– Hollywood winners

Leo Burnett’s gut-pulling ‘On the Beach’ spot for Bell, directed by Avion’s Ray Dillman, was among the winners at the International Broadcast Association Awards, held recently in Hollywood. ‘Beach’ won in the category of English :60 live action (produced outside the u.s.).

Other ‘Ollie’ winners included y&r’s ‘Open Sesame’ for Radio Shack, directed by Cactus Productions’ Jim Lotter, which won in the tv short category; Leo Burnett’s ‘Resolution’ for Kellogg’s, directed by Richard D’Alessio out of Imported Artists, for foreign English :30; and y&r’s ‘Actor’ for agf, directed by Avion’s Martin Granger, which won in the humor (produced outside the u.s.) category.

Granger also won at the Loeries, the South African ad awards, for his Pizza Pops spot out of Leo Burnett.

– Canadian awareness at Cannes

Canadian activity in Cannes this month included efforts by Filmblanc Canada to spread the word about Canada as a ‘production haven.’

Filmblanc, launched about three months ago, is the commercial production division of Toronto’s Weis Advertising, which has been engaging in international commercial production for the past several years.

Earlier this year, company president Oscar Weis made the trip to Latin America as part of the Team Canada trade mission, and as a result of interest generated during that trip, the full-service production arm was established.

The intention is to bring together a roster of Canadian and international directorial talent for use by domestic and foreign clients.

The shop has produced ads for Brazil, France, Israel and Venezuela, and the Cannes trip was designed to further market the company and the country as a production destination to a wider range of world markets.

– Party time in adland

Does it seem that the air-quality index has dipped slightly recently? A possible explanation could be the increased level of toxins oozing from the collective pores of the commercial and post industry after a full slate of summer social events.

It started with the Command Post party in its regular Thursday night time slot, with the usual I-can’t-get-off-the-elevator-take-the-doors-off-the-closets-to-prevent-public-copulation fest featuring the Mahones as entertainment.

The bash included the usual industry suspects and visiting dignitaries like Steve Chase, with the tougher-looking-than-usual, tattoo-sporting crowd balanced by those who dressed in full evening wear regalia.

The night continued with the first annual (it is hoped) TOPIX/Mad Dog and Head Gear Animation soiree at the Courthouse to celebrate this month’s Promax/bda show, held for the first time in Toronto.

The swinging Tyler Yarema band entertained the throngs in the sweeping upstairs/downstairs party, which opened its arms to all and sundry, including other post/effects players.

Great party. Let’s make it another yearly event (but maybe on a different night next time).

The Promax festivities continued into the weekend with a Cuppa Coffee Animation celebration at the Bamboo on Friday, while on Saturday, William F. White feted friends and associates, offering the weary the finest of food and grog to refortify.

– They’re back

Following an eight-year stint in Indonesia and Malaysia, director Don Barnard returns to Canada and adds his name to the roster at Apple Box Productions.

Barnard began his career as an art director with Grey Advertising in Johannesburg, South Africa, but it was during his travels through Indonesia that he kick-started his career as a director when an agency asked him to create a campaign and shoot it.

And, after a year and a half of feature work, director Philip Spink is back at Apple Box directing kids’ spots.

– Cushy-tech at DAVE

The Pilot. Vox. The awards podium. That secret place in one’s own head. There are some places which make commercial production people feel at home.

Here could be another. It’s a gently lit oasis of design with the comfort of your living room (or that of a friend with a cooler place), which also happens to be a transfer suite. It’s Bill Ferwerda’s new home at dave.

Rather than remodeling an existing suite, Ferwerda designed the room along with dave’s Cathy MacMillan and ‘Scamp’ with the intent of creating the ideal room from scratch, with the suite created from the remains of a boardroom.

The room is home to dave’s DaVinci Renaissance 8:8:8 color corrector working with Cintel Ursa Gold, Ferwerda, the heads of the members of Kiss, and furnishing and design touches not commonly associated with rooms of its purpose – hardwood floors, exposed, aged brick, high tileless ceilings, crown mouldings, candles creating a slightly gothic feel, and the amenities necessary for outside world contact and video amusement.

Says Ferwerda, the relaxation quotient among clients can be summarized by their tendency to sit on the floor.

– July 10 is Time for a Cure

June is ALS Awareness month. als, Amyotophic Lateral Sclerosis, is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s the disease Stephen Hawking has and, closer to home, so does recording engineer Mark Baldi.

Baldi, who has worked in sound and music at Manta Eastern Sound as an assistant engineer, and as an engineer at Deschamps and currently at McClear Pathe, was diagnosed with als last October.

Baldi is working to help raise awareness of the disease and the ALS Society’s ‘Time for a Cure’ campaign to raise money for research.

Tickets are being sold, each stamped with a date and time corresponding to the amount of time marked by a clock which was locked in a vault in a downtown TD bank on May 11. The vault will be opened on July 10 and the ticket holder with the time closest to the time the clock stopped will win the first prize of a trip to London.

Tickets are available through McClear Pathe or by calling the ALS Society at (416) 362-0447.

als is a progressive terminal neuromuscular disease, with no known cause or cure, that attacks the motor neurons that convey messages to voluntary muscles. The disease strikes about six people in 100,000 per year and half of those who have als die within five years of diagnosis.

Says Baldi: ‘I plan to continue working as long as I am able to and to do as much as I can for the ALS Society; they are doing wonderful things for the community.’

The ALS Society provides assistance to people with the disease, including family support groups, equipment loans and purchase assistance, caregiver relief and funding for research.

– New date for First Cut Awards

Please note: the date of the Saatchi & Saatchi/Playback First Cut Awards is now Tuesday, July 7, at Easy & the Fifth.