After years with The Partners’ Film Company, director Dale Heslip is Kessler Irish Films’ newest inductee.

The move is effective immediately, although contracts in process with Partners’ will be honored.

Executive producer Jane Kessler says some repositioning efforts will be made including moves to score Heslip some big-budget jobs.

-Aaaaahhhhhhh!

comm.bat films recently signed on l.a.-based Scream for official representation of directors Vadim Perelman and Stephen Tobin (through Scream division Stephen Tobin Films) and director/cameraman Stefan Wurnitzer. comm.bat has an existing affiliation with Lovinger/Cohn & Associates, which is a partner to Charles Felice, the owner of Scream.

Directors’ reels are jammed with people spots, with Perelman responsible for cinematic action/comedy spots for Boston Market and L.A. Cellular while Tobin conveys lots of warm humanity in spots for U.S. Healthcare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

comm.bat recently finished a job with Perelman through smw.

-The Lowe-down

When he exited Saatchi & Saatchi months ago to undertake the thrilling, make-your-own-rules life of a freelance producer, Doug Lowe had every intention of following through with that plan. As it happens, an even more thrilling offer came through shortly thereafter from Young & Rubicam, where Lowe is now director of broadcast production.

‘My intention was very much to be freelance,’ says Lowe. ‘I even went out and bought furniture and a fax machine.’ Lowe also scored freelance jobs while on his own, but the siren song of the agency, a great deal, previous relationships with many y&r staffers, and ‘fear of the thought of having to buy my own Bessies ticket’ meant a hasty re-entry to company life.

-CPA @

The Commercial Production Association, the non-profit trade association for the Toronto commercial industry, with members across the country, has launched its Web site plugging Canada as a destination for u.s. agencies.

The site (located at www.cdn-tvcommercial.com) is aimed at u.s. and international executive producers and creative directors to attract projects to Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.

Names and coordinates of companies in all sectors of production are listed and members can receive a page of information behind their name or a link to their own site (the cpa is still awaiting much info, so these links are still under construction on the page). The site will be supported with ads in a u.s. trade publication.

-Kings of the hill

The finalists list for the New York Festival’s 1996 International Television & Cinema Advertising competition is chock full of Canadian efforts, including Steve Chase’s Pontiac ‘Duel’ spot for MacLaren McCann and Richard D’Alessio’s Chrysler ‘Snowball’ spot for bbdo in the automotive category.

Advance word has the Save-On Foods spots from Avion Films’ Henry Holtzman through Palmer Jarvis winning the gold campaign award in the comedy category. The Save-On spots also scored a Mobius Award in Chicago.

Cuppa Coffee Animation has also won an award in the best animation category for its Arts Week ’96 spot directed by Cuppa’s Julian Grey.

The awards will be held Jan. 31 at the Sheraton New York Hotel.