Telefilm Canada Mourns the Death of Filmmaker-Producer Gilles Carle

Montréal, November 30, 2009 – Telefilm Canada pays tribute to recently deceased filmmaking pioneer Gilles Carle and to the remarkable body of films that constitute his legacy.

“On behalf of Telefilm Canada, I offer sincere condolences to Chloé Ste-Marie, Gilles Carle’s long-time companion, and to his family and friends. Gilles Carle was one of our most important filmmakers. In dedicating his life to directing and producing, he blazed the trail for countless Quebec and Canadian filmmakers, brought worldwide fame to our cinema and definitively marked Canadian history,” said Michel Roy, Chair of the Telefilm Canada Board.

“Gilles Carle was rightly honoured with numerous awards and distinctions throughout his career. He leaves behind masterworks such as La Vie Heureuse de Léopold Z; La Vraie Nature de Bernadette, his first film selected for official competition at Cannes, in 1972; La mort d’un bûcheron; Fantastica; Les Plouffe; Maria Chapdelaine; and 50 Ans, which earned him the Palme d’or for Best Short Film at Cannes in 1989,” added Michel Roy. “His immense talent will live on in our memories and on our screens.”

Telefilm Canada: Developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian productions that appeal to domestic and international audiences. The Corporation also administers the funding programs of the Canadian Feature Film Fund, the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada New Media Fund. Visit www.telefilm.ca.

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Media inquiries:

Eva Hartling
Senior Advisor, External Communications
Telefilm Canada
514-283-0838, ext. 2090 or 1-800-567-0890
hartlie@telefilm.ca