Peter Pearson (director)

Last updated
Peter Pearson
OC
Born (1938-03-13) March 13, 1938 (age 85)
Toronto, Ontario
Occupation(s) Film director
Screenwriter
Film producer
Years active 1964 - 1994

Peter Robb Pearson OC (born March 13, 1938) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. [1]

Contents

Biography

Pearson studied political science and economics at the University of Toronto and television production at Ryerson Institute of Technology before attending film school in Rome. Upon his return to Canada, his first job was as a journalist for the Timmins Daily Press. In 1964 he was hired by the CBC and worked there for two years as a director-producer-writer. He joined the NFB in 1966 where he began making documentaries, including three with American social activist Saul Alinsky. His work received nineteen Canadian Film Awards – more than any other Canadian director. His two most notable features – The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar and Paperback Hero (1973) – are landmarks in English-Canadian cinema. [2] From 1975 to 1981 he served as a director on the TV series For The Record , and was responsible for the innovative and controversial episodes The Insurance Man from Ingersoll (1976), Nest of Shadows (1976), Kathy Karuks is a Grizzly Bear (1976), The Tar Sands (1977) and Snowbirds (1981).

Pearson, like many of his contemporary filmmakers, was continually frustrated by the lack of opportunity in the Canadian film industry and remained a persistent lifelong activist and champion in the cause of Canadian cinema. From 1972 to 1975 he served as president of the Directors Guild of Canada and as chairman of the 15,000-member Council of Canadian Filmmakers. After teaching film for one year at Queen's University (1982–83), he headed the Canadian Film Development Corporation's newly created Broadcast Program Development Fund from 1983 to 1985. The corporation became Telefilm Canada and he served as its executive director from 1985 to 1987.

He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2023. He currently resides in Montreal. [3]

Selected filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Jewison</span> Canadian film director, producer and actor (born 1926)

Norman Frederick Jewison is a Canadian retired film and television director, producer, and founder of the Canadian Film Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Film Board of Canada</span> Canadas public film and digital media producer and distributor

The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and alternative dramas. In total, the NFB has produced over 13,000 productions since its inception, which have won over 5,000 awards. The NFB reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It has bilingual production programs and branches in English and French, including multicultural-related documentaries.

Roman Kroitor was a Canadian filmmaker who was known as a pioneer of Cinéma vérité, as the co-founder of IMAX, and as the creator of the Sandde hand-drawn stereoscopic 3D animation system. He was also the original inspiration for The Force. His prodigious output garnered numerous awards, including two BAFTA Awards, three Cannes Film Festival awards, and two Oscar nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Larkin</span> Canadian animator, artist, and sculptor

Ryan Larkin was a Canadian animator, artist, and sculptor who rose to fame with the psychedelic Oscar-nominated short Walking (1968) and the acclaimed Street Musique (1972). He was the subject of the Oscar-winning film Ryan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Wiggins</span> English-born Canadian actor (1931–2017)

Christopher John Wiggins was an English-born Canadian actor.

Jean Pierre Lefebvre is a Canadian filmmaker. He is widely admired as "the godfather of independent Canadian cinema," particularly among young, independent filmmakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Rubbo</span>

Michael Dattilo Rubbo is an Australian documentarian/filmmaker.

Don Owen was a Canadian film director, writer and producer who spent most of his career with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). His films Nobody Waved Good-bye and The Ernie Game are regarded as two of the most significant English Canadian films of the 1960s.

Colin Archibald Low was a Canadian animation and documentary filmmaker with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He was known as a pioneer, one of Canada's most important filmmakers, and was regularly referred to as "the gentleman genius". His numerous honors include five BAFTA awards, eight Cannes Film Festival awards, and six Academy Award nominations.

Boyce Richardson, was a journalist, author and filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Madawaska</span> Township municipality in Ontario, Canada

Greater Madawaska is an incorporated township in Renfrew County in eastern Ontario, Canada, created on January 1, 2001, through the amalgamation of the Township of Bagot and Blythfield; the Township of Brougham; and the Township of Griffith and Matawatchan. As of 2011, it has a population of 2,518.

Tony Ianzelo is a Canadian documentary director and cinematographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Finnigan</span> Canadian writer and poet

Joan Helen Finnigan was a Canadian writer and poet. She won a Genie Award for Best Screenplay in 1969. She wrote over 30 books, many of them oral histories of the Ottawa Valley.

The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar is a 1968 National Film Board of Canada drama directed by Peter Pearson, produced by John Kemeny and written by Joan Finnigan. The 49-minute drama stars Chris Wiggins and Kate Reid, along with Margot Kidder in her first feature role.

John Kemeny was a Hungarian-Canadian film producer whom the Toronto Star called "the forgotten giant of Canadian film history and...the most successful producer in Canadian history." His production credits include The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Atlantic City, and Quest for Fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Kish</span> Hungarian-Canadian documentarian/filmmaker (1937–2015)

Albert Kish was a Canadian documentarian/filmmaker.

The 27th Canadian Film Awards were held on October 24, 1976 to honour achievements in Canadian film. The ceremony was hosted by Lorne Greene, and was held at the conclusion of the inaugural 1976 Festival of Festivals.

The 26th Canadian Film Awards were held on October 12, 1975 to honour achievements in Canadian film. The ceremony was hosted by radio personality Peter Gzowski.

The 21st Canadian Film Awards were held on October 4, 1969 to honour achievements in Canadian film. The ceremony, attended by 1,200 people, was hosted by broadcaster Fred Davis.

The 25th Canadian Film Awards were announced on October 12, 1973, to honour achievements in Canadian film.

References

  1. ↑ "Peter Pearson - Northern Stars". Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  2. ↑ "Peter Pearson - Canadian Film Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  3. ↑ "Order of Canada appointees – December 2023". Governor General of Canada . Retrieved 2023-12-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.