We have been receiving quite a number of great testimonials about the 38th Annual ‘Rosie’ Awards, held last weekend in Calgary. Here are a few…

“I just want to pass along Congratulations for a job well done last night. It was a privilege to have the awards in Calgaryand it was a great event. The opportunity to have the Premier and Minister witness the talent and quality of work coming out of this province was a major breakthrough for our sector and when the spotlight was shining on us last night, everyone delivered. Thanks for the opportunity to participate and here’s to moving forward!   Regards – LA”

“Just to let you know that the Lougheeds were thrilled with the evening on Saturday.  Mr. Lougheed described it as exceptional and the gift as one of the most attractive he has ever received.  When you consider how many events he/they have attended over the decades, this is high praise indeed. Well done!”

“Mark, Bill: Congratulations to you and your team on an outstanding AMPIA Awards. Please pass on a special thank you to Sue Hutch in particular. Show was very pro, very tight. Larry”

Larry Day, President, Pyramid Productions Inc.

“I think the AMPIA Awards this year were the best ever.  Sue Hutch is a great producer.   There seems to be a renewed enthusiasm and energy in the industry with the new Premier and re-elected PC government which was highlighted during the presentation of the Award of Distinction to Peter and Jeanne Lougheed.  The Honourable Heather Klimchuk delivered a strong commitment to the industry on behalf of the government.  I was also moved by the Aboriginal talent in the show and among the nominees and recipients.”

Robin Wortman

“It was a beautiful event.  The room, the hosting, the meal, the wonderful tribute to the Lougheeds, and the awards presentations of course…Thank you and kudos to you and your crew for putting on another great year!”

Natalie Faith, Manager, Alberta Operations, CTS

“Hi Bill – thank you again for including me as part of the AMPIA weekend events.  The awards night was terrific and the celebration of the Lougheeds was particularly moving.  Congratulations to you and your team!”

Robin Johnston, Acting Director, Independent Production, Factual and Reality, and Head of Outreach,  Bell Media

The other special award of the night was our Friend of the Industry Award, presented to Paul Roscorla and Paul Bronfman of William F. White (who had us all clapping and singing along to AC/DC’s Highway to Hell! It was a blast!) Thanks to John Kerr and his team at Crowsnest Films for their video tribute to Paul and Paul.

Other memorable moments included musical performances by Russell Broom and Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, as well as Andrea Menard’s beautiful tribute to those in our industry who have passed on in the last year.

The Best Feature Award went to Mike Petersen for Lloyd the Conqueror, while the Best Dramatic Series went to Nomadic Pictures’ Hell on Wheels. Both awards were presented by our new Minister of Culture Heather Klimchuk. Edmonton’s Niobe Thompson won the most awards of the night with 5 for his documentary The Perfect Runner.

Host Steve Patterson once again had the audience in stitches, and we had a sell out crowd of over 700 people! All in all, it was a great night, and a testament to the talented people we have working in our industry. Thanks to Sue Hutch, Matt Gillespie, Gavin Biedler and all the folks working behind the scenes to put on such a fantastic show – way to go, team! For a list of all the winners please click 2012 AFTA Winners List For more coverage of the Awards please see the following articles: Calgary Herald   Edmonton Journal

Information on how you can order duplicate Rosie Awards coming soon!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 – The Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 38th Annual Alberta Film & Television Awards, celebrating excellence and outstanding achievement in Alberta film, television and new media.

From the 256 class entries and 382 craft entries comprising this year’s competition (up respectively 14.8% and 17.5% over 2011) the judges were once again faced with the chore of trimming the entries down to today’s list of finalists.

Alberta productions, from commercials, new media, and both long and short form fiction and non-fiction are again vying for 22 Class awards. In addition, Alberta’s talented screenwriters, costume and production designers, cinematographers, editors, directors, make-up artists, special effects artists, sound technicians and composers are competing in 29 Craft categories. Each winner receives the prestigious Rosie Award.

The half-hour comedy series, “CAUTION: May Contain Nuts” from Edmonton-based Mosaic Entertainment had the most nominations for an individual production with 12. “Heartland,” the television series from Calgary based Seven24 Films and “Blackstone,” the television series from Edmonton based Prairie Dog Film + Television both came in with 10 nominations each, as did the feature film “The Burlesque Assassins,” co-produced by Jonathan Joffe Pictures and Joe Media.

There were two companies tied with the most finalists -16 – Nomadic Pictures and Joe Media, both of Calgary. Aquila Productions leads the nominations of Edmonton-based companies with 13 nods in various categories. Mosaic Entertainment had 12 nominations, while Seven24 Films, Prairie Dog Film + Television, Calgary based White Iron and Jonathan Joffe Pictures all had 10 nominations each.

The 2012 Alberta Film & Television Awards will be presented at a gala dinner and awards evening on Saturday, May 12th 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Calgary.

That evening AMPIA will be presenting two special additional awards. The Friend of the Industry Award will be given to William F. White’s Paul Roscorla and Paul Bronfman for their many years of dedicated service to the industry. Also, a special Award of Distinction will be presented to former Premier Peter Lougheed and his wife Jeanne for their unwavering support of the Alberta Film & Television Industry and for their many contributions to Arts & Culture in Alberta.

In order to qualify for an Alberta Film & Television Award a production must be at least co-produced by an Alberta production company. For any craftsperson to be eligible he or she must have been a resident of Alberta for the 2011 calendar year.

This year’s event will again be hosted by Canadian stand up comedian Steve Patterson, who helped make last year’s event very enjoyable with his acerbic wit.

2012 FINALIST LIST – PRINTABLE VERSION – HERE

Ticket information HERE

Note: Membership fees must be up to date to receive member pricing on tickets.

Hotel Info:  A block of rooms has been set aside at the Hyatt Regency Calgary, cutoff date for room reservations is 5:00pm (MST) on April 25, 2012.  All individual reservations must be made prior to this date.  AMPIA’s group rate is $169.00 per room per night plus taxes.  Guestrooms can be booked on-line through the link HERE

Sponsor an Award! It’s not to late to put your name in lights at the Rosie Awards! Click the link below:

2012 Sponsor Opportunities

NOMINATIONS for this year’s Rosies will be announced APRIL 11th!  Stay Tuned….

Jordy Randall and Michael Sikorski

In February, AMPIA attended the Prime Time Conference in Ottawa and presented a sold out session entitled “Transmedia Case Study — If You Build It, They Will Come: Making Money, Making Content”

Jordy Randall (Television) and Michael Sikorski (On-line) were our speakers..both are from companies (SEVEN24 Films & 1400 Months) with very different operating cultures but have successfully completed their first ‘mobile’ project – an online game for the hit series Heartland. 

Michael and Jordy shared  how and why they came together, lessons learned and mistakes made figuring out how to work together.  They also explained the different development and production processes and timelines, reviewed the latest options for content and profit beyond standard websites, games and apps, and offered audience and market insight when engaging social media.

Audience members attending AMPIA's sold out session at Prime Time 2012

NEW! Deadline has been extended to 4 PM Friday, April 13!

February 21, 2012, Edmonton – The Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) and Crossroads Television System (CTS), are pleased to announce the creation of the AMPIA/CTS Mentorship Program. AMPIA and CTS both recognize the importance of on-the-job training in the development of professionals in Alberta’s film and television production industry.  Thanks to funding from CTS, AMPIA is pleased to offer an annual Mentorship Program, whereby individuals are able to receive “hands-on” training experience working with experienced professionals in their chosen field of film and television production.

This program is designed to enable interns to receive new training opportunities for a designated production position in which they have no previous experience. This program is not intended to augment production budgets. Internships can take place anytime from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013.

The deadline for applications is Friday March 30^th at 4:00pm.

2012 Mentorship Application forms HERE

The program will run for two years, from 2012 – 2014. In 2012, up to three mentorships opportunities are available. The program will provide a maximum of $4,000 per individual intern/trainee. Producer member applicants must contribute 50 percent of the trainee’s total salary, matching the amount contributed by the mentorship program.

Once an application is approved by a jury comprised of CTS and AMPIA representatives, 50 percent of the total grant will be advanced to the Producer. The balance of the mentorship grant will be paid upon completion of the training period and following receipt of the completed claim forms and evaluation forms from both the Producer (Mentor) and the Intern, detailing the benefits to both the production company and the Intern.

For more information about this release, please contact:

Bill Evans, Executive Director – AMPIA
Alberta Media Production Industries Association
PH: 780 944-0707  E-mail: bevans@ampia.org
#318, 8944 – 182 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada  T5T 2E3

Carolyn Innis, Communications - Crossroads Television System
PH: 905 331-7333 ext. 2265
E-mail: cinnis@ctstv.com
1295 North Service Road
Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 4X5

About Crossroads Television System (CTS): 

CTS is a Canadian leader in faith-based and balanced programming, operating stations in Burlington, Calgaryand Edmontonwith repeater transmitters in Londonand Ottawa. CTS creates television and other powerful visual media that can educate, entertain and inspire through positive, superior quality content. CTS features a range of entertaining and inspirational programs, including faith and values content based on biblical principles. Like many Canadians, CTS shares the concern about the decline in quality family programming and is taking a stand to ensure a place for trustworthy, safe television in Canada. www.ctstv.com

Steve Kaplan

AMPIA, in association with Mosaic Entertainment, was pleased to present Steve Kaplan’s Comedy Intensive – a 2 day conference described as “the industry’s leading comedy course for Screenwriters, TV writers, Producers, Directors, Performers & more”. 

The workshop took place Saturday & Sunday February 25th & 26th  at NAIT and was presented by AMPIA in association with Mosaic Entertainment, and with support from Teleflm Canada, Alberta Film, the Edmonton Film Commission and NAIT.

For almost 15 years, Steve Kaplan has been the industry’s most sought-after expert on comedy writing and production. In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other top universities, Steve Kaplan created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan’s Punch Line Theatre. For more information on Steve, click HERE.

Steve Kaplan Comedy Intensive - Feb, 2012

From Left: Bill Evans, Joel Bakan, Russell Bowers & Gary Burns

The ‘pitch session’ (with four authors each pitching to our four television/film producers) included some excellent story ideas which, in the end, gave the stories’ creators and the writing/publishing people in the audience great insight into our industry.

Thanks to all who participated!

Rogers Broadcasting is actively seeking Alberta-based original unscripted factual series for broadcast on Citytv and our Specialty services.

Creatively, concepts should feature local stories that have relevance to a national audience, with an emphasis on exploring exciting ideas and worlds that have not been exposed on television. Examples of shows currently airing on our services that achieve this include “Oil Change”, a fantastic doc series featuring unprecedented access to the Edmonton Oilers, and “The Quon Dynasty”, which follows the wildly entertaining Quon family, restaurateurs in Edmonton, Alberta.

Creatively, concepts should feature local stories that have relevance to a national audience, with an emphasis on exploring exciting ideas and worlds that have not been exposed on television. Examples of shows currently airing on our services that achieve this include “Oil Change”, a fantastic doc series featuring unprecedented access to the Edmonton Oilers, and “The Quon Dynasty”, which follows the wildly entertaining Quon family, restaurateurs in Edmonton, Alberta.

Rogers will consider both half hour and one hour formats.

Rogers Broadcasting will be accepting proposals until Feb 15, 2012. Claire Freeland, Director of Original Programming, will be attending Real screen Jan 29th – Jan 31st. Should you submit your project before the end of January, we may be in touch to set up meetings at the conference.

Submission materials can include a one-pager, pitch document, bible or demo. Please submit materials along with the attached release form, electronically to Jackie Samuels, Jackie.Samuels@rci.rogers.com using the title “Alberta Local Programming Initiative” in the subject line.

Rogers Submission Release Form (07-11-08)

Rogers looks forward to receiving your submissions.

Thank-you for your time and creativity!

Jackie Samuels

Manager, Development and Production

Rogers Media TV

to a client consultation / information meeting

Telefilm Canada’s Western Region office invites the industry to a client consultation / information meeting.

Following on our Annual Public Assembly in November, Telefilm representatives will outline the new Success Index in more detail; talk about the context and landscape in which the Canadian industry is working these days; and discuss upcoming changes to programs – particularly development financing for the coming year.

Dave Forget, Director, Contracts and Certification, and John Dippong, Director, Industry Promotion – Western Region, will be hosting the sessions in Winnipeg (January 23), Regina (January 24) and Calgary (January 24).

They will be joined by Michel Pradier, Director, Project Financing, for the Vancouver session on January 26.

Please RSVP by Friday (January 20) to Julianne Lockhart, julianne.lockhart@telefilm.ca, (604) 666-1566 (x 2614) or 1-800-663-7771