Canadian Film Digest (Nov 1973)

November 1973 The Canadian Film Digest Page 3 THEGANATINY ATA DIGEST Serving the Canadian Film Industry Since 1915. Encompassing the Canadian Moving Picture Digest, founded in 1915, and the Canadian Film Weekly, founded in 1941. Publisher: Garth Drabinsky Editorial / photography: Stephen Chesley Advertising Sales Director: Barry Silver Second class mail. Registration number 2587. Postage paid in Toronto. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 175 Bloor Street East, Toronto M4W 1C8. Phone (416) 924-3701. The Canadian Film Digest is published on the 5th of the month from October to June inclusive. A July-August Summer issue is published during the third week of July. The Canadian Film Digest Yearbook is published the first Tuesday in September. CN ISSN 0008-3569 791.43 Subscriptions: $7.50 per year (including the Yearbook) or 35c per individual copy and $5.00 per individual Yearbook. Additional copies of each issue and of the Yearbook are available from our offices. Cdn Film Awards for shorts and crafts presented at Toronto luncheon _ Acomba receives his Etrog at Slipstream premiere On Friday, November 9th, 1973 the Canadian Film Awards in the Sponsored and Information categories were presented at a well-attended luncheon at Toronto’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. Despite a rush to organize and put on the luncheon ceremonies, the Ballroom was almost full and most of the winners were present to accept their awards. A roster of guest presenters was also on hand. Master of Ceremonies was Henry Michaud. The first award was for Best Public Relations Film. It went to ‘We are Running Out of Time’ produced by the Continuing Education Department of Simon Fraser University. Broadcaster Betty Kennedy presented the award to Jan Turek, writer and producer. Ms. Kennedy then presented the craft award for best cinematography to Pierre Letarte for The Ungrateful Land. Next came the best Sales and Promotion film. CTV president Murray Chercover presented the award to Roy E. Burns of Canawest Film Productions for Way of Wood. Chercover then presented the best editing award to Daniele Gagne for A Bon Pied Bon Oeil. Arthur Lamothe accepted the award. Norm Gariac of the CBC presented the award for best Travel and Recreation film'to director Norm Keziere for Island Eden, sponsored by the British Columbia government. He then revealed that two awards were being ' given for best script. One was for best actuality or non-written effort and the other for best written effort. Pen Densham received the, actuality script award for Street Worker, and Keith Harley the best script for The Winning of Nickel. Nature and Wildlife came next, and broadcaster Carol Taylor substituted for actress Mimi Hines who had to leave early. She presented the award to Ralph Ellis of Keg Productions for Return of the Giants. Jerry Kedey produced the film with Ellis. Ms. Taylor then presented the best Music Score award for Shelly Berman. It went to Herbert Helbig for To War and Back, First _ Person Singular. CBC seeks shorts for new series The work of independent filmmakers and videotape producers will be showcased on two new series planned by the CBC television network. The first series, called Canadian Filmmakers, will begin Sunday, Jan. 6 at 2:30 p. m., for nine half-hour occasions. The second series, as yet untitled, will be telecast beginning in September of next year. Programs will be a mix of drama, documentaries and mood pieces, as well as other films or videotapes which lend themselves to showing on the series. It is planned that two or three short films or tapes will be shown on each occasion. Producer of Canadian Filmmakers is Beverly Roberts, of the TV drama department at CBC Toronto. Ms. Roberts says she would like to talk with anyone interested in contributing to the series. Material is already being screened and selected, she says. Filmmakers with suitable efforts can contact Ms. Roberts at the CBC in Toronto. The address is TY Drama, CBC Box 500, Terminal A, Toronto. Phone (416) 925-3311 extension 4461. Global TV president Al Bruner was called upon to present the award for Best Sports film. The winner was Ski Alberta, produced by Ranson Photographers. Accepting was producer C.N. Ross. Bruner then presented the award for Best Direction to Arthur Lamothe for this work in A Bon Pied Bon Oeil. . National Film Board head Sydney Newman stepped up to present the award for best Educational and Instructional film. Again the category was divided into two, and awards were given for best scholastic film and best instructional film. Gertrude McCance accepted the best scholastic award for the Manitoba Schools Broadcast Branch production The Trial of Polly Upgate. Moccasin Flats, produced by Immedia, won best Instructional film for producer Patrick Watson. Tom Ellis accepted. for Watson. Carol Taylor returned to the dias in her own position to present the award for best TV Information-Public Affairs film. Director Cynthia Scott accepted the award for her work in The Ungrateful Land. And then Ms. Taylor presented the award for sound to Karen Foster, who, with Clarke Daprato, worked on Are You Listening (You Out There). Special awards followed. First was presenter Robert Desjardins who awarded the NFB short Ratoplolis with a Certificate of Merit. Chris Chapman presented a Special Jury Award to Cameron Grahame for To War and Back — First Person Singular, an episode in the CBC Lester Pearson series. Then Bob Crone stepped up to present an award of Special Recognition. Gerald Pratley was honoured for his long list of achievements . in Canadian and international film. Crone commented that twenty-four years earlier they. had sat on the first jury for the Film Awards. So the Silver Anniversary of the film awards “came to a close, almost. M.C. Henry Michaud said that in previous years the jury used to present an award for best amateur film. Recently the award was discontinued. But today it was being revived for presentation to the group of Ryerson Institute film students who filmed the AMPPLC convention in the spring. David Acomba receives his Best Direction Etrog from Vi Crone at a premiere screening of Slipstream. A large and enthusiastic audience of friends and media people saw David Acomba receive his Etrog for best feature direction at a premiere in Toronto. Slipstream also received a sound award, presented by Van Morrison. Producer James Margellos was represented by William Fruet, who accepted the Etrog for Best Pigcure. Fruet expressed hope that the awards would continue. ’ | At the CFA luncheon, some of the presenters: Spencer, Robert Desjardins, Shelly Berman, Betty Kennedy, Sydney Bruner. That film was Siown in its entirety, and then the people present left for home. Throughout the afternoon clips from the winning films had been shown. The furor in evidence just a short time ago over: the Montreal events was not present this afternoon. In fact, about the only evidence that there was a furor came in the mail: The Society of Filmmakers, based in Montreal, issued the following statement in support of the awards: ' “The Society of Film Makers wishes to express its full support of the Canadian Film Awards, its aims and goals. We are proud to be a member of the Executive of the Canadian Film Awards, and in that capacity we shall continue to press for the reforms we have always believed would enhance the reputation of the institution, and to assist the Canadian Film Awards to serve the best interests of the Canadian Film Industry. “The Society of Film Makers also wishes to express its gratitude, on behalf of the filmmakers it represents in all film regions of Canada for the excellent and dedicated effort expended in the course of this year’s awards by Ralph Umberger, Violet Crone, and The Toronto-based English division of Mutual Films (Les Films Mutuelles) will join forces with Ambassador Film ’ Distributors to handle Mutual product, it was announced in Toronto. Les Films Mutuelles is one of Quebec’s largest producers and distributors, of both Canadian and foreign product. Mutual Films, the English language division of the company, was set up in Toronto last year. Gordon Lightstone was appointed branch manager. Ambassador Films was started by Len Herberman soon after his former employer, International Film Distributors, was sold to National Telefilm Associates in the U.S. The joint arrangement will entail a physical move by Mutual to Ambassador’s 88 Eglinton Avenue East offices. Both Lightstoné and secretary Ms. Anna MUTUAL AND AMBASSADOR JOIN FORCES (left to right) ey Ne Umbarger, Michael ewman, Bob Crone, Al Christopher Dew, in particular Marcia Couelle and Claude Godbout, and especially by Father Marc Gervais, in view of the many special _ events which had been planned in detail over the past year to celebrate the Awards’ Silver Anniversary year.’ Peter Adamakos, President Gerald Pratley receives his special award from Bob Crone at the Canadian Film Awards luncheon presentation. M.C. Henry Michaud stands behind.) Maggisano will occupy space in Ambassador quarters beginning as soon as possible. The arrangement between the two companies calls for some Mutual work being assumed by Ambassador, such as booking and the handling of the physical distribution of the films. Mutual will continue to buy product and handle advertising on a separate basis. Both companies emphasise that their separate identities will be maintained. They feel that combining certain functions will make the individual companies stronger. “This arrangement, ”” says Lightstone, “reflects a growing Canadian identity in distribution in Canada.” Mutual product, including its latest release, Pink Floyd, will now come under the Ambassador banner in Englishspeaking Canada.