François N. Macerola
Encyclopedia
François N. Macerola is a Canadian
lawyer
and film executive. He has held a number of senior positions with the National Film Board of Canada
and Telefilm Canada
.
Macerola was born in Montreal
, Quebec
. He studied at the Université de Montréal
, gaining his BA
degree there in 1963, and then becoming a Bachelor of Civil Law
in 1970. He was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1971, and began practising law with the firm Malouf, Pateras, Macerola.
He became involved in the film industry in 1976, when he was appointed Director of the French
Program at the National Film Board (NFB). During this time, Macerola tried to make sure that the predominantly freelance film-makers of the French Program could not claim the status of permanent employees, which helped to save the NFB money, as more salaried employees would mean less budget available for actual film production. There was also a concern at the NFB that if a core regular team of French Canadian
film-makers was allowed to build up, they could cause political problems with Quebec nationalism
.
In April 1979, Macerola was promoted to become Assistant Film Commissioner, making him James de Beaujeu Domville
's deputy in the running of the NFB. Domville stepped down from his role in January 1984 and Macerola succeeded him, initially on an interim basis but from May 1984 as the official new Government Film Commissioner. One of his first tasks as Commissioner was to develop a new five-year-plan for the future of the NFB, after Minister of Communications
Francis Fox
tasked the organisation with becoming "a world centre of excellence in production of films and videos" and "a national training and research centre in the art and technique of film and video."
Macerola also had to deal with controversy surrounding the 1982 docudrama
The Kid Who Couldn't Miss
, about the life of fighter pilot Billy Bishop
. Although produced before Macerola had become the Commissioner, in 1985 he was called before a sub-committee of the Senate to answer charges that the film inaccurately portrayed Bishop's career and achievements. Macerola refused to withdraw the film from circulation, although a caption was later added to the start of it to clarify that it was a drama-documentary and not a pure documentary film
.
In December 1988, six months before his contract was due to come to an end, Macerola stepped down as Commissioner of the NFB to join Lavalin Communications. In 1991 he left Lavalin to take up a position as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the film company Malofilm Distribution Limited
. He remained with Malofilm until 1995, when he joined the Canadian government
's film and television funding agency Telefilm Canada
. He served as the organisation's Executive Director from 1995 until 2001, and was Chairman of the Board from 2000 until 2002. He then worked as a lawyer for the Canadian government before joining the Cirque du Soleil
, as the head of its legal department. In this position he was mainly responsible for safeguarding the circus's intellectual property
rights.
Macerola has two children, Stéphanie and Louis.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and film executive. He has held a number of senior positions with the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
and Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
.
Macerola was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He studied at the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
, gaining his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree there in 1963, and then becoming a Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
in 1970. He was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1971, and began practising law with the firm Malouf, Pateras, Macerola.
He became involved in the film industry in 1976, when he was appointed Director of the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Program at the National Film Board (NFB). During this time, Macerola tried to make sure that the predominantly freelance film-makers of the French Program could not claim the status of permanent employees, which helped to save the NFB money, as more salaried employees would mean less budget available for actual film production. There was also a concern at the NFB that if a core regular team of French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
film-makers was allowed to build up, they could cause political problems with Quebec nationalism
Quebec nationalism
Quebec nationalism is a nationalist movement in the Canadian province of Quebec .-1534–1774:Canada was first a french colony. Jacques Cartier claimed it for France in 1534, and permanent French settlement began in 1608. It was part of New France, which constituted all French colonies in North America...
.
In April 1979, Macerola was promoted to become Assistant Film Commissioner, making him James de Beaujeu Domville
James de Beaujeu Domville
James de Beaujeu Domville is a French-born Canadian theatrical producer and administrator. In addition to his theatrical work, Domville has served in several important Canadian cultural positions, including five years as Commissioner of the National Film Board of Canada .Domville was born in...
's deputy in the running of the NFB. Domville stepped down from his role in January 1984 and Macerola succeeded him, initially on an interim basis but from May 1984 as the official new Government Film Commissioner. One of his first tasks as Commissioner was to develop a new five-year-plan for the future of the NFB, after Minister of Communications
Minister of Communications (Canada)
The Minister of Communications of Canada is a now-defunct cabinet post which existed from 1969 to 1996, when it was abolished. Its telecommunications policy functions were transferred to Industry Canada and its cultural role was assumed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.The post was...
Francis Fox
Francis Fox
Francis Fox, PC, QC is a member of the Senate of Canada. He is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and is the former Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, and thus was a senior aide to Prime Minister Paul Martin. He also worked as a lobbyist in the 1980s.-Life and career:Born in...
tasked the organisation with becoming "a world centre of excellence in production of films and videos" and "a national training and research centre in the art and technique of film and video."
Macerola also had to deal with controversy surrounding the 1982 docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
The Kid Who Couldn't Miss
The Kid Who Couldn't Miss
The Kid Who Couldn't Miss is a 1982 docudrama directed by Paul Cowan. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, it combines fact and fiction to question fighter pilot Billy Bishop's accomplishments during World War I, featuring excerpts from John MacLachlan Gray's play Billy Bishop Goes to...
, about the life of fighter pilot Billy Bishop
Billy Bishop
Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace, and according to some sources, the top ace of the British Empire.-Early life:Bishop was born in Owen Sound,...
. Although produced before Macerola had become the Commissioner, in 1985 he was called before a sub-committee of the Senate to answer charges that the film inaccurately portrayed Bishop's career and achievements. Macerola refused to withdraw the film from circulation, although a caption was later added to the start of it to clarify that it was a drama-documentary and not a pure documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
.
In December 1988, six months before his contract was due to come to an end, Macerola stepped down as Commissioner of the NFB to join Lavalin Communications. In 1991 he left Lavalin to take up a position as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the film company Malofilm Distribution Limited
Malofilm
Founded in 1987 by chairman and CEO René Malo in Montreal, Quebec, Malofilm was a film production company, a television and video production company and a distributor. First based on Saint-André boulevard, it moved in 1993 to Saint Laurent Boulevard. In 1995, it acquired Desclez Productions and...
. He remained with Malofilm until 1995, when he joined the Canadian government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
's film and television funding agency Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
. He served as the organisation's Executive Director from 1995 until 2001, and was Chairman of the Board from 2000 until 2002. He then worked as a lawyer for the Canadian government before joining the Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
, as the head of its legal department. In this position he was mainly responsible for safeguarding the circus's intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
rights.
Macerola has two children, Stéphanie and Louis.