A quote from director Martin Scorsese, ‘Creating a film is like birth,’ is the inspiration behind this year’s Toronto International Film Festival trailer campaign. Tagged ‘The Sculptor,’ the trailer was directed by Hoodoo Films’ Barry Avrich, who was also responsible for ‘The Kiss’ at last year’s tiff.

This year’s effort, which will unspool prior to every screening during the Sept. 10-19 festival, features a man chiseling away at a sculpture of two babies and makes reference to the next generation of filmmakers.

Volunteering their time to put the trailer together were Hoodoo executive producer Michael Rosen, Echo Advertising producer Margaret Callaghan and art director Derno Bertoluzzi. James Gardner was the dop, Soho Post & Graphics/Soho Digital Film handled the post, and David Shaw and Chris Gauthier of Crunch Recording Group composed the original music.

– MuchAnticipation

The 1998 MuchMusic Video Awards are on the horizon, set for Sept. 24 at the Chum/City building in downtown Toronto.

In the running this year for best director are some familiar names in the spot and video world including Stephen Scott, a contender for Love Inc.’s Broken Bones, produced out of Black Walk Productions; Javier for Moist’s Gasoline out of Spy Films; Tyran George for The Tea Party’s Babylon out of Revolver Films and Andrew MacNaughtan for The Gandharvas Downtime out of Revolver Films.

The Scott-helmed Broken Bones is nominated in five areas including best editing (Richard Cooperman), best cinematography (Marcus Elliott), best dance video and best video.

In the best video category, Broken Bones competes against another Black Walk-produced number, Release from Tea Party, directed by Ulf Buddensieck (now at Spy Films); btk’s Peppyrock, directed by Evan Bernard out of Hoodoo Films and X-Ray Productions; Matthew Good Band’s Apparitions, directed by William Morrison out of Toolshed; and Sarah McLachlan’s Sweet Surrender.

DOP Chris Soos is cited twice in the race for best cinematography honors for his efforts on the aforementioned McLachlan track as well as for Tea Party’s Babylon.

Tea Party’s Release is also vying for favorite Canadian video and for favorite Canadian group.

Buddensieck’s efforts were also cited on Great Big Sea’s Lukey, nominated for the MuchMoreMusic Award and for Big Wreck’s Blown Wide Open, nominated for best performance in a video.

Other favorite Canadian video competitors: McLachlan’s Sweet Surrender; The Rascalz’s Northern Touch, directed by Little X; Sloan’s Money City Maniacs, directed by Sloan and Mark Cutler out of Revolver; and The Tragically Hip’s Poets, directed by Mike Downie.

– On the move

Director Adam Massey, who recently moved over to The Players Film Company from Partners’, has landed his first gig, a two-day job out of Ammirati Puris Lintas for an undisclosed client.

Also on the move, Toronto director Clinton Ashton has signed on with L.T.B. Productions.

– McNally’s Kokanee a corker at AAM awards

Toronto-based Applied Arts Magazine held its annual competition for the best in, well, applied arts, including graphic design, print, television and radio advertising, illustration and photography.

The Players Film Company director David McNally won for tv advertising series with the Kokanee ‘Mountain Patrol’ spots ‘BB-Q,’ ‘K-9’ and ‘Heli-Squeeging,’ which also won for tv advertising single.

The Kokanee campaign was through Bryant Fulton & Shee, Vancouver. Dale Dimmick was the dop, Debbie Tregale edited at Coast Mountain, Denny Kennedy was producer, Camielle Clark was agency producer, Dan Scherk was copywriter and Lisa Francilia was art director.

– Humanity in advertising

The people behind a campaign for the Canadian Mental Health Association were recently cited for the BC Association of Broadcasters’ Humanity Award.

Cossette Communications-Marketing, Vancouver, and editor Jayne Morris Berry of JMB Post were honored as part of the team that created/posted the cmha campaign, ‘What’s Really Sick… ‘

– Get in the book

Now is your last chance to get your vital statistics into the next Toronto Commercial Production Directory. The second edition of the must-have tome is going to press soon, but stragglers may still have an opportunity to get into the who’s who by sending their info to The Partners’ Film Company (Ross McLean is organizing the book again).

– Walsh calling

Zoo TV director Bradley Walsh has been busy on the commercial as well as the long-form side of late, recently winning support from the ofdc for a short film project called Frog Pond. The ofdc’s Calling Card Program supports aspiring first-time filmmakers with funding as well as a film stock credit from sponsor Kodak toward a short film project. Walsh is working with producer Janine Cote on the short, which Walsh describes as an On Golden Pond meets Dazed and Confused meets Stand By Me coming-of-age comedy/drama. The short spun out of a darker-toned feature project Walsh has been working on and the project goes to camera at the end of the month.

Meanwhile Walsh is working for an unnamed but huge u.s. client on a major commercial shoot.

In other Calling Card news, the program has a new sponsor in Toronto agency Communique, which will pair young creative teams with directors and producers to create marketing materials for films.

– BCP gets Heiney

Dutch brewery Heineken is hooking up with Montreal agency Publicis bcp. Heineken (distributed by Molson) is looking to expand its share of the Quebec market for imported beers with the agency, which handles other Molson brands like Molson Dry.