at the Canadian Film Centre’s annual bbq on Sept. 10, Gerry Noble, president and ceo of Global Communications, and Loren Mawhinney, Global Television’s vp of Canadian production, announced the donation of $1.5 million to the school’s Fast Forward Campaign.

The contribution, the biggest ever made to the scholarship campaign, will be used to build a new production studio, to be named the Global Television Production Studio.

‘Global is firmly committed to helping Canadians build a world-class film, television and new media industry,’ said Noble to an industry crowd that included Toronto International Film Festival founder Dusty Cohl and such Canadian celebs as Don McKellar, Sonja Smits, Clement Virgo and Helen Shaver.

Launched in 1998, the cfc’s $15-million Fast Forward Campaign was established to create scholarships and endowments for the benefit of the centre’s film, television and new media training programs.

In other Global commitments, on Sept. 6, Noble announced the establishment of a $23.9-million fund to support western independent film and television production. The announcement coincided with the welcoming of Edmonton’s itv (formerly a WIC Western International asset) into the Global Television Network and is part of the total $84-million benefits package that CanWest Global Communications committed to spend on acquiring the wic stations.

The Western Independent Producers Fund, to be administered from Edmonton, is earmarked to assist independent Canadian producers west of the Ontario/Manitoba border.

Also part of the benefits package, Global has presented $1.25 million to the National Screen Institute, $500,000 to the Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association and a $250,0000 grant to Economic Development Edmonton for the creation of a film commissioners office.

‘Global knows the strength and talent of the Western production industry,’ said Noble. *

-www.canwestglobal.com

-www.globaltv.com