Attention all producers and distributors who hold rights to films that are at least 20 years old, Moviemax wants to hear from you.

Ric Davies, vice-president of programming for Allarcom Pay Television, operator of Moviemax, the new all-classics movie service to be distributed in Western Canada, says it was through subscribers to Allarcom’s existing pay-tv service, Superchannel, that they discovered the tremendous appetite for movies from the ’60s and ’70s.

The new service, owned by WIC Western International Communications, is scheduled to go on air by October. It will be strictly a movie channel, both in terms of content and orientation, says Davies. Fillers, interstitials, etc. will all be movie-related. He also hopes to acquire ‘the making ofÉ’ types of films.

Davies says the benefits to Canadian producers of this new channel will be largely indirect. ‘There will be some new production, but the reality is there is no way we can get a Canadian producer to run out and produce a bunch of 20-year-old Canadian films.’ However, it will offer Canadian producers who own the rights to their old films another window for broadcast in Canada, says Davies. ‘We also hope this service will bolster our Superchannel service, which really assists Canadian producers more through development and licensing of productions,’ he adds.

For those who do own the rights to old movies, this new service spells good news. Davies says Moviemax will need between 400 and 650 titles in its first year to make the service work. And to make up the numbers, he says he will be buying in bulk, not cherry picking.

Licensing fees for acquisition of product have yet to be determined.

Staffing will limited. Davies foresees hiring for a couple of positions, one of which, a programming assistant for Moviemax, has already been filled. ‘At Allarcom,’ he says, ‘we like to hire slowly and let positions develop as needed.’

Davies says Moviemax also hopes to establish a very co-operative relationship in terms of programming with The Classic Channel, the new movie channel licensed in Eastern Canada.

Moviemax

Suite 200, 5324 Calgary Trail

Edmonton, Alta. T6H 4J8

Tel: (403) 437-7744

Fax: (403) 437-3188

Contact: Ric Davies

v-p programming