The Canadian industry is paying tribute to distribution veteran Tony Cianciotta, who died last month (June 26). He was 85.
Cianciotta began his career in 1965 in Toronto as a film buyer for J. Arthur Rank Organization, which became Cineplex Odeon in 1980.
He went on to work in senior executive roles such as vice president and general manager at 20th Century Fox, Canada, and senior vice president, film at Cineplex Odeon, among others, before becoming senior vice president and general manager at Alliance Releasing from 1992-97.
In this role he championed Cinema Paradiso, Mediterraneo, The English Patient, Pulp Fiction and Trainspotting and many others, as well as blockbusters like the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, The Mask, Rumble In The Bronx, and Austin Powers.
Under Cianciotta’s stewardship, releases in Canada regularly grossed more than the 10% benchmark of North American box office.
He was also a champion of Canadian cinema and worked closely with Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg, Jerry Ciccoritti and Sturla Gunnarsson, while forging international ties with the likes of Anthony Minghella, Giuseppe Tornatore, Gabriele Salvatores and Nanni Moretti.
Cianciotta was a regular presence on the international film festival circuit, serving on numerous festival juries and boards. Through a long partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival he was able to promote and launch films into the Canadian marketplace.
Most recently, Cianciotta worked with content providers to produce film and longform series for the international market. He served as an executive producer on the six-part Netflix/City TV series, Bad Blood.
In 2004 he was appointed by the Canadian heritage minister to a three-member panel of experts studying the issue of Canadians’ access to public broadcasting services in languages other than English and French. In 2014 he received the Silver Spotlight Award from the Canadian Picture Pioneers.
Cianciotta shared his expertise as a guest lecturer at both Norman Jewison’s Canadian Film Centre and Queen’s University, Ontario.
He is survived by his wife, Anna Maria, his son, Anthony Jr. and his wife Arlene, and two granddaughters.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Atom Egoyan said, “Tony was a passionate cinephile and I loved working with him. We had so many beautiful conversations about the films we loved and this is a huge loss.”
“Tony was not only an astute and smart film distributor who was responsible for the success of many art house and foreign films in Canada over the decades, but he was a true lover of cinema who established deep and meaningful relations with filmmakers and the film industry.” said Piers Handling, former CEO and executive director of TIFF. “He was also a true gentleman, a man of his word who could always be trusted. His contribution will be missed by all who knew him.”
Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex said: “It is a sad time for our industry with the loss of a very special person who was one of the most passionate and dedicated to our business. Tony knew his movies and did an outstanding job in creating value. He never left a stone unturned whether it was work, relationships or charitable events. He will be missed but not forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Anna Maria Muccilli, and his family.”
Tonya Williams, actress and executive director of Reelworld Film Festival and Reelworld Screen Institute, noted: “Tony’s deep love for film was contagious. He was a member of Reelwold’s board of directors from 2017 to 2019 and played a significant role in helping to shape its programming. He also frequently shared his knowledge and experience in the Canadian industry with groups of our programme participants. An amazing human being, he was an icon in our sector and passionate about all aspects of the film business. He will be missed, but his lasting impact on our industry will endure.”
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