Milestone to do ‘coolest awards show ever’ for Interactive Awards

Karen Mazurkewich is on sabbatical for 10 weeks. Suzanne Wilson will be covering the Ontario Scene in her absence.

Some news from the new technologies front: first there came an announcement that Toronto would host the first international Canadian Academy of Multimedia Arts and Sciences awards, May 27 at the Ryerson (University) Theatre, which will focus on multimedia and interactive technologies in the corporate sector. Then came word from Toronto’s Milestone Entertainment, known for its Genie and Gemini awards show productions, that it has been chosen from a number of companies to produce the first annual Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences awards show in Los Angeles.

Milestone’s parent company, The Multiple Images Group, has been a leader in multimedia software applications, and according to Milestone’s Peter Hayman, ‘it just seemed a natural marriage’ for the two companies to get involved in the leading edge of interactive entertainment. This gave them a distinct advantage in winning the contract for the show (which includes worldwide broadcast and distribution rights).

The awards gala will be broadcast from l.a. on June 16, and Hayman promises ‘it will be the coolest awards show ever’ with the world’s first ‘Cyberstage.’

‘The academy’s strategy is to get the Hollywood community to the on-ramp of interactivity, get lots of stars involved,’ he adds. Already, names like Peter Gabriel, Prince, David Bowie, Howie Mandel, Joe Montana and u.s. vice-president Al Gore are involved in interactive programs that are eligible for awards.

A new twist for Mann

Twist director Ron Mann is a Canadian creative force up to his elbows in interactive. The cd-rom version of Mann’s film Comic Book Confidential has been released by the Voyager Company. The disc, which premiered at Macworld in San Francisco in January, contains the film, an interview with the director, and an extensive bibliography and database of comic book history.

Voyager has also published versions of Poetry in Motion and A Hard Day’s Night, and Mann has signed an exclusive deal with the company to publish three original works on cd-rom, including a documentary on author Studs Terkel.

Most of Mann’s attention, however, has been focused on completing his latest documentary, Dream Tower, for cbc and City-tv. Another research-intensive film, Dream Tower examines Rochdale College, the focal point of Canada’s ’60s counterculture. In Mann’s words, it’s the story of ‘Rochdale’s first students, whose dream of a free university became a nightmare.’

After endless hours of sorting through old footage and documents, talking to over 300 of the college’s former residents, and camping out at Magnetic North with art director/Harry artist Gerlinde Scharinger (who made the filmmaker’s transition to video ‘absolutely painless’), Mann and coproducer Sue Len Quon just have final mixing to do.

Footage for the film came from a number of sources, including 250 cans of thought-to-be-lost archival material shot by filmmaker Dennis Miller which Mann’s researchers found on a farm in Northern Ontario. Apparently, an old landlord had a soft spot for the director and had kept the film, which was in perfect condition. Also, look for clips of the college from Voulez-vous Couchez Avec God?, an early film by Nelvana president Michael Hirsh.

CBC has first dibs on Dream Tower, and look for a possible air date during the 25th anniversary of Woodstock this summer (although Mann claims the 25th anniversary of the Manson family murders would be more appropriate).

Next in line: Mann has signed a feature film deal with Alliance Communications for Sparks, a $1.5 million theatrical documentary about radio. He plans to start the feature in the fall, but first he’s going to ‘unplug’ for six months and leave chilly Toronto for the sun-drenched coast of Spain.

Something silly

Radical Sheep Productions is in development with the cbc on another children’s series, which promises to be ‘a pretty silly show’ (the words of Radical Sheep president Robert Mills). Panda Bear Day Care, the newest offering from the creators of Gemini-nominated The Big Comfy Couch, will be shot from kid-perspective, and star a load of puppet characters, including, of course, a panda bear. No adults allowed!

Mills and cocreator Cheryl Wagner are both enjoying working with Peter Moss, head of development for cbc children’s programming. Wagner, Mills and Moss go ‘way back,’ to the days when Wagner and Mills worked with cbc on Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock.

‘Peter’s influence is really cool,’ says Mills, ‘he’s very open to new things.’

And yes, Radical Sheep is also into interactive. The company is continuing to develop interactive software titles for BAM! Software in New York. When we caught up with Mills, he had just returned from the Digital Hollywood conference in Los Angeles, and is very excited about the possibilities. As with its programming, Radical Sheep’s interactive titles are mainly targeted at kids.

It’s official

On Feb. 15, Carol Reynolds opened her new offices at Bloor and Yonge in the heart of Toronto and officially launched Carol Reynolds Productions. Almost a hundred people squeezed in to wish her well and celebrate the new company.

Reynolds left her position as vice-president, international co-production at Paragon Productions (Canada) in November to strike out on her own. However, her first two projects will be completions of projects she began while still with Paragon: Celine Dion’s next music special (Reynolds produced the successful Colour of My Love special), and the story of Olympic medalist Silken Laumann.

Coming up, a one-hour drama series, for which Reynolds has recruited Sondra Kelly, writer and story editor for Street Legal. The development of the series is, according to Reynolds, ‘our cornerstone. We’re looking to develop (the series) this year and be in production next year.’

Reynolds has also repatriated Shari Erlicher to join her. Erlicher, a Winnipeg native and graduate of the York University (Toronto) film arts program, moved to l.a. to get her ma in communications at the University of Southern California. When Reynolds offered her the job, Erlicher was working as a creative associate with the vice-president of motion picture development at Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment. According to Reynolds, Erlicher’s understanding of ‘the way they play down there’ will be an asset to the new company in moving their product south.

Happy Talk

Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell, creators of the feature-length documentary Talk 16, have joined up with Alliance Communications and writer Andrew Rae Berzins (Blood ‘n’ Donuts) to develop Talk 16, a dramatic series, with the cbc.

According to Mitchell, the series will still keep a ‘docu-feel,’ but instead of following the stories of individuals, it will be more ‘an anthology.’

Both Lundman and Mitchell have directed half-hour dramas in the past, but Talk 16, its sequel Talk 19, and their last documentary, Lawn and Order, have been keeping them busy for the last few years. Now they’re making the transition back to drama and are enjoying it. Mitchell adds that she and Lundman have been approached by Global Television for its producers series, and are starting to look for half-hour dramatic scripts.

Meanwhile their documentaries continue to gain audiences: Talk 16 was recently picked up by Panorama Films for distribution in the u.s. and is scheduled for theatrical release in the States in March. Films Transit, the foreign distributor, has made an unusual double television sale of Talk 16 to major broadcasters France 2 and La Sept. Lawn and Order aired on cbc’s Witness series at the beginning of the month, and Talk 19, launched at the 1993 Festival of Festivals, will have its tv debut on CBC in March.