Francois Macerola has been reappointed to an extended two-year term as executive director of Telefilm Canada. His extended term expires January 2001.

The reappointment immediately solves the problem of finding a suitable replacement – a candidate with industry experience and the right mix of political and language skills.

In a Jan. 4 prepared statement, Heritage Minister Sheila Copps said she is ‘pleased to be able to count on someone with Mr. Macerola’s experience.’

Macerola’s immediate preoccupations include the national feature film policy review and the growing industry push for more feature film funding, the harmonization of operations under revamped 1999-2000 Canadian Television Fund guidelines as well as the significantly expanded multimedia envelope, says Suzan Ayscough, Telefilm director, communications and public affairs.

Macerola resigned Oct. 23 to run as a candidate for the Quebec Liberal Party in the Nov. 30 provincial elections.

In other Telefilm Canada news, long rumored to be at odds with a handful of producers in the apftq’s film section, Nicole Giroux, director, business unit, feature films, Quebec region, has resigned her position with Telefilm Canada.

Industry sources told Playback the apftq feature film committee had asked for Giroux’s resignation as early as last fall but the request was turned down by Peter Katadotis, Telefilm Canadian operations director. Despite the widely-rumored covert opposition to Giroux, the Quebec operations group during her tenure funded some of its most successful features in recent years including the current box-office hits, Les Boys I & II and C’est a ton tour Laura Cadieux as well as a handful of well-received festival movies including Le Coeur au Poing, No, Un 32 Aout sur Terre and 2 Secondes.

In its appointment notice for a replacement for Giroux, Telefilm said applicants should have strong interpersonal and negotiating skills, an excellent command of French and English, both oral and written, 10 years experience and knowlege of both the creative and financing requirements for Canadian feature films. Applications had to filed before Jan 11.