CineMag (Aug 18, 1980)

W. F. F. Program IT «HORS CONCOURS» SECTION | China NEZHA NAO HAI (NEZHA DOMPTE LE ROI DRAGON) Wang Shuchen France : MON ONCLE D’AMERIQUE, Alain Resnais Italie MASOCH, Franco Taviani Pakistan THE BLOOD OF HUSSAIN (LE SANG D’HUSSAIN) Jamil Dehlavi Poland DYRYGENT (LE CHEF D’ORCHESTRE/ THE CONDUCTOR), Andrzej Wajda CONSTANS, Krzysztof Zanussi Federal Republic of Germany PALERMO ODER WOLFSBUR (PALERMO OU WOLFSBOURG), Werner Schroeter ORDNUNG, Sohrab Shahid Saless LULU, Walerian Borowczyk U.S.S.R. STALKER, Andrei Tarkovski PRESENCE OF AMERICAN CINEMA LOVE IN A TAXI, Robert Sickinger THE LINE, Robert J. Siegel REFLECTIONS : GEORGE MEANY, Duncan Scott TARDANCIN’, Christian Blackwood HOTWIRE, Frank Q. Dobbs LATIN AMERICAN CINEMAS Argentina DESDE EL ABISMO (THE ABYSS), Fernando Ayala Brazil GAIJIN, LES CHEMINS DE LA LIBERTE Tizuka Yamasaki Colombia AMOR CIEGO (BLIND LOVE), Gustavo Nieto Roa Cuba RETRATO DE TERESA (PORTRAIT OF TERESA) Pastor Vega Venezuela MANOA, Solveig Hoogesteijn MANUEL, Alfredo J. Anzola TV FEATURES Canada THE SONG OF LEONARD COHEN, Harry Rasky THE MAN WHO HID ANNE FRANK, Harry Rasky France CHARLES DE GAULLE, Pierre-André Boutang OPERATION TRAFICS (DROLE DE PASTIS) Christian Jaque JE SUIS NE A VENISE, Maurice Beéjart LE MECREANT, Jean L’Hote LA MAISON BLEUE, Robert Mazoyer LE ROI MUGUET, Guy Jorre Italy RACCONTO D’AUTUNNO, Domenico Campana FOTO DI GRUPPO «DANCING», Andrea Barzini Syria PALESTINE... LES RACINES, Amin Bounni —> CineMag “Where Are The Filmmakers 2” Asks Colbert, Backing Small Pix TORONTO — Former head of CBC-TV film drama Stan Colbert is developing a five-film series for production in 1981 called “‘small films with big ideas” in an effort to make the Canadian film scene a home for filmmakers and not just producers. “I think this comes at a crucial time in what we laughingly call ‘our film industry.’ I say ‘laughingly’ because when I look around I see a lot of entrepreneurs and producers, but not too many filmmakers.” Colbert, who is working on the project with Robert Cooper, thinks there are filmmakers here; but feels they are not properly encouraged. The climate is not conducive to making good films. “Clearly we are facing some major truths,”’ he says. “ With the bombing of each film you get less interest in and opportunity for financing films. And the costs of making the films will go higher and higher because you'll have to dangle higher salaries in front of American stars, because soon these stars will figure out the film they're doing will never be released, or if they are they'll be so embarrassed they'll wish they hadn’t been. So the only reason they'll do films here is the money.” ~ Colbert’s answer is the “‘small films withg, big ideas.”’ Three of the five properties he’s developing are Canadian novels: “Hold Fast,’ a novel based in the Maritimes by Kevin Major ; John Buel’s thriller“ Four Days” ; plus an as yet confirmed deal with a Governor-General’s fiction award winner. Another script will come from Ann Cameron, co-author of Ticket to Heaven, currently in production. “We're hoping that one of them will be an artistic success the stature of, say, Breaking Away,” Colbert says. Colbert says he is in negotiation with directors, script-writers and actors right now, but refuses to divulge any names. The films will be budgeted for under a million dollars each. So far he says he hasn’t been too concerned with investment. “IT don’t necessarily think that the proper way to go about making a film is to find the money and then get the property. We're developing the properties right now and when it’s time to look for funding, we'll look for funding.” Colbert says he doesn’t go along with the old axiom that it’s easier to generate investment for a big rather than a small film. “T think any reputable producer with a good property should have no trouble finding investors regardless of the size of the budget,” he says. While working with the CBC, Colbert was the executive producer of Riel and Crossbar and is now co-producing, with Cooper, the $5 million thriller, Bells. One of the places Colbert won't go looking for investment is the CFDC. “I’m not sure I want to work with the CFDC. I’m not happy with their track record,” says the former CFDC consultant. “These | films are going to be made without any participation from the CCA. I don’t think there is any way you can make a small film for a low budget that can absorb all of the costs of the brokerage houses and prospectuses.” Colbert's idea is to try and find the films in the various regions the films will be made in. “['d rather regionalize the funding. Go to the provinces and various art councils if necessary.” By going to the various regions of Canada to make films, Colbert hopes to incorporate Canada’s. physical landscape into the films. “We want to make a film where our geography literally acts as a character in the piece, That way we hope to back into ‘the’ Canadian film everybody wants to see made,” Verrall Chairs CCFM After Long NFB Career TORONTO — Bob Verrall was elected chairperson of the Council of Canadian Filmmakers at a recent executive board meeting, Verrall has a long career in Canadian film. Beginning in 1946 as anoriginal member of the National Film Board’s animation department, Verrall has been in charge of the Animation Studio for English production 1967-72, as well as director of English production, 1972-76. Verrall most recently was the executive producer for Going the Distance, which was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary film in 1980. For the last two years he has been a president of the Syndicat général du Cinéma et de la Télévision (SGCT-ONBF), section Office National du Film. Other executive committee members elected at the Council of Canadian Filmmakers executive board meeting were: Margaret Collier, vice-chairperson ; Bill Dunn, secretary-treasurer; and Penelope Hynam, James Kelly and Sandra Gathercole, individual directors. Making. Things More Difficult Seems Cdn TORONTO — Secretary of State, Francis Fox outlined some of the philosophical problems with the Canadian film industry recently on CTV’S “Question Period.” Referring to the 84-page Canadian Film Certification Office discussion paper on the Capital Cost Allowance, Fox said, “It’s now time for government to refine some of the instruments at our disposal, such as the Capital Cost Allowance, to make it a bit more difficult to obtain funds — which Syucro Sound Lta STUDIO « EDITING ROOMS will ensure there is greater Canadian participation in films.” Fox said about $150 million had been spent producing Canadian movies that reflected American society. ““‘When we see some films produced in Toronto where people go to the extent of importing Yellow Cabs from New York and putting American license plates on them and then selling the film in the United States... I think that they're doing a disservice to themselves and to the industry.” \ 16/35 MIXING & TRANSFER VOICE BOOTH XENON PROJECTION STEENBECKS KEM MOVIOLAS 67 PORTLAND ST. TORONTO MSV 2M9 AREA 416 PHONE 363-9421