Canadian Film Digest (Dec 1976)

Page scan 00027 from Canadian Film Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Digest
Date:
Dec 1976
Volume:
Canadian Film Digest (Dec 1976)
Leaf #:
00027
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Global Cinema, Canada, and Hollywood Studio System
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Canadian Picture Pioneers, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Canadian Film Digest

Editors: Dan Krendel (1971-72), Garth Drabinsky (1972-76)

Canadian Film Digest (1971-76) was owned and published by Nat Taylor’s Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., and initially edited by Dan Krendel, who had edited What’s New? (1942-74) and originated Ballyhoo (1952-61) for nationally-dominant chain, Famous Players Canada, Ltd., also Taylor’s exhibition partner. Despite these ties to a Paramount-controlled theatre chain, the magazine nonetheless aimed to provide news and features about all aspects of the industry across Canada, exhibition, distribution and production. The Digest began when an attempted 1970 renewal of Canadian Film Weekly (1942-70) was short-lived. Taylor decided to relaunch under an entirely new title with a more contemporary, colour layout. Taylor later hired young Garth Drabinsky to edit, impressed by his initiative publishing Impact (1972), a lobby give-away for moviegoers. Drabinksy’s interest turned to film producing in 1977, letting the Digest come to an end, although he and Taylor continued to collaborate in building the original 18-screen Cineplex at Toronto’s Eaton Centre. Canadian Film Digest also published an annual directory Canadian Film Digest Yearbook (1971-86), which similarly continued Canadian Film Weekly Year Book (1951-70), and subsequently became Film Canada Yearbook (1986-2007). Because Canadian Film Digest originated in the Canadian Film Weekly, which had incorporated Canadian Moving Picture Digest (1917-57), which in turn had merged with Canadian Universal Bulletin (1915-18), the magazine dated its roots back to 1915, a single thread of ownership publishing these main periodicals and annuals of English Canada’s film press.

– Paul Moore, March 2024

Date Added:
June 20, 2024
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INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED FILM FESTIVAL 26 canadian film digest °° OTTAWA’76 The Canadian Film Institute achieved the biggest coup of its 42-year history this summer when it hosted the /nternational Animated Film Festival August 10 to 15 in Ottawa. The event established Canada as one of the top three animation centres in the world, sharing the distinction with Zagreb, Yugoslavia and Annecy, France. The /nternational Animated Film Association (ASIFA) was sufficiently impressed with the CFI‘s handling of the Festival to award it the franchise for 1979. The event came to Canada through a propitious combination of circumstance and opportunism. The circumstance was Romania’s default as original host for this year’s Festival. Unlike the live action film industry, animation has only one international competitive festival a year and there may well have been none this year. The CFI, under executive director Frederik Manter, decided to make a lastminute bid for the homeless Festival. ASIFA president John Halas was invited to view the facilities and hear the CFI’s case. Working in our favour was Canada’s strong reputation in the field of animation. Then there were the excellent facilities at the National Arts Centre; the promised co-operation of Ottawa University in setting up and running various workshops; and ASIFA’s own realization that it was time the Festival came to North America. Copenhagen and San Francisco were among the other centres bidding, but after the ASIFA board of directors met in Rome last February 24, the CFI received a telegram that its application had been successful. “It usually takes two years to organize a festival of this size,’’ said Manter, “but we had less than six months. Under the title Ottawa 76, the Festival accommodated about 900 guests and it was standing room only for the public screenings. There were over 100 films in competition. Some 465 had been entered including 130 from Canada (the leading entrant) and 112 from the United States. CFI’s director of exhibitions Wayne Clarkson was director of the Festival. Norman McLaren was honorary ”