Cinema Canada (Oct 1973-Jan 1974)

Y cinak Bais Carnys cand Sik alain dostio bsatadd ima Denys Arcand directing ““Rejeanne Padovani” death of the film awards A. Ibranyi-Kiss CANADIAN FILM AWARDS. 1973: PARTICIPATION GREATER THAN EVER The 1973 CANADIAN FILM AWARDS... is welcoming _participation by Canadian filmmakers which far surpassses that of any past year. In 1972 the CFA, which was held in Toronto, received 144 entries. With the move to Montreal in 1973 entries have climbed to 212. Noteworthy increases in 12 of the 13 categories /animation being the exception... ed./ point out the growing importance of this annual event. THE AIMS OF THE CANADIAN FILM AWARDS ... the principal aims and objectives of the CFA are to stimulate creativity and quality in Canadian film production and to promote widespread interest and distribution for Canadian films. . . PROMOTE! PUBLICIZE! AN’ ALLOUT FIRST FOR THE CANADIAN FILM AWARDS Besides being the 25th anniversary, 1973 is a year of many ‘firsts’ for the CFA. For the first time, the Secretary of State Department made a substantial grant to the organization and thus, for the first time, the Awards Committee was able to engage a full-time, professional Director. They chose Marcia Couélle.... Her experience in the private sector... has convinced her that this industry can grow only with promotion and publicity, and the 1973 Canadian Film Awards will clearly reflect her beliefs. Where will the Film Awards be held? In a very commercial 14 Cinema Canada Michael : Parks, Don. Shebib and Bonnie Bedelia St. Denis theatre complex... When?... right in the middle of the Canadian film premiere season.... With the move to Montreal, will this year’s Film Awards be a Québécois event? More so than ever but by no means exclusively! Marcia Couélle talks of national television coverage, of reporters from across Canada, of film critics from other countries. In 1973, more than ever, the Canadian Film Awards is affirming its position vis-a-vis the Canadian film industry. Its aim is to project this industry’s total image to the public.... In previous years, all films, from features to travelogues, have been seen by the international jury. In 1973, the international jury will judge only those films which tend to cross Canada’s borders and which constitute the more commercial aspect of Canadian film production. Excerpts from official press releases of the Canadian Film Awards prepared by Robert Paradis & Associates. Meanwhile, the Toronto office was equally busy organizing “A Day in Montreal” — which included 112 seats on a charter plane, luncheons, cocktails, presentations, Windsor Hotel rooms (where the International Jurors were staying) and a scenic bus tour. PLUS tickets to the gala evening to be televised by network CBC, and the note — No charge for overweight on return flight caused by Etrogs. The official tone of the Canadian Film Awards changed drastically from this glossy hype by the time Friday, October 12th arrived. This was the last official statement made: STATEMENT BY THE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE CFA The aims and objectives of the Directors of the 1973 Canadian Film Awards were to efficiently promote the work of Canadian filmmakers. This same type of promotional effort is made each year in Cannes, Berlin and anywhere else that can lead to wide-spread diffusion of Canadian films, both on the cultural and commercial levels. It is obvious that the Canadian Film Bill Reid, director of NFB documentary feature “‘Coming Home” Awards festival week was organized in Montreal this year with the full support of the Canadian film industry. It is also obvious that the structure and workings of the Canadian Film Awards have been public knowledge for the past 25 years. In 1972, a meeting was called by the Quebec Producers Association. This meeting was attended by many Québécois directors who manifested their full support of this bi-cultural event which is the Canadian Film Awards. It was with this in mind that the Directors of the Film Awards decided to hold the festival week in Montreal in 1973. We acknowledge that the structure of any festival may be contested, however we feel that the Association des Realisateurs de Film du Québec chose a particularly unfortunate moment to lodge their protest, the opening day of this festival week. By their action, they have deprived all of the other members of the Canadian film industry of a valuable promotion designed to stimulate public interest in Canadian films. Nonetheless, we decided to carry out the festival week as originally intended. We thank all the members of the media who have come from across Canada and from other countries to attend the 25th Annual Canadian Film Awards... . * Rk *K It is precisely that last statement — where the blame for the loss of this ‘valuable promotion’ is placed on the Quebec directors — that makes this communique misleading. There were far too many other factors involved than the directors’ boycott. To backtrack: there have been numerous recurring complaints about the way the CFA operates. True, its structure has been public knowledge for 25 years; but that structure has also been impervious to criticism. For example, last year the Experimental Film Category was dropped from the festival. Strong protests were lodged at the time by many concerned journalists and filmmakers. However, this year that category was again missing. Last year’s pro