Sheila, we hardly knew ye

The film and television community is not likely among those happy to see Sheila Copps resign her positions as minster of heritage and assistant deputy minister, gst reneg or no.

Copps’ support of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors and Exhibitors Association’s position on the dth issue early in the year left many feeling there was now someone in the House ready to take a stand against the u.s. trade department.

At the time of her resignation, Copps was in the midst of developing a new cultural fund with the Department of Finance and had anticipated an announcement on a plan for alternative funding for the cbc later in May. At press time, there was no word on the status of those projects or on a potential replacement.

From here, Copps will run in a bi-election June 17 for her Hamilton East riding. If she can keep the Reform Party at bay, she could be back in the House by mid-summer.

Boon to B.C. Film

fourteen film and tv projects have been selected from 89 proposals to receive funding through B.C. Film’s Applied Support Program.

B.C. Film is committing $310,793 in completion and production money to three feature films and one short film: Airport In, a feature comedy from producer David Bouck; Skyscraper, a feature comedy from producer Tara Cowell-Plain; We So Seldom Look on Love, a drama feature from executive producer John Pozer and producer Dean English; and Up the Wall, a short comedy from producer Fred Thorsen.

The fund is also earmarking $90,000 for the development of 10 projects: All Night Bender (feature) from Stephen Hegyes; At the Edge of the Sea (tv series) from Raymond Hall and Laszlo Pal; Confusion (feature) from Tony Walter; The First Time (doc) from Hot Roller Productions; How Smudge Came (family drama) from Hilary Jones-Farrow; Hungry Hills (feature) from David Ohnona; Karena and Eve (feature) from Julia Kwan; Peachland (feature) from Katherine Schlemmer; Thorax the Conquerer (tv series) from Bardel Animation; and Who is the Black Madonna? (doc) from Mortimer & Ogilvy Productions.

NSFDC update

Producers in Nova Scotia have registered a difference of opinion in the handling of the administration of the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation following the mid-April suspension of nsfdc president Roman Bittman.

Following the nsfdc board’s suspension of Bittman for undisclosed reasons, the principals of Nova Scotia production companies Salter Street Films, Citadel Productions, Charles Bishop Productions, Imagex Films and Cochran Entertainment called for the resignation of the nsfdc board and its chair, Marie Comeau.

Earlier, the board cited business and environmental concerns for shelving plans for the development of a soundstage.

The Canadian Independent Film Caucus – Atlantic Chapter released a statement supporting the authority of Comeau and the board.

Chuck Lapp, cochair of the cifc, says while the organization has had a good relationship with Bittman, nsfdc policies should be revised to address issues raised in the recent provincial Auditor General’s report and to distribute financing more widely in the production community.

A meeting of the board is expected in the next several days to discuss Bittman’s future.

CLT and Mediatoon team up

Mediatoon, an Astral/Dupuis company, and CLT Multi Media, a broadcasting subsidiary of European media giant Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Telediffusion, have signed a multi-year agreement to finance and distribute animation programming. The deal calls for three animation series to be produced annually.

Under announced terms, clt will handle international distribution and participate with Mediatoon as a coproducer.

Production starts immediately on two 26-episode series: Papyrus, set in the exotic world of ancient Egypt, and Nanook, which combines 3D and traditional animation and was developed by French children’s producer Elma Animation. Both series will be broadcast on TF1, France’s largest commercial network, and distributed in Canada by Astral Distribution.

The new programming will qualify as both Canadian and European content.

Cinar quarter is strong

Cinar Films has acquired all animation, video and interactive tv rights to Animal Crackers, Tribune Media Services’ syndicated newspaper comic strip.

On the financial front, Cinar is reporting a 60% increase in net earnings to $1.5 million or $0.15 per share for the first quarter ending Feb. 29. Total revenues rose 42% to $12.2 million.

During the period, Cinar delivered 33 half-hours, including the first three episodes of the live-action sci-fi series Space Cases, bringing its library to 612 half-hours.

Cinar stock hit a new high, $24, on the tse April 30.

Imax sets record

Toronto-based Imax Corporation reported record earnings and strong theater system signings for the first quarter of 1996 ended March 31. The company’s earnings were us$2.9 million compared with us$278,000 for the same three-month period in 1995, or $0.19 per share compared with $0.01 per share for the first quarter of 1995.

Revenue for the quarter increased 87% to us$30.3 million from us$16.2 million in 1995. Systems revenue increased 58% to us$14.7 million, while film revenue jumped 93% to us$10.8 million.

Earnings ebb at Astral

Astral Communications reports revenues for the six-month period ending Feb. 29 declined $9 million to $173 million from $182 million for the same period last year.

The broadcasting division showed continued growth with revenues up 7% to $55.1 million while revenues for the entertainment group were $118 million, down from $130 million last year. Second-quarter revenues were down close to $8 million.

Six-month net earnings, results the company calls ‘disappointing,’ were $2.6 million or $0.20 a share compared to $4.1 million last year and an eps of $0.32.

Astral says ongoing losses from AstralTech Americas, the cd-rom replication facility in Boca Raton, Florida, is contributing to the downturn. Results do not include the photographic division, which is on the selling block.

CanWest shares in motion

CanWest Global Communications has filed an official registration statement with the u.s. Securities and Exchange Commission offering five million non-voting shares.

The offer is contingent on shareholder approval at a shareholders meeting May 27. If the capital reorganization proposal is not approved, the offer will be made in subordinate voting shares.

Of the five million offered shares, three million are being offered by CanWest and two million by CanWest Communications, which is controlled by chairman and ceo Izzy Asper.

In the u.s., Nomura Securities International, Prudential Securities and CS First Boston are acting as representatives for four million shares. International underwriters are representing the remaining one million shares outside Canada and the u.s., Nomura Securities is acting as global co-ordinator for the offerings.

Subject to notice of issuance, the New York Stock Exchange will list them under the symbol cwg.