Film Training Manitoba – Board of Directors
Film Training Manitoba’s Board of Directors consists of 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: 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.
Vice-Chair: Brendon Sawatzky, Inferno Pictures
Dividing his time between a number of different roles in the film, television and digital media industries, Brendon Sawatzky has primarily focused on producing drama. His debut as a producer resulted in the feature film Inertia, which won the Best Canadian First Feature award at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival.
After the success of Inertia, Brendon founded Inferno Pictures and started development on a slate of new feature films and television series. This lead to the co-production Who Loves the Sun, a feature film that went on to premiere at the BFI’s 50th London Film Festival. Shortly after that, Brendon forayed into dramatic television production with House Party, a six-episode series that premiered on The Comedy Network in the fall of 2008.
Brendon also works as Manager, Training Programs for the National Screen Institute –Canada and has written, directed and produced four short films.
Directors:
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!
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.
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.
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.
Graham Thomson, Red River College
Graham Thomson is Dean of the School of Business and Applied Arts at Red River College. Prior to this he has had a long career in post-secondary education including as an RRC instructor, Business Administration Program Coordinator, Chair of Management and Marketing, and Chair of Creative Arts. Before joining the faculty at RRC, Graham owned and operated two small businesses.
Graham currently sits on the boards of Central Neighborhoods Development Corporation, Cre-Comm Radio Inc. (Kick FM), and FortuneCat Video Games Incubator (past-Chair). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (hons) from the University of Manitoba and an MBA from the Edinburgh Business School.
Alf Kollinger, Elan Vital Productions
Alf spent many years in the corporate world, but the last fifteen years have been in the arts. Primarily working in the film industry, Alf co-produced the TV documentary "The Glory Days of Modeling in Winnipeg" and the feature film "Snake River", a period Western. Through Elan Vital Productions he has written, directed and shot many short films, training, and promotional videos.
Alf sits on the council of ACTRA Manitoba, holding the positions of Vice-president and training chair. Alf also facilitates the ACTORʼS GYM, a peer based workshop with guest directors, where ACTRA members can exercise their acting muscles. This is a volunteer position that he has dedicated to for the past three years.