✖
Half Staff: Paul Harris
The industry lost another veteran at the end of July. Paul Harris, 77, began his career as a sound editor at Crawley Films in Ottawa, before branching out into animation with posts at Atkinson Film Arts and Lacewood Productions, both of Ottawa.
Alberta raising limit on rebate
Alberta is to sweeten its 20% tax rebate for film and TV producers, looking to compete with Quebec and Ontario after those provinces decided to allow Hollywood producers to write off all production expenses. Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett says that his province’s film and TV tax rebate, part of the Alberta Film Development Program, will raise its cap from $3 million to $5 million.
Telefilm looking for laughs
Five feature-length comedies are expected to go to camera by 2011/12 via a new effort by the Canadian Film Centre, Telefilm Canada and Just for Laughs.
TIFF to close with Victoria
With Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and Seth Rogen dominating the Hollywood box office, the Toronto International Film Festival has decided to embrace the Canadian comedy, eh?
Shaw playing ‘dirty pool,’ says rival
A small digital services provider has declared war against Shaw Communications.
Seven years for Drabinsky, six for Gottlieb
Toronto theater impresario Garth Drabinsky is free on bail, pending an appeal, after being sentenced Aug. 5 to seven years in jail for his role in the 1998 downfall of Livent. Justice Mary Lou Benotto of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice also sentenced Livent co-founder Myron Gottlieb to six years in prison.
Torstar still feeling TV pinch
Minority shareholder Torstar Corp. continues to sustain losses from its CTVglobemedia investment, this time due to a tax valuation allowance. In its second-quarter results, Torstar recorded a one-time $29.9 million charge related to a valuation allowance against a portion of CTVgm’s ‘future income tax assets.’
Ad slump lowers outlook at Rogers
Rogers Communications’ cable and TV subscribers are feeling the economic pinch.
National not moving, insists CBC
The CBC is dismissing as ‘100% false’ claims that it is planning to move The National.
New deal at CHCH
Canwest Global Communications has cleared another hurdle to a conditional sale of CHCH in Hamilton.
Story of teen’s murder to be handled with care, says Sugar
No Equal Entertainment is developing a feature film based on the notorious 1997 murder of teenager Reena Virk with the full co-operation of the victim’s family.
Greenberg fund supports 21
Twenty-one Canadian screenwriters will have a chance to develop their scripts, thanks to funding from the Astral Media Harold Greenberg Fund. The Script Development Program received 118 applications this year, in categories ranging from animation to historical epic and teen comedy.
Cogeco sticks with drama
The Cogeco Program Development Fund has extended its funding of dramatic series for another year, to August 2010. The fund, which until recently supported only MOWs, miniseries and dramatic pilots, was earlier this year broadened to include drama series, joining with the Independent Production Fund, which had been hit by a dramatic decrease in its endowment.
Telefilm Backs Flashpoint, Glassbox
Telefilm Canada has handed out much-needed cash to digital media producers to make and market 56 next-generation products. As it unveiled its 2009/10 product assistance funding from the $15 million Canada New Media Fund, the federal funder said it has offered repayable advances to local producers to help develop and produce a range of digital projects, including console games, mobile apps and websites.
Canwest and Hot Docs hand out cash
Hot Docs and Canwest have picked 11 projects to receive a total of $254,500 in grants and no-interest loans from the Canwest-Hot Docs Documentary Fund. Established in 2008, the monies are made up of a $3 million completion fund and a $1 million development fund targeted to help cash-strapped doc makers.
The definitive CDN broadcast and production resource.Over 5,000 company listings!
