Maria Topalovich is stepping down as president and CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and will end a run of nearly 28 years at the organization when her contract expires on April 30.

‘There comes a time when one has to move on, professionally and personally,’ a reflective Topalovich tells Playback, adding it was not a difficult decision, and that she ‘absolutely left on good terms’ with the ACCT, organizer of the Genie Awards, Geminis and the Prix Gémeaux in Quebec.

‘Maria and I agreed that the timing was right,’ says Academy chair Paul Gratton. ‘After 28 years, you don’t have anything to prove, and it’s good for an organization to bring in some new blood,’ he adds. Gratton, also VP of entertainment specialty channels at CHUM, will take over as interim CEO until a replacement is chosen.

Industry heavyweights are quick to praise Topalovich, described as a ‘relentless champion and true pioneer of Canadian film and television’ by producer Robert Lantos.

‘She’s an incredibly sympathetic person in an industry where people tend to get very hardened,’ says director Atom Egoyan, who recalled getting his first Genie nom for his debut feature Next of Kin in 1985. ‘Maria was there and she was very supportive.’

Seven-time Gemini winner Jerry Ciccoritti, who had just returned from the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, where he screened his mini Dragon Boys, was surprised to learn of Topalovich’s departure.

‘I wish I had a witty anecdote about Maria… something that revealed her intelligence, wit, energy, goodwill and enthusiasm. These things were always in evidence whenever I was in her company,’ the director says.

Topalovich joined the Academy in 1979 as director of communications under founding executive director Andra Sheffer, who is now head of the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, the Independent Production Fund and the Cogeco Program Development Fund.

The two worked together for 10 years until 1989, when Topalovich took over and was made executive director. ‘I don’t know how she’s done it that long,’ says Sheffer, a close friend.

Topalovich, a self-described industry cheerleader, is widely praised for her passion and commitment to the unpredictable TV and film industries, and for growing and maintaining the Academy’s membership, currently sitting at 4,000. ‘Her greatest contribution right off the bat is keeping the place in good shape for 28 years, though the industry has fallen on fairly hard times,’ says Gratton.

Declining public interest and dwindling TV audiences for the Geminis, Genies and Gémeaux have been a particular challenge for Topalovich in recent years.

National viewership for the Geminis, which went from CBC to Global Television in 2005, has steadily declined since the days of the 1990s, when the show drew a reported one million viewers. By comparison, roughly 200,000 Canadians have tuned in for the past two years.

‘It’s always had peaks and valleys and it’s always been an uphill struggle, but it’s been a good fight,’ Topalovich says, adding that the battle will continue. ‘That is the reality of Canada. The greatest challenge is to create and sustain pride within a cultural landscape that’s dominated by the American market.’

Topalovich, who authored two books on the Canadian film industry during her tenure, is looking forward to some time off, and may look to a career in the music industry, where she started out. She was director of the Royal Conservatory of Music prior to joining ACCT.

A three-member committee comprised of Gratton, Quebec chair Charles Ohayon and founding chair Ron Cohen will look for a replacement. ‘I hope to have someone in place no later than the end of summer,’ says Gratton, adding that interviews will begin in May.