Famous gets digi previews

Famous Players announced earlier this month that it has installed digital projectors able to air full motion previews on 588 of its screens at 47 locations across Canada.

The new, brighter, high-resolution images will be an improvement from the static, slide-based pre-shows now being used, the exhibitor says. The images will play off a DVD projected with high-resolution Panasonic 750 Digital Projectors and will range from in-house spots such as the ‘Famous Faces’ quizzes to PSAs and paid advertising.

DGC sets scene for awards

The Directors Guild of Canada has announced the second annual DGC Awards will be held Oct. 4 at The Carlu in Toronto. Nineteen awards will be presented, including the DGC Team Awards, Craft Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award and Distinguished Service Award. The awards are both nominated and voted on by members of the DGC across Canada.

In other news, following its AGM, the DGC Ontario chapter has appointed Relic Hunter and Doc director Don McCutcheon as chair of the executive board, with Soul Food’s Ken Girotti as first vice-chair. Street Legal’s Alan Erlich will join as well, as second vice-chair. Eleanore Lindo of Degrassi is appointed directors rep.

OMNI commits $20Gs to race relations

OMNI Television announced it has given the Canadian Race Relations Foundation $20,000 towards the establishment of the CRRF’s new race relations education centre. The donation comes as part of OMNI’s $50-million vow to promote ethnic diversity in television programming. The centre will be built in homage to former Ontario Lt. Governor General Lincoln Alexander, the founding chair of the CRRF, and its manifesto to teach positive race relations through education.

Funds for the new centre will be taken from OMNI’s community grants initiative, which recognizes non-profit community groups and organizations.

The OMNI stations currently provide the Toronto and Hamilton area with programming in over 30 languages to ethnocultural groups in 40 communities.

Breakfast in Cannes

Telefilm Canada and its Canada Pavilion partners are inviting producers to two producer-networking breakfasts at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, May 14-25.

The Canada-France breakfast will be held Sunday, May 18, and the Canada-Australia breakfast on Tuesday, May 20.

The deadline for registrations is April 28. Telefilm says attendance will be limited to 100 producers per event.

The Canada Pavilion will again be located in the International Village.