It is only intermission in the debate on liberalized foreign ownership restrictions for telecommunications companies being waged by two federal ministries, say independent producers, whose fate hangs in the balance.

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Thank you, Apple Box

The Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival is gearing up for its 56th edition and continues as the longest-running short film fest in North America. The festival takes place in Yorkton, SK May 22-25.

He is perhaps one of the most overlooked creative minds in Canadian advertising. His name is not engraved on the dozens of awards his agency has won in the last decade, but ask any creative who has passed through the doors of Palmer Jarvis DDB, and they will tell you that success of the shop since the early 1990s and the vision of Ron Woodall are inextricably linked.

Hans Dys is former executive producer at Apple Box Productions.

The timing could not have been worse. Exactly one day before Hot Docs threw open the doors for its tenth annual fete of documentary filmmaking, the World Health Organization told the entire planet to stay away from SARS-riddled Toronto. Bad news for the city and for the festival, which relies heavily on international deal-making.

Bud Light is becoming a perennial favorite at the Bessies.

Many Canadian advertising folks Ron Woodall helped to mold refer to him as though he is some kind of creative guru. Others speak of him as a coach who took his team from the bottom of the standings and led them to the championship. Now they can all refer to Woodall, Palmer Jarvis DDB’s executive VP of creative strategies, as the 2003 Spiess Award winner for furthering excellence in TV advertising.

* Ariel Veneziano has been named Alliance Atlantis Entertainment Group’s director of motion picture sales and international home video distribution, overseeing European motion picture sales activity and global home video distribution in all markets excluding North America.

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

Ask Andra Stevens and she’ll tell you that cultural diversity isn’t just a social boon, it’s a business imperative.