs and the Eurozone producers are diversifying is by working together. @SarahEtherden: Best attempt at making Toronto look like woes are a concern, it only downgraded its April North Recently, ZenithOptimedia announced it would be New York in a dramatic series...(hide those streetcars and American ad spend forecast by .3%. bringing its global content division, Newcast, to Canada. mailboxes!) “More robust growth is forecast to resume in 2012 The division is dedicated to working with producers, and 2013,” the report stated. networks, advertisers and media companies on original @jwPencilAndPad: The Gord Downie Award for facial However, indie producers do worry. content. And recently, Toronto-based ad shop Capital expressions in a leading role Proper TV president and executive producer Guy C and its parent company, MDC Partners, announced O’Sullivan recalls the 2008 economic downturn that led a formal partnership with Toronto’s Temple Street @barbhaynes: For youth writing, separate animation and live besieged broadcasters to turn off the tap for over a year. Productions in July, with the goal of creating original, But TV ad revenues rebounded and broadcasters are brand-supported content as well. action [categories]. For youth performance, separate genders back to acquiring TV series to meet pent-up demand. Should a double-dip occur, shoring up these types of And Proper TV is prospering with sharply higher relationships can provide additional revenue streams @DebChantson: Best double entendre line used in a kids TV production levels after broadcasters got back their mojo. when times get tougher. show “Dragon looked down at his carrot. It was so small.”

@UntoldEnt: Highest Budget Special Effect Since That Boat Prank Science hosts Morgan Waters (left) and Brendan Callaghan (right) execute a breakaway glass experiment (Photo: Proper TV) Exploded on Danger Bay That One Time

@davidsgallant: Best Use Of Canadian Location As A Stand-In For Somewhere Other Than Canada

@DorkShelfWill: The Derek “Wheels” Wheeler Memorial Award for most awkward and endearing portrayal of a teenager in a teen series

@megashaun: Best TV show starring Hugh Dillon as a tough bald guy

@matthewcreid: Best Dramatic Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series

@tv_eh: I support @BillBriouxTV’s “Best Whatever We Left Out in All the Other Categories” category

PPB.FOB.2011.inddB.FOB.2011.indd 9 229/08/119/08/11 3:283:28 PMPM THE NU WORLD OF TV OR ADVERTISING NOT? Fall TV edition BY EMILY WEXLER

BIG DRAMAS, BIG RATINGS Who took on Big Brother for ratings this summer? Yes, you Canadian dramas. You shined like major sports property stars,s, ImagineImagine you’re watching a reality TV competition, and when your Tweet”); request info by email (“Xbox racking up weekly ratings wins, places and shows all summer.er. fafavouritevourite singer performs, instead of reaching for your phone to more”); locate retailers near them (“Xbox Take that, Julie Chen. tetextxt iinn your vote, you simply wave your hand and your vote is near me”); schedule an event, like a TV cast. Or perhaps you’re watching a commercial and you’d like to show reminder (“Xbox schedule”); and knknowow mmoreore ababoutout a product.prod ct YouY tellt ll your TVTV tot sendd more info, as previously mentioned, vote with the THE PLAYBOY CLUB AND CHARLIE’S ANGELS and it arrives in your email inbox. Just like that. wave of a hand — on anything from We know you thought you were making Mad Men Gesture and voice-recognition technology have been creeping reality competitions to surveys about, With Bunny Ears, and we like Dean Cain too, but into our lives for a while now. Boston-based advertising agency well, anything. cheese Louise, NBC, this show looks like a sorority house SapientNitro in 2010 developed an ice cream vending machine Of course, the mass adoption of this Halloween party. That goes for you too, ABC: Charlie’s for Unilever that recognizes smiles and Toronto-based media technology is contingent on several Angels ? Really? agency Starcom last year created a game for Corn Pops that factors. For consumers, it requires an used webcams to allow tweens to virtually fl ing cereal into bowls. Xbox, a Kinect sensor and an Xbox Live CAMELOT So when Microsoft unveiled something this summer that they account, and for Microsoft it requires This Canadian minority coproduction raised the claimed would “change television as we know it — forever,” the linear video content to be fed through ire of many for its minimal inclusion of Canadian world paid attention. And after talking to Mark Kroese, general the system. talent, dimming its Fall TV hotness. But Canadian manager of advertising at Microsoft, it’s hard not to drink the “That strategy is at various phases of cast member Peter Mooney is super dreamy, upping Kool-Aid, so to speak. If all goes according to Microsoft’s development throughout different parts this show’s wattage considerably. plan, television will indeed never be the same. of the world,” says Kroese, “but suffi ce to It’s called NUads, and if you have yet to catch say, it’s an explicit, fundamental part of up on the considerable amount of buzz since its our strategy to partner with the world of announcement, here it is in a nutshell: viewers cable companies and content providers.” BATTLE OF THE BLADES at home will connect to their televisions Kroese is confi dent that all necessary After two seasons of sticking with traditional through the Kinect sensor for Xbox 360. partnerships will be in place by the gender roles, CBC’s Battle of the Blades Through its voice and gesture-control anticipated launch in spring 2012. goes rogue and casts female hockey player Tessa Bonhomme with pairs fi gure skating technology, they will be able to champion David Pelletier. interact with TV in a variety of ways — prompts along the bottom of the screen will alert them to CANADIAN DRAMAS IN FALL PRIMETIME share information with friends With Cancon regulated largely to via Twitter (by saying “Xbox Saturday nights on the big three nets this fall, there’s room for improvement on the Cancon programming front. Left: Canadian hockey player Tessa Bonhomme takes the ice on CBC’s Blades. Right: Xbox’s REALITY CHECK: THE SING OFF Kinect anchors a new breed of AND COVER ME CANADA TV advertising Can we warble with the best of them? We’ll know by the end of this fall.

10 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.FOB.2011.inddB.FOB.2011.indd 1100 226/08/116/08/11 3:563:56 PMPM Without funding, there would be more heartbreak, frustration, tears and tragedy off the screen than on it.

That’s why Astral is Canada’s largest private investor in Canadian feature ﬁlms.

Proud sponsor of the Toronto International Film Festival® ®Toronto International Film Festival is a registered trademark of Toronto International Film Festival Inc. used under license by Astral Media inc. TIFF 2011

Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen star as a couple in crisis in director Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz

BY KEVIN RITCHIE TAKE THIS WALTZ “What Margot is Having braved the wintry southern Ontario Playback spoke with six of Polley’s key is something that everyone knows — weather for her directorial debut Away From collaborators to chart the fi lm’s journey from essentially wanting more from life, feeling like experiencing is Her in 2005, Sarah Polley has shifted the buzzed-about screenplay to gala premiere. you’re lacking something and then fi nding out something everyone focus closer to home (and warmer climes) for that it was there all along. knows — essentially her sophomore feature, the sultry relationship THE SCRIPT Chris Donaldson (editor): There was a lot drama Take This Waltz. Polley completed the screenplay for Take This of room within the screenplay to see your wanting more Based on an original screenplay by Polley Waltz in 2009. That same year it made the own approach to life in the material, both as from life, feeling and set during a particularly hot summer “Black List,” Hollywood’s annual publication of a viewer and as a key creative. What I was like you’re lacking in her own Toronto neighbourhood of the best un-produced scripts. truly excited about was that there would be Little Portugal, the fi lm is about a married Susan Cavan (producer): I’ve known Sarah this stillness in the fi lm. We’d be attempting something, and then twentysomething named Margot (Michelle professionally since the early ’90s. I produced to capture that certain space that comes from fi nding out it was Williams) who contracts a case of emotional a feature in ’96 she starred in called Joe’s So intimacy between two people: something there all along.” wanderlust after meeting with a charming Mean to Josephine and we connected and that’s not rushed, something that is lived. The artist who moonlights as a rickshaw puller became quite close on that. A funny tidbit is accumulation of all these moments would –Luke Kirby, actor (Luke Kirby). that our production company is called Joe’s create dramatic momentum. Well before pre-production began last Daughter because of that fi lm. summer, the 32-year-old fi lmmaker began Sarah showed me the script in 2009 and I CASTING & FINANCING seeking creative input on the screenplay completely fell in love with it. It was something Cavan and Polley secured fi nancing by late from DP Luc Montpellier, producer Susan I really wanted to work on and we talked spring the following year. Take This Waltz was Cavan, production designer Matthew Davies, about a production philosophy and about fi nanced by Telefi lm, the OMDC and the Harold costume designer Lea Carlson and editor the things she felt she needed in order to Greenberg Fund in partnership with TF1, the Christopher Donaldson, many of whom also realize the movie on her terms. It was a very fi lm’s international sales agent. Concurrently, live blocks from the fi lm’s primary locations beautiful, emotionally nuanced script. Polley worked with casting director John in Toronto’s west end. Luc Montpellier (DP): She told me she Buchan from fall 2009 to cast Seth Rogan, These meetings would eventually inform wrote very fast. It just fl owed out of her and Michelle Williams, Sarah Silverman and Luke the sumptuous visual approach and highly when I read it, I could tell. Kirby in the principal roles. collaborative process Polley would undertake Luke Kirby (actor, ‘Daniel’): There was SC: Sarah was very clear from the beginning during the production in summer 2010. something about the script that was very that she wanted Seth Rogan to play the role of Ahead of Take This Waltz’s world premiere different from anything I’ve read and [it was] [Margot’s husband] Lou and Sarah Silverman at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, very much hers. What Margot is experiencing [to play Geraldine].

12 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.TIFF.2011.inddB.TIFF.2011.indd 1122 226/08/116/08/11 4:194:19 PMPM Sarah Polley on set while shooting Take This Waltz

She approached Seth on the set of The Green Hornet in Vancouver to ask whether he might be interested in doing something with her and he, of course, was quite captivated. She considered many, many actors both stars and unknowns for [Margot and Daniel] and came to a very considered decision that Michelle Williams was her absolute fi rst pick for the role of Margot. LK: Six months before we started working on [the fi lm], I met Sarah for breakfast on College Street, having just been given the PRE-PRODUCTION plates and laid out some lines from the script. script from my agent. We worked together Before pre-production began, Polley convened her Matthew Davies (production designer): on a fi lm almost 10 years ago called Luck department heads to brainstorm ideas for the fi lm’s visual When I read the script and I called her up and and we’ve been in touch off and on since. aesthetic. Offi cial pre-pro lasted from May to July, 2010. said “let’s go for a walk.” I grabbed my dog and So it was a breakfast of catching up more SC: A few things were essential in making this “It’s really great to walked straight to Lisgar Street. It was literally than anything else. happen. [Sarah] really wanted to shoot in the heat of the fi rst or the second street we looked at, and A couple days later I went to Sarah’s the Toronto summer and that was one of the things be able to say the it was the fi rst house interior that we saw. We house and we read some scenes. Again, we worried about because the previous summers in cast was cast to be walked right in and it was perfect. after that I walked away thinking, “That was Toronto had been rainy. [But] it turned out to be a pitch perfect without LM: Sarah had full sessions with her lead actors nice. Thanks for giving me the opportunity.” beautifully brilliant summer. for at least a couple of weeks. In our production Then I went on a road trip with my girlfriend Another thing was to have fairly substantial rehearsal the constraints offi ce she taped up the sets and dimensions she down to Florida and across to New Orleans. time. Although it was not substantial by everyone’s or demands of got from Matthew and rehearsed scenes with I got a call at Graceland saying that Sarah standards, it certainly was in terms of most Canadian fi nanciers” them. She was able to pre-block certain scenes. wanted to cast me. I was just thrilled and movies: three weeks of formal rehearsal including as MD: The DOP and I had worked out a studio surprised and a little bit shocked, gleefully. much time as possible on dressed locations, which is a –Susan Cavan, scenario that would create a very easy and SC: The material and Sarah and the tricky thing to do. producer comfortable shoot, but Sarah really wanted to importance and achievement of her fi rst fi lm LM: We kept exchanging ideas visually. She’d send me take it into a reality that she could relate to, to all contributed to fi nancing as much as the still photographs and I’d send her some as well. While really show the actors where they would live. For stars. It’s really great to be able to say the she was fi nancing the fi lm, she created these layouts Margot’s house, we wanted to create something cast was cast to be pitch perfect without to show people visually what the fi lm was all about. that was full of texture and colour and had constraints or demands of fi nanciers. Through this exchange of photographs, we created beautiful saturated tones. We brought a lot of metallics in to the set and created a very warm but varied palette. That said, all of the visual cues were already there in the environment. Lea Carlson (costume designer): I did more fi ttings with Michelle than I’ve ever done with any other actor. She’s the kind of person who needs to digest things. It was really important for her, Sarah and I to make Margot a real person interesting but not too contrived. There was a lot of discussion over every choice. SC: Sarah always needs to be fully informed but she doesn’t micromanage. She wants to hear everyone’s point of view and everyone’s creative input and will have her own opinion. She delegates exactly as she should.

Take This Waltz producer Susan Cavan calls scoring the Trinity-Bellwoods pool in Toronto a “major coup.”

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Waltz’s director of photography Luc Montpellier

LM: The rehearsal time really informed the camera and lenses we used. We shot with the Panavision Genesis camera. The visual style Sarah wanted to experiment with, which we ended up doing in prep, was [used] 99% of the time. Whether we were moving or not, the camera was on a Steadicam. A lot of times we even had the Steadicam attached to a dolly because Sarah really wanted to create a sense of immediacy with the camera. SC: We went digital with the view that it would allow her to do fairly long takes without reloading. That was a big part of her shooting style. LM: She kept saying, “I want the camera to breathe.” She MD: When we tech-scouted Trinity-Bellwoods Park, there When you’re doing a long take it becomes more of a mind-body had used Steadicam on Away From Her but not in the same was a broken painted bench and Sarah said, “I love it, it’s experience. Something’s actually happening. way. To me, it was like this new hybrid of immediacy with completely real.” So I took a picture. But when we came back LM: We also shot with the Canon 5D. There were moments in the camera…In almost every frame, when it made sense a couple of days later to do the fi lm, it was gone. They had the fi lm where we went with both of our actors to College Street dramatically, we generally were on the Steadicam, but trashed it! I didn’t want to tell Sarah that her bench had been and shot them as they followed each other to have a secret sometimes we weren’t even moving. trashed, so we built an exact replica of it and aged and painted encounter. So the fi lm went from this very organized crew of 60 it. I don’t think she ever noticed. people to a crew of fi ve that were just “run and gunning.” PRODUCTION SC: When working on emotional material like this I always The 35-day shoot began on July 12, 2010 in Toronto. Key advocate that it be a very small set. There were not a lot of DANCING THE WALTZ locations in the fi lm included a house on Mackenzie Crescent producers on this fi lm. The goal with that was to try to keep The most technical scene in the fi lm was a single-take, in Little Portugal, Trinity-Bellwoods Park and Centre Island and the actors in as protective a space as possible so that when 360-degree shot choreographed to the fi lm’s titular Leonard the Louisbourg Fortress in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. they’re looking up they’re not seeing a sea of faces watching Cohen track. The shot required three months of planning, MD: When Sarah came to me originally she said she wanted from behind a monitor. spans a year in the story and was fi lmed in a loft on Spadina the fi lm to feel like a bowl of fruit that would be full of colour LM: A lot of the fi lm’s moments happened when she knew the Avenue with actors Michelle Williams and Luke Kirby. and taste — a very sensual experience of the city. scene was over and she didn’t yell cut. The actors just kept going. LM: Sarah obsessed over this scene ever since we started LM: There were hardly any lights on the set. A lot of it was LK: The benefi t of a long take is you’re able to be with talking about it…Basically, the camera proceeds to go around through windows and practical sources. Digital gives you the whomever you’re playing with for a period, to fi nd dips and lulls the room and slowly it fi lls with the couple’s stuff as the ability to create a natural environment with very little light. and highs and not feel that you’re being micromanaged. When seasons change outside the window. The amount of planning SC: We were able to secure Trinity-Bellwoods swimming pool, you’re doing a scene and you only have 20 seconds to get that required was unbelievable. which was a fantastic coup. The pool is beautiful and rarely used. one moment, the experience can go to your brain quite quickly. CD: It’s playful, it’s very sexual, it’s emotional and it’s a little

14 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

INTRODUCING THE STARS OF TOMORROW

Left to right: Matthew Brown, Kristin Adams, Melissa Hood, Trevor Hayes, Kimberly-Sue Murray, Charlie Carrrick, Amber Goldfarb and Johnathan Sousa. Photo by David Leyes. CFC welcomes the residents of the 2011 CFC Actors Conservatory

Presented by: Supported by: cfccreates.com/actors MEDIA

PB.19901.CFC.Ad.inddPPB.TIFF.2011.inddB.TIFF.2011.indd 1144 1 25/08/11226/08/116/08/11 2:594:194:19 PMPM PB.12628.BCCS.Ad.indd 1 25/08/11 4:57 PM sad, which is exactly what the movie is like. POST-PRODUCTION silently and that became our new path. LM: Matthew built a little model just for that one scene. Sarah Donaldson cut throughout production and then edited with LM: On Away From Her Sarah was extremely confi dent, timed it specifi cally to the second to the song. We ended up Polley through November 2010 at the Royal Cinema in Toronto. but I think she has grown and learned so much about going to the set at least a dozen times to plan where everything The fi lm was completed in May 2011. photographing a fi lm with a specifi c intent that she was really was going to go. We actually ended up shooting on the 5D. CD: Our fi rst assembly was three hours and six minutes and so excited to exploit that with this fi lm. Directors all get more CD: We shot a video in which Sarah mimed Michelle’s part we had to lose almost half the movie. There were a few scenes confi dent as they do it more and I witnessed that. She’s really and Dan Murphy, our fi rst AD, mimed Luke Kirby’s part and we that were very long dialogue scenes with great performances and acquired a huge respect for what goes into it. ran through the entire sequence in the actual location. I cut it we stripped them out and they became visual moments. together and it was sent out and on the day everybody knew When we [cut down] some of these big scenes the movie Take This Waltz has its world premiere at TIFF on Sept. 10 exactly what to do. came alive and it really pointed us in the right direction. What as a gala presentation and is being distributed in Canada MD: The shoot was rushed. It was very hot and we had built we were trying to capture wasn’t necessarily always relatable by Mongrel Media. The fi lm is slated for a 2012 theatrical false walls into the space so the entire crew was behind these in a line of dialogue — it was a feeling and people together release. false walls and we were pretty much piled to the rafters with dressing. We had to fl y in and out as quickly as was humanly possible. We had a swing crew of individuals that were bathed in sweat and trying to maintain a creative approach under hot and humid conditions. LK: We really had to adhere to specifi cs in terms of choreography. That scene was a bit dreamy because the music was playing so you had that in the background. If I was feeling lost, I would just look to Michelle and I would feel better. LM: The whole location was on a second fl oor so it was extremely challenging to light from outside. We were losing light at one point. So it’s not like you were in a studio in a controlled environment; you actually were on a location that has its own challenges. It was exhilarating though.

Polley told production designer Matthew Davies she wanted the ﬁ lm “to feel like a bowl of fruit... full of colour and taste”

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How today’s Canadian independent ﬁ lmmakers are seizing the opportunity to transform a festival screening into bona ﬁ de brand equity

BY MARC GLASSMAN THE EVOLUTION OF INDIE MARKETING Veterans in the fi lm industry know the drill. Fresh-faced kids come to the of eyes; they were a training tool for the actors. With low-budget independent Indie director Ingrid Veninger’s I’m Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) or the Vancouver International Film stuff you have to think outside the box a bit because a one-page ad in the a Good Person/I’m a Bad Person, is premiering at TIFF this fall. Ahead Festival (VIFF) or any of the growing number of Canadian autumnal festivals program guide was 2,000. It would be our entire marketing budget for that of the fi lm’s screening, Veninger every year with a brand new fi lm and high-in-the-sky hopes. When the one page ad. is planning a guerrilla marketing fall is over, so are their dreams of glory — dashed, they always claim, by “So we decided to make fi nger puppets — about 1,000 of them — campaign to fi ll the theatre’s seats misunderstanding publicists and venal distributors. and attached little cards that had the title of the fi lm on one side and the That attitude is refreshingly absent in the current crop of fi lmmakers. screenings at the festival on the other side. They’re fun — especially when Empowered by social marketing tools and eager to try out streetwise you’ve been drinking,” he jokes. approaches to lure audiences into cinemas, these new directors and Houston’s successful ploy at Karlovy Vary resembles the strategies used by producers are taking responsibility for getting the word out on their fi lms. DIY fi lmmaker Ingrid Veninger. It’s a healthy approach, which should make the lives of distributors and Back at TIFF with another quirky romantic drama starring her family, the publicists easier while fi lling festival seats for indie Canadian cinema producers. ever-youthful Veninger has become the Diva of the Indie Impresarios. “There’s an opportunity now to fi nd your audience rather than sitting back “I did a session at the TIFF bootcamp the day after the Canadian press and waiting for the audience to come to you,” says Aaron Houston, the conference,” says Veninger. “I talked to the [fi rst-time] fi lmmakers for 45 debutant feature director of Sunfl ower Hour, a mockumentary about four minutes about celebrating having their fi lms at TIFF. We have a platform to puppeteers pursuing very low-end status as potential cast members on a show our fi lms and to get big audiences to see them. We should shout it kids cable TV series. from the rooftops. There is no shame in this game. “You can make your own success through social media — it’s a lot of “I told them about the printer I use for my postcards. It’s inexpensive and work but we’re doing it. We have Twitter, Facebook and a website,” continues the turn-around time is one week. My press kit is up and my web page, Houston. His fi lm won the Independent Camera Award at the prestigious Punkfi lms.ca, is already updated. I have stills and a poster on the site. There Karlovy Vary Festival this summer and is positioned for festival breakouts this fall. are links to IMDB, the TIFF site and my Facebook page. “We’re thinking of creating videos where the puppets try to mount a Her new fi lm I am a Good Person/I am a Bad Person features Veninger as campaign to boycott the fi lm because they were unfairly treated by us — the a fi lmmaker who has to confront who she is ethically while on tour in Europe fi lmmakers,” adds the B.C.-based director. with her daughter (played by her real-life daughter Hallie Switzer). With both His fi lms garnered Karlovy audiences in a strange but old-fashioned way. Hallie and her son Jacob in the cast, Veninger was able to enlist familial “Jenny Cassidy, our puppet coach, had ring puppets,” recounts Houston. support in marketing the fi lm. “They’re like rings you put on your fi nger and the tops of the rings have a set “In the fi lm, my character wears a sign with the words ‘I’m a good

16 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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To promote his debut fi lm Sunfl ower Hour at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, fi lmmaker Aaron Houston gave away fi nger “puppets” (right) to festivalgoers

person/I’m a bad person’ painted on pink bristol board. We’ve just fi nished making 10 of those signs and I’m paying Jacob to go out every afternoon during TIFF with nine of his friends, wearing the signs. Jacob is 15 and his pals are in Grade 9. They’ll be handing out postcards to everyone they see along the way.” “I’m [also] bringing in Mathieu Chesneau from Paris,” she adds. “Mathieu is a magician — he played one in MODRA and I cast him in a similar role in I am a Good Person/I am a Bad Person — and he’s bringing a bag of tricks with him. Wherever we go, he’ll be making magic in the streets. “If the critics like “You want to create a consistent message,” he says. “With The Odds, we’ve decided to talk “My goal is to sell out my three screenings. I have 700 seats about the fi lm as a murder mystery that has scenes of teenagers gambling. If you call it a to fi ll and I want someone in every seat.” it, your little fi lm ‘teenaged gambling movie,’ it would feel like one of those TV problem-of-the-week movies. Robin Smith, president of indie distribution company could become We want to position it as a great genre fi lm.” Kinosmith, enjoys the innovative approaches of Houston ‘one to watch’ Kinosmith is working with Davidson to create a website for the fi lm, as well as a trailer and and Veninger but, overall, believes in a more nuts and bolts Twitter strategy. He’s also in talks with Canadian fi lm website First Weekend Club, which will attitude towards marketing fi lms. at the festival. If help with extra promo on the fi lm’s commercial release. “If your fi lm gets into TIFF,” says the tall, affable Smith, “you you go in with no Robin Smith has one fi nal word of advice to aspiring fi lmmakers: “Get a killer photo. It will should get all of your marketing materials together ASAP. press at all, you’re really help your campaign.” You should be ready for the Canadian press conference. You Leonard Farlinger agrees with Smith. “In All Hat [Farlinger’s 2007 TIFF feature premiere] we should have stills, clips, press kits and a publicist on board. already 10 steps had a really strong image of Keith Carradine pointing a gun at Noam Jenkins’ head. It’s wacky “I think it’s massively important to have a press screening behind, as far as and menacing at the same time. The guys in New York [Screen Media Ventures] saw the before the festival,” he adds, explaining that local media can I’m concerned.” picture in a program book and decided they wanted to buy it right away.” then see the fi lm in advance of the festival’s busy atmosphere. A true hyphenate, Farlinger is the director-writer-coproducer of I’m Yours, an erotic road Smith also suggests that DVD screeners should be made –Robin Smith, movie, which will premiere at TIFF. Along with his partner Jennifer Jonas, Farlinger operates available as a backup for key media. president, New Real Films, which has produced such previous TIFF hits as Bruce McDonald’s Trigger “If the critics like it, your little fi lm could become ‘one to Kinosmith and Reg Harkema’s Monkey Warfare. watch’ at the festival. If you go into the festival with no press “Marketing is conceptual,” says Farlinger. “It’s not just about [who does what]. As a on you at all, you’re already 10 steps behind as far as I’m producer-director, you go back and forth with your distributor about what the central image concerned. A small Canadian fi lm with no advance press will should be that could sell the fi lm. What shot most clearly expresses how unique the fi lm is get lost at TIFF.” and why people should want to see it?” Smith has one Canadian indie at TIFF, The Odds, by B.C. Alliance Films jumped the gun early with one of its TIFF entries, Breakaway. The fi lm’s trailer fi lmmaker Simon Davidson. was on YouTube in August, as well as bonus content featuring South Asian-Canadian comic He’s fl ying in Davidson and the fi lm’s star Tyler Johnston; and Breakaway actor Russell Peters and British-South Asian bhangra singing star Jassi Sidhu. he won’t bring in the whole crew because “it dilutes the Breakaway may be the ultimate hyphenate fi lm: a romantic comedy and intergenerational interview.” drama about a Sikh hockey team whose star, played by Vinay Virmani, may be falling in love

18 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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Seeing is believing.

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with a Caucasian Canadian girl. Throw in [the massive South Asian festival at Toronto’s guest appearances by hip hop stars Drake Harbourfront Centre in August]. Our focus is on and Ludacris and — one must admit — the [the GTA] and Vancouver where there’s a solid marketing opportunities seem endless. concentration of population from the South “We’re working very closely with the Asian community. But we will have a national producers, the fi lmmakers [director Robert campaign that will target both selective Lieberman, coproducers Akshay Kumar, Don conventional TV and the specialty channels as Carmody and Frank Siracusa] on developing well. We have newspaper plans for both the our marketing strategy,” says Alliance VP mainstream papers and also a large number Margaret Burnside. “We started meeting with of newspapers that target the South Asian them and planning for the release, which will community.” be on Sept. 30, as soon as the fi lm went into Whether a fi lm is being marketed by major production. distributors like Alliance, eOne or Kinosmith, or “We’ve got a very robust campaign both self-distributed by fi lmmakers, the message is for mainstream and for the South Asian clear: the game has changed in the past two community,” she explains. “That’s why we’re years. This year’s crop of Canadian festival doing an above-average [media] spend on hits, whose predecessors often generated the fi lm.” disappointing numbers in the marketplace, “You’ll see [the fi lm’s marketing] outdoors have a much bigger opportunity to fi nd local or by way of digital boards and posters in transit even national success in today’s fragmented Alliance Films’ Breakaway will benefi t from an “above average” media campaign targeting South Asian communities shelters. We’ll be at Masala! Mendhi! Masti! — and more welcoming — media landscape. in Canada to support its release, Margaret Burnside, VP, Alliance Films, says

20 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

SASKFILM IS PROUD OF ITS SUPPORTING ROLE IN BRUCE MCDONALD’S HARD CORE LOGO II, FILMED ON LOCATION IN SASKATCHEWAN. LET SASKATCHEWAN ROCK YOUR WORLD!

VISIT SASKFILM.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION Proud Sponsor of the 2011 American Film Market

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As Astral Media celebrates its 50th year in business, Playback pays tribute to one of Canada’s most successful media companies with with a look back at its humble roots in photoﬁ nishing, its transformation into a modern-day media powerhouse and how it begat one of Canada’s most important sources of feature ﬁ lm funding MEDIA STAR:

BY ETAN VLESSING ASTRAL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

From left to right: Sidney Greenberg, Harvey With 23 TV channels, 83 radio stations, 9,500 advertising faces, 100 Bellevue Pathé became Astral Bellevue Pathé following the Greenbergs’ Greenberg, Ian Greenberg and websites and revenues approaching $1 billion in 2010, Astral easily reverse takeover of Astral Communications, a publicly traded company Harold Greenberg (seated) (Photo: Astral) holds its own as one of Canada’s largest and most diversifi ed media in fi lm and TV distribution. companies. But it wasn’t always so. When Astral was born 50 years Eldest brother Harold Greenberg became president and CEO, with ago as a photofi nishing kiosk, it was a small business with a simple he and his brothers as majority investors controlling Astral Bellevue goal — keep the Greenberg family together. Pathé, later to become Astral Communications and Astral Media. Edward and Peter Bronfman came on board as minority investors, In his 50-year hunt to make Astral Media one of Canada’s most allowing the Greenbergs to run the company on their own. successful media companies, CEO Ian Greenberg hasn’t forgotten one “It was their company,” David Novek, a long-time friend of Harold important thing: family. Greenberg and former vice president of communications at Astral, The Montreal-based media empire has its roots in 1961, as a young recalls. “It was Harold as the CEO, and Harvey and Ian running the Ian and his three older brothers, Harold, Harvey and Sidney, mourned photo stores, which were profi table, and Sidney running the fi lm labs.” their mother Annie Greenberg’s death. With fi nancing and room to grow, Harold began to indulge his love of “She was the glue in the family,” he remembers. “We were sitting Canadian fi lm, producing Porky’s, a giant worldwide box offi ce earner, around and asking ourselves ‘what are we going to do to keep the in 1981, and expanding into fi lm videocassette reproduction with the family together and honour our mother?’” launch of Pathé Video in Toronto. They decided to start a company together, from scratch, fi nding inspiration in a simple and convenient small business: photofi nishing. PAYING TO PLAY Working the contacts Sidney had at the Steinberg grocery chain — which In 1983, the Greenberg brothers bet the farm when they acquired had just launched its new Miracle Mart department stores — the brothers control of First Choice and Premier Choix (today known as The Movie secured a concession to operate photography booths at two of the retailer’s Network and Super Écran), Ian Greenberg recalls. locations. The service was named Angreen after their mother. It was, unquestionably, a risky move. It didn’t take long for the four Greenberg brothers to expand by Although the Astral we know today is defi ned by its money-making purchasing Bellevue Photo labs in Montreal. Their big break came in TMN service, pay TV had a rough start in Canada. 1967 when they secured the concession for the sale of photo products The CRTC in 1981 said it would license the country’s fi rst pay TV channel, at Expo ’67 in Montreal, providing photo and movie fi lm processing and prompting Astral to apply, unsuccessfully, for the fi rst round of pay TV other related services for visiting world media and national delegations. services, and then watching from the sidelines as the greenlit licensed pay Two years later, the brothers expanded into fi lm production by channels quickly fl oundered. acquiring separate motion picture laboratory and sound studios in “In six months, four of the six players were going bankrupt,” he says. Toronto and Montreal, with the latter renamed Bellevue Pathé. But the Greenbergs believed in pay TV. It was, after all, operating a Astral Media as we know it today started to emerge in 1973 when premium fi lm channel, a business Astral knew well.

22 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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Astral president and CEO Ian Greenberg announces the launch of Playhouse Disney in 2007, part of the growing stable of Astral specialty channels. (Photo: Astral)

“[Harold Greenberg] always believed in the model First Choice bet paid off. of HBO in Canada and when his chance came, he The channel was restructured, but in all, First took it,” Paul Bronfman, chairman of William F. White Choice sustained around $52 million in losses before International, recalls. it was back on its feet. “He understood the market. He understood “In 1985, when we hit 400,000 subscribers, we consumer demand for entertainment, and he thought really felt we made it,” Bronfman remembers. the licensed pay TV people were off the mark,” he adds. In 1983, Astral bet big, acquiring 100% control of THE SPECIALTY ERA only two pay TV networks left standing, First Choice In 1988, the Greenbergs got busy growing their position and Premier Choix TVEC. Both were heavily indebted. in specialty, partnering with Allarcom to launch Family “Harold had followed the business in the U.S., so Channel as a 50/50 partnership. when we came in, we brought contacts with cable But once again, nothing was a given for Astral early on. companies and made sure that we had product with In today’s digital TV world, the CRTC freely hands all the studios and HBO,” Ian Greenberg explains. out broadcast licences and wishes broadcasters He’s quick to add that acquiring control of debt-laden good luck in the marketplace. But back in the 1990s, pay TV operators was a heart-stopper for his family. analog channel scarcity meant specialty channel “Everything the Greenbergs had worked for until licences were harder to come by. 1983 was on the line. If we didn’t turn pay TV “You did a significant amount of research, you around, we would have been out of business.” produced promotional videos, you raised support Even today, you can hear the relief in his voice: the from all the players in the industry, and you

24 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PB.19804.MIJO.Ad.indd 1 25/08/11 2:39 PM PPB.Astral.2011.inddB.Astral.2011.indd 2424 226/08/116/08/11 2:262:26 PMPM PB.19846.Aircraft.Ad.indd 1 25/08/11 2:47 PM Lisa Ray stars in Bollywood/Hollywood, which received funding from the Harold Greenberg Fund (Photo: Astral)

tried to get public support,” John Riley, president of Astral Television Networks, recalls. Astral did the work, launching Canal D in 1995 and securing a minority stake in French language pay-per-view channel Canal Indigo. Astral’s next frontier was Teletoon, the specialty cartoon channel launched in 1997 with Astral as a 20% stakeholder. The launch of Teletoon made sense on paper — the company was already in the family TV business with Family Channel and knew its value — but it turned out to be no picnic. The mid-’90s consumer revolt over negative option billing meant the channel had to have a long free preview period and there were concerns about advertiser interest in the content. “I was very concerned. I remember a very prominent media buyer quoted in Playback saying they couldn’t see the demand or the room for a cartoon channel,” Riley recalls. “Harold was the visionary behind Astral becoming a major which today runs 83 radio stations in 50 markets countrywide, A PURE-PLAY POWERHOUSE Canadian company; Ian was the businessman, the numbers insists Astral brought credibility and focus to Canadian radio The mid-’90s saw Astral redefi ne itself from a diversifi ed guy,” David Novek recalls. “[Ian] narrowed the thrust of Astral’s when it acquired Radiomutuel. Quebec media powerhouse to a nationwide pure-play broadcaster. activity and it has proven very profi table.” “At the time, there were a lot of small operators, and they The impetus in part was the death in 1996 of long-time CEO WFW’s Bronfman echoes a common theme among executives had an image of being wheeler-dealers. The credibility of the Harold Greenberg, and younger brother Ian Greenberg taking that have worked at Ian Greenberg’s side: he does his homework radio business wasn’t that great,” he says. his place as Astral president and CEO. before doing deals, and doesn’t like to overpay for assets. Differentiating itself by investing in marketing, talent and Greenberg set out to redefi ne the vision for Astral, fi nding “[Ian Greenberg] is disciplined and focused. He will spend audience research, Astral acquired Télémédia radio stations in inspiration in his business hero, GE’s Jack Welch, whom he where he feels it’s the right thing to do. He doesn’t spend eastern Canada and acquired Standard Radio for $1.1 billion in met briefl y during his time at Harvard: “He said you have to be money stupidly. He spends where it makes fi nancial sense to 2007 to become the largest radio station operator in Canada. number one or number two and focus on businesses in which do so,” he argues. Benoit recalls the Standard deal, while expensive, underlined you can be a leader.” a natural fi t between radio and specialty TV, while rivals Shedding non-core assets — the photo division, videocassette THE MEDIA EMPIRE EXPANDS CTVglobemedia, Rogers Media and then-Canwest had seen a reproduction and distribution, fi lm distribution, production Among those strategic decisions that paid off was Astral in greater convergence fi t between TV and print assets. fi nancing and technical services — Astral began to focus on pay 1999 acquiring Radiomutuel, which included eight FM and The Standard deal also followed a cautious Ian Greenberg and specialty TV, and expand into radio and outdoor advertising. three AM radio stations, 50% of the Radiomédia network, not pulling the trigger on earlier broadcast assets up for grabs, And Ian Greenberg, the hard-headed business strategist in Canal Vie, Canal Z, and 50% of MusiquePlus and MusiMax. including CHUM Ltd. group, which went to CTVglobemedia. Jack Welch’s mould, put his stamp on the company. Charles Benoit, executive vice president of Astral Radio, “It’s just a matter of being well-disciplined. We bet the

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company in 1983 — we won’t bet the company again,” advertising industry downturn, it used its more assured since 1983, and we had been excellent partners.” Greenberg afﬁ rms. “We were in the bidding for CHUM and at subscriber-based revenues to maintain stability while rivals like Those kinds of relationships, and Astral’s role as a Canadian the end, I said we will not go above a certain price.” Canwest and CTVglobemedia proved far less resilient. media leader, make Ian Greenberg proud. Astral’s new strategic approach also included out-of-home Astral’s pay TV service also pulled through the economic But the dutiful son who couldn’t have had a clue 50 years advertising, pitting Astral against industry giants like CBS and downturn in part due to the launch of HBO Canada in late ago what a couple of retail photo kiosks would eventually mean Pattison Outdoor. The company met the challenge by investing 2008, after lengthy negotiations with HBO stateside. for the Greenbergs, can’t help but remember his mother and in next-generation products and non-traditional inventory. “It was the ﬁ rst time HBO was going to allow their name how proud she’d likely be of her four enterprising sons. “Now with street furniture and digital [billboards], we are the to be used for a channel where they didn’t have an equity “Our mother would have been proud because we started leaders,” Luc Sabbatini, president of Astral Out-of-Home, boasts. interest,” says Greenberg. “That came with their trust in the out as four equal partners, and we’re still four equal partners,” Although the broadcaster took a hit during the 2008-09 Greenberg family. We’d already been in business with them Greenberg concludes.

The cast of 1983 ﬁ lm Maria Chapdelaine. Fourth from left: Quebec politi- Harold Greenberg celebrates Astral Bellevue Pathé’s 1982 blockbuster, From left to right: John Riley, president, Astral Television Networks; Robert cian Francis Fox stands beside actor Carole Laure and Harold Greenberg Porky’s. Lantos, producer; and Ian Greenberg. (All photos courtesy of Astral)

26 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PB.19961.PremiereBobine.Ad.inddPPB.Astral.2011.inddB.Astral.2011.indd 2626 1 25/08/11226/08/116/08/11 2:482:262:26 PMPM PPB.19946.CBSStudios.Ad.inddB.19946.CBSStudios.Ad.indd 1 225/08/115/08/11 2:502:50 PMPM ASTRAL AT 50

“[Harold] didn’t want to be beholden to the studios or the exhibitors or the distributors. He wanted to control product from production through to the big screen,” William F. White International CEO Paul Bronfman says.

Harold Greenberg being interviewed on set, 1970 (Photo: Astral)

A LIFE’S WORK IN FILM BY ETAN VLESSING

Astral Media is certainly a broadcast Famously, Greenberg executive-produced F. White International, who was mentored by incredibly creative ways to generate a lot of powerhouse nowadays, but its roots are the classic 1982 Canadian comedy Porky’s Harold Greenberg early in his own career, hype for their projects with fi lmgoers and buried deep in Canadian fi lm. and the 1974 Richard Dreyfuss-starrer The insists the Astral topper always looked to distributors alike,” explains the Fund’s Galway. The Harold Greenberg Fund, which helps Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by director control his company’s destiny. “That is the kind of innovative spirit we develop and license Canadian movies through Ted Kotcheff — not bad for someone who “[Harold] didn’t want to be beholden to the want to support, and we want to share these The Movie Network (TMN) and Super Écran, is started work at 13 in a Montreal camera shop. studios or the exhibitors or the distributors. stories which prove that, with creativity and a tribute to the late Harold Greenberg, a long- “Harold was a fi lm producer and also He wanted to control product from production resourcefulness, it is possible to make a big time Astral CEO and Canadian fi lm mogul until someone who was very helpful to others through to the big screen,” Bronfman says. impact on a limited budget.” his death in 1996. starting out in their careers, giving them lots Since 1986, around $76.5 million has been Astral is proud of the $1.5 billion it has Greenberg spearheaded the launch of the of free lab time. Now that legacy continues in invested in over 3,450 projects by the industry invested in Canadian fi lm production, says Foundation to Underwrite New Drama for the fund,” says John Galway, president of the fund, which has supported recent fi lms such Astral CEO Ian Greenberg, but he’s happy to Pay-television (Fund) in 1986 — later renamed Harold Greenberg Fund. as Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz and Michael be out of risky fi lm production. the Harold Greenberg Fund — just as Astral Old friends and long-time employees recall McGowan’s Score: A Hockey Musical. “We have supported the industry through launched pay TV channel First Choice. Greenberg thinking Canadian fi lm too fun This summer, the Fund introduced a new The Harold Greenberg Fund, through Much as the Fund was about TV, it was during the ’70s and ’80s to get hung up over marketing program to support Canadian fi lms production fi nancing and pre-buys and licence really about investing in well-written fi lm its obvious fi nancial risk. with potential in overseas markets. The goal of fees. But none of the product is produced by scripts for movies, the foundation of early “Harold was one of the pioneers. He really the initiative is to help fi lmmakers fully exploit Astral,” he says. “Everything is produced by Canadian pay TV. believed we could have our own fi lm industry their presence at international fi lm festivals, indie producers, and it’s one of the things that And long before major producers like Alliance and our own stars and our own technicians. even if they are without representatives to I’m most proud of.” Communications, Malofi lm and Imax took up He really believed in Canadians and wanted help promote or sell their project. the Canadian fi lm baton, Harold Greenberg was to build the fi lm business here,” retired Astral “Often, we hear great stories about producing and distributing homegrown movies, communications exec David Novek recalls. fi lmmakers who make it into major fi lm and running facilities for technical fi lm services. Paul Bronfman, chairman and CEO of William festivals and, with little time and money, fi nd

28 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PROTOCOL ENTERTAINMENT Congratulates its Gemini Nominees for TURN THE BEAT AROUND

Romina D’Ugo David Greene BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING BEST PHOTOGRAPHY IN A ROLE IN A DRAMATIC PROGRAM OR MINI-SERIES DRAMATIC PROGRAM OR SERIES

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Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy in her iconic pink Chanel suit. Greg Kinnear plays John Kennedy.

people,” he notes. “You usually can’t go to a second-hand store to buy a suit from 1963. You have to build it. You have to design it and “You need the period then hire somebody to sew it for you. So you clothes and you need have to put additional money into wardrobe. them all to look new That’s just for the guys. For the women, it’s even more so, and if it’s Jackie Kennedy, it’s — these were rich even beyond that, because her clothes are people,” explains iconic. Her pink Chanel suit looks only like Kennedys executive itself.” Hargadon and his team bought or took on producer Jamie Paul loan some pieces from vintage stores and Rock. “You can’t just in other cases acquired old fabric to make go to a second-hand On the eve of the Gemini Awards, new costumes. His favourites were Jackie’s party dresses. “One raffi a ball gown was store and buy a suit Playback checks in on the stories reproduced using French ribbon lace instead, from 1963. You have stripped of colour and over-dyed, then to build it.” under-layered with two additional fabrics. It behind-the-scenes of some of was a risk, but I feel we achieved the overall look of the garment,” he writes via email from Canada’s most acclaimed TV shows. Australia, where he is working on the Steven we had people in the chair. They [even] cast Spielberg series Terra Nova. extras that looked like people who were As First Lady, Jackie’s attire was frequently actually in the crowds at the time.” photographed, but there was a private Jackie Samuel was originally called in to work as well. with Barry Pepper, who underwent the most CRAFTING BY MARK DILLON “The public perception of Jackie is of a dramatic transformation in becoming Bobby. beautiful and intriguing woman in suits Samuel applied veneers (dentures) as well with matching hats,” Hargadon adds. “The as a silicone nose and blue contact lenses. script called for many looks not documented Pepper was the only cast member who wore a THE KENNEDYS — Jackie in sleepwear or dressed casually. prosthetic, which was at his own request. I considered her overall style and approach In helping Holmes become Jackie, The Canadian craftspeople who helped 10 Gemini and 10 Emmy nominations this year. to dress through quality and colour and Samuel noticed a key difference between bring to life Muse Entertainment’s mini The It’s a large-scale, decades-spanning drama imagined what these unrecorded garments the two women. “Jackie had a really Kennedys knew they had to take special care. that posed considerable challenges to both the might have been.” unique structure to her face,” he says. “Her “This is the retelling of a beloved American costume and makeup departments, both of He explains that Jack — played by John eyes were quite wide-set, while Katie’s dynasty’s history, so visual accuracy was which were nominated for Gemini Awards. White in scenes up until 1946 — “was very got a symmetrical face. I had to alter the paramount,” explains Chris Hargadon, head of According to Muse, which produced thin and lanky in his younger days, so we structure of her face before I could even wardrobe on the Toronto-shot series. in association with U.S.-based Asylum dressed young Jack in suits that fi t big. I begin adding any of the elements of the The plot of the mini, which aired on History Entertainment, there were 50 costumes for tried to fi nd wools with a certain vibrancy to period.” He also altered Holmes’ bottom lip Television in Canada and ReelzChannel in the each of the six lead actors, also including help him stand out in a room full of advisors line to make her lips as full as Jackie’s. U.S., follows the titular clan from the 1930s-era family matriarch Rose Kennedy (Diana wearing grey and navy suits.” Samuel shares the Gemini nomination political ambitions of Joseph Kennedy Sr. Hardcastle) and Bobby’s wife Ethel (Kristin The resemblances between the actors and with Jenny Arbour, head of the hair (Tom Wilkinson) to the career rise of son John Booth). Plus, there were 130 secondary their real-life counterparts are remarkable, right department; Linda Dowds, who did (Greg Kinnear), John’s marriage to Jacqueline actors and 3,000 extras, all requiring period down to smaller roles such as Don Allison as Kinnear’s makeup; and Colin Penman, who Bouvier (Katie Holmes) and his victory in costumes. Muse says it spent $640,000 on Lyndon Johnson. Makeup head Jordan Samuel aged Wilkinson and Hardcastle 30 years the 1960 presidential election. It also tracks wardrobe and $416,000 on makeup. Producer credits director John Cassar and casting, throughout the series. Samuel, Dowds, the appointment of Robert Kennedy (Barry Jamie Paul Rock says the costume budget headed by Deirdre Bowen. “They made it fairly Penman and makeup artist Amanda Pepper) as attorney general and Jack’s 1963 was higher than usual. easy for us,” says Samuel, who is working in Terry are up for an Emmy, as are Arbour assassination. The story ends after Bobby is “You need the period clothes and you need Toronto on the Colin Farrell blockbuster Total and hairstylist Judi Cooper Sealy in the assassinated fi ve years later. The series earned them all to look new — these were rich Recall. “We were halfway there by the time hairstyling category.

PPB.Gemini.2011.inddB.Gemini.2011.indd 3131 226/08/116/08/11 5:045:04 PMPM GEMINIS

Darkroom’s long-limbed alien: he looks friendly now, but this uninvited guest has a secret agenda ‘AWAKENING’ STARGATE’S provided the original design of the alien, simultaneously, Savela had to be strategic Saying goodbye in style, which has a protruding skull, thin neck and in assigning the work. the Vancouver-shot series curved limbs. Darkroom Digital Effects’ Van “We would lay a heavier episode on one ALIENS Den Biggelaar built and animated the alien vendor and then the other vendor would Stargate Universe racks in 3-D. get a heavier episode after that so nobody up Gemini and Emmy Stargate Universe has gone out with a bang. “We wanted to make him feel real and would get slammed two or three episodes The Stargate TV franchise’s third series — living in that environment as opposed to in a row,” Savela explains. “Darkroom visual effects nominations cancelled by Syfy last December and airing locally on being cartoony,” Savela says. “People Digital handled all the CG alien and for its second and fi nal Space — claimed nominations at the Gemini Awards were asking if it was an animatronic or animating on ‘Awakening,’ but they didn’t and Emmys for its Vancouver visual effects squad. a person in a suit. We wanted to make a do the episode before or after. I would season. Writer Mark The franchise has been a fi xture on the Vancouver character that couldn’t be a person in a suit give the correct people enough time and Dillon fi nds out the production scene since 1997 when Stargate SG-1 because no one could fi t into that body.” space to actually do an episode and do it started fi lming. They didn’t do things the easy way on right, instead of trying to blast through it method behind the The spinoff’s latest kudos come a year after the Stargate Universe. The show is shot with just because there’s other work behind it Canadian-made magic series nabbed a Leo Award and two Emmy noms. a fl uid handheld camera to give the drama or ahead of it.” “It says a lot for Vancouver in general and the a sense of urgency, but which also made In the Emmy effects race, which wraps people who worked on that show,” says Mark Savela, incorporating digital elements more involved. Sept. 10 with the Creative Arts awards, the visual effects supervisor who shares the Gemini “We never locked off the camera,” the little Vancouver show that could is nom with nine colleagues, including Adam de Bosch Savela says. “There’s nothing worse than up against HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Kemper, Jamie Yukio Kawano, Michael Lowes, Kodie having a semi-static shot where you know Game of Thrones, AMC’s The Walking MacKenzie, Krista McLean, James Rorick, Wes it’s going to be a digital effects shot. Dead and Canadian copro The Borgias. Sargent, Luke Vallee, and Craig Van Den Biggelaar. We wanted to make it as seamless as Meanwhile, at the Geminis, Stargate “It was one of the best experiences I’ve had,” he possible. It makes it a lot tougher, because Universe will compete with The Borgias, says. “It was somewhat bittersweet fi nding out about you have to track every shot. You usually Sanctuary — another Vancouver-based the Gemini and the Emmy nominations. Usually have tracking markers everywhere, which sci-fi — Being Human and The Tudors. we’re shooting at this time. I’d trade them both to be is another step, and then you have to In the absence of Stargate Universe, working on season three right now.” remove them from the shot.” Savela and Ken Kabatoff, a PA on the The episode that won over the jurists is titled On its two 20-episode seasons, the series, have written a spec script for “Awakening,” in which the crew of spaceship Destiny series averaged 120 visual effects shots a drama called Echoes, about Earth docks with another craft they’ve nearly struck. They per episode, the labour divided among caught in the crossfi re of an alien war. fi nd no signs of life on board, but just when the an in-house team of 20 artists and With coproducers Van Den Biggelaar and crew thinks it’s alone on the ship, Dr. Volker (Patrick independent vendors. Atmosphere’s Andrew Karr, they have shot Gilmore) gets a tap on the shoulder from an alien A $100,000-per-episode budget for 13 minutes of a pilot and are looking to creature. It seems friendly — at fi rst. effects outsourcing led them not to local fi nance a full one hour. “It was an alien we had a lot of fun creating,” says giants like Sony Pictures Imageworks but Savela believes the local talent pool can Savela, a veteran of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: rather to skilled boutique shops including get another spaceship show off the ground. Atlantis who hails from Ontario but now calls Vancouver Darkroom and Atmosphere Visual Effects. “I don’t believe anybody can do high-end home. Series production designer James Robbins With a number of episodes on the go television as well as Vancouver,” he adds.

32 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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REPUBLIC OF DOYLE BY SIOFAN DAVIES

In January 2010, the CBC THE IDEA THE SCRIPT rolled out a new one-hour-long Allan Hawco: When I was 18 or PC: Allan and I started a bible — we threw around drama about a father-and-son 19, I had the beginnings of an idea the ideas we liked about characters, what the private investigation fi rm in [for Doyle] — I borrowed a friend’s show is about, and then Malcolm [MacRury] came St. John’s, Newfoundland. computer, printed it off and mailed it to in to help us with putting together the fi rst script. Starring co-creator, writer and myself to prove that it was my idea. AH: The original pilot was a half-hour, which was showrunner Allan Hawco as Perry Chafe: It was a gold nugget a challenge because we’d conceived the show as Jake Doyle, and Sean McGinley idea: A father/son P.I. show set in St. an hour. Luckily the network agreed that it should as his father, Malachy, Republic John’s, Newfoundland. be pushed to an hour. of Doyle was an instant Michael Levine: Allan had a PC: We were writing a very diffi cult show, an success. Nominated for three not-for-profi t theatre company and hour-long comedy/drama that is case heavy, [has Geminis this year and fi ve we have a very close mutual friend, complex characters] and is shot in St. John’s, last year, Doyle is in the midst [CTV’s] Seamus O’Regan. Seamus Newfoundland. So that’s a crazy formula when you of shooting its third season. brought me to one of Allan’s plays, think about it. Playback caught up with the and I was so impressed by his work, PC: The fi rst season was a real trial by fi re: wildly busy Hawco, show I asked him what his dream was, and our studio roof almost blew off, and then Sean co-creator and writer Perry he said to make The Rockford Files in McGinley became ill towards the end of the year. Chafe, and executive producer Newfoundland. So I ended up taking So we had to adjust the scripts to refl ect that and Michael Levine to chat about him to Sally Catto at the CBC — Sally we rewrote the fi nal episode to take into account bringing Doyle to life was so enamoured she gave him his illness. We literally rewrote it two days before on the Rock. Allan Hawco and Sean McGinley star in Republic of Doyle money for a treatment. we started shooting the episode.

34 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

Congratulations on your nominations:

Best Writing in a Comedy or Best Ensemble Performance in a Variety Program or Series Comedy Program or Series Garry Campbell Alex House Charles Picco Maggie Castle Bill Turnbull Best Direction in a Comedy Melanie Leishman Program or Series Chris Leavins James Dunnison Jason Mewes Craig David Wallace Angela Jill Guingcango

Best Picture Editing in a Comedy, Variety Best Achievement in Casting or Performing Arts Program or Series Sara Kay D. Gillian Truster Jim Heber Jenny Lewis Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role Chris Leavins

From everyone at

PPB.Gemini.2011.inddPB.19844.YoungFaust.Ad.inddB.Gemini.2011.indd 3434 1 229/08/1125/08/119/08/11 3:293 3:12:29 PMP PMM FIRST SEASON RESPONSE MORE GREEN LIGHTS “When we saw AH: We’d already shot the entire season AH: By the end of season two we really understood where we were going. by the time the fi rst episode aired. PC: The stakes every year should keep going up. We don’t go to broadcast until January, so it’s a long time the numbers, By January I was almost falling over between [seasons] and we really want our viewers to be thinking about the show and be invested in our we felt we had because it was a marathon sprint to the characters. hit a chord with fi nish line. PC: When we saw the numbers, we felt THE FUTURE OF DOYLE people across the we had hit a chord with people across PC: Right now we have roughly a fi ve-year plan. We hope we’re on for much longer than that — we’ll adjust it. country,” says the country. Even though it’s shot in We don’t take anything for granted; we take it year by year. series co-creator St. John’s, it’s a universal show that appeals to everybody. SALES AND DISTRIBUTION Perry Chafe. AH: We hit over a million in our fi rst AH: We’re fortunate that the show sold to 96 countries across the world, which is staggering when you think “Even though episode, partly thanks to the great about it. We talked about going after a U.S. network to partner with us in the beginning, and I just started it’s shot in publicity, but also I think people were thinking about the reality of a cop/P.I. show set in St. John’s being broadcast in the United States. I think the genuinely interested in what we things that are [culturally important] may have been jeopardized: our accents, the ideology of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, were trying to do. Now we’re in that the idea that Jake doesn’t carry a gun. Sometimes people think these deals are spectacular, but if they’re it’s a universal above-the-million mark — which is contributing very little to the fi nancing structure of your series, you have to look at what you’re selling. Are they show that appeals kind of unheard of for a show that’s not giving you enough that it’s worthwhile fi nancing your show for loss of a large portion of creative control? simulcast in primetime with an American ML: To me this is the creation of a brand. We’ve been deeply involved not only in selling the show, but through to everybody.” network. I’m just so thankful Canadians a regional book publisher, creating an episodic guide that’s going to be available this September. We’ve also have embraced it. been extremely aggressive about things like merchandising and we’re starting to address product placement.

We are proud to congratulate our Gemini nominees Congrats congratulates all our

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rebecca williams AGENTS Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role Faith Halman in a Dramatic Program or Kevin Jensen Mini-Series Randi Raskin Reviving Ophelia Sandi Sloan Roberta Romano Ring-a-ding-ding! Julie Lafontaine

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It may be a comedy, but Todd (played by Alex House) takes his battles seriously

With eight Gemini nominations for its fi rst season, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil was one of the biggest surprises of the day. When was the last time a raunchy sci-fi comedy starring a high school metal hero prone to wearing codpieces, smoking bongs and saying things like “I’m going to make you bleed out of your [insert expletive here]” took top BY: ROSE BEHAR billing in the lead-up to Canada’s TV awards? Here, Playback goes behind the scenes with Todd’s director and showrunner Craig David Wallace and Frantic Films’ VP of scripted programming Shawn Watson to fi nd out how Todd became such a work of evil genius.

BY ROSE BEHAR TODD AND THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL THE IDEA BRINGING TODD TO LIFE WAVING THE FLAG Craig David Wallace: I was at the Canadian Film CDW: [We had to fi gure out] what needed CDW: I think it’s a distinctively Canadian show but not in the way Centre in 2003 in the Director’s Lab and I was to be added to the concept to fl esh it out people would expect. We didn’t put Canadian fl ags everywhere, really into the punk rock and heavy metal scene — that took us a while to crack. At fi rst or make the characters use Canadian slang. It’s Canadian in — the kind of black metal where guys paint their we were going to do an anthology series that what we can get away with separates us from international faces and burn down churches. And so as part in which each show was independent of markets. We have violence, mature content and a lot of drug use. of my time at the fi lm centre I co-wrote a short the next, but then we realized we needed a I think we’ll always be labelled a crazy Canuck show because of fi lm based on that scene called The Horror with a hero to bring everything together, so Todd our outlandish content. fellow student Max Reade. Then we had the idea [as the central character] came back into SW: We’ve had people in the U.S. market say that when they saw to make a fi lm based on the Faust myth [in which the fold, and he needed a group of friends. it, they could tell right away it wasn’t American. a man sells his soul to the devil in exchange for Other than that, the storylines stayed pretty magical abilities] but [set in] modern day and call it much the same — after-school-style FIRST SEASON RESPONSE Young Faust. This concept evolved to become Todd specials centred on some social or teen CDW: Our premiere broke records on Space for an original show. and the Book of Pure Evil. Todd uses the book to issue, ending in a disgusting gory mess. So right away we breathed a huge sigh of relief. And those stats become popular, but at a price. We’ve dealt with teen pregnancy, obesity, remained consistent. Our show also got picked up by different sexual orientation and much weirder channels within CTV, which was fl attering. THE PICKUP things. I think we’ve been through every CDW: We became involved with the National teenage problem, but there are still lots left THE SEASON TWO GREENLIGHT Screen Institute, which helped us in pitching a for us to mine. CDW: We were cautiously optimistic, but you do breathe a sigh written pilot to CHUM, which owned the Space of relief when you get the offi cial pickup. Once we heard we just channel, and we were in development with CHUM WORKING WITH SPACE jumped right in, and just wrapped up shooting the second season. when it was bought by CTV. That sort of left us in CDW: Working with Space, we’ve always SW: Now we’re looking ahead to season three! the dark for nine months. Then all of a sudden CTV been pushed to go as far as possible. offered us a pilot deal in 2008. We shot the pilot Shawn Watson: It’s funny because you THE FUTURE OF TODD in the spring of 2009. By that summer we had always hear stories about how networks SW: We’re excited about our expansion into the U.S. — the fi rst the entire fi rst season of Todd scripted, and it was try and rein shows back, but they really season just launched on FearNet — and we can’t really disclose given the greenlight that September. pushed us to be edgy. anything yet, but there are other territories on board already. CDW: And with our show, and the heavy CDW: And FearNet has been phenomenal at promotion, with stuff THE AUDIENCE metal aspect of it, there was a real risk of like billboards in Times Square. If I hadn’t been so busy here in CDW: It’s essentially a high-school show for adults. marginalizing the audience, but they were Winnipeg I would’ve immediately hopped a plane and gone to It’s got a very nostalgic feel to it. There’s a lot of always entirely supportive. New York and taken pictures. 1980s infl uence, primarily from [directors] Sam SW: From a business side, they’ve been Raimi and John Hughes. Our core demographic great, too. I think we probably broke Todd and the Book of Pure Evil is coproduced by Frantic is 25 to 45 but we have everyone from young records in Canada for having such a Films, Aircraft Pictures and Corvid Pictures. It is distributed teenagers to men and women in their fi fties and well-fi nanced pilot. internationally by eOne. sixties watching the show.

36 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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Things are about to get a whole lot worse for Fitz. Trust us.

Originally conceived as a comedy sample for writer Sheri Elwood, HBO Canada’s Call Me Fitz roared out of the gate with a whopping 16 Gemini nominations for its fi rst season. Starring Jason Priestley, the show follows the debauched behaviour of Richard “Fitz” Fitzpatrick, a used car salesman who fi nds himself in a moral pickle when a new coworker arrives and claims to be his conscience. With the show’s second season imminent and a third greenlit, Playback caught up with series creator and head writer Elwood, eOne executive producer Noreen Halpern and Amaze Film + Television executive producer Michael Souther to fi nd out what makes Fitz tick — on screen and in the international marketplace.

CALL ME FITZ BY KATIE BAILEY

THE SCRIPT CASTING FIRST SEASON Sheri Elwood: I developed a show around a character SE: The show was greenlit and we were told by TMN, “we SF: I’ll probably get shot for saying this, but it was — his original name was Phil — based on my brother don’t need a name actor in this, just cast the best person you actually incredibly easy. First of all, the show is who, for most of his 20s was a bit of a degenerate, can fi nd.” Jason [Priestley] was very much an after-the-fact heavily serialized. We were really able to go the fun-loving disaster. One day, I was out with my addition — a perfect addition, I can’t imagine anyone else distance and come up with our most outlandish grandmother talking about the latest horror story and playing Fitz — but we cast for months and months. The show dream plots because we knew that we had a very she said “that boy needs to sit down and have a drink was so delicate. We knew that if we didn’t fi nd the perfect solid, very truthful emotional core at the centre and with his conscience.” And that concept always stuck Larry-to-Fitz ratio, the whole world would collapse. once we had locked into that tone, it really fl owed with me as being the perfect buddy comedy — a man MS: I think it’s worth pointing out that with his character, it’s very easily. who is forced to go into business with his conscience. easy to not like him. Jason brought that charm and likeability During the writers’ strike, Teza [Lawrence] and Mike that sucks you in despite the despicable things he does. THE BROADCASTER knew that I was just kicking around [so] they called me SE: That was a comment that I got a lot: “we really like SE: Once [TMN] bought this show, they said, “we up and said “What do you have? What’s your passion this, we really like the writing — can you make the main trust you, we love it, the cast is working, go for it.” project?” I showed them Fitz and they liked it. character more likable?” I would say, “well, the premise of They have been very mindful about reading scripts, Michael Souther: The fi rst reaction was, “Oh my god the show is a morally bankrupt guy — he can’t be likeable being sensitive to story lines and signing off on every that that came out of her?!” [laughs] She seemed so or else there’s no show.” But with Jason, it’s the perfect stage but never have they gotten in the way of the nice and innocent. We thought that it had a really clear blend of devilish, diabolical and injured little boy. You can’t vision of the show. And I just don’t think that happens voice and really distinct characters that were not stock help but root for him no matter what he does. very often. Certainly not in my career, it hasn’t. at all — that were really well drawn. We had been NH: I think we [at eOne] were extremely excited from all MS: I think from the get-go, everyone bought in talking to people at Astral and they were forming HBO kinds of perspectives. There’s just this great angle of this and because we were all buying into the same Canada and looking for half-hour dark comedies. guy who’s known for one thing who’s going to reinvent show, it evolved out of that quite naturally. SE: That’s right; they hadn’t done any half-hour himself in a completely different character. I think at the time NH: In all fairness, I remember a lot of discussions comedies yet. we likened it to John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. at the beginning: is this man really his conscience? MS: We knew that it was really the only home for it in SE: I knew that casting Fitz would be easier than casting What is he? Is this real? Is it fantasy? Once some Canada — and that combined with Sheri telling us she Larry. There was the potential for that character to become of those key decisions are made, everyone stuck to really wanted to be able to keep the integrity of it — we irritating, sanctimonious and cartoony. Noreen was kind them. That really was the key — everyone bought brought it to eOne. enough to talk a friend of hers, an amazing casting director, into the vision. If you’ve got that, then everyone Noreen Halpern: I think we had a really similar reaction: Libby Goldstein, into helping us out in Los Angeles. Mike and gets to make the show that they want to make. The “Wow, this came from Sheri? She’s so sweet!” I fl ew down [to L.A.] and Ernie Grunwald came in and just challenge is always when people don’t buy in and blew us away. He created Larry in the room. then start doubting themselves.

38 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.Gemini.2011.inddB.Gemini.2011.indd 3838 226/08/116/08/11 5:015:01 PMPM SELLING THE SALESMAN NH: From an international standpoint, the show has done really well. At MIP and MIPCOM, Mike, Teza, Jason and Sheri have come to the markets and...people love it. It’s a really good lesson in that sometimes we are afraid to let things that are a little too edgy move forward. It’s selling around the world — there was recently a sale in the U.S. to Direct TV. Jason is a recognizable star around the world and that has helped hugely. I think, though, that it’s very unique. It’s a weird, odd, fabulously original show. And people like that — they like something different. MS: The audience continued to grow as well, which is always a good indicator. Not only were people were coming back who had seen it before but new people were discovering it all the way through. We started off really strong and ended even stronger. NH: it’s been a great show for eOne because it’s a really edgy show for us. We’ve had a lot of development and production in Canada that has been more traditional. We’ve had a lot of success on the conventional networks and I think that this is a show for us that we’re extremely proud of — it really pushes the boundaries, it’s a show that sits in our catalogue well, alongside a show like Hung. The only other thing I would add is that I do think a huge compliment goes out to TMN and Movie Central. The show was developed by executives who left somewhere around the ﬁ rst season and it was kept going by new executives who embraced the show as their own. It’s a great sign when a new team comes in and still believes in the show and wants to embrace it and make it their own. Jason Priestley, Sheri Elwood and Michael Souther on the Fitz set. “I can’t imagine anyone else playing Fitz,” says Elwood of Priestley.

ETM LTD CONGRATULATES OUR 2011 GEMINI NOMINEES.

DAVID ADJEY, RACHEL BLANCHARD, MAGGIE CASTLE, PHYLLIS ELLIS, MATT GORDON, CHRIS LEAVINS, TIM ROZON, GEORGE STROUMBOULOPOULOS and KATHRYN WINSLOW

Contact: PAUL HEMREND, ANGELA WRIGHT, DAVID DUNSTAN, LISA DEMEO, PAUL SMITH and EDNA KHUBYAR

www.etmltd.com [email protected] 416 413 7800 t 416 413 7804 f 39

PB.20002.Edna.indd 1 26/08/11PB.19964.FranticFilms.Ad.indd 3:04 PM 1 25/08/11 3:32 PM

PPB.Gemini.2011.inddB.Gemini.2011.indd 3939 226/08/116/08/11 5:015:01 PMPM Roger Abbott (Photo: CBC)

Playback is proud to present the 2011 inductees into the Canadian The Hall of Fame ceremony will be presented in association Film & Television Hall of Fame. This year, we honour six iconic with the CBC on Sept. 15 at the Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto. Canadians: former CBC president Pierre Juneau, ﬁ lmmaker Denis Inductees were chosen by a panel of jurists including: SCGC Héroux, animator Frédéric Back, Air Farce co-founder Roger executive director Maria Topalovich, CBC’s EVP of English Abbott, Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon and actor Tantoo Services Kirstine Stewart, Paperny Films’ David Paperny, Park Ex Cardinal. Also, Republic of Doyle creator Allan Hawco, writer Pictures founder and producer Kevin Tierney, DHX Media chair Adam Barken and CBC host George Stroumboulopoulos are being and CEO Michael Donovan, TIFF executive director and COO recognized for their oustanding achievements. Michele Maheux and ACTRA’s Art Hindle.

Denis Héroux (Photo: Université de Montréal)

PPB.HOF.2011.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 4040 226/08/116/08/11 2:082:08 PMPM “Pierre Juneau is a cultural warrior. Under his leadership, his profound and sustained commitment to the principles of public broadcasting helped to protect and redeﬁ ne CBC/ SRC at a critical time in its evolution,”

— Maria Topalovich, executive director, Screen Composers Guild of Canada

PIERREJUNEAU BY MARK DILLON

Although he wouldn’t have known it then, Pierre took over at CBC, the prime minister requested three Juneau’s fi rst brush with politics would come in nights of CBC airtime to discuss his new budget. The 1940s Paris, France, where, as a student, he would pubcaster thought it disastrous to pre-empt so much meet future Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Although programming, but its hands were tied. some credited his ’80s term as president of the CBC “The law was clear that the prime minister had to the friendship he struck up with Trudeau during the right to speak his mind if he had an issue he that time, Juneau’s mark on the Canadian TV and considered serious,” Juneau says. “It was a diffi cult fi lm business started with his ascension through the decision for me. I read the law and consulted my ranks at the NFB starting in the late 1940s. lawyers. The conclusion was that he had the right to As the NFB’s head of French production, he saw ask for that, and he did it.” the board functioning, he reckons, 90% in English. Then, in 1984, Brian Mulroney’s Progressive He told Don Mulholland, the organization’s director Conservatives came to power. of planning and operations, that the distinctness of “There was some worry the new government would French Canada needed to be offi cially recognized. not be pleased that I was the president and that it “I convinced him the situation didn’t make sense might affect their decisions when it came to their — that there ought to be an Anglophone side and budgets,” Juneau says. a French side, and that I should be autonomous,” It was widely believed Juneau’s association with Juneau recalls. “From then on there were two Trudeau would work against him, and several friends sections that worked closely together, but I made my and colleagues recommended he step down. He told own decisions.” them, “I represent the independence of the CBC and At the CRTC he was tasked with enforcing the they can do whatever they like.” 1968 Broadcasting Act that called for substantial What the government did was cut $75 million airtime for homegrown programming and an end to from the CBC’s budget, resulting in 750 layoffs. The foreign control of Canadian-based broadcasters. pubcaster had anticipated the cuts, however, and had “He was seen as a tough regulator,” says John started quietly reducing administrative expenses to Hylton, CRTC general counsel under Juneau. “He was lessen the impact on programming. BIOGRAPHY a wonderful person to work for. He let his staff have a Despite this hardship, Juneau enjoyed many Juneau’s distinguished career began at the NFB in 1949 as lot of responsibility; it meant that he trusted us to do successes at CBC/Radio-Canada, including stellar Montreal district representative, and by 1964 he had become the what he felt needed to be done.” ratings for programs such as Degrassi Junior High fi lm board’s director of French-language production. In 1960, he In a bid to end American and British infl uence in and Lance et Compte. He aimed for Cancon levels of cofounded and presided over the Festival International du Film de the system, the CRTC stipulated that broadcasters 95% and oversaw progress of the CBC’s Canadian Montréal, a precursor to the city’s current cinematic celebration. could be no more than 20% foreign-owned. Broadcasting Centre, which would open its doors In 1966, he was named vice chair of the Board of Broadcast “I must give credit to the government, which in 1993. Also under his watch, CBC Newsworld Governors, the radio and TV regulator at the time. When that body had been studying that question. It’s amazing the (now CBC News Network) launched in 1989. He was replaced two years later by the CRTC (then known as the amount of foreign control there was at that time,” was interviewed on the cable channel’s inaugural Canadian Radio-Television Commission) he was its fi rst chair. After Juneau recalls. broadcast, his last day on the job. his departure in 1975, he entered federal politics and held posts In the early 1970s, he and his staff proposed, and Franklin Delaney, who worked with Juneau at as undersecretary of state and deputy minister of communications, subsequently implemented, guidelines demanding the BBG, CRTC and then CBC as VP of French TV, followed by his seven-year term as president of CBC/Radio-Canada broadcasters air 60% Canadian TV programming characterizes Juneau as a demanding but pleasant starting in 1982. overall and 30% Canadian music on AM radio, boss. “He was very committed and passionate about despite protestations from the Canadian Association Canadian programming, Canadian music and public of Broadcasters. The local recording industry was service,” Delaney says. so grateful it named its annual awards show, the And he still is. Eighty-eight-year-old Juneau remains Juno Awards, in his honour. It was also a period in highly focused on the pubcaster’s present state. which the CRTC had to fi gure out how to regulate “I don’t like everything, of course,” he admits. “But burgeoning cable TV. I’m worried about the [government] fi nancing. I’m Although Juneau and Trudeau were friends, they very much [in support of] the CBC.” did not always see eye to eye. Soon after Juneau

PPB.HOF.2011.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 4141 226/08/116/08/11 2:092:09 PMPM HALL OF FAME

“Denis Héroux is a Renaissance fi lmmaker. Not only did he make culturally relevant and accessible fi lms but he also looked at the larger marketplace and seized the opportunities that were emerging. Look at the fi rst big Canadian coproductions, Atlantic City and Quest for Fire: he reached out beyond the borders of Quebec to produce fi lms that would be seen around the world. I recently watched his early “maple leaf porno” hit, Valérie — it’s still fun, fresh, sexy and whimsical. Héroux paved the way for the next generation of producers and entrepreneurs like myself who aren’t tethered to the CBC or the NFB. Like him, we make our own fi lms and get them out to the world.”

— David Paperny, founder and producer, Paperny Films

BIOGRAPHY Photo: Université de Montréal DENISHÉROUX BY MARC GLASSMAN Denis Héroux is a groundbreaking producer and director, whose movies have won awards at fi lm festivals in Cannes, Venice, Montreal and Toronto, To accomplish such a storied resumé, Héroux had to be very confi dent as well as talented. His account of made investors millions of dollars and garnered Oscars, Genies and how he recruited the gifted veteran Brault to shoot Seul ou avec d’autres, the debut feature for Denys Arcand, Césars. He’s worked successfully with Denys Arcand, author Brian Moore, Stéphane Venne and himself, reveals much about the man. French New Wave icon Claude Chabrol, Burt Lancaster, Robert Lantos, “I didn’t know how to operate a camera,” recalls Héroux. “I read in the newspaper that Michel Brault had just Quebec’s legendary cinematographer and director Michel Brault, Donald come back from France where he’d made Chronique d’un été with Jean Rouch. So I put a nickel in the pay Sutherland — and helped to discover Donald’s son Kiefer and Tommy phone and called him at the NFB. I said, ‘I’m making a fi lm with my partners. We’d like to you to be our DOP.’ Chong’s daughter Rae Dawn. A recipient of the Order of Canada, Héroux He asked if we had any expertise, and I said, ‘No, but we have a scenario and we know what we want to do.’ produced the viciously dark thriller Violette Noziere starring a teenaged He said, ‘Why me?’ And I said, ‘We want the best and that’s what you are. It’s that simple.’” Isabel Huppert, Louis Malle’s acclaimed romantic character study Atlantic Héroux remembers, with a trace of wonderment, that the fi lm was selected for the Cannes Film Festival. City, the “prehistoric fi lm” Quest for Fire, the coming-of-age Depression-era “We were already there — among the best. But our fi lm was made in a kind of New Wave style. I realized drama The Bay Boy and the immensely important Quebecois family tale Les that we had to make cinema that was popular — that would reach the people — but always with quality. Plouffe. And if all that was not enough, Héroux along with Lantos, Stephen That’s why my fi rst [solo] movie, Valérie, was a fi lm with nudity.” Roth and John Kemeny, is one of the founders of Alliance, one of Canada’s After his erotic follow-up L’initiation, Héroux spent the ‘70s producing “comedies and popular movies,” leading distributors and producers for more than 25 years. developing professional relationships with foreign investors while wooing the CFDC, the precursor to Telefi lm, for fi nancial support. He produced the Jodie Foster horror fi lm The Little Girl who Lives Down the Lane and fi lms by Chabrol (Blood Relatives, Violette Noziere). Teaming up with producer John Kemeny and fi nding the right properties made all the difference. Atlantic

42 fall | playbackonline.ca

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PPB.HOF.2011.inddPB.19836.CMW.Ad.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 4242 1 229/08/1125/08/119/08/11 3:303 3:34:30 PMP PMM PB.19975.JustForLaughs.Ad.indd 1 26/08/11 2:41 PM PB.19836.CMW.Ad.indd 1 25/08/11 3:34PM

g PB.19975.JustForLaughs.Ad.indd 1 PPB.HOF.2011.indd 43 B . H O F . 2 Plouffe and hisperformanceearnedanOscarnomination. big enoughname.” James Mason, whocouldn’traiseusmoney—hewasn’ta people, Lancasterwasstillaname, astar. Louiswanted diffi cult. We neededtoraise$16million. Fortaxshelter [Getting Malletoagreecasting]BurtLancasterwas a fabulouswriterandSuzanneBaron, hisregulareditor. or leaveit.’ButLouisdidinsistonJohnGuare, whowas soundman andsoon,” saysHéroux. “I toldhim, ‘take it Best Picture. nominations inallmajorcategories, fromBestDirectorto City and said. ‘I’ve readthebook. I’mdoingthefi lm.’” going tomake.’ The nextmorningat7a.m., hecalledme it wasbad. SoItoldhim ‘Read it. That’s thefi lm we’re Have youreadthebook?’ And Carlesaid, ‘No.’ Heassumed direct, atfi rst herefused. Isaidtohim, ‘You’re alazyman. intellectuals wereagainstit. When IaskedGillesCarleto of fashioninthe’80s. an adaptationofthefamous’50s TV seriesthatseemedout 0 1 Kemeny andHérouxfollowedthatsuccesswith Héroux eventuallypersuadedMalletoacceptLancaster, “I forcedLouisMalletotakeaCanadianDOPand “It wasafi ght,” remembersHéroux. “The [industry] 1 . provedtobeahugehit, withthefi lm garneringOscar i n d d , afeaturethatmostQuébécoisassumedwouldbe

4 3 Les speakers havebeenJean-Marc Vallée ( and producertotalkour25students. [Amongtheguest now doing50sessionswherewereceiveawriter, director transform thecourseintowhatIwantedittobe. We are home toteachcinema. director ofl’UniversitédeMontréalaskinghimtocome Then, onhis65thbirthday, hereceivedarequestfromthe Héroux eventuallysettleddowninthesouthofFrance. Quest forFire Screenplay. nominated forthatyear, includingBestDirectionand donation Simoneau ( I didwhenwewereatuniversity.” chance andmaketheirﬁ lm, justlike Arcand and Venne and audience getstoseethenextgenerationdaretakea Over 1,000broadcasts!” It’s becomingacultevent;it’s repeatedfourtimesaweek. Savoir astheseries Les Plouffe “That was2007,” saysHéroux. “I wasallowedto successfulruninthe’80s,After avery highlightedby Héroux pausesandthensayswithsatisfaction: “The “The sessionsareshotonvideoandlatershownCanal ) andSophieDeraspe( Assassin’s Creed: Lineage wentontowinsevenof14Geniesitwas , The BayBoy Au coeurducinémaquébécoisrevient andthecreationof Alliance, Les signesvitaux ), BernardÉmond( Young Victoria ).] ), Yves La . Denis HérouxdirectingSamanthaEggaronthesetof Université deMontréal) The Uncanny (Photo: 26/08/11 2:41PM 226/08/11 2:55PM 6 / 0 43 8 / 1 1

2 : 5 5

P M HALL OF FAME

“His work resonates throughout the fabric of our culture in Canada and is another reason why Canadians should be proud of their culture.”

— Art Hindle, actor and ACTRA Toronto councillor

BY KEVIN RITCHIE FRÉDÉRICBACK Nearly two decades after retiring as an animator, Frédéric who re-forests a barren valley, is an epic testament to the Back is soft-spoken, but full of conviction: “I felt a big director’s meticulousness. Having learned to animate with one responsibility in trying to make the best drawing possible eye, Back worked 12- to 16-hour days, through weekends with the most meaning possible,” he says of his life’s and during vacations to fi nish the fi lm. More than a creative work. “So I was very conscious.” endeavour, the fi lm became a test of his endurance. There’s an interesting dichotomy in Back’s best-known “He looked for perfections. He looked for excellence,” fi lms; they have a soft, impressionist-style aesthetic, says Tison, who adds the scarcity of Radio-Canada but always contain a sharp message and call to action. funding for animated fi lms was a huge motivator. “When Fittingly, his animation technique was born of a desire we produced those fi lms the fi rst thing we had to be was to limit his environmental footprint while working on his excellent because we had to be able to do the next one.” favourite fi lm, All Nothing. The Man Who Planted Trees was distributed worldwide, To make his drawings’ footprint smaller, he drew on frosted won an Oscar and galvanized a tree-planting movement, but acetate paper and used wax-based pencils, which gave his Back looks back at the fi lm’s success somewhat ruefully. BIOGRAPHY fi lms the gentle, fl uid and textured look for which he is known. “I always felt my fi lm came too late compared to the In all facets of his lengthy career as an illustrator, animator and “For a half-hour of fi lm, you have to make 20,000 situation, which was deteriorating [quickly].” artist, Frédéric Back has maintained an unwavering focus on drawings, backgrounds and calculations,” he says. In discussing his fi nal fi lm, The Mighty River, an ode to the preservation of the natural world. An environmental activist “The fi lms themselves are made of material that could the St. Lawrence River, he points out that a book based on since the 1960s, a time when preoccupations with animal rights, be recycled. I am very conscious [that] you cannot do the fi lm was published in French and Japanese but never recycling and reforestation were considered avant-garde, the something without [using] anything.” in English, despite the involvement of Canadian author 87-year-old animator remains just as impassioned today. Back’s tireless work ethic and exhaustive approach have Farley Mowat, who championed the project to publishers. A two-time Academy Award winner, a knight of the Order of made him legendary in his fi eld, but have proved to be as Today, Back continues to contribute to the environmental Canada and member of the Order of Quebec, Back moved to costly physically as they’ve been rewarding creatively. movement through his art and in 2008, fl ew to L.A. for an Montreal in 1948, joining Radio-Canada’s graphics division in While working on Crac! Back suffered a huge setback. exhibit of his work organized by the Academy of Motion 1952 and its nascent animation studio in 1968. His fi rst project The fumes from a fi xative coating got into his eye, Picture Arts and Sciences. with collaborator Hubert Tison was Abracadabra, a children’s damaging his vision. He had two corneal implants and the In accepting his induction into Playback’s Hall of Fame, short, followed by the original screenplay for 1978’s All Nothing, doctors insisted he take a break, but Back refused and Back plans to use the opportunity to speak about the which made famous his signature hand-drawn style and continued working with a magnifying glass: “I didn’t want cause to which he has dedicated his life’s work. garnered the fi rst of his four Oscar nominations. to stop. It was so important to continue.” “[Prizes] have very little signifi cance if there is no The ‘80s brought three more shorts: Oscar winners Crac! (1981) The decision would cost him his vision in one eye. change in the way we use the fantastic technology we and The Man Who Planted Trees (1988) and the Oscar-nominated His long-time producer and collaborator, Hubert Tison have our in hands in order to make changes in the minds Mighty River (1994). Having retired from animation in 1993, he remembers in 1979 when Back’s eye fi lled up with blood and behaviour of people,” he says. continues to create artwork for environmental organizations. This right before the Academy Awards in L.A. “It was dramatic “Why, if you like my fi lms and the message, don’t you year, his work is the subject of a massive, two-fl oor retrospective because it happened so quickly,” he says of the injury. “He make better fi lms in order to continue the fi ght?” he at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo that will travel to had to learn to work with one eye and it was really tough asks. “A fi lm can be very funny or interesting, but [the Sapporo, Hiroshima and Beijing over the next year. but he succeeded. It was an épreuve [ordeal] for him.” fi lmmaker] should always fi nd a way to move people, to The fi ve-year production for The Man Who Planted Trees, make them aware of the power they have to contribute to based on French author Jean Giono’s book about a shepherd saving this world from disaster.”

44 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

Stories to discover. Made in Quebec. www.sodec.gouv.qc.ca follow us on 2011 Toronto International Facebook and Twitter Film Festival.

PPB.HOF.2011.inddPB.19642.SODEC.Ad.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 4444 1 226/08/1125/08/116/08/11 2:102 3:35:10 PMP PMM PB.19902.ACTRA.Ad.indd 1 25/08/11 3:36 PM “Roger was a game changer in the world of comedy, as was Air Farce. They really were the forerunners of political satire in this country — not only was it funny, interesting and innovative at the same time, it actually changed the way we looked at ourselves, which was a tremendous gift to our audience and the nation. Roger deserves a huge credit for that.”

— Slawko Klymkiw, executive director, CFC

BY EMILY CLAIRE AFAN ROGERABBOTT Abbott is remembered fondly by audiences for discuss every scheduling and audience issue,” impersonating prominent Canadian fi gures from recalls former CBC exec and current Canadian Jean Chrétien to Peter Mansbridge, but he’s Film Centre executive director Slawko Klymkiw. also remembered for an expression that the Abbott never showed up to a meeting without cast of Air Farce adopted as its motto: “There’s a pad of paper to keep written records, fl ow no limit to what a group can achieve if you don’t charts and diagrams of, well, everything, give a shit who gets the credit.” Ferguson says. He was so meticulous, it Long-time friend and partner Don Ferguson inspired a common refrain among Air Farce BIOGRAPHY recalled the line at Abbott’s memorial earlier crew: “Roger knows my job better than I do.” this year, echoing Abbott’s explanation that “the His dedication was evident the night Air Farce When he passed away this spring from leukemia, beloved funnyman Roger important thing for us was to get it done, not to was to debut in HD, Ferguson remembers, and Abbott left behind a void in the Canadian comedy world. His career in satirical go around saying, ‘it was my idea.’” an equipment malfunction almost caused the and political comedy began in his early 20s as an original member of the improv The expression encapsulates not just Abbott’s show not to air. troupe The Jest Society in Montreal, a play on Pierre Trudeau’s goal of making approach to comedy, but his work as well. “It was so incredibly frustrating, but Roger Canada a just society. With the addition of Don Ferguson and Luba Goy, the troupe “That guy knew more about week-to-week was here with the editor and assistant director created The Royal Canadian Air Farce as a radio show, which launched on CBC ratings than anyone in the research department; and he stayed up all night to fi x it,” he recalls. Radio in December 1973 and on TV in 1980. Abbott and Ferguson also co-hosted he knew the demographic of the audience, age, Abbott also sought to share his passion for the Easter Seals Telethon for 30 years and were known for nurturing local talent, sex, all those issues that people generally didn’t the craft of showbiz, serving as the president helming the TV program SketchCom, which featured up-and-coming sketch pay attention to. He was absolutely consumed of the ACTRA Writers Guild Toronto Branch in comedy groups. with all the details of the program and could the mid-’80s, which eventually evolved into

PB.19642.SODEC.Ad.indd 1 25/08/11 3:35 PM PB.19902.ACTRA.Ad.inddPPB.HOF.2011.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 4545 1 25/08/11226/08/116/08/11 3:36 2:102:10 PM PMPM HALL OF FAME

the Writers Guild of Canada. Former branch president Briane Nasimok remembers that Roger would hold a writers brunch for fellow scribes to meet and learn from each other. “People showed up because of him,” says Nasimok. “He understood that because of his position, he could infl uence other writers and the public.” Abbott was also instrumental in helping to build the Canadian Comedy Awards to its success today. “Once [Roger and Don] saw it needed their assistance, they became very involved,” recalls Nasimok. “They were our fi gureheads and they helped legitimize the Comedy Awards, [helping it evolve] from just being an in-house pat on the back.” In a similar effort to foster the Canadian comedy scene, Ferguson and Abbott created CBC series SketchCom to develop new talent. “The business was very good to us and we just had to give back,” says Ferguson. “It didn’t matter if there were people who were so new at their careers that they virtually had no experience or if they were students calling for advice. Roger was always taking the time to talk to them.” And what advice would he give them? It was advice that Ferguson feels Abbott would still give out today: “If you have a problem that’s really eating away at you, deal with it. If you have a script deadline that’s getting worse and worse, the only way to do Photo: Rodney Daw it is to sit down and write the fucking script. If you can’t fi x it, let it go. Be practical, you can’t try to achieve the impossible.” From left to right: Don Ferguson, John Morgan, Roger Abbott, Luba Goy.

46 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PB.19884.NFB.Ad.indd 1 25/08/11PB.19865.DOC.Ad.indd 3:40 PM 1 25/08/11 3:41 PM PPB.HOF.2011.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 4646 226/08/116/08/11 2:102:10 PMPM PPB.19913.IATSE.Ad.inddB.19913.IATSE.Ad.indd 1 226/08/116/08/11 2:402:40 PMPM HALL OF FAME

“Gilbert Rozon has built on one of Canada’s most plentiful natural resources — our humour — and the result is a Canadian-based multinational, multi-platform comedy juggernaut centred around Juste Pour Rire (Just for Laughs). His entrepreneurial traits have put Canada centrally on the world map, and his generosity saw him develop Juste Pour Aider. Gilbert knows the single language Canadians speak most eloquently is comedy.”

— Kirstine Stewart, executive vice president, English Services, CBC

GILBERTROZON BY EMILY CLAIRE AFAN

Call him a seducer. That’s one of the many ways that Andy children and asking them to be the best they can be.” Nulman, president, festivals and TV, Just for Laughs/Juste Rozon also created the Juste Pour Aider/Just Cause Pour Rire, describes his long-time business partner. telethon using his network of comedic talent to help raise “He’s not a salesperson as much as he’s a seducer and money for non-profi t organizations, including la Maison du I mean that in the most positive of manners,” explains Pere and Comic Relief. Nulman. “He can throw a pair of 3-D rose-coloured Rozon’s passion is one of his most outstanding glasses on you and it’s almost like he saying, ‘Let me attributes, and it can burst out in unexpected ways, show you what the promised land looks like...but you Nulman says fondly, recalling a memory from the ’80s don’t have to come if you don’t want to.’” when Rozon felt the JFL brand was being threatened. Nulman climbed aboard the Rozon Express in 1985 While working with HBO, the channel wanted to get BIOGRAPHY to help bring JFL to English-speaking audiences, after rid of the now-iconic JFL green mascot, and Rozon was When Gilbert Rozon realized that most major art forms had its launch two years prior. Though the fest is now a having none of it. their own international festivals, except comedy, he set out to household name, Rozon is not one to rest on his laurels. “I’ll never forget his Bruce Lee moment of frustration change that. The Montreal-born founding president of the Just “Gilbert will always fi nd something to improve in any — he defi ed the laws of physics,” remembers Nulman. For Laughs/Juste Pour Rire Group started his career in events triumph,” says Nulman. “He’s always questioning, not “He threw a carton of chocolate milk, kicked the garbage management in 1980, creating a celebratory festival (la Grande sitting back with a cigar and a drink. He’s almost like a can and pulled a Just For Laughs poster off the wall all Virée) for the town of Lachute, QC., which attracted 60,000 mutant cell that keeps moving, dividing, expanding.” at the same time. He didn’t want anyone to mess with people in its inaugural year. Prior to la Grande Virée, he’d And that’s similar to how Rozon looks at the JFL Group his brand.” explored careers in just about everything, from law to real estate — a big machine with moving parts that work together to One of Rozon’s favourite festival moments was getting and even as a gravedigger, but he eventually found his calling function properly, but with each unit constantly trying to British funnyman Rowan Atkinson to agree to perform a in comedy. Just For Laughs made its debut in 1983 and as the top the other. nonverbal act, which proved to be the very beginnings of festival heads into its 30th anniversary, it continues to draw over The most recent addition to JFL Group is Zoofest, a his legendary character, Mr. Bean. two million people to Montreal each year. Rozon has since grown Fringe-esque festival for all artistic genres, which he says After all these years, Rozon says he remains fascinated his comedy empire to include festivals in Toronto, Chicago and was created to compete with other units within the Group. by comedy, which he says evokes one of our most Paris, TV series such as Just for Laughs Gags and Funny as Hell, “If you have fi ve great units that do well, maybe there visceral reactions. live shows featuring the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Louis C.K., are two that impress you and there’s one you think should “It’s different from any form of art because you have and talent management. He’s also involved with the Montreal be careful,” he explains. “It’s like looking at all your an opinion right away and it affects you on a physical, Festivals Collective, the Canadian Festivals Coalition and chairs emotional and intellectual level,” he explains. “When was the Performance Committee of the Quebec tourism industry. the last time you laughed too much? You never say, ‘Oh, I Separated at birth? Just for Laughs president Andy Nulman (left) laughed so much today, so next week I should be careful. and JFL founder Gilbert Rozon (right) hug it out. “When it comes to good comedy, there’s never enough.”

48 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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PPB.19936.DirectorsGuild.Ad.inddB.19936.DirectorsGuild.Ad.indd 1 226/08/116/08/11 10:3910:39 AMAM HALL OF FAME

“Tantoo Cardinal is an inspiring example of someone who has focused her formidable talent to tell tough stories, transforming the way people see and understand important issues. That’s a powerful career that should be recognized and celebrated.”

— Michèle Maheux, executive director/COO, Toronto International Film Festival

TANTOOCARDINAL BY LINDSAY GIBB

As Neil Diamond’s 2009 NFB documentary Reel Injun expressed, A highlight was 1998’s Smoke Signals, a modern and compelling Aboriginal Peoples are some of the earliest stars of fi lm but story about the lives of a community on a Canadian reserve. were quickly stereotyped as “noble savages,” the enemy of the The all-aboriginal cast and modern viewpoint led many cowboy and alcoholic down-and-outs. And when it came to to consider the fi lm a breakthrough for Canada’s aboriginal BIOGRAPHY aboriginal women, roles were limited to those simulating the fi lmmaking community. For over three decades, Tantoo Cardinal has fi ctionalized Pocahontas legend. One of her greatest prides is seeing her son, Cliff Cardinal, dedicated her life to the arts and ensuring that These are the kinds of stereotypes Tantoo Cardinal has been become part of the arts community himself as an up-and-coming Aboriginal Peoples are well represented within them. working against since she started acting. writer. One of the best ways to change a prevailing viewpoint is to As an actress, some of her most notable credits Raised in Anzac, Alberta, Cardinal discovered acting as a young become part of the conversation, she says. include roles in the fi lms Black Robe, Loyalties, aboriginal rights activist. Cast in a small role in a docudrama, she And Cliff is doing just that, having recently penned and staged Education of Little Tree, Smoke Signals, Legends of realized she loved the art of storytelling and saw the potential for his fi rst play, Stitch, through Toronto’s SummerWorks festival. the Fall and Where the Rivers Flow North, as well the evolution of roles for aboriginal women in fi lm. Cardinal is joyful when she talks about her son’s pursuit of the arts. as television roles in Canada: A People’s History, As opposed to being plotted, her acting career has followed “We have so many young people that are doing wonderful Moccasin Flats and North of 60, for which she won her heart, she says, choosing to go where the “creative force” things, but unfortunately society doesn’t hear about them very a Gemini award. She is also a founding member of moves her. much,” she says. “They hear about all the troubles and the toils the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company, which One of her favourite characters she’s portrayed is Bangor from and the horrors, but we have some young people that are just encourages young Aboriginal people to express their Where the Rivers Flow North. A servant and lover to Rip Torn’s brilliant and wonderful and beautiful. That’s very exciting to see creativity and get in touch with their heritage. For stubborn 1920’s lumberjack, Bangor is a layered character that that happening.” all of her artistic endeavours, Cardinal has received reminded Cardinal of the many women who raised her and with She knows, however, that her son has entered a tough business. many accolades and honours. In 2010 she was whom she grew up. “To be an artist, in many ways you have to be a warrior,” she inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada for “[She] was part of a world that not a lot of people were aware says. “You have to make major decisions. You have to stick with her contributions to the “growth and development of of,” says Cardinal. things even though the rest of the world might be in horror and Aboriginal performing arts in Canada.” Earlier this However, she notes that throughout her career she has turmoil, but that’s our agreement when we decide that we’re going year, ACTRA chose to honour Cardinal for the 100th been battling the prevailing attitude that if a role is to go to an to be artists. We’re working with the human experience and it anniversary of International Women’s Day. She has aboriginal person, there needs to be an explanation for why the seems to me that we’re thrown into some experiences just so that also received an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement character is aboriginal. we’re more aware. We’re able to share stories in a stronger way award from Women in Film and Television (WIFT), “That’s a frustration,” she says. “Rather than accepting that by having some understanding, compassion and experience.” a National Aboriginal Achievement Award and four we’re a part of this society, that we’re a part of the mesh, An activist to this day, Cardinal continues to fi ght for what she honorary doctorates in various artistic fi elds. [there’s always a rationalization],” she says. believes is right. On Aug. 23, 2011, she and fellow Canuck actor Now in her 60s, Cardinal has seen attitudes and awareness Margot Kidder were briefl y arrested outside the White House while around Aboriginal Peoples change since the beginning of her career. protesting the construction of a pipeline from Alberta to Texas.

50 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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PPB.19963.Dynamix.Ad.inddB.19963.Dynamix.Ad.indd 1 229/08/119/08/11 3:023:02 PMPM HALL OF FAME

PLAYBACK OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

ALLANHAWCO BY SIOFAN DAVIES When Allan Hawco was in his early 20s, he wrote a list of what Regularly watched by a million people in Canada alone, not he wanted to accomplish in his career by the time he was to mention its distribution to 96 countries, Republic of Doyle 33. While he admits to throwing the list out at around age 30 shows off a slice of Canada — St. John’s — at its best. because it was too much pressure, somehow in the following Kevin Tierney, a producer on the Hawco-starrer Love three years all those career to-dos happened, the biggest of & Savagery, nominated the Newfoundland actor for the which would be his roles as executive producer, showrunner Award. When asked what sparked the nomination, Tierney and creator of the successful CBC drama Republic of Doyle, a easily rattles off Hawco’s winning attributes, from his charm show he fi rst had the idea for when he was 19. to his drive, but it’s clear his choice speaks to a larger The Playback Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes accomplishment. young talent who have made a signifi cant contribution to the “To invest your time and energy into staying in Canada and Canadian fi lm and television industry but are too young to be doing this is to be applauded,” he says. “The fact that he took inducted to the Hall of Fame. With over a decade of acting credits that gamble and that he’s winning — hats off.” in both fi lm and television, and his achievements with Doyle, the Hawco has no plans to write a new, post-30, list — not bar has been set high by the multi-tasking Hawco. even one including the Hall of Fame — but when asked about “Writing, acting and producing was always the path that I his legacy, he says he’d rather think about the mark he’s knew to take if I wanted to have a truly fulfi lling career,” he making right now: “I like the idea that I am contributing to this says. “Sometimes I feel the writing and the stress of producing fantastic community that we’re a part of — I feel so lucky that keeps me from thinking too much about my acting work and I am able to add my two cents and help push the ball forward Allan Hawco is co-creator, showrunner and producer on CBC’s Republic allows me to be truly in the moment.” for the greater good of all.” of Doyle, in addition to being a part of the writing team.

PANAVISION AWARD:

ADAMBARKEN BY EMILY CLAIRE AFAN Since being named to Playback’s 10 to Watch in meetings going forward,” he explains. “It’s 2010 list, screenwriter Adam Barken has had a the kind of thing that producers pay attention year full of development — literally. to and it was really amazing to be in that The Whitby, ON.-based scribe earned a company.” spot on the list last year for landing story As for what’s next, Barken still has his sights editing and writing gigs on Flashpoint and set on exploring his love for drama, and intends Rookie Blue and earning a Writers Guild of to continue both teaming up with other writers Canada Screenwriting Award for an episode of and pushing forward with his own material. But Flashpoint. he’s also aiming for a bigger goal: producing. Barken has since served as a consulting With the successes of Flashpoint and Rookie producer for Blue and returned to Flashpoint Blue outside the Canadian market, he’s eyeing to pen several eps for its latest season. In the the potential to bring his future projects to meantime, his plate has been full: he wrote a international broadcasters. CBC pilot earlier this year, is currently in the “Ultimately the goal is to have your shot and early stages of co-writing another for CTV and to have your voice heard on as large a stage as has a third show in development with Global. possible,” he says. “There’s still a huge amount Being one of the 10 to Watch has also been a for me to learn, so hopefully one day I’ll have Two of a kind? Adam Barken, one of 2010’s 10 to Watch, accepts his award from Panavision’s Stewart Aziz career boost for the screenwriter, Barken says. the opportunity to run the ship myself.” at Playback’s 4th Annual Canadian Film & Television Hall of Fame. “It was something that people would mention Barken is repped by The Alpern Group.

52 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PB.19805.NSI.Ad.inddPPB.HOF.2011.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 5252 1 25/08/11226/08/116/08/11 3:582:112:11 PMPM American & Film Conference Market® Series

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SWAROVSKI HUMANITARIAN AWARD: BY KATIE BAILEY GEORGESTROUMBOULOPOULOS Celebrity and charity often go hand in hand, but true dedication to a The fi rst media personality to represent WFP, Stroumboulopoulos cause is a rarer breed. In recognition of the individuals from the fi lm says his goal is largely to continue to do what he and his team at and television industry whose efforts go above and beyond, Playback George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight already does: seek to engage has established the annual Humanitarian Award, sponsored in its audiences with the issues surrounding global food resources and inaugural year by Swarovski, whose charitable mission is to bring contribute to the conversation on a domestic and international level. clean water to developing countries, with a focus on children. In addition to domestic projects in development, Stroumboulopoulos’ Our fi rst recipient of the Humanitarian Award is CBC’s George international presence extends to travelling to regions where food Stroumboulopoulos, a fi xture in the Canadian television industry resources are in crisis, due to external factors such as politics or as since 2000 and radio host since 1993. As host of George a result of natural disaster. CBC chronicled his February 2011 trip to Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and The Hour prior to that, Strombo’s Pakistan, where he met with locals and regional WFP workers to better youthful look and vibrant personality make him a direct conduit to understand the issues plaguing the region after the fl oods of 2010. television’s most sought-after audience, the 18- to 34-year-olds. Seeing others’ experiences fi rst-hand was a critical part of gaining An advocate for many causes throughout his career, insight into the effects of food crises, he says. Stroumboulopoulos was in 2011 named an Ambassador Against “A lot of what you’re doing is asking people to come along with you Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The fi rst on a journey like this,” he explains. “So you need to go see it fi rst-hand. Canadian to hold the title, Stroumboulopoulos is charged with raising You go and pick up the humanity and the nuance of the situation.” awareness of global food issues with Canadians. Food and nutrition are basic human rights, he says, and he’s proud The UN post was not one he accepted lightly, he explains. to be working with a team of people in pursuit of achieving that for all. Stroumboulopoulos in Pakistan’s Swat Valley on Feb. 26, 2011 (Photo: CBC) “It’s a humbling thing. I spent almost a year thinking about it. I wanted “To me, food aid is a health and justice issue — people having a to carefully consider what I thought I could bring to this discussion.” fair shot. Everyone has a right to justice and a fair shot at life.”

54 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

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PPB.HOF.2011.inddB.HOF.2011.indd 5454 226/08/116/08/11 2:132:13 PMPM PPB.19903.Panavision.Ad.inddB.19903.Panavision.Ad.indd 1 225/08/115/08/11 3:593:59 PMPM Each year, Playback puts out a call for the industry to recommend its best and brightest up-and-coming talent for our 10 to Watch list. With over 100 nominations this year, including only 10 seemed impossible — virtually every nominee deserved to be on the list. The selection represented here is the culmination of careful consideration by Playback’s editorial jury, in 2 association with ﬁ lm, TV and interactive industry execs and organizations. Having already made 10 a splash, these talented 10 are poised for great things. WATCH PROFILES BY EMILY CLAIRE AFAN, ROSE BEHAR AND KATIE BAILEY NOMINATION LOGISTICS AND RESEARCH BY EMILY CLAIRE AFAN

Hometown: Calgary Agency: United Talent Agency, Los Angeles Big break: Creating, writing and producing Showcase’s Almost Heroes

10 THE BUZZ: Hailing from a family of entertainment pros, the brothers are quick to say they’re at their funniest when they work together. Both have achieved success in different ﬁ elds in the TV biz with Jason screenwriting and producing for FX’s Testees and CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie, and Ryan as a stand-up act and comic actor in Fox’s Life on a Stick and 2008’s Finn on the Fly. Earlier this year, the duo found themselves in Toronto together and between projects — the next thing they knew, they found themselves with a deal for Almost Heroes. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE COMEDY OF ALMOST HEROES? Jason: We don’t have a mean bone in our bodies, comedy-wise. We wanted to create a family within our characters, something that everyone can relate to. Our favourite shows aren’t necessarily hip or edgy. JASON AND RYAN Ryan: We don’t want our show to have humour that you have to watch twice to understand — we want broad stuff. Sometimes we’re wrong, but it’s a fast-paced comedy, so if there’s something that doesn’t work, well, on the next joke. TELL US ABOUT DEVELOPING THE SCRIPT. WHO WERE YOU HOPING TO REACH? BELLEVILLE Jason: We aren’t doing a show for boomers or teenagers, it’s for people who haven’t ﬁ gured things out yet, people who are 20 to 30 years old…I think with our comic shop in this little crappy strip mall, we found SCREENWRITERS & the perfect setting for some fantastic characters. There’s an instinct to have nothing really matter to sitcom characters these days, for them to be very glib, but we think ideally, audiences would be invested in our characters. HOW DO YOUR PERSONALITIES BALANCE OUT IN YOUR WORK? PRODUCERS Jason: I’m more serious, Ryan reminds me to have more fun. I remind him that we need to actually get the work done. Ryan: More silly, I wouldn’t say fun. Jason: Yeah, you’re no fun. Ryan has more guts; he makes me push the envelope. RB

Hometown: Toronto Agency: Creative Drive Artists / William Morris Endeavor Entertainment Big break: David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method

THE BUZZ: The 24-year-old kicked off her acting career at age 11 with an appearance in La Femme Nikita in 1998, followed by roles in Canadian and U.S. TV series such as Being Erica, The Border, Happy Town and Total Drama Island. But, she professes, her fi rst love is fi lm and it’s a passion she’s been indulging to widespread recognition. In the past two years, she’s seen her name appear on the credits for Jim Sheridan’s Dream House, Mary Harron’s The Moth Diaries and two David Cronenberg fi lms: A Dangerous Method, in which she plays psychologist Carl Jung’s wife Emma, and Cosmopolis, as heartthrob Robert Pattinson’s love interest. YOU’VE REALLY EXPLODED ONTO THE FEATURE FILM SCENE. WHAT’S CHANGED IN YOUR APPROACH TO ACTING? When you’re a younger actor, you’re just trying to get experience, but when you transition into being an adult, and develop your values as an artist, you can say things like “I really want to work with auteur directors who have an interesting vision, and aren’t tainted by studios or people or big-name producers.” So last year, I worked with Sheridan, Herron and Cronenberg. Those kind of choices aren’t just, “oh lucky me.” They are conscious choices I’m trying to make. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH SUCH WELL-KNOWN CASTS? For A Dangerous Method, I cast off tape then I found myself on a fl ight to Germany. I’d never met [David Cronenberg] until our camera test and there were no rehearsals. I was beside myself, working with actors like Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen and then to have the added layer of David Cronenberg, it was surreal. I don’t know how I did that! SARAH GADON HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR CAREER EVOLVE IN THE FUTURE? I’m a cinephile. If I can, I will always keep working in fi lm. But will fi lm always pay the bills? I don’t know, but I’m trying ACTOR to fi nd that balance between art and commerce. Everyone struggles with that, whether you’re an actor, writer or director. I’m trying to do projects that I think are interesting, and I’m defi nitely not opposed to TV. ECA (Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg)

56 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.Ten2Watch.2011.inddB.Ten2Watch.2011.indd 5656 226/08/116/08/11 12:1712:17 PMPM Hometown: Toronto Big break: The Whistleblower Agency: United Talent Agency

THE BUZZ: Toronto-born director Kondracki made big waves last year at TIFF with her still-unfi nished feature, The Whistleblower, a fi lm she started working on as her masters thesis at Columbia University. Fast-forward a year, and Kondracki is jetting around the world promoting the premiere of the thriller, which follows a UN worker, played by Rachel Weisz, who helps uncover a sex-traffi cking ring in post-war Bosnia. Since she fi rst started working on it as a student in 2003, Kondracki has been on a roller coaster ride, having her fi rst feature attract not only two Oscar-winning actresses (Weisz and Vanessa Redgrave) but win international distribution and critical acclaim. TELL US ABOUT DEBUTING THE WHISTLEBLOWER AT TIFF LAST YEAR. We got it as a very last-minute opportunity. We didn’t know if the fi lm would be presentable but because Christine [Piovesan, the fi lm’s producer] and I are Canadian, we really wanted to do it. It was one of those 18-hour, working around the clock things to get the tape fi nished. We put it out three hours before it was due. It was all temp score, the sound wasn’t mixed — the picture wasn’t even totally locked either. But it ended up brilliant. The Elgin was packed and we sold the fi lm. LOOKING BACK, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED DURING THIS JOURNEY THAT YOU’LL CARRY FORWARD? Everything and nothing! I’ve learned not to give up. That’s what a lot of people said to me: a lot of people are going to fall out along the way or won’t continue, but don’t give up. Everything about this was kind of a last-minute thing. After LARYSA all those years it was suddenly a phone call on a Friday and Rachel [Weiss] said yes and I was packing on Sunday and we hadn’t even scouted Romania before we got there. You also learn that there are things you can’t control but in a KONDRACKI weird way that’s where the energy comes from. WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO A STORY OR A SCRIPT? It needs to be something you just can’t stop thinking about. Because if you’re not 100% committed, you’ll never get DIRECTOR it done. And if for some reason you get the opportunity to do it, you won’t do a good job. So I think it just has to be something that grabs you. For me, I look for originality and a challenge. We’re now working on a kind of epic horror, set in the WWII-era Soviet Union. There are still fundamentally important scenes underneath [like Whistleblower] but this time I want to do something totally different. KB

Hometown: Toronto Agency: Meridian Artists Big break: HBO Canada’s Less Than Kind

THE BUZZ: Although Engels has been everything from Bay Street businesswoman to stand-up comedian in her career, she always kept her underutilized English Lit degree in the back of her mind. Seizing the day in 2006, Engels joined the Canadian Film Centre’s screenwriting program and earned a Global Apprenticeship Award from the Banff World Media Festival in 2007. Shortly after that, she began a three-season run on Less Than Kind, which earned her two Gemini nods as well as a Writers Guild of Canada award nomination. She’s now penning scripts for CBC spy farce InSecurity. WHAT DID YOU FIND WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN BREAKING INTO THE WRITING WORLD? It takes a lot of perseverance. I think one of the things I learned from acting was that you have to develop a thick skin, because your job description is to go to auditions for roles that [statistically] you’re just not going to get. So I think in this ﬁ eld as well, you have to be rigorous about looking at your skill set and seeing what needs enhancing. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMEDIC WRITERS IN CANADA? I think they’re good. It seems like [Canadian] networks really want half-hours. Comedy is always in demand. And there’s also a very strong animation industry in this country. Judging from the people that I graduated from the [CFC] with, there were a lot of writers trying to make it into drama writing, which can be harder to crack. So you’ve got lots of opportunity if you want to be a comedy writer. YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS IN A FEW SHORT YEARS. WHAT’S YOUR SECRET? JENN ENGELS Riding on the coattails of others? I used to be in this sketch comedy group and we weren’t very good, but our shows were a lot of fun. Our motto was “ride on the coattails of others,” because we would invite great stand-up comics to do sets between our lousy sketches and nights turned out really well, largely because of these comics. Really, my success is because I’ve been SCREENWRITER working with amazing people and I’ve been learning a lot from them. It’s such a collaborative experience and job. RB

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Hometown: Vancouver Big break: Terry Miles’ A Night for Dying Tigers Upcoming projects: Web series The True Heroines, docu-drama East Side Pharmacy and Canadian/Cuban copro Three Days in Havana

THE BUZZ: George may only be four years in to the world of cinematography, but she’s already made a big impression on the Canadian fi lm scene. She studied fi lm at UBC and started working professionally in 2007 with the debut of The Porcelain Man, a short directed by UBC classmate Mark Ratzlaff, which earned her a Leo for Best Cinematography in a Short Drama. Since then, she’s jumped from indie to indie, including the Ratzlaff-directed Voodoo starring Colm Feore, and a recent co-directing credit on short Run Dry. This year, she nabbed a Women in Film & Television Award for excellence in cinematography and two more Leo nominations. 10 WHAT’S THE SECRET TO YOUR SUCCESS? I worked for free a lot at the beginning, and that’s really been the reason I’ve gotten as far as I have — because people have seen my passion for it outside of the fi nancial aspect of fi lm. My advice would be to volunteer until people start to see you love what you do. WHAT’S ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PROJECTS YOU’VE WORKED ON? Voodoo, the short I shot on Super 16mm black and white. It was a challenging medium to shoot with and the project was set in the 1940s, which challenged me to look at the style of the fi lms from back then and really analyze which of the techniques from that time period I wanted to bring into the piece. LINDSAY GEORGE WHO INSPIRES YOU? It sounds so cliché, but Roger Deacon is a huge infl uence as a DP. Even though he does so many fi lms he’s really good CINEMATOGRAPHER at pinpointing the specifi c styles of the fi lms rather than just overlaying a certain style that he has onto any fi lm. RB

Hometown: Waterloo, ON Big break: Critter Crunch Upcoming projects: Project Grindstone (working title)

THE BUZZ: With Vella at the helm, Toronto-based independent game developer Capy has gone from licensed titles (Cars, American Idol) to reaching its goal of developing original IP. The Ryerson University fi lm school grad kicked off his career as an editor at prodco Marblemedia before co-founding Capy in 2003. Since then, he and his team have steadily built an international reputation launching attention-getting and successful projects such as Critter Crunch, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes and most recently, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. WHAT HAS MADE YOUR APPROACH TO INDIE GAME DEVELOPMENT SO SUCCESSFUL? People are always talking about how to hit these wider demos, but we weren’t trying to do that with [a game like] Sworcery. My mentality is to get 100% of the attention of 10% of people, rather than [the other way around]; I’d rather have a loyal interest from a smaller group than a few people in a giant pool. We knew we weren’t going to be Angry Birds, but we thought if we could provide something genuine and soulful for 50,000 people, then the game would be a real success. We’re about to hit a quarter-million in sales. DID YOUR EXPERIENCE IN FILM AND TV INFLUENCE YOUR WORK IN THE GAMES BUSINESS? I think people try to make more correlations between fi lm, TV and games than there actually are. Games are a 120-mile-per-hour head-on collision between creative and technical — you have to work together to turn these crazy NATHAN VELLA ideas into lines of code or coloured pixels. The best games are made by the best teams, not the best individuals. WHAT’S WITH ALL THE BUZZ AROUND INDIE GAMES AND DEVELOPMENT THESE DAYS? It’s a great way to make projects: it’s inexpensive and provides a lot of opportunity on the business side. If you can CO-FOUNDER make a game for $500,000 or $1 million and that game can hit three platforms, it doesn’t need to sell that many units to be profi table. It will make the digital landscape more competitive — everyone has to step up their game. A AND PRESIDENT, relatively small investment in gaming can guarantee more success than a large investment in other industries. I want to continue to prove that it’s not as risky as it sounds. ECA CAPYBARA GAMES

58 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.Ten2Watch.2011.inddB.Ten2Watch.2011.indd 5858 226/08/116/08/11 12:1812:18 PMPM NOTICE TO: ALL CANADIAN DISTRIBUTORS OF MOTION PICTURES

CINEMA PLASTIQUE D’OR, LLC (“PRODUCER”), A U.S. BASED PRODUCER, IS SEEKING ANY PARTY WHICH CLAIMS THE CANADIAN COPYRIGHT(S) OR DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS TO EITHER OR BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING MOTION PICTURES:

“HERCULES” (PRODUCED IN 1958)

“HERCULES UNCHAINED” (PRODUCED IN 1959)

PLEASE ADVISE PRODUCER OR LEGAL COUNSEL VIA THE FOLLOWING FAX OR E-MAIL ADDRESS:

PRODUCER FAX (801) 225-5719

LEGAL COUNSEL [email protected]

IF YOU CLAIM TO HOLD ANY SUCH RIGHTS, WITH SUPPORTING CHAIN OF TITLE, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

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Company: Echo Bay Media Hometowns: Andre: Carlisle, ON; Scott: Brantford, ON Upcoming projects: Descending for OLN

THE BUZZ: Dupuis and Wilson launched Hamilton-based Echo Bay Media in 2001 right out of school, working on corporate and agency video gigs until a job on a travel show sparked the idea for a show of their own. The duo ﬁ nanced the demo for Departures, a true-to-life international travel show that Dupuis shoots and in which Wilson co-stars, with student loan money and sent it to OLN in 2007. Today, Departures is three seasons deep, won three Geminis and airs in 45 countries, becoming widely regarded as a successful and innovative take on a well-worn genre. DID YOU EVER EXPECT TO SEE DEPARTURES BECOME SO SUCCESSFUL? 10 Wilson: I remember Andre and I saying at one point, “Who the hell is going to watch this?” We went into it ANDRE DUPUIS thinking, “this is how everyone travels, this is what reality TV should be, regardless of whether it’s glamorous or not.” But I think what people really saw in it was the ability to connect. We’re not actors, we are who we are and we try to get that across. & SCOTT WILSON WHAT’S UP-AND-COMING FOR ECHO BAY? Dupuis: Descending. We like shows that start with the letter D! When Scott and I were doing Departures in PRODUCERS Brazil, we were scuba-diving and and once you’re in the water, you’re exploring the last frontier of the planet. We thought, “wouldn’t it be great to do a travel exploration show that has to do with diving?” So we shot a demo ep, OLN greenlit it and we’re halfway through shooting. (Editor’s note: Descending is slated for a February 2012 delivery on OLN.) WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CRAZIER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WHILE SHOOTING? Wilson: Recently in South Africa on Descending, there was a crazy current that caught us off guard — you have to control your ascend or you get the bends. Our Red camera is a 75-pound beast and getting it in and out of the water is like lifting a submarine. Basically, Andre was caught in an upswell and went up like a bullet. It looked like he was trying to decide to save the camera or save his life. It was scary at the time, but now it’s almost comical. ECA

Hometown: Toronto Agency: Vanguarde Artists Management Big break: Defendor, 2009

THE BUZZ: After losing two editors while directing an “epically ambitious” short in 2000, Ashenhurst bought himself Final Cut Pro, taught himself to use it and edited the fi lm himself, realizing in the process that he loved to edit. Working his way up the ladder, Ashenhurst landed his fi rst big feature gig for 2009’s Defendor, starring Woody Harrelson. The fi lm earned him a DGC nomination for best picture editing of a feature fi lm, kicking off his career in features. He’s since edited Jonathan Sobol’s Beginner’s Guide to Endings, co-edited Larysa Kondracki’s The Whistleblower and most recently wrapped work on The Samaritan from David Weaver. WHAT PROMPTED THE CHANGE IN CAREER? I’d interviewed for an assistant director gig on Atom Egoyan’s Ararat and also for an editor’s job at an ad agency before backpacking through Europe in 2001. I liked Atom and the job was pretty alluring — and the editor job made far, far less money — but in the end, I decided [editing] was what I wanted to pursue. Directing wasn’t creatively fulfi lling for me, unlike editing — looking at material with fresh eyes, making it work and fi nding the movie. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU’VE LEARNED AS A FEATURES EDITOR? On any movie, you may think it’s great and you think you’re done, then you screen it for people, and issues emerge and suddenly you think it sucks and then it doesn’t suck. It’s dealing with those ups and downs, which is part of any creative process. It’s a tough thing to get through. I’ve been able to learn from those experiences and be more aware of my emotions. GEOFF HAVE YOU RUN INTO ANY SURREAL MOMENTS WHILE EDITING? The fi rst time I went to the Defendor set, I brought my laptop so I could show [producer Peter Stebbings] some of the scenes. Peter called over Woody Harrelson and said, “Hey, Woody, do you want to see this stuff?” He left us alone in ASHENHURST a holding room and there I was, standing with Woody, showing him these scenes on the laptop and he said, “These EDITOR scenes are pretty good, man.” They were ready for him on set, but he didn’t want to leave! ECA

60 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.Ten2Watch.2011.inddB.Ten2Watch.2011.indd 6060 226/08/116/08/11 12:1812:18 PMPM Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, ON Agency: Claire Best and Associates in L.A. (worldwide) Big break: Dirty Girl

THE BUZZ: This Vancouver-based, classically trained composer did his post-grad at the University of Southern California studying fi lm score composition. The majority of his career has seen him arranging orchestration for Hollywood blockbusters such as Fast Five, Battle Los Angeles and 2012, but he’s recently begun pursuing his true passion of writing music for the screen, landing his fi rst feature composing gig on 2010’s independent fi lm Dirty Girl, starring Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy. TELL US ABOUT MOVING FROM ORCHESTRATION INTO COMPOSITION. If you’re seen as an orchestrator, people will want to put you in that category and won’t consider you for writing original music. I’d probably be lying if I said I just did it for fun because it pays pretty well, but I’m consciously moving away from it. Now I’m excited to orchestrate my own projects. For the last 10 years, I’ve had a two-streamed career, working in supporting roles for movies you’ve heard of and wrote music for movies you probably haven’t heard of. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING ON DIRTY GIRL? Indie fi lms are always budget-challenged. We worked a little bit of magic to have a 35- to 40-piece orchestra play since live musicians add so much to the fi lm. Luckily for me in this case, I didn’t have to convince the director [Abe Sylvia] — he wanted it right from the start. Directors generally know that an orchestra is a really effective way to tell the story. We [tend JEFF TOYNE to] have resistance with producers, as they have a hard time seeing value for dollar spend. EVER HAD ANY UNUSUAL REQUESTS? I try to come up with those on my own, to be honest! Film composers work in clichés — the bad guy walks on and you COMPOSER hear low trombones. We have this bag of devices that audiences are subconsciously aware of, but it’s nice to create new ideas. On Dirty Girl, Abe wanted a pedal steel guitar because the fi lm starts in Arkansas. It’s an amazingly complex and powerful instrument and not used in fi lm enough because it really suffers from a country-western connotation. Any chance to bring an instrument out of its baggage is an exciting opportunity. ECA

Hometowns: Leo: Caledon, ON; Rosen: Toronto Company: Aircraft Pictures Upcoming projects: The River of Blood, Hiding and Love Me and a project with Corvid Pictures. The duo are also in development on projects with Family Channel and CBC

THE BUZZ: Leo and Rosen met at the CFC Producers Lab in 2002; Rosen was working at Alliance Films and Leo as an actor. Sharing a common passion for the TV biz, the partners launched Aircraft in 2005 with the help of private investors. Out of the fi rst shorts they produced, Todd & The Book of Pure Evil, eventually evolved into a show on CTV’s Space channel. Now green-lit for a third season, Todd generated eight Gemini nominations this year and Aircraft’s What’s Up, Warthogs! is entering its sophomore season for Family Channel. WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO A PROJECT FROM AN INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVE? ANTHONY LEO & We get excited by projects with a big picture in mind — stories that have a world rich enough to start out as a television series but also sustain another part of the story being told as a string of feature fi lms and another part being told as a web series. We would rather have fi ve projects with that amount of potential in ANDREW ROSEN development than 20 separate projects each with a limited scope. IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU HOPING TO EVOLVE AIRCRAFT PICTURES AS A BUSINESS? PRODUCERS It’s a very interesting time to be a content producer. On the one hand, the prospect of being part of the fi rst generation of producers to have this many platforms on which to launch their content is very exciting, but on the other hand the fear is that more platforms will amount to less fi nancing to make the content we really want to make. Our current business model for Aircraft involves continuing to take advantage of traditional fi nancing models for television and feature fi lm projects while staying as nimble as a possible as a company so we can always take on a project for the digital space if we believe in it — even if the fi nancing and revenue potential is not so apparent at the outset. WHAT ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS TO A SUCCESSFUL YOUTH PROPERTY? One of our biggest mantras would have to be never dumbing-down content, whether you’re creating programming for a nine-year-old girl or a 35-year-old guy. We’ve been fortunate to work with broadcasters who have always encouraged us to push boundaries, which has allowed us to take the risks we needed to in order to make something fresh while remaining true to the situation. KB and ECA

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THE ONE THAT

GOT AWAY... BY KATIE BAILEY Even at a time when celebrities get reality-show rehab and toddlers wear tiaras on TV, some show concepts are just too wacky to make it to market. We asked three execs from the Canadian TV biz to tell us about the boldest concept they ever had, or were pitched, that they really wanted to do, but was just too crazy to make it to air. From bikers and babes to epic disasters, these are their favourites.

A DISASTER OF EPIC A STRIPPED-DOWN DEATH BY MULTIPLE PROPORTIONS TRAVEL SHOW TIME ZONES AS TOLD BY: ANN HARBRON, DIRECTOR OF AS TOLD BY: CLAIRE FREELAND, DIRECTOR OF AS TOLD BY: MARK BISHOP, PARTNER COMMISSIONING AND PRODUCTION, DISCOVERY DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION, ROGERS MEDIA AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MARBLEMEDIA

This is the scenario: two It was a show about a small We really wanted to do something screenwriters take a car trip from group of bikers, I think there that was live on TV and had a strong San Francisco to Los Angeles. were four or fi ve, that were interactive component to it that Two “no one ever listens to going to ride their bikes across could actually infl uence what was screenwriters” screenwriters. North America, looking for the happening on television. So a friend They have a ragtop and they best places to ride, eat, drink, of ours brought forward an idea — decide to drive south down the camp — and see strippers. over drinks and a jam session — of Pacifi c Coast highway because they are going to pitch this The concept didn’t work for a fundamental reason: we developing a live, real-time improv show. It would be a sketch show. And the show is, “what happens when a disaster would never commission a show about the exhibition of comedy show that would feature a cast of improv performers, strikes Los Angeles?” So the entire trip down in the car, they strippers. But what was good about it was using interactive components online and — this was fi ve years talk about all the disaster scenarios and what would happen that the characters were great. ago — with this crazy thing called mobile. So the audience could if they struck. So then, of course, you cut through to all They were big, they were truly infl uence the show, not just by voting, but by being able to the scenarios in which the city could be destroyed: unapologetic, and they were make meaningful suggestions [via text messaging], which the earthquake, tsunami, infrastructure failure, all the kind, which I thought was cast would then perform live. things that are the hallmarks of a great disaster important. They also seemed We called the network — it was the CBC — and as soon movie. And then they reach L.A. and — it has like the type of guys that both as we gave them the [idea] we got a meeting right away. They happened. All of it. L.A. is decimated. And there’s women and men would like and loved it and wanted to hear more. But as soon as we went in no one left to pitch! would watch. So the characters and started pitching the idea, we realized the biggest fl aw: time I loved [the idea] because it had all the elements of were interesting and they were zones. The hard reality was that our performers would have to do surprise and humour and irony and science and then an unlikely bunch and I found that fi ve live shows in an evening. And as soon as you mapped out at the end, there’s no one there to receive their pitch! intriguing. The execution of the what a schedule like that would look like, our poor performers It turns all the big Hollywood disaster movies on their piece — they had done a demo — would be dead by the end of it. So unfortunately, the idea died head. It’s a brilliant idea; it’s so brilliant — it happens! was produced beautifully but it just right there, which was sad, because it really took advantage And when they get there, all the broadcasters are didn’t work for us. But maybe of the interactive component and it really had the opportunity dead! I loved it that at the end, the [directors] could I liked it so much because for audiences to engage. I think from the improv performance tell the broadcaster, ‘oh yeah, and by the time they I was watching too much standpoint, it would have been a ton of fun because it would get there, you’re dead!’ I wailed with laughter. Sons of Anarchy at have been wacky and a really crazy, zany show. the time!

62 fall 2011 | playbackonline.ca

PPB.Backpage.2011.inddB.Backpage.2011.indd 6262 226/08/116/08/11 11:2011:20 AMAM Dream big.

Isn't that what our industry is all about? From humble beginnings in 1961 (photofinishing in grocery stores), Astral Media Inc. has become one of Canada's leading media companies. The numbers tell the story. Led by CEO Ian Greenberg, Astral has enjoyed 15 consecutive years of growth and 59 back-to-back profitable quarters. In 2011, revenues will reach $1 billion for the first time. Happy 50th to the entire Astral team from the Rogers Communications Partnership. You've helped us see that dreams really do come true. CANADA TORONTO11

CELEBRATING OVER 80 CANADIAN FILMS AT ® THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL INC. FILM FESTIVAL IS A REGISTERED TRADE-MARK OF TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ® TORONTO INTERNATIONAL

Gala Presentations A DANGEROUS METHOD David Cronenberg, STARBUCK Ken Scott, TAKE THIS WALTZ Sarah Polley, WINNIE Darrell J. Roodt Masters HARD CORE LOGO II Bruce McDonald Special Presentations A BETTER LIFE Cédric Khan, AFGHAN LUKE Mike Clattenburg, BREAKAWAY Robert Lieberman, CAFÉ DE FLORE Jean-Marc Vallée, EDWIN BOYD Nathan Morlando, GOON Mike Dowse, IN DARKNESS Agnieszka Holland, KEYHOLE Guy Maddin, MONSIEUR LAZHAR Philippe Falardeau, THE MOTH DIARIES Mary Harron Real to Reel PINK RIBBONS INC. Léa Pool, SURVIVING PROGRESS Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks Vanguard DOPPELGÄNGER PAUL Dylan Akio Smith, Kris Elgstrand, I’M A GOOD PERSON/I’M A BAD PERSON Ingrid Veninger Mavericks BARRYMORE Érik Canuel City to City CAPRICHOSOS DE SAN TELMO Alison Murray Contemporary World Cinema 388 ARLETTA AVENUE Randall Cole, BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR Barbara Willis-Sweete, I’M YOURS Leonard Farlinger, SISTERS&BROTHERS Carl Bessai Canada First! AMY GEORGE Yonah Lewis, Calvin Thomas, LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR Sheldon Larry, NUIT #1 Anne Émond, ROMEO ELEVEN (ROMÉO ONZE) Ivan Grbovic, THE ODDS Simon Davidson, THE PATRON SAINTS Melanie Shatzky, Brian M. Cassidy, WETLANDS (MARÉCAGES) Guy Édoin Canadian Open Vault HARD CORE LOGO Bruce McDonald // and over 40 ﬁ lms in Short Cuts, 3 installations in Future Projections, 8 avant-garde productions in Wavelength.

canada-tiff2011.ca

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