U.K.-based HIT Entertainment, one of the world’s leading producers and distributors of family programming, has officially opened shop in Toronto.

‘The establishment of this company is a key component of our global strategy,’ states HIT CEO Rob Lawes. ‘It puts us in an optimum position to grow our business in Canada and ensures that our properties are distributed and marketed effectively by Canadians to Canadians.’

Under the leadership of Pam Westman, VP for HIT Entertainment Canada, the Toronto office, which launched Aug. 1, is comprised of an entirely Canadian staff responsible for video/DVD/audio sales and distribution, as well as marketing, consumer products, licensing and broadcast sales for HIT’s brands in Canada.

Westman has represented HIT and Lyrick properties in Canada since 1993.

In March 2001, HIT acquired Lyrick Studios, one of the largest independent family entertainment companies in the world, gaining control of such world-renowned children’s properties as Barney the dinosaur and Wishbone.

In June, it took over Gullane Entertainment, adding Thomas the Tank Engine to its family of children’s properties.

U.K.-based Gullane shares offices in Toronto with Cambium Catalyst International.

HIT has a market capitalization of more than US$500 million.

MGM’s Griffiths headlines Conferences in 2002

More than 30 high-profile film and television executives from around the world will participate in Conferences 2002, to be held Aug. 26-28 in Montreal. The program is organized in association with the International Film Market and Montreal World Film Festival.

Speakers include Paramount Home Entertainment senior VP of acquisitions Ellen Pittleman, MGM casting director Paul Weber, Borden Ladner Gervais lawyer Sam Coppola, National Film Board chair and government film commissioner Jacques Bensimon and FICC president Marcel Choquette.

The keynote luncheon speaker on Aug. 26 is Jim Griffiths, president of MGM Worldwide Television Distribution. Griffiths also supervises MGM Networks, responsible for cable and satellite distribution channel opportunities.

Michel Zgarka, EVP of Omicron Media is the organizer of Conferences 2002 and Location/Expo, a parallel technical service and market promotion program.

This year’s market program also includes the International Forum on New Technology, Aug. 29-30, which includes a lecture by Alias|Wavefront chief scientist Bill Buxton.

Themes on this year’s conference program include the impact of convergence on production, production financing, distribution, broadcasting, and the prospects for ‘Hollywood North.’

LGE and HBO expand output agreement

HBO and Vancouver’s Lions Gate Entertainment have extended a multi-year output deal from four years to five. The deal, inked in 1998 and extended to the end of 2003, involves LGE’s roster of feature films such as Monster’s Ball, O, Frailty and Amores Perros.

Upcoming LGE releases include Rules of Attraction, Secretary and The Grey Zone.

Peace Arch pulls plug on acquisition deal

Vancouver’s Peace Arch Entertainment has pulled the plug on a deal to acquire an undisclosed private U.S. library of factual and documentary television programming.

The transaction had been subject to completion of a US$2.3-million equity financing that was supposed to be completed by the end of July through a New York banking firm. At press time, Peace Arch representatives were not available to explain why the financing and acquisition failed, although, in a release, the company says discussions continue with the library and the banking firm on a non-exclusive basis.

In a May press release, CEO Juliet Jones had called the library acquisition ‘the first stage of our plan to grow our programming library and strengthen the company’s distribution capabilities.’

Content review deadline extended

The deadline for submissions for the second round of comments in the Canadian Heritage content review process has been extended from July 31 to Aug. 30.

The second round of submissions is designed as an opportunity for comments on submissions tabled in the initial round, which closed May 31. All submissions are posted on the department website.

Review chair Francois Macerola says a series of 10 roundtables held across the country in June and July attracted hundreds of participants.

A summary of the roundtable meetings is being prepared and translated and will be available at the Heritage website by mid-August.

Queer fest gets PR boost

An apparent routine inspection by B.C.’s Film Classification Office at Famous Players Capital Six turned into a PR drama and publicity boon for the 14th annual Queer Film + Video Festival that wrapped in Vancouver Aug. 18.

Troubles began Aug. 8 when the FCO discovered the festival’s Aug. 8 opening gala Little Sisters Big Brother, a documentary about censorship and the Canada Customs tribulations of Vancouver’s gay bookstore, lacked the appropriate classification documentation, says Steven Pelton, acting deputy director at the FCO.

A letter of exemption was issued, he says, and there was no effort to stop the screening. The FCO does not fine cinemas for running unclassified films, Pelton adds.

However, local media picked up the censorship angle, which was helped by a second FCO concern about a series of shorts that supposedly contained adult content. Pelton says only certain theatres are licensed to screen X-rated material.

‘The information the [Out On Screen] society has indicates that the government has never required, at least in recent memory, any other B.C. film society to be subject to the full application of the Motion Picture Act,’ says festival executive director Drew Dennis. ‘That to us, at least, smacks of discrimination.’

Pelton says the FCO supports festivals and chalks up the incident to misinformation.

Jiang Toon opens in Canada

Wuhan, China-based animation company Jiang Toon Animation has opened an international sales office in Montreal headed by Alex Rousseau, VP international business development. Rousseau is former director of technical support and education with animation software manufacturer Toon Boom Technologies.

‘The company is offering a range of production services including preproduction, animation, digital ink and paint and compositing and post-production, as well as services in distribution and merchandizing,’ says Rousseau.

Jiang Toon, headed by CEO Zhu Youlan, was launched in 1997 and operates three production facilities in China, with an annual production capacity of 3,000 minutes of animation. The company acquired China producer Top Animation (from Morning Sun) in 2000 and opened a full-service facility in Shanghai last year. Jiang Toon also has a sales office in Paris.

Rousseau says the Montreal shop intends to look beyond service work with the goal of coproducing with Canadian partners.

Jiang Toon production credits include three Canadian animation series, D’Myna Leagues, a coproduction of Studio B and Top Animation; Corduroy Bear, a coproduction of Nelvana and Top Animation, and Legend of Candy, a service production deal for Delaney and Friends.