Peter Pearson

Peter Pearson studied political science and economics at the University of Toronto and went to film school in Rome Italy He first landed a job as a journalist then as a producerdirector with CBCTV He joined the National Film Board in 1966 where he made several documentaries including three with the American social activist Saul Alinsky He won scores of awards for his early dramas including his stunning debut film iThe Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladari which won eight Canadian Film Awards including Film of the Year and Best Director After teaching film at Queens University in Kingston for one year 198283 Pearson was hired by The Canadian Film Development Corporations Broadcast Program Development Fund from 1983 to 1985 The corporation became Telefilm Canada and Pearson served as its Executive Director from 1985 to 1987 Also a skillful scriptwriter Pearsons screenplays have included iSnowbirdi adapted with Margaret Atwood from his original story and iOne Mani which he cowrote with a hrefspryrobinRobin Sprya and which won the Canadian Film Award for Original Screenplay He was nominated for two Gemini Awards in 1987 for Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries for iHeaven on Earthi and in 1990 for Best Documentary Series for iKen Drydens Home Gamei In the late 1990s Pearson turned more of his energies toward Executive Producer projects including the popular series iBig Wolf on Campusi 19992002 and iSeriously Weirdi 20032004 Speaking to Cinema Canada about his 1973 feature emPaperback Heroemem Pearson said Making movies is a great growing up process because its like putting your hands out in front of you and walking It really is a process of feeling your way out of the darknessbrbrbr