CHUM up 10%

Profits at CHUM Limited rose 10% to $41.3 million, on revenues that were up 12% to $628.3 million, according to recent year-end numbers for 2005. The media conglom took a $9.3-million asset writedown, however, owing mainly to money it put into the production of the sci-fi series Charlie Jade and the teen road movie Going the Distance. CHUM’s radio outlets were also hurt by increased royalty payments, brought about by recent tariff changes by the Copyright Board of Canada.

Nelvana in the black

Corus Entertainment had ‘a very satisfying year’ in 2005 and is reporting a 2% rise in revenue to $683.1 million, and a net profit of $71.1 million, up from a $23 million loss in 2004. The year-end report also notes that the company’s toon house Nelvana has returned to profit, and that subscribers to Movie Central are up 6% to 748,000. Revenue in the content division was down 27% to $82.3 million because of lower returns from its Beyblade series.

New high at TIFF

More than $52 million in sales resulted from the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, say organizers, a new TIFF record. About $29 million came from domestic sales, and $23 million from international buys. Canadian films sold during TIFF include the Deepa Mehta opener Water, Clement Virgo’s Lie with Me, the Quebec B.O. darling C.R.A.Z.Y., and the rockumentary Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey.

Khanjian wins Crystal

Actress Arsinée Khanjian, CTV exec Bill Mustos, activist Gail Asper and filmmaker Bonnie Sherr Klein will receive Crystal Awards from Women in Film and Television – Toronto on Dec. 5 at the organization’s annual Crystal Awards.

Asper will take the prize for outstanding achievement, Khanjian for creative excellence and Mustos the Phyllis Switzer mentorship award, while Klein has been awarded the Crystal Jury prize. Other presentations will include the Kodak New Vision Fellowship, to filmmaker Anita Doron, the CBC Canadian Reflections Award and the Alliance Atlantis Diversity in Broadcasting Internship, the recipients for which have not been announced.

Shuffle at Cineplex

Cineplex Entertainment has bought Famous Players Media, the advertising and publishing wing of its former rival, and merged it with its own sales division to form Cineplex Media. The new outfit will combine FPM’s sales and creative teams – from the magazines Famous, le Magazine Famous Quebec and Famous Kids – with Cineplex’s own sales team. Cineplex Media will be led by former FPMer Salah Bachir.

Cineplex bought Famous Players earlier this year and more recently changed its name from Cineplex Galaxy.

Telefilm backs docs

Telefilm Canada has backed five upcoming French-language feature docs – two for development and three for production – as part of its Feature-Length Documentary Pilot Program. Production funding went to Pierre Guimond’s USA, Jean Lemire’s Le Dernier continent and Patricio Henriquez’s Voyage au bout de la torture. In development are La Derniére planéte by Sylvie Van Braband and Les Oiseaux et l’amour from Jacques Laberge.

Halton wins Sinclair award

David Halton will take home the Gordon Sinclair Award for broadcast journalism at this month’s Geminis, in recognition of his exceptional body of work after 40 years in the business.

Halton joined CBC in 1965 and covered major events such as the Six Day War, the Vietnam War and the coup d’etat in Greece from posts including Moscow, Paris and London. For 10 years starting in 1978 he was the chief political correspondent for The National and took his last post in Washington, DC, covering news such as the impeachment of Bill Clinton and the 9/11 attacks. He retired in August.

Reel Asian returns

Toronto’s Reel Asian International Film Festival will celebrate its ninth anniversary Nov. 23-27 with premieres including the Canadian features of The Grace Lee Project, Cavite and Happy Family. Both a youth program and a shorts program have been added to the fest – reportedly the largest of its kind in Canada – in order to expand audiences. Films and videos will come from filmmakers in Canada, the U.S., Asia and elsewhere for a total of 77 films from 12 different countries. See www.reelasian.com.

More Metal at Seville

Seville International has bought the worldwide rights for Global Metal, the follow-up to the recent doc Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. The first Metal film, by Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen and Jessica Joy-Wise, also handled by Seville, looked at the outsider culture of heavy metal. Global Metal will explore whether the genre has anything to teach us about globalization. The film is currently in preproduction under directors Dunn and McFadyen.

ACTRA applauds Williams

Actor, filmmaker and activist Tonya Lee Williams was set to take home an ACTRA Award of Excellence on Nov. 19 at a ceremony in Los Angeles, in recognition of her work to build a more independent Canadian film and television industry. Williams is best known as Dr. Olivia Winters on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless, a role that has earned her two NAACP Awards and two Emmy nominations. She is also founder and president of ReelWorld Film Festival and Foundation and was recently appointed by Toronto Mayor David Miller to that city’s film advisory board.