Brad Fortner of the Rogers Communications Centre at Toronto’s Ryerson Polytechnic University is promotions advisor for the Toronto Section of SMPTE….

The September meeting of the Toronto section of SMPTE marked the first meeting that Fred Benedikt acted in his new role as section chair. The outgoing and new executive was introduced….

*VCR gets into Play…

Vancouver: A bid by the B.C. Council of Film Unions to create a separate collective agreement for low-budget Paramount and Warner Bros. projects has been rejected by the union membership….

Vancouver: Vancouver’s Mainframe Entertainment will release the first of two large-format, computer-animated features in 2000, the company announced yesterday….

Montreal: Quebec Culture and Communications Minister Louise Beaudoin has requested a formal review of sodec’s investment in the Montreal World Film Festival. The agency, which reports to the minister, has asked for wide industry participation in the review, which sodec president…

Sony Pictures Entertainment has formed an agreement of intent with Toronto media management company The Bulldog Group which includes an equity investment by Sony in Bulldog….

Toronto-based International Image has provided technical services for the TV distribution market for nearly 25 years and its new technology initiative Constant Cadence is the latest proprietary service developed by the shop for an evolving TV industry….

* Curtis Staples has joined the staff of International Image, which has offices in Toronto and L.A. Staples was previously VP of business development at Vancouver’s Rainmaker and brings wide experience dealing in the L.A. market….

Due to an oversight, photo credits did not accompany the pictures which appeared the Partylines features in the Sept. 21 issue of Playback and our three special Toronto International Film Festival editions. All the photos published (with the exception of the…

One week into the Canadian Television Policy Review and everybody is fair game. Reporters being hung out to dry, smear campaigns orchestrated by cloak-and-dagger ‘researchers’ over the phone, favors called in, allegiances formed then betrayed, and unprecedented backbiting in an industry…

*Alliance Atlantis Communications has created an acquisitions department and promoted Charlotte Mickie to senior vp acquisitions and development, Alliance Motion Picture Group….