Toronto -- The Canadian government has begun the search for its next film czar just as outgoing Telefilm Canada executive director Wayne Clarkson faces taxpayer criticism over his travel expense claims.
Clarkson left the Toronto headquarters of Telefilm Canada, Ottawa's film financier, on Jan. 15, at the end of his five-year term.
The federal agency's board of directors in a statement said it will assume Clarkson's duties until his successor is named.
But Kevin Gaudet, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, criticized Clarkson for flying business class and staying in top-drawer hotels while attending foreign festivals and executive retreats.
"Mr Clarkson lived the life of Keifer Sutherland on taxpayer dollars," Gaudet said, taking particular exception to one expense claim for $14,260 from the Telefilm Canada boss to attend the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
"We'd like to see Jack Bauer open a can of whoop ass on this guy," he added.
A spokesperson...
Clarkson left the Toronto headquarters of Telefilm Canada, Ottawa's film financier, on Jan. 15, at the end of his five-year term.
The federal agency's board of directors in a statement said it will assume Clarkson's duties until his successor is named.
But Kevin Gaudet, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, criticized Clarkson for flying business class and staying in top-drawer hotels while attending foreign festivals and executive retreats.
"Mr Clarkson lived the life of Keifer Sutherland on taxpayer dollars," Gaudet said, taking particular exception to one expense claim for $14,260 from the Telefilm Canada boss to attend the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
"We'd like to see Jack Bauer open a can of whoop ass on this guy," he added.
A spokesperson...
- 1/21/2010
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Toronto -- Hollywood continues to dominate the Canadian boxoffice, at the expense of homegrown films.
That verdict came Friday from Telefilm Canada, the federal government's film financier, as it released its 2008-09 annual report.
Telefilm reported Canadians spent Can$919.6 million ($858.5 million) to see movies at the local multiplex in 2008, the last year surveyed, compared to Can$857.4 million in 2007.
As in past years, virtually all of those dollars went to major studio and indie movies like "Mamma Mia!" and "Juno" as the market share for Canadian film fell for the third year running to 2.9% in 2008, against a year-earlier 3.3%.
Canadian film receipts in 2008 came to Can$26.3 million ($24.5 million), compared to Can$28.1 million in 2007.
English-Canadian films did especially poorly. Paul Gross' "Passchendaele," which earned Can$4.4 million ($4.1 million) in ticket sales, accounted for nearly half of all boxoffice in English-speaking Canada, which came to Can$8.89 million ($8.4 million) in 2008, or a 1.1% share.
"Passchendaele," an epic war romance,...
That verdict came Friday from Telefilm Canada, the federal government's film financier, as it released its 2008-09 annual report.
Telefilm reported Canadians spent Can$919.6 million ($858.5 million) to see movies at the local multiplex in 2008, the last year surveyed, compared to Can$857.4 million in 2007.
As in past years, virtually all of those dollars went to major studio and indie movies like "Mamma Mia!" and "Juno" as the market share for Canadian film fell for the third year running to 2.9% in 2008, against a year-earlier 3.3%.
Canadian film receipts in 2008 came to Can$26.3 million ($24.5 million), compared to Can$28.1 million in 2007.
English-Canadian films did especially poorly. Paul Gross' "Passchendaele," which earned Can$4.4 million ($4.1 million) in ticket sales, accounted for nearly half of all boxoffice in English-speaking Canada, which came to Can$8.89 million ($8.4 million) in 2008, or a 1.1% share.
"Passchendaele," an epic war romance,...
- 10/30/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Before Zacharias Kunuk opens the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday with The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, the film's director, Norman Cohn, is set to lock horns with the federal government over financing a northern Canadian tour for the Inuit- and Danish-language epic drama. Cohn is to meet Thursday in Toronto with Wayne Clarkson, executive director of Telefilm Canada, the federal government's film financier, with an eye to ending a stalemate over financing the northern tour. Both Telefilm Canada and Cohn say there has been progress during earlier negotiations, but still no deal. Ralph Holt, Telefilm Canada's director of operations, Ontario and Nunavut, has so far found about $30,000 to cover distribution expenses. "There's no question that we would not do this. We're interested in seeing this film screened to those about whom it is about," Holt said ahead of Thursday's crunch meeting.
TORONTO -- Telefilm Canada said Wednesday that corporate obstacles in Los Angeles have forced former 20th Century Fox film executive Michael Jenkinson to walk away from a commitment to become Canada's film czar. Wayne Clarkson, executive director of Telefilm Canada, which invests in Canadian independent films on behalf of the federal government, said Jenkinson faced unforeseen complications leaving Urban Entertainment (Undercover Brother, The Golden Blaze), the Los Angeles-based shingle he founded in 1999 and runs as CEO. "Due to unforeseeable circumstances, I have been unable to extricate myself from obligations to the stakeholders and filmmakers involved in my company," Jenkinson said.
- 5/17/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Telefilm Canada said Wednesday that corporate obstacles in Los Angeles have forced former 20th Century Fox film executive Michael Jenkinson to walk away from a commitment to become Canada's film czar (HR 4/21). Wayne Clarkson, executive director of Telefilm Canada, which invests in Canadian independent films on behalf of the federal government, said Jenkinson faced unforeseen complications leaving Urban Entertainment (Undercover Brother, The Golden Blaze), the Los Angeles-based shingle he founded in 1999 and runs as CEO. "Due to unforeseeable circumstances, I have been unable to extricate myself from obligations to the stakeholders and filmmakers involved in my company," Jenkinson said.
- 5/17/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Canada's top film financier on Monday told top domestic movie producers and directors here to stop the public blame game over poor boxoffice for English Canadian films, or risk seeing Ottawa pull key taxpayer financing. Wayne Clarkson, executive director of Telefilm Canada, which invests about CAN$80 million annually in independent Canadian movies on behalf of the federal government, urged an end to recent finger-pointing in the media. "The rhetoric of blame must stop," he told a press conference held in Toronto to introduce former 20th Century Fox executive Michael Jenkinson as Telefilm Canada's new feature film executive for English Canada.
- 4/24/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Canada's top film financier on Monday told top domestic movie producers and directors here to stop the public blame game over poor boxoffice for English Canadian films, or risk seeing Ottawa pull key taxpayer financing. Wayne Clarkson, executive director of Telefilm Canada, which invests about CAN$80 million annually in independent Canadian movies on behalf of the federal government, urged an end to recent finger-pointing in the media. "The rhetoric of blame must stop," he told a press conference held in Toronto to introduce former 20th Century Fox executive Michael Jenkinson as Telefilm Canada's new feature film executive for English Canada.
- 4/24/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Citing a possible conflict of interest, Canada's film czar on Monday refused to personally intervene and restore peace among Montreal's warring film festivals. Wayne Clarkson, the new executive director of Telefilm Canada, said his previous stewardship of the Toronto International Film Festival during the 1980s precluded him from refereeing current disputes between Montreal's three late-summer film festivals as they feud over independent films and federal subsidies for their respective events. "For me to get involved in Montreal would be wrong as I ran the Toronto International Film Festival," Clarkson, who became Canada's film czar in January, said Monday in Toronto during his first public pronouncement on the continuing battle.
- 4/26/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
OTTAWA -- Combating movie piracy and boosting Canadian boxoffice receipts are expected to be the main talking points as ShowCanada, the annual convention of Canadian exhibitors, gets under way Wednesday in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Leading the anti-piracy charge at the convention will be John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, and Douglas Frith, president of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Assn., which represents major Hollywood studios in Canada. Both will take part in panels on digital cinema and the battle against the illegal recording of movies in cinemas. Newly installed Telefilm Canada executive director Wayne Clarkson is expected to raise the Canadian government's target for share of homegrown movies at the domestic boxoffice from 5% to 10%. It recently peaked at 4.5%, with Hollywood blockbusters continuing to dominate cinema screens here.
- 4/26/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Canada's largest film financier on Tuesday called for increased government intervention to ensure that Canada avoids being swamped by U.S. popular culture. "I am from the government and I am here to help you," Wayne Clarkson, the newly installed executive director of Telefilm Canada, said as he opened his address to the Canadian Club in Toronto. "I believe when it comes to Canada's cultural industries, and especially film and television, government intervention is good," he continued.
- 3/30/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
OTTAWA -- Canada's newly installed film czar, Wayne Clarkson, has signaled a parting of ways with Hollywood talent agency CAA. Speaking Thursday at the annual Canadian Film and Television Production Assn. Prime Time conference, the executive director of Telefilm Canada said he favors not renewing a controversial pilot project between the Canadian government and CAA that was aimed at helping to attract talent and obtain financing for Canadian movies. The deal comes up for renewal May 1. The move came as Clarkson, responsible for investing about CAN$100 million ($80.6 million) annually in Canadian film on behalf of the federal government, told independent film and TV producers he preferred a made-in-Canada solution to building boxoffice for Canadian English-language filmmakers and not imitating Hollywood by backing "extravagant blockbusters."...
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