Thirty years ago, Doug Dales was the new kid on the block. Today he owns several city blocks under the banner of PS Production Services. The equipment supplier boasts a four-acre head facility in Toronto along with offices in Halifax and Vancouver and Prairie centres in Regina and Winnipeg owned in partnership with regional GM Michael Drabot.

The Motion Picture Theatre Associations of Canada believes there is not enough dialogue between Canadian producers and exhibitors. But it hopes to change that at the 17th edition of ShowCanada, its annual exhibitor/ distributor conference and trade show, slated for April 30 to May 3, by bringing in producers to hype their wares.

Following last year’s maiden launch, the Canadian Cinema Showcase is again touring the U.K., from Jan. 9 to March 30. Six Canuck features are being screened in 15 cities, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Sheffield and Dublin.

Michael Mosca might well be last year’s upstart genius of Canadian distribution. Or just plain lucky.

Distributors that traditionally peddle low-budget films will likely be paying more heed than usual to marketing their product in the wake of the success experienced in 2002 by the $5-million My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

The Toronto Film Critics Association has chosen Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner as the best Canadian film of 2002.

The Sundance Film Festival, considered by many the world’s premiere indie film fest, has announced its 2003 schedule, and several Canuck flicks have gotten the nod.

Who’s posting what for whom

Toronto animation house Cuppa Coffee says it has turned down a sale offer of US$38 million from a consortium between a Japanese broadcaster and a U.S. network. The deal, put forward in the summer, reportedly included the cost of opening a new Cuppa studio in Tokyo catering to the Asian market and came with certain performance clauses.

‘In this corner, in the grey pompadour, his soft-spoken manner only hiding the grotesque machinations in his mind, the Baron of Blood – Dave ‘Deprave’ Cronenberg! And in this corner, in the spectacles – you’ll never see him do a romantic comedy – Canada’s Denizen of Downbeat – Atom ‘the Armenian Hammer’ Egoyan!’

Ararat leads the 2003 Genie pack with nine nominations, but conspicuously absent among those noms is achievement in direction for Atom Egoyan. The introspective Toronto filmmaker can console himself, however, in being cited for best motion picture – he coproduced the Alliance Atlantis/Serendipity Point Films drama with Robert Lantos – and best original screenplay.

Critics at the Cahiers du Cinema would brandish their baguettes like battle-axes.