Canadian Film Digest (Dec 1976)

Y a ae < = <x a a = O Y) or O Bs a Lud = wal LL Z = a < Z <x O 24 canadian film digest CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS AWARDS This was the third year the Canadian Film Editors Guild and the Canadian Society of Cinematographers held a collaborative Awards Dinner and Dance. The association seems to work well. Each year the event shows more self-confidence and polish without losing any of its friendly, unpretentious atmosphere. The 1976 edition was staged in the spectacular surroundings of Ontario Place on November 13. Over 500 people attended. Organizing chairmen for the CFE and CSC respectively were John Gaisford and Bob Brooks. Their jobs began as far back as last April when the Science Centre, last year’s site, said it couldn't guarantee space until close to the appointed time. Searching out an alternative they came up with Cinesphere and Pod One at Ontario Place. The unusual physical layout of the place and its suspended position over the black waters of Lake Ontario added an extra dimension of excitement to the evening. Several weeks of competition led up to the night itself. There wasn’t a flood of entries, but the number — 61 — was respectable. Both the CFE and CSC cut down the number of categories this year. CFE offered six: Theatrical feature, television drama, documentary, television commercial, short subject and sound editing — plus a newly instigated student award category. The student award, introduced both as a PR move to promote interest in the guild, and as an incentive to encourage high standards in student work, carries a prize of $150 worth of film stock from the sponsor, Kodak. All other categories are honoured with the Effigy Award which was designed by Maryon Kantaroff in 1974. The statuette is solid bronze with a hollow bronze base sitting on a piece of Italian marble. Each one is hand cast and hand polished at a cost of $250. The cinematographers simplified their awards down to four categories: Theatrical feature, documentary, com mercial and news. An additional award, the Bill Hilson Trophy, went to Bob Brooks. It’s a special award given for outstanding service contributing to the development of the motion picture industry. Pre-selection was supervised by David Nicholson, chairman of the Awards Judging Committee for the CFE. Subcommittees were formed to view each category. After all the films were screened, the decisions were put to a vote by secret ballot. The top three films in each category were automatic finalists. These were notified in advance. The winning film was kept secret until the actual presentations. Total budget for the affair was $10,000. Proportioned according to membership, the final profit or loss is carried one-third by the CSC and twothirds by the CFE. Gaisford estimated that this year’s finances would come within $100 of break even, on the plus side of the balance sheet. After dinner in the Pod, the scene shifted to Cinesphere where generous film clips of the finalists were shown and the winners announced. “Because of the enormous magnification the quality of the 16mm image may not have been perfect,” said Gaisford, “but that had nothing to do with the projection staff. | can’t say enough about how pleased | was working with them. | would recommend the Cinesphere film facilities to anyone.” When the presentations were over, the audience moved back to the Pod to wind up the affair dancing to the Elastic Band. Some comments overheard during the evening... “This is the most enjoyable film ‘do’ of the year, because it’s given for and attended by the people in the business. It’s a real trade evening.” “This is my kind of party, when all the peasants get together. These are the workers in the industry. No glitter bugs here.” “The food was terrible!” Oh well. Two out of three ain’t bad.