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CFTPA Awards Go To Collideascope Digital and Stephen Ellis

The Canadian Film and Television Production Association is pleased to announce Collideascope Digital Productions is the winner of the CFTPA Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Stephen Ellis, president of Ellis Entertainment will be receiving the CFTPA-Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award. The awards will be presented in Ottawa on Friday, February 4, 2005 during the CFTPA’s annual conference Prime Time in Ottawa.

Halifax-based Collideascope Digital Productions was founded by Michael-Andreas Kuttner and Steven JP Comeau in 1995. The award-winning, innovative production company, which integrates TV and new media, has recently produced Rock Camp, a reality show for CBC Kids; another 26 episodes of award-winning Olliver’s Adventures for Teletoon; and Project Creaturesphere, a co-production with the Banff Centre for the Arts. The online simulation project allows players on the Internet to create their own creatures in ecological biomes.

Stephen Ellis is a leading independent producer and distributor whose company was founded by his father, Ralph C. Ellis, 40 years ago in 1964. Ellis joined the family business in 1973 on the distribution side. Through the production arm Ellis Vision Ellis has executive produced over 150 hours of award-winning documentary and family entertainment including: Profiles of Nature, and the HD series Oh Baby (aka The Baby Human). Through Ellis Releasing Ellis has been exporting Canadian programming and distributing programs from Australia, France the UK and the US to Canada. A founding director of the Outdoor Life Network, Ellis is also a founding president of VisionTV International, a joint venture with VisionTV and Ellis Entertainment that was launched in 2003. Ellis also has the further distinction of having been the longest-serving board member with the CFTPA - he has sat on the board continuously since 1980.

The CFTPA Entrepreneur of the Year Award is chosen by the members of the CFTPA; past winners include CREDO Group, Nelvana, Alliance Atlantis Communications, Rhombus Media, Minds Eye Pictures, Barna-Alper Productions, Breakthrough Films and Television and Dufferin Gate. The CFTPA-Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award is chosen by the CFTPA’s board of directors; past winners include Ralph C. Ellis, Harold Greenberg, Pat Ferns, John Ross, Phil Lind, Michael Spenser, Doug Dales, Tom Berry, Sandra Macdonald and Mary Kahn.

The awards will be presented on Friday, February 4, 2005, 12:30 – 2 p.m. at the Ottawa Westin. Prime Time in Ottawa will also be featuring keynote speaker Wayne Clarkson, incoming executive director of Telefilm Canada on Thursday, February 3th.

The CFTPA is a non-profit, trade association representing almost 400 companies involved in the Canadian production industry. The association promotes the general interests of Canadian producers by lobbying government on policy matters, negotiating labour agreements, and offering mentorship programs and copyright initiatives

For more information on this, please contact:

Jane L. Thompson
Director of Communications
Canadian Film and Television Production Association

Tel: 613 233 1444 ext 227