* Ariel Veneziano has joined Alliance Atlantis Pictures International as director of international sales. Formerly with Menemsha Entertainment, Veneziano was instrumental in worldwide distribution for such international art house hits as Iran’s The Color of Paradise and France’s Train of Life.

* Passion Media has appointed Gord Haines as ceo to head up the launch of Passion Television and The Singles Network.

Haines brings with him more than 27 years of experience in broadcasting, including senior executive positions with Alliance Communications, First Choice Canadian Communications and Citytv.

The two channels are scheduled to kick off in September.

* Law firm McMillan Binch has made Sandra Richmond a partner in the firm. Working in the entertainment-oriented KNOWlaw Group, Richmond specializes in television and new media.

* John W. Gill has been appointed by Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting to the new role of vp, programming for BBC Canada. aac and BBC Worldwide were granted licences by the crtc to create two bbc-branded digital channels in Canada, showcasing the best of the bbc’s children’s, entertainment and drama programs, as well as Canadian-produced content. BBC Canada plans to launch this fall.

* Chris Johnson has joined the Vision tv group of channels as the new chief strategist.

In his new role, the former tvontario exec will be responsible for helping to guide the long-term programming, presentation and scheduling strategy for Vision and its new channel Wisdom: Body, Mind and Spirit, set to launch in September.

* Toronto-based indie CineNova has promoted Gary Lang to the role of director of writing and research. He will take a leading role in the editorial process on all current development productions. Lang will continue to write and direct, and will also be involved with all of CineNova programs in his new editorial role.

All of CineNova’s staff and contract researchers, writers, and visual researchers will report to Lang, while Willie Fahnestock will continue to be in charge of all production activities.

* John Galway has been appointed the new television unit director for Ontario, Telefilm Canada.

Galway is the former manager of project data and industry analysis at the Licence Fee Program and has served as a key contributor to policy-making at the Canadian Television Fund.

Previously, Galway worked at the ofdc as a business analyst.

* Jack Tomik, CanWest’s senior vp of media sales, will add bctv general manager to his list of duties. He replaces Art Reitmayer who, effective immediately, becomes president, special projects under the CanWest regime.

Tomik, a past president of the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters, is currently chairman of BBM Bureau of Broadcast Measurement and serves on the board of the Television Bureau of Canada.

* Angela Heck has joined the western office of the National Film Board of Canada as its new publicist. She has more than 15 years experience in special events, including the 1999 Pan Am Games, 1998 Grey Cup, 1997 Canada Games, and the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Most recently, Heck was part of the public affairs department of the University of Manitoba.

* Mary-Louise McCausland, director of b.c.’s Film Classification Branch for 22 years, has been reassigned to another provincial department. In 1986, McCausland brought in the Motion Picture Act and recently began rating video games. Elaine Ivancic has been appointed acting director.

* Morgan Tincher has been named vice-president of corporate development at Vancouver’s Vycast Entertainment, a creator of online entertainment, where he will be involved in business development, corporate finance and the overall execution of corporate strategy. Previously, Morgan was ceo of Feeva, a San Francisco-based e-commerce company.

* Award-winning journalist Tom Kennedy has joined the ctv news team as the new London bureau chief, effective March 1.

Kennedy is currently based in Quebec City for CBC Television and is a two-time Gemini winner for best television reportage.