*Big, bigger, biggest

The Big Film Company just got bigger.

Palooka Films executive producer Cindy Kemp and her roster of directors have joined forces with Dave Greenham and Angie Colgoni to become part of Big Film.

The new and very excited partners plan to keep the roster small so they personally are available to nurture new, young talent. They are also looking for three seasoned directors and recently signed on Carl Harvey (formerly with The Players Film Company).

In addition to commercials, Big Film will be branching into longer format projects and is currently in development on a few television ideas.

Kemp has been executive producing for about 20 years, both in Toronto and Vancouver, and just opened the doors to Palooka this past winter. Her roster is made up of Jim Lotter, Georgia Tanner, Danny Boyle and Marteinn Thorsson.

Big Film opened its doors in July 1997 as a division of Videogenic, which is 50% owned by The Partners’ Film Company.

Big Film executive producer Joseph Ruff will be leaving the company.

*New new prodco

Avion Films executive producer Michael Schwartz has set up a new satellite production company called New New Films.

Teri Walderman, formerly of The Directors Film Company, will be executive producer at the new Toronto-based shop, which, for now, will be operating out of Avion’s Wellington Street locale.

No directors have been signed on yet, but Walderman is knee-deep in reels and plans to make some announcements soon.

*Simply Soho

Soho Post & Graphics employees Lee Maund, Doug Morris, Andrew Hunter and Rob Boyle are the proud new owners of the Toronto-based shop after purchasing it from Glenex Industries.

Under its new management, the company, which specializes in digital special effects, animation and broadcast design, will drop the ‘Post & Graphics’ from its name and be known simply as Soho. Plans for the company include the expansion of its services. On the commercial front, Soho recently completed work on campaigns for Tim Horton’s and Leon’s, and a job for Kool-Aid.

Design projects include on-air launch and show openings for rob tv and a national redesign and logo design for ‘Plugged-In’ for the Canadian Cable Association.

*MuchApplause

The Bradley Walsh (of directing team B-Rad & The Burger Pimp) video for Len’s Steal My Sunshine picked up favorite Canadian video, best pop video and best video at the MuchMusic Video Awards. The chart-topping video was produced by The Players Film Company/Four Way Films.

Command Post/toybox vfx artist director Alex Boothby’s work on Edwin’s Hang Ten won best rock video. topix/Mad Dog artist James Cooper’s video Squeeze Toy by The Boomtang Boys earned best dance video. Cooper is repped by Black Walk.

Hoodoo Films’ Jef Renfroe won the best editing award for his work on Sky’s Love Song, which he also directed.

Montreal director Pierre Dalpe’s video for Lili Fatale, Les Djinns, earned best French video. Dalpe is repped by Voodoo Arts for commercial work.

*Hamlet with humor

Imported Artist/Clarence Square Pictures director Richard D’Alessio’s seven-minute short The Dane has been nominated in the best short dramatic program category at the Gemini Awards.

A humorous modern-day Hamlet unfolding in a bar, The Dane was shot by dop Simon Mestel. David Huband penned the script and produced along with Jeffrey Berman and Christina Ford.

*International intrigue

Toronto’s Filmblanc has added three more international names to its roster. Originally from Mexico, Hector Abaunza studied in France, lives in Finland and has worked all over the planet. From Argentina is Santiago Pueyrredon and from Colombia is Juan Carlos Beltran, who, according to exec producer Noemi Weis, is considered one of the top directors in Latin America. Beltran works in partnership with Toronto-based Madi Piller.

Filmblanc recently opened a sales office in Guatemala and will be bringing Central American shoots to Canada while repping the company’s Canadian directors in Central America.

Recent projects to come out of the Toronto office include a :90 for Harlequin Romance, shot in Montreal by director Allister Paton and dop John Lambert. The spot features a woman who seems to be having an orgasm but is actually riding a rollercoaster with a Harlequin in hand. Weis Advertising coined the creative.

*Still In the Blue

Leo Zaharatos and Andy Attalai, who left Chameleon in May to set up their own post-production companies, Blueberry Canoe and Blue Lizard Productions, respectively, are back together under one name, Blue Highway. The new post shop will operate out of 26 Soho Street with two new junior editors: Joanne Shaw and Aileen McBride. Joanne Vanlint is executive producer.

*Top Spots time

It’s time once again to put together your best work and fill out the industry survey for Playback’s annual Top Spots competition.

The cream of the Canadian commercial crop will be announced in the Nov. 15 issue – so if you have not yet sent in your info, do it now. If you have not received the relevant information, contact Pamela Swedko at (416) 408-2300, ext. 432.

When filling out the survey, please keep in mind that none of the revenue-related information is ever published in relation to a specific production shop. The sole purpose of the survey is to compile valuable industry stats.