Director & Producer Necessary Illusions - Canada

A filmmaker, among other incarnations. A career spanning 30 years and more than 100 films. From Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media; Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment; Seeing is Believing: Handicams, Human Rights and the News to the recent Sundance and Berlin Film Festival hit doc, Tanaz Eshaghian's Be Like Others and New Cinema Fests Second Sight by Alison McAlpine. Recently, Wintonick was winner of the Governor General's Prize in Media Arts, Canada's highest such honour. A producer, director, writer, consultant and editor of all manner of film, video, multi-media and next media. Co-founder of the DocAgora on New Forms, New Platforms and New Ways of Funding Creative and Social Documentary Content. Creator of theatrical feature documentaries, educational and dramatic films, TV programs and internet sites including the Virtual Film Festival. Co-founder of the Greencode for the Media Industries, tailored to the needs and processes of the film and media industries. He was 2005 'Thinker in Residence" for South Australia's Premier, writing a book of recommendations on Media Literacy, Film Policy, Community and Aboriginal Media. He has worked with major movers, shakers (and snakes) in the Motion Picture Jungle. He has taken the requisite, but involuntary, documentary "vow of poverty."

He ceaselessly aids and abets the development of young independent filmmakers. He acts as executive producer, editor and consultant on numerous projects. He writes about film for (inter)national cinema magazines, papers and websites. He is international editor of the documentary film magazine, POV. He advises and programmes sections of important film festivals. He organizes conferences, workshops and debates around the world. In spare moments, he has lectured at University and Colleges. A Board-member of film organizations, including DigiMart, The Greenmedia Insitute, DocAgora and DOC, The Documentary Organization of Canada.

Peter Wintonick's company, Necessary Illusions, with co-producer Francis Miquet, is a multi-faceted media production centre based in Montreal. Necessary Illusions develops, produces and distributes feature length documentary cinema, television and 'now' media on social, cultural and political issues. Necessary Illusions' films screen theatrically and educationally around the world. They are broadcast internationally, in many languages. They have appeared at 100's of the world's important film festivals. They have won dozens of awards.

CONTACT: INFORMATION: NECESSARY ILLUSIONS 24 Ave. du Mont-Royal W. #1008 Montréal Qc Canada H2T 2S2 T: (+1)(514) 287-7337
F: (+1)(514) 287-7620
M: (+1)(514) 947-7337
E: pw@necessaryillusions.ca
W: www.necessaryillusions.ca

PAST WORKS include: Co-producer of the 2008 doc hit at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals: Tanaz Eshaghian's BE LIKE OTHERS; MANUFACTURING CONSENT: NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE MEDIA Feature Doc and TV series Co-director, co-producer (with Mark Achbar) 25 Awards at 60+ Fests SEEING is BELIEVING: Handicams Human Rights and the News 2002 Co-director (with Katerina Cizek) Abraham Prize at Hampton's FF; CINÉMA VÉRITÉ: Defining the Moment Feature Documentary 2000 Director 60+ Fests, awards at Berlin, Banff ; THE QuébeCANADA COMPLEX Co-director (with Patricia Tassinari) Can. Association of Journalists Award; Daniel Cross' THE STREET: A Film with the Homeless Feature Doc Executive-producer, editor People's Choice at Hot Docs; HO! KANADA Feature Doc Co-director, co-producer (with Barbara Doran) ; THE VIRTUAL FILM FESTIVAL Visionary web-plex 1994 -1996 Conception and co-producer (with Glen Salzman) Sundance, Toronto, Berlinale Fests; Nettie Wild's A RUSTLING OF LEAVES: INSIDE THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION Feature Doc 1988 Associate producer, editor Awards at Berlin, Montreal; Peter Watkins' THE JOURNEY Feature Doc Series 1986 Canadian producer Post co-ordinator; THE NEW CINEMA Feature Doc 1984 Director, producer, editor Awards Atlantic, American Film Fests ; Ron Mann's POETRY IN MOTION Feature Doc 1982 Associate producer, editor.