Cinema Canada (Apr-May 1974)

editorial: First the good news: André Brassard’s Il Etait une Fois dans L’Est (Once Upon a Time in the East) grossed $127,000 during its opening week in 6 locations (3,000 seats total) in Québec. “The Exorcist” did $6,000 less than that, charging more per ticket. The Brassard feature held up well in its second week ($122,000) and it’s still going strong at press time. And now the bad news: Cry of the Wild might make as much as $8 million gross before the year is over, yet filmmaker Bill Mason still doesn’t know if he’ll get any royalties from it: he’s on staff at the NFB. Some people will get rich, though; a U.S. four-waller and the National Film Board are splitting the take, with only 7 1/2 per cent going to producer Ralph C. Ellis. Even that might come to over half-a-million dollars. Betty Lee of The Globe & Mail is doing a tremendous job unearthing stories like the above, along with other aspects of the Great Canadian Motion Picture Rip-Off. Clyde Gilmour, regular movie reviewer for The Toronto Star, is a new convert to the cause. In a recent article, Gilmour expressed shock at the low-quality U.S. ‘product’ booked into a first run house in Toronto. “Personally, I have never been a Canadian nationalist in the matter of film distribution,” writes Gilmour, but “Canadians can make bad movies just as easily as Americans can. (They can and do sometimes make very good ones, too.) Why shouldn’t their regular work get the same chance with the public that is automatically given to any hunk of junk that drifts across the international border?” Mr. Gilmour also did a terrific piece on Cinema Canada, and we’re thoroughly grateful. CBC press releases are easier to read in these post-CRTC hearings days. Less emphasis on imported programming and more on Canadian shows. Great! The CBC is also buying more Canadian films since Pierre Juneau termed their negligence in this field “scandalous.” Six major Canadian features are to be shown on the English-network this summer. The National Dream is a success and a godsend in terms of countering all that schlock poured into Canadian TV sets from the States. And our independent filmmakers have finally found a showcase, through the efforts of producer Beverly Roberts. Consult your local listings. Many changes on the distribution/exhibition front. Since leaving Astral, Marty Bockner has set up his own distribution company. Called Saguenay Films (94 Cumberland Street, 9th Floor, Toronto, Ont.), the new outfit hopes to be in first position in the distribution of Canadian films here and abroad. They will give consideration to all Canadian films of merit brought to them. More immediately, they’re looking for Canadian features to take to Cannes. Morley Markson’s new 35mm feature, Saviours Are Hard to Find (formerly Killing Time) is definitely going with Bockner, and a September lst opening is planned in Toronto and other centres. Saguenay Films will be working very closely with Canadian Theatres, the new exhibition chain which bought National General. They own houses in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal and other locations, and are willing to buy films independently! Maybe this could lead the way in keeping some of that $150,000,000 yearly Canadawide box office take at home, where it belongs. contents: BOT ige ONONNS: a. Cctv. Sm Said «eck Soe ee ee 5 News Canadian Film News/Koller/Clements/Ibranyi-Kiss .. 6 Winnipeg Symposium/Ibranyi-Kiss ............. 14 Winnipeg Film Co-op/Klady ................. 16 Filming in the Andes/Stringer o.oo ee 18 Technical News/Kirshenbaum ................ 20 TN oie oka Se See Ah alae Grae aes Wir 22 Vancouver Bavanit’ s/ ccc eres a ova eee eee meee 24 OUEHEGS/ Latour see ics ee eee ee ee ee re Te 26 Atlantic: Provinces) app spi scm ono ceneue lenny ae wae tne 28 Feature Articles insightieroductions/Ott.-<5.>. 2.6 Sn es eres Se 30 MAGIA A AIIOALG ss x a0 5 wn Bo Ming wwe 32 Film Schools: HALIM DEG /INOOS cee! scr, rice Sissi ek ao eRO Mace eee eG 34 a ONS ws Se a Pe od 36 RyersonviirsnenbauUml: ..s 2. ccd occ tee en 38 ER ae ONG IEA VINIES . ivss sos oe, hee SK wee 42 RU UNE OT oe ow Gk ohh eee ee 48 MONG AIT POWMNS 6.50 Sie ees sD oe 54 Denys Arcand/lbranyi-iss: << 6 .)saes cect ee 56 Two Visions: Stermac/Jodorowsky ............. 60 Organizations Council of Canadian Filmmakers .............. 64 Directors Guild of Canada/McCartney ........... 66 SOCICCVsOtMtelIMIMAKENS.a22.c. ocho ntacd Sean easanes sens 67 CSGPASSIONIMENTS as... Wess ee drones ee ee 68 Toronto Filmmakers Co-op/Gathercole/St. Cleofas .. 70 CFEG/Hood/Wrate/Tilden/Watson ............. 72 Regular Features Film Reviews/Ott/Edwards/Miller .............. 74 Opinion — Radical Surgery/Cox ............... 78 Book; Reviews/Beéard. oc cicteca oss ccs ct site, dyad ee has Sears 80 eS Bert erie «SiG ate De piea evaaaceie aan 82 Pris ee wes wa eo ae ee es 63 On the cover: One of the ‘black humor’ scenes in Jack Darcus’ Wolf Pen Principle — a new feature made in Vancouver. Photograph by Rob Straight. April/May 1974 Editor/Publisher Second Edition, Number 13 George Csaba Koller Managing Editor: A. Ibranyi-Kiss Cinema Canada, founded by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers, is now published independently on the 29th day of January, March, May, July, September and November. Copy deadline is the 10th day of the publishing month. Issues effective for the two month period following publishing date. All articles published with the consent and authorization and represent the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the editors. Any manuscripts received by Cinema Canada are presumed to be for publication unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint must be secured in writing. Copyright © 1974 by the Publisher. Published with assistance from the Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council. Indexed in FIAFF, the International Index to Film Periodicals. Advertising Manager: Harris Kirshenbaum (416) 924-8045 Montréal Correspondent: Pierre Latour Vancouver Correspondent: Peter Bryant Halifax Correspondent: Charles T. Lapp Art Director: Julius Ciss Regina Correspondent: Terence St. John Marner (With assistance from Richard Eppstadt) Winnipeg Correspondent: Len Klady Typesetting: Annie Buller Typesetting Ottawa Correspondent: Francis Mansbridge Printing: Heritage Press Co. Ltd. Special thanks to companies and individuals supplying photos and information. Mailing Address: 6 Washington Avenue, No. 3, Toronto, Canada M5S 1L2 Office Address: 406 Jarvis Street, Toronto Telephone: (416) 924-5953 and 924-8045 Printed in Canada. Second Class Mail Registration No. 3081. Return Postage Guaranteed. R.P.1. Photo Arts RPECHLIPDCE COManitrc:c Cinema Canada 5