Gala (film)
Gala is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Michael McKennirey and John N. Smith and released in 1982.[1] A portrait of the Canadian Dance Spectacular, a 1981 show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario at which eight Canadian professional dance companies all performed on stage together for the first time, the film blends both dance performance segments and backstage footage.[2]
| Gala | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael McKennirey John N. Smith |
| Produced by | Michael McKennirey John N. Smith |
| Cinematography | Tony Ianzelo Savas Kalogeras Roger Moride |
| Edited by | Michael McKennirey John N. Smith |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $810,934 |
The participating dance companies were the National Ballet of Canada, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, le Groupe de la Place Royale, the Danny Grossman Dance Company, the Toronto Dance Theatre, Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers and the Anna Wyman Dance Theatre.[1]
The event had been planned for a television broadcast on CBC Television, which was not able to proceed due to a strike by NABET, the union representing CBC production technicians; instead, the National Film Board of Canada stepped in to film it as a documentary.[3]
The film had a budget of $810,934 (equivalent to $2,091,589 in 2021).[4]
The film premiered on April 30, 1982 at the NAC.[1] It subsequently received a CBC Television broadcast in September.[2]
The film received a Genie Award nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 4th Genie Awards in 1983.[5]
References
- Stephen Godfrey, "Gala: a dance milestone makes a fascinating film". The Globe and Mail, May 1, 1982.
- Alina Gildiner, "A spectacular film event born out of desperation". The Globe and Mail, September 3, 1982.
- Stephen Godfrey, "Dance Spectacular is just that". The Globe and Mail, May 30, 1981.
- Evans 1991, p. 281.
- Jay Scott, "Top Genie prospects for Jack Miner move". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1983.
Works cited
- Evans, Gary (1991). In the National Interest: A Chronicle of the National Film Board of Canada from 1949 to 1989. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0802027849.