France Film is back

After an absence of many years, France Film, one of Quebec’s first feature film distribution companies, has announced it will once again begin distributing film. Vice-president Roger Khayat says the company intends to become a major player in both the distribution and exporting of Canadian films, particularly in French-speaking territories.

France Film has acquired the rights to four Canadian productions: Ride Me and Draghoula, directed by Bashar Shbib; Abducted ii by Boon Collins; and John Cassar’s The Final Goal. The company has also announced it will distribute half a dozen European titles over the summer and fall months.

New date for Banff fest

Finally, the Banff Television Festival won’t be in conflict with the l.a. screenings.

New dates for the ’95 fest have been announced, June 18-24, and there’s a new venue to boot, the posh Banff Springs Hotel convention facility.

With a whopping 28% increase in week-long delegates (a 12.5% total delegate increase) recorded for the ’94 edition, festival director and president Jerry Ezekiel says the event has physically outgrown its longtime home at the Banff Park Lodge. And by moving the festival from the first week of June to later the same month, even more delegates (especially from overseas) will now be able to attend Banff without missing the new lineup from the u.s. nets.

Studio D apprenticeship

Claire Prieto, program producer of Studio D’s New Initiatives in Film, has announced the creation of an apprenticeship program to provide training in film and video production for women of color and aboriginal women.

The new program will permit 12 filmmakers to receive up to five months paid professional development while working with a mentor on a production in the apprentice’s region.

Successful candidates will be paid an allowance of $2,000 a month for up to five months while working on a National Film Board production, a coproduction or an independent production, anywhere in Canada. Applicants will not be relocated outside their own region, and must have the confirmed participation of a mentor. They must also have at least one film or video production to their credit. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 12.

Regie report

The Regie du cinema, an administrative tribunal which acts as the Quebec regulatory body for film and video classification and distribution, has published its 1993/94 report. According to the Regie, gross revenues for films distributed by members of the mpaa were $31.6 million and for Quebec distributors were $15.5 million. Revenues reported by Quebec distributors for the home-video market were $130.8 million and sales to broadcasters declared by distributors were $18.9 million.

A leg up

The Banff Festival of Mountain Films will be offering a new prize at its 1994 gathering, Nov. 4-6. Worth $500, it’s called the Bill Roberts Award for Young Filmmakers. Roberts, an avid climber and an executive in tvontario’s international affairs department, decided to set up the prize after attending the festival and recognizing a need to spur on young filmmakers working in this genre.

The prize is intended to reward a young producer – 25 or under – who demonstrates ‘the best spirit of alpine climbing or mountaineering adventure’ along with ‘promise of a creative film or television talent.’

Liba, Hildebrand saluted

The Western Association of Broadcasters has named a pair of men as broadcasters of the decade. At its 60th anniversary convention, held last month in Jasper, Alta., wabe honored Peter Liba and Elmer Hildebrand. Liba is executive vice-president of CanWest Global Communications and Hildebrand is president of Altona, Man.-based Golden West Broadcasting.

SPARS chapter formed

Toronto has launched a chapter of the Society of Professional Audio Recording Services. Organized by David Greene of Magnetic Music, the new chapter says it may be modeled on its counterpart in New York.

spars is 15 years old and a was originally set up ‘to provide a forum for an open dialogue between the various players in the professional audio field.’ Attendance at the first Toronto spars meeting suggests industry professionals here are interested in talking together.

Other chapters are located in Los Angeles and Montreal.