You might say Chris Van Dyke was born into editing. The son of Archie Van Dyke is this year’s Bessie winner for editing.

Toronto-based OMNI Television is set to launch its new international distribution arm, Harbourfront Entertainment, at the Banff Television Festival in June.

Toronto’s Gooderham & Worts Distillery, an oft-used Toronto filming location, will officially reopen under the name of The Cooperage Gooderham & Worts Historic District on May 22.

The Toronto Film Studios is a step closer to its plan of running a major film campus with the purchase of Toronto production centre Cinevillage from Alliance Atlantis Communications. Although AAC will remain Cinevillage’s anchor tenant, TFS will act as the owner/operator of the facility.

The U.K.’s Pinewood Shepperton Studios has reportedly reaffirmed its commitment to the proposed Toronto Film/Media Complex destined for Toronto’s port lands, in the wake of partner California-based Sequence Development Group dropping out of the project. Pinewood will serve as the studio’s operator when it becomes operational.

Gary Chuntz is one of the guys who made being a colorist cool. For his efforts and overall contribution to the Canadian commercial production industry, Chuntz is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Bob Mann Award for excellence in post-production at the 2003 Bessies.

Monique Kelley’s work on one of the most recent spots in the popular Five Alive TV campaign has earned her the 2003 Bessie for art direction. The winning spot in Kelley’s case is ‘Karate Kan,’ an ad made up of short vignettes targeted at a generation of channel-surfers.

Toronto’s Eyes Post Group has purchased the assets of the cross-town post-production house formerly known as The Post Group. Eyes and the staff of The Post Group have given the shop the new handle KAOS Digital Post Environment.

Ghostship Studios, a year-old animation company in Halifax, founded by Frank and Dianna Forrestall in partnership with Halifax’s Eco-Nova Productions, is hard at work on the very ambitious one-hour animated documentary Fairy Folio. Frank Forrestall and John Davis of Eco-Nova are producing, with Phil Sceviour (CFO of both entities) executive producing.
According to Frank Forrestall (who is also directing), the unusual and daunting project for CTV will serve as a fairy field guide, offering instructions on how to handle yourself if you ever encounter one in the wild.

Toronto’s Alliance Atlantis Communications and CBS have sold the second-window U.S. broadcast rights for CSI: Miami to A&E Television Networks. From October 2004 to October 2006, A&E has acquired the right to air one episode of the highly rated series per week, with standard syndication conditions applying. AAC estimates the full value of the deal could exceed US$230 million, with a reported tag price of approximately US$1.2 million per episode.

The plan to erect the one-million-square-foot studio complex in Toronto’s port lands has been put on hold but not dropped, says Jeffrey Steiner, president and CEO of the Toronto Economic Development Corporation. The $150-million Toronto Film/Media Complex (a working name) will go ahead after a new investor/developer is found, following the recent departure of California-based Sequence Development Group from the project.

Even in the face of open criticism of the Prairie provinces’ ability to support major film and TV productions, the region’s foreign and indigenous production business continues to grow.