Former Generator Films president and executive producer Michael Cooper has opened a Toronto office of Michigan’s Millennium Pictures, and signed three top Canadian helmers for his cause.

For the past seven years, the First Cut Awards have been judged as most other award shows, with between eight and 12 judges from the advertising and production community participating. Reels would be sent, and judges would be asked to return filled-out forms for tabulation.

Last year’s On The Spot headline read ‘Downing on the upswing,’ announcing the selection of upstart Radke director Michael Downing as a runner-up in the First Cut Awards. We couldn’t have been more prescient if we’d rigged this year’s First Cut selections (which we didn’t, even if that’s what some of the losers are claiming).

Son of Satan by Jean-Jacques Villard won the Nelvana grand prize at this year’s Ottawa International Student Animation Festival.

The world premiere of Norman Jewison’s new film The Statement will take place at the 17th AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival.

First Cut Award runner-up Yael Staav is looking for great ideas to shoot. With a background in music video production, some strong early work and a First Cut nod to her credit, the young director appears poised for a big second year in the industry.

Toronto-based director Jonathan Hayes is a runner-up in this year’s First Cut Award competition based solely on the merits of his acclaimed short film, The School, submitted as his reel. Repped by Toronto’s Spy Films, Hayes has yet to shoot a commercial, or even a spec spot, yet the judges saw enough potential in his short to give him a runner-up nod.

Montreal: Just For Laughs has acquired all copyrights, exploitation rights and trademarks to the Just Kidding and Only Joking gags series.

Andrew Tolomizenko is corporate counsel for a large production company and provides legal services to outside clients in the television commercial and film industries.

Longstanding Toronto production house Radke Films and its offshoot Steam Films have set up shop in Vancouver.

The National Film Board gets back into the theatrical distribution game this month with the Toronto release of The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali. The feature doc, about the 1966 bout between local boxer George Chuvalo and Muhammad Ali, opens Oct. 31 at Canada Square Cinemas and is slated to roll out through the fall to a total of 10 or 12 screens, backed by a ‘strong’ promo push.

Marking its 25th year of operation, Toronto-based Canamedia has signed an agreement to become the exclusive provider in Canada of the Natural History New Zealand Images library archives. NHNZ has more than 4,000 hours of filmed footage, ranging from natural history and world history to landscapes, close-up animal behavior, modern science, time-lapse scenics, peoples of the world and adventure sports.