YTV to lose Kiely

Sean Kiely, vice-president of operations and production at ytv, will be leaving the specialty youth service June 10 to head up the XIth International Conference on AIDS. Kiely says of the move: ‘Leaving ytv was a very difficult decision. However, the opportunity that this new position offers represented a once-in-a-lifetime experience.’

During the 1980s, Kiely worked in international projects in South East Asia and South America for such organizations as cida. Prior to joining ytv in 1992, he worked at the Canadian Film Institute and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

‘This will provide the opportunity to combine my background in international development work, event management and experience in the media,’ says Kiely. The conference is scheduled to take place in July 1996.

Gould film strong in U.S.

Thirty-two Short Films About Glenn Gould, this year’s Genie winner for best motion picture, has opened to strong reviews and good box office in the u.s., according to the film’s exporter, Max Films International.

Distributed in the u.s. by Samuel Goldwyn, the film opened in New York City and Los Angeles April 15, and by mid-May will be on screens in up to 50 major u.s. markets, according to Pierre Latour, president of Max Films Communications, the film’s Canadian distributor.

With a limited u.s. release, the film had box office earnings of $250,000 at the end of April and a second-week increase of 528%, according to u.s. trade paper Variety.

Thirty-two Short Films About Glenn Gould stars Canadian actor Colm Feore and was directed by Montreal-based director Francois Girard. Produced by Niv Fichman of Toronto’s Rhombus Media, it was shot on a budget of $1.8 million.

To date, combined Canadian box office receipts are $248,000, split evenly between the French- and English-language markets.

According to Francine Allaire, distribution head for both Max Films Communications and Max Films International, the film is in high demand at cine-clubs, schools and other institutions, and has been sold to broadcasters in some 25 countries.

It was launched in theaters in Germany in March, and Allaire says the German distributor is predicting 100,000 admissions. By the end of June, it will have opened in the u.k., Italy, France, Holland, Australia and other territories.