kari Skogland, formerly a director with Champagne Pictures, has returned, in part, to the Partners’ fold.

As of January 1, Skogland will be repped for commercial production by Partners’ in Canada. Since last October (1993), she has been repped by Partners’ division Industrial Artists in the u.s.

But there’s a twist. Skogland Films remains an independent company with Kari Skogland as president, but the company will now ‘focus solely on the development and production of entertainment for television and/or theatrical release.’ Her company has a formal association with Partners’ which will see Skogland Films develop long-format projects with the understanding that Partners’ will help execute them. She says three projects are already ‘in various stages of development’ including: a family ‘entertainment adventure’, working title The Magician, a sci-fi fantasy feature and a drama being co-developed with Protocol Entertainment.

Skogland staffer Meredith Dorion will be responsible for acquisitions and development of the long-form material.

They laughed, they cried…

the turnout was good for the Toronto premiere of Digger, the feature directorial debut of Circle Productions commercial director Robert Turner. As promised, members of the tough crowd of veteran directors, editors, producers, composers, agency types, press and sundry others were visibly moved by the skillfully crafted family values film. Photogenic b.c., major dop talent Michael Buckley and the cast (Joshua Jackson, Adam Hann-Byrd, Olympia Dukakis and Leslie Nielsen) all turned stellar performances in to Turner.

Despite his rewarding results – they should keep track of all the kudos for promo use – the foray into the realm of features left Turner shaking his head at the degree to which The Player is reality-based.

…and then they drank a lot…

devoid of Magic administrative cares, commercial cutter Daphne McAfee was among the soigne who swanned off to the Circle Productions’ fete following the Digger debut. McAfee was one of a group of film afficionados commenting on the new-found success of ‘small, quiet films’ (a genre to which Digger was favorably ascribed) that go against the blockbuster Hollywood grain.

Upon reflecting she had never been to L.A., the ever-effervescent editrix (who although avowing she’s ‘No staffer’ has been ensconced at City-tv working on TVTV for a very long haul now) was regaled with ‘L.A. Stories’ from the ubiquitous composer/music designer, David Krystal.

Krystal was confessing the latest installment of his amusing talent for saying the wrong thing to the right people (potential clients), this time while being wined and dined by a bunch of high octane executive producers. Despite inadvertant verbal jabs by Krystal, Giorgio (a bodyguard of one of the above-mentioned execs) called Krystal with an invitation to go riding, letting drop that a certain Arnold would be in the riding party. But Krystal declined, perhaps haunted by the Liebowitz image of Schwarzenegger with steed, fearing Arnold would don the demi-habit sported in the portrait.

Also surging round the sushi and satay at the elegantly-dressed new Circle digs (host extraordinaire Tim Turner explained the spartan interior was achieved by stowing all the office accoutrements in a Winnebago) were directors Stephen Yeates, Fred Frame, Eugene Beck, Steve Thursby, Kari Skogland, Michael Franks (now working on the Atlantis tv series African Skies), copywriter Diane Trojan, Ogilvy producer George Archer, creative directors Sandy Lemm from fcb, Stewart Hood of v&b, Graham Watt and Taxi’s John Lee.

Close to 300 guests responded to the invites designed by Doug Bramah of jwt, noshed the grub catered by David Woods and gazed upon the decor designed by art director Leeanne Baxter at the revelry orchestrated by chief Party Planner Karen Tameanko.

Portside closes

1993 has been a slow year in the commercial production business. No one knows it better than Gil Novis, who has closed Portside Films. After founding the company five years back, as an offshoot of Boardwalk Pictures, Novis has decided the dearth of production work means it’s no longer feasible for him to continue renting a house as the company’s production base and employing even a skeleton support staff.

Instead, Novis says he’ll move his office home, re-open Gil Novis Productions and work as a production manager or producer on productions of any format, as well as co-ordinating productions coming in from outside Canada.

Allan Watanabe, involved with Portside as an executive producer since 1989, had moved into a freelance relationship with Portside and others in the production community shortly before Novis decided to close Portside’s doors. Although he says he hasn’t done any directing work in a while, he’ll do that, too, if that’s required.

Former Portside director Gord Oglan, meantime, has moved to Chaos International, the production company run by former Rawi Sherman alumnus Harve Sherman.