The Toronto Documentary Forum, an annual international pitch session held at Hot Docs, has proven invaluable to doc makers and commissioning broadcasters alike. A recent exit poll indicates 50% of the 36 projects pitched in May have since managed to secure additional financing as a result of their participation in the forum.

* Toronto’s Portfolio Entertainment has appointed Anita Simand as VP of creative development. Simand will be responsible for the development activities of the company’s current TV projects. She will also pursue new production opportunities for the kids, family and primetime TV market.

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.

With the passage of Bill C-11 into law Dec. 12, the ball is now in the CRTC’s court.

Before joining Playback, I spent time working as a stringer out of New York for Marketing Magazine and a couple of years writing and editing for Strategy Magazine.

Who’s posting what for whom

There has been much talk lately about the production slowdown in Canada, which has made it increasingly important for Canuck F/X shops to keep the U.S. projects shooting here posting here as well. Current volumes at four F/X houses indicate that they have been successful in getting the word out down south.

New technologies such as HD, in conjunction with more sophisticated color correctors, are making skilled colorists even hotter commodities as some directors and directors of photography begin to favor post-production solutions over in-camera approaches.

Dennis Berardi is president/VFX supervisor and Aaron Weintraub is VFX supervisor/compositor at Mr. X, a Toronto-based studio that provides animation and visual effects for feature films and television.

Faced with a loss of service work, animation houses across the country are exploring new ways to stay in the black, such as developing in-house content or branching out to the side industries of teaching and video games.

The National Film Board has copped all three nominations for best animated short at the 23rd Annual Genie Awards. From left: The Hungry Squid by Oscar winner John Weldon and producer Marcy Page; Glasses from Brian Duchscherer and Page; and La Pirouette/Pirouette from Tali Prevost and producers Pierre Hebert and Marcel Jean.

France and the U.K. continue to be our top coproduction partners in the animation sector, while participation by Chinese studios, including significant financial participation, continues to grow.