CFC Honours Brad Peyton
by Staff
(February 18, 2020 – Toronto, ON) The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has announced that director, producer and writer Brad Peyton is the recipient of its seventh annual CFC Award for Creative Excellence. The award honours and celebrates the accomplishments of CFC alumni who have made significant creative and entrepreneurial contributions to the international screen industry. Celebrated CFC founder Norman Jewison will present this prestigious award to Peyton at an invitation-only annual reception to be held in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
“There is no doubt that Brad has made a mark on the global entertainment industry with his exciting, original and impactful content,” said Slawko Klymkiw, CEO, CFC. “We are so proud of the career he’s built, the high quality and range of his growing body of work, and that he continues to create and produce work in Canada. We are so pleased to acknowledge and celebrate his success by presenting him with this year’s CFC Award for Creative Excellence.”
“I’m grateful to the CFC for taking a chance on me back in 2001,” added Peyton. “The CFC experience helped launch my career and ushered me into the Hollywood film industry. It is where I learned to be fearless in my approach to telling stories. Developing that mindset and the skills that the CFC emphasizes were, and still are, critical to my career path today. Thanks for believing in me, CFC. I am honoured to be presented with this award.”
Born in Gander, Newfoundland, Brad Peyton is a Directors’ Lab alumnus of CFC’s signature film program, the Cineplex Film Program. He first garnered critical acclaim and attention in 2002 for his CFC short film, the black comedy Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl. After leaving the CFC, Peyton went on to produce his CBC claymation series What It’s Like Being Alone (2006). In 2010, Peyton made his feature directorial debut with Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
In the following years, Peyton became known for crafting ambitious action adventure blockbuster films, beginning with the hit film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which also marked his first collaboration with Dwayne Johnson. In 2015, Peyton directed Johnson in the wildly successful San Andreas, which grossed $473 million worldwide. In 2018, he finished his third collaboration directing Johnson with Rampage, which grossed more than $428 million worldwide.
With partner Jeff Fierson, Peyton founded the production company, ASAP Entertainment, which creates elevated television and digital projects for a global audience. They recently completed the third season of the Netflix/Discovery series Frontier, starring Jason Momoa, and the first season of their Netflix series, Daybreak. They are currently producing Momoa’s upcoming film, Sweet Girl, which is set to release on Netflix this year.
The Canadian Film Centre is a leading cultural organization for the development and advancement of Canadian creative and entrepreneurial talent in the screen-based industries.