Cinema Canada (Feb 1976)

FILIYI NEWS combine talents in the future. Another area of interest was television. The question of how to compete with Kojack was. placed before the group. Some suggestions were given but none which could not be shot down for financial reasons. There is little room for experimenting, a financial obligation to use anything produced, and ascarcity of funds to train talent. Nonetheless, the CBC was seriously talking of decentralization for the first time (to my knowledge) and of an increase in dramatic production. CBC’s intentions have been verified in Winnipeg by their plans to produce six one-hour and twohour long dramatic productions locally. Production is slated to commence in February and all but one project is under Derek Goodwin, recently arrived from England. At present scripts have been commissioned from both local and international writers. The local writers include Bill Morantz and David King. The National Film Board recently completed the first in a series of regional workshops for film directors seeking dramatic training. The workshop was held in Edmonton under the supervision of dramatic coach Israel Hicks. Manitoba participants were Leon Johnson, David Cherniack and Allan Kroeker. Other participants in the Western region were Terry Marner, Anne | Wheeler and Michael AstiRose. The first workshop had each participant closely working with a single actor on an assigned monologue which was eventually shot and presented. The participaats are now working on _ staging other scenes back at their home bases with which they will return to the next session in January. There are three sessions in all. From these sixteen people, four will be chosen for an intensive summer session 10/ cinema canada in Montreal. The Winnipeg Film Group is also busy with its continuing dramatic workshop. The program has proven a tremendous success and has concentrated not only on production but also on the theory and business of film. The program coordinators are endeavouring not only to instill dramatic concepts and methods but also to focus on how one finds money to make movies and the proper ways of approaching people for funding. Winnipeg’s first 35mm feature film was recently unveiled. The film, The Melting Pot, premiered at the Playhouse theatre, anon-chain theatre, as the producers chose to distribute the film themselves. The film centres on the Winnipeg Flood of 1950 and truly deserves the tag of “disaster” film. On a more optimistic note, the Winnipeg Film Group recently wrapped production on their comedy short, Rabbit Pie. The film is a period comedy concerning the strange qualities which this culinary delight has in abundance. Directing chores were handled by Alan Kroeker. Finally, a short quiz. What Famous (?) Canadian film director is planning to shoot a feature film this summer? The film will be shot in black and white and will utilize totally non-professional talent. It will be a low-budget film and there will be no CFDC funds tavolved: ca Len Klady THE WEST COAST It is not the easiest time to write a positive article on film in Vancouver since we have just gone through a provincial election that gives us a completely new Government. That in itself is not a cause for complete depression except that after several years of trying we had finally established a dialogue with the previous administration, and even had some Ministers come out in favour of a quota system. We will find out in the next few weeks, as the cabinet is decided upon, just what we have to deal with in terms of a liason person. Production here has not been plentiful this year but if one believes in listening to rumour 1976 looks good... Definitely slated is an International Cinemedia Centres Production, Shadow of the Hawk, produced by John Kemeny with Jack Smight directing. Shooting will start mid-January and continue through midMarch. This Canadian feature will star Chief Dan George, Jan Michael Vincent and Gwen Welles. Other parts will be filled by Vancouver talent including Ross Vassarian, David Glynn-Jones, Paul Stanley, Len George and others. Bob Linnell is production manager. Sally Patterson is now editing The Keeper, a low budget CFDC feature for which producer Don Wilson managed to secure Christopher Lee as star. Tom Drake wrote and directed this horror/suspense story. American International Pictures is about to wrap a sci-fi/ horror feature on Bowen Island. Director Burt Gordon managed to shoot through our entire monsoon season. Not the least of the horror on that shoot was an explosion involving our favorite special effects person John Thomas who is happily recovering. It will be some time before it is established whether or not he will require surgery on his eyes. Canawest was hopping earlier this winter with two Twentieth Century episodes in an “Our Man Flint” series. The killer schedule called for 11 days on each shoot. Star Ray Danton was suddenly taken ill and returned to Los Angeles so there is currently only one episode in the can. John Vidette and James Margellos were in town in late Autumn prepping a feature that unfortunately did not come together. Some irate actors called me today in fury with the CBC. That in itself is nothing unusual in a talent/ CBC relationship, but if this is true then it really is too much. We have just completed construction on magnificent new offices and studios for CBUT and there was some hope that local production might become a reality. Not so. According to the story, Don Eccleston is preparing to shoot an hour-long drama with hardly any local talent. Leads are coming in from the east to give local yokels a chance to work with some real performers to gain some experience! We hope this is just a nasty rumour. On the rumour front AIP is supposed to be shooting another feature here in February... and there are whispers of a medium budget Universal feature for Spring. Commercials continue to supply a source of income to film persons here. Busiest houses seem to be Bob Fleck’s Take One Productions, Jubenville Embra, Bill Bratkowski and many freelancers, including Roy Hayter who cleaned up in Edmonton with multiple awards for his film Alyeska. Franz Russell has just started into production with Franz Russell & Associates and is doing nicely, thank you. Fiona Jackson