Monday, February 4, 2013

Canadian Screen Awards announces 8 Academy Special Award winners


The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is pleased to announce its Board of Directors’ Academy Special Awards for the first ever 2013 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS. These awards are given to remarkable people and productions that have made their mark in the film, television and digital media industries.

“Our industry is filled with remarkably talented people whose contributions to our country must be recognized,” says Academy Chair Martin Katz. “The Board takes great pride in being able to honour and celebrate their achievements through these Academy Special Awards. I am particularly gratified this year that the Academy Board has chosen to recognize the contributions of some of our members that have truly been game-changing for the industry," says Katz.

Here is a list of the Canadian Screen Awards’ first ever Academy Special Award winners:
(In alphabetical order by award)

Academy Achievement Award
For Exceptional Contributions to the Canadian Television Industry
JEANNE BEKER

Academy Board of Directors Tribute
For Outstanding and Enduring Contributions to
Canadian Television
FLASHPOINT

Academy Special Award
For Exceptional Achievement in Canadian Film & Television
IAN GREENBERG

Academy Special Film Award
In Recognition of Exceptional Achievement in Filmmaking or Service to the Film Industry
VICTOR LOEWY

Digital Media Trail Blazing Award
For an Outstanding Achievement in Canadian Digital Media
ANDRA SHEFFER

Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism (posthumously)
To Honour Exceptional Contributions in Canadian Television Journalism
THE HONOURABLE LAURIER LAPIERRE O.C., PH.

Margaret Collier Award
For a Writer’s Exceptional Contribution to Canadian Television
HEATHER CONKIE

Outstanding Technical Achievement Award
For Recent Canadian Technical Achievements
IMAX Corporation for its suite of entertainment technologies

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Academy Achievement Award
—For Exceptional Contributions to the Canadian Television Industry
JEANNE BEKER
Host of Bell Media's FashionTelevisionChannel

Jeanne Beker is one of the most iconic and influential women in the fashion industry, both here in Canada and around the world. Jeanne is currently host of Bell Media's FashionTelevisionChannel - Canada's first and only 24-hour channel dedicated to fashion, beauty and design.

Host of Canada's leading fashion series FASHION TELEVISION for 27 years, Jeanne is also a regular style correspondent for ETALK, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, The Loop and CANADA AM, contributing editor for The Toronto Star and The Kit, a columnist for Metro, a published author of five books and creative director for exclusive clothing line "Edit by Jeanne Beker" available at The Bay.

In 2012, Jeanne was honoured with the prestigious Canadian Award of Distinction at the Banff World Media Festival, and also received a Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award in the Arts & Communications category.

Academy Board of Directors Tribute
For Outstanding and Enduring Contributions to Canadian Television
FLASHPOINT

"Flashpoint is well-recognized by Canadians as one of this country's most-watched television dramas. Those of us within the industry know, however, that it is also a leading light of international co-production financing which has brought together partners from Canada, the US and around the world. With Flashpoint, Anne-Marie LaTraverse and Bill Mustos have moved the goalposts in creating a highly entertaining series at home that is a huge export success as well," says Academy Chair Martin Katz.

Academy Special Award
For Exceptional Achievement in Canadian Film & Television
IAN GREENBERG
President and Chief Executive Officer, Astral Media Inc.

Ian Greenberg is President and Chief Executive Officer of Astral Media Inc., one of Canada's most dynamic and best-performing media companies with a strong presence in the country's fastest-growing media platforms: pay- and specialty-TV, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media.

Born in Montreal in 1942, Ian is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. He is one of four brothers who founded Astral more than 50 years ago. Beginning as a specialty photographic business, Astral evolved to become a pure-play media company.

Since Mr. Greenberg was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Astral in 1996, the company has recorded 16 consecutive years of profitable growth, achieved through financial discipline, thoughtful planning and rigorous operational practices.

In 2007, Mr. Greenberg received the prestigious Ted Rogers and Velma Rogers Graham Award for his unique contribution to Canadian broadcasting. In 2008, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters inducted him into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In May 2013, Mr. Greenberg will be inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Academy Special Film Award
For Exceptional Achievement in Filmmaking or Service to the Film Industry
VICTOR LOEWY

Victor Loewy was Chairman and CEO of the former Alliance Films. In more than 40 years in the industry, he has risen to the peak of independent movie distribution in Canada.

Born in Romania, he immigrated to Montreal in 1964. While later attending McGill University, he and fellow student Robert Lantos embarked together in film distribution, founding Vivafilm. The company's breakthrough came with the 1981 Swedish dramedy Montenegro, after which Loewy secured output deals with U.S. art-house studios New Line Cinema, Focus Features and Miramax Films.

Vivafilm was acquired by production company Alliance Communications-cofounded by Lantos-and became its francophone distribution arm. Loewy's American relationships yielded box-office hits for Alliance (and later, Alliance Atlantis) including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pulp Fiction and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is credited with creating a multinational distribution model, and under his leadership, Alliance backed award-winning homegrown films including The Sweet Hereafter, The Barbarian Invasions and Being Julia.

Digital Media Trail Blazing Award
For an Outstanding Achievement in Canadian Digital Media sponsored by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC)
ANDRA SHEFFER

Andra Sheffer is the Executive Director of three private Funds supporting the Canadian digital media, television and film industries: the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund which invests in Canadian television programs and their associated interactive digital projects; the Independent Production Fund which invests in drama series created for digital platforms; and, the COGECO Program Development Fund for the development and production of television drama. She was the founding Executive Director of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television producing the annual Genie and Gemini Awards (now the Canadian Screen Awards!). She lectures on the business of television and new media and is the editor of publications about the business of tv and digital media production: New Media, New Business: The Producer's guide (2001), Create a Winning Proposal - the Handbook for New Media Producers (1999) and the co-editor of MAKING IT: The business of film and television production in Canada (1986 & 1995). Previously she served as the Managing Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, and with the federal government as a Certification Officer setting up the original CAVCO office (and Canadian content "point" system), and at the Film Festivals Bureau promoting Canadian films internationally.

Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism
To Honour Exceptional Contributions in Canadian Television Journalism
THE HONOURABLE LAURIER LAPIERRE O.C., PH.

Laurier LaPierre worked across Canada as an educator, broadcaster, author and keynote speaker. A celebrated historian and communicator emeritus, he was an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Born in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, M. LaPierre earned a Ph.D. in History from the University of Toronto. He later taught history at McGill University, where he also served as General Secretary and Director of the French Canada Studies program.

He co-hosted the groundbreaking 1960s CBC public-affairs show This Hour Has Seven Days, then moved to Vancouver, where for 10 years he pioneered local and regional television programs at CKVU 13. He was appointed to Telefilm Canada’s Board of Directors in 1997, and became Chairman of the Board the following year. He was appointed to the senate in 2001 and retired in 2004.

M. LaPierre’s books include Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Romance of Canada (1996) and Canada My Canada: What Happened? (1992). He was a passionate Canadian, a defender of human rights and an advocate for same-sex rights, Aboriginal peoples, multiculturalism and diversity.

November 21, 1929—December 16, 2012
Le 21 novembre 1929 au 16 décembre 2012

Margaret Collier Award
For a Writer's Exceptional Contribution to Canadian Television
HEATHER CONKIE

"Heather Conkie has been a major writing force in this country from the early days of the massively successful Road to Avonlea series and most recently leading the writing room on six seasons of the hit show for Heartland," says Academy Chair Martin Katz.

Outstanding Technical Achievement Award
For Recent Technical Achievements
IMAX Corporation for its suite of entertainment technologies

"IMAX Corporation's suite of entertainment technologies are game-changing advances through which the Canadian-based company has had a profound impact on the movie-going experience for audiences around the world. As we have also seen this year, IMAX has also had a tremendous influence on the bottom-line fundamentals of the theatrical film business globally," says Academy Chair Martin Katz.

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