Film Training Manitoba – Board of Directors
Film Training Manitoba’s Board of Directors consists of 9 members who set policy, develop procedures and strategies, monitor the financial health, the programs and the performance of the organization and assist the Executive Director to secure the resources to meet the needs of those the organization serves.
Chair: Vonnie Von Helmolt, Independent Film and Television Producer
With an international reputation for producing award-winning projects, Vonnie Von Helmolt has produced and co-produced a variety of features, television movies, series, documentaries and specials over the last 20 years.
Best known is the Emmy-winner Dracula - Pages from a Virgin's Diary, directed by noted auteur Guy Maddin. Dracula was a TIFF Canadian Top Ten Feature Film, and on the Village Voice New York Critics list of the top10 films of 2003, in addition to winning numerous international film festival awards, Geminis, Blizzards and an International Emmy. IMDb recently listed Dracula as 8th best horror film ever made out of 70.
Her other awards include Canadian Geminis, Manitoba Blizzards, and Best Picture awards from major international film festivals including Canada, Europe and Asia. Nominations include US Cable Ace awards, Banff Television Rockies, and many international television awards.
The Tale of the Magic Flute, a dazzling dance special for the CBC was nominated for a Rockie award at the Banff Television Festival in 2006. She co-produced, with Merit Motion Pictures, the documentary miniseries Ballet Girls in 2006, returning, in 2009, to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet school to produce the documentary feature Ballet High, bothfor BRAVO!
In development, with the assistance of Superchannel, is a new Guy Maddin feature, “Svengali, and a feature based on Miriam Toews’ acclaimed novel “Summer of My Amazing Luck” .
Von Helmolt was the founding chair of both Film Training Manitoba and the Manitoba District Council of the Director's Guild of Canada. She is the current Chair of Film Training Manitoba and also Co-Chairs the Policy Committee of On Screen Manitoba. She recently joined the board of the Winnipeg Arts Council.
Vice-Chair: Andrew McLaren, Research Consultant, Intergroup Consultants Inc.
Andrew is a Research Consultant with InterGroup Consultants Ltd, a firm specializing in socio-economic studies and environmental impact assessments. Andrew has worked on a variety of projects including utility rate design and capital planning, socio-economic impact assessments and environmental licensing for major capital projects, program evaluations and feasibility studies for the Province of Manitoba.
In 2003 and 2004 Andrew worked with FTM and MMPIA on the Economic Impact Assessment/Training Needs Assessment for the film industry in Manitoba.
Andrew is a graduate of the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Manitoba with a Masters degree specializing in natural resource economics.
Past Chair: Joe Laurin
Joe Laurin is an integral member of the Manitoba film and television industry. His recent move from IATSE 856 to Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc. after more than 10 years of experience acquired at IATSE Local 856. His new position as Production Executive will help to further establish the company’s international production and marketplace presence.
Prior to moving to Manitoba in 1999, Joe worked for IATSE Local 669 in Vancouver, where he started as the accountant and became the administrator. He is the former Business Agent for the International Alliance of Stage and Theatre Employees (IATSE) Local 856 and represented this founding organization on FTM’s BOD.
Joe studied Accounting and Business Administration at San Antonio College and Simon Fraser University.
Directors:
Liz Janzen, Director of Programming, National Screen Institute - Canada
Liz previously, she worked as Development Manager, Western Independent Production, for CTV Network. She was also Acting Director of Programming for Showcase Diva and Showcase Action at Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting, one of the founding staff at the Women’s Television Network, and the Program Coordinator for the Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival. In addition, Liz worked as a freelancer in the local film industry in a variety of positions for nearly ten years.
Liz holds a Master’s Degree in English with a concentration in Film Studies from University of Manitoba.
Scott McLaren – Business Agent, Directors Guild of Canada, Manitoba District
Scott is the Business Agent for the Directors Guild of Manitoba Canada (DGC) , Manitoba District Council, and represents this founding organization on FTM’s BOD.
Prior to moving to the DGC in August of 2007, Scott Worked for the Canadian Auto Workers Union as their Health & Safety Coordinator as well as overseeing all of their training in Manitoba Region.
Scott has an extensive labour relations background and has developed several WCB/CAW joint workplace training programs through The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba’s Community Initiatives and Research Program.
Carole Vivier – CEO & Film Commissioner, Manitoba Film & Music
A member of the FTM board since January 2004, Carole was originally invited to join the board for a one-year term and has recently agreed to stay until the next Chair is elected.
Carole is the Past-Chairwoman of the NSI-Canada Board of Directors and currently serves on the boards of the Feature Film Project of the Canadian Film Centre, the Burton Cummings’ Theatre Performing Arts Group Inc., and New Directions.
Carole is also a member of the Foundation Board for the Society of Manitobans with Disabilities.
Ken Webb, Vice-President Academic, Red River College
Ken is the Vice-President Academic for Red River College, where he provides leadership for curriculum, faculty and the academic mission of the college. This includes strategic guidance for academic programming, integrity and quality of programs, connecting academic programming with the community, and coordinating the development of new strategic initiatives such as e-learning, applied degrees and applied research. As the academic leader for RRC, Ken guides the development of programming to meet the constantly changing needs of business, industry, the community and the learner.
Ken has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Royal Military College (Kingston) and a Masters of Engineering from Canterbury University (Christchurch, New Zealand).
Talia Pura, Actor, representing ACTRA
Talia Pura currently holds the position of Training Chair within the ACTRA Council. She also sits on the board of Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers.
Talia teaches drama and theatre production at the University of Winnipeg. She is also the Coordinator of a Youth Mentorship Program in the Arts, through ACI (Arts and Cultural Industries Association of Manitoba). As a playwright, she has had several publications and a C.B.C. radio commission. Her book, STAGES: Creative Ideas For Teaching Drama, is now in it’s sixth printing. As well, many of her plays have been produced by high schools and in fringe festivals in Canada and the United States.
Talia has been an actor for many years, appearing in Feature Films and Independent shorts. She also performs on stage for such companies as the Manitoba Theatre Center, Shakespeare in the Ruins and in many Fringe Festivals. As a dancer, she has performed with Rainbow Stage and in many independent musicals and concerts. She recently produced her second short video drama.
Her latest passion is aerial dance, which she performs on ‘silks’, hung 25 feet above the floor. Her performances include solos with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and at gala fundraising events, and as part of theatrical productions.
It has also been her pleasure to lead many workshops and clinics and adjudicate many theatre and dance festivals.
Steve Morrison, General Manager, William F. Whites International
Steve has been involved in the film industry for over 20 years. He started his career as a Production Assistant for the commercial production house Champagne Motion Pictures. Based in Toronto, Steve worked for them as an office PA, and pre-production coordinator, for 2 years.
He started working on set in the Lighting Department. Renowned Canadian DP, Rene Ohashi, hired Steve as part of a feature lighting crew. He worked his way through the Lighting Department over the years, travelling to Europe, the Caribbean, and across Canada as a Gaffer, a Rigging Gaffer, and a Best Boy. Steve is an IATSE 669 member, as a Director of Photography. He is also a Gaffer with IATSE 873 in Toronto, and an IATSE 856 Winnipeg member.
Steve Morrisson is currently the General Manager of William F. Whites in Winnipeg. Founded in 1963, William F. White International (WFW) is Canada's oldest and largest provider of motion picture, television and theatrical production equipment. With offices across the country, the company has the most extensive inventory of equipment in the industry, including the very latest in technological advances.