John Pozer
Encyclopedia
John Pozer is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and editor. He has had two independent features selected to the Cannes International Film Festival and directed a slate of episodic television, both live action and animation.
in Ottawa. In 1970, Pozer was presented with the E.V. Young Memorial Award for Most Promising Actor.
Born in Kamloops, British Columbia
, Pozer studied filmmaking and creative writing at the University of British Columbia
and graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in Cinema from Concordia University in Montreal. He received the UBC Film Society Award for his series of documentaries which profiled university life in the 1980s.
, and went on to win the critics' award, the Prix Georges Sadoul, for Best First Film. In Canada, Pozer was awarded the inaugural Claude Jutra Award
for Best Direction of a First Feature Film at the 1993 Genie Awards.
He next directed the dark comedy The Michelle Apartments
, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was theatrically distributed by Cineplex Odeon
.
Pozer also executive produced and edited the independent feature Kissed
, which was selected for the Director's Fortnight at Cannes in 1997. The film earned eight Genie nominations and went on to critical and box-office success.
He has directed episodic television such as Disney's So Weird
, CTV
's Cold Squad
, CBC
's These Arms of Mine, Global
’s Blackfly
, Fox Family
's computer-animated Beast Wars
, and MTV
's 2ge+her
. Pozer received a Leo Award for Best Director in May 2002 for his work on the MTV comedy series Sausage Factory.
Biography
Pozer began his career in the 1960s as a stage actor, touring in musical theatre productions such as Camelot, The King and I, The Sound of Music, and starring in the title roles of Oliver and Peter Pan. He went on to star as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, which opened the National Arts CentreNational Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
in Ottawa. In 1970, Pozer was presented with the E.V. Young Memorial Award for Most Promising Actor.
Born in Kamloops, British Columbia
Kamloops, British Columbia
Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River and near Kamloops Lake. It is the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the location of the regional district's offices. The surrounding region is more commonly...
, Pozer studied filmmaking and creative writing at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
and graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in Cinema from Concordia University in Montreal. He received the UBC Film Society Award for his series of documentaries which profiled university life in the 1980s.
Filmography
His first feature, The Grocer's Wife, which he wrote, directed, and produced, garnered seven international awards at festivals around the world. In 1992, it was selected to open the Critic's Week at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, and went on to win the critics' award, the Prix Georges Sadoul, for Best First Film. In Canada, Pozer was awarded the inaugural Claude Jutra Award
Claude Jutra Award
The Claude Jutra Award is a special Canadian film award, presented at the annual Genie Award ceremony to the year's best feature film by a first-time film director...
for Best Direction of a First Feature Film at the 1993 Genie Awards.
He next directed the dark comedy The Michelle Apartments
The Michelle Apartments
The Michelle Apartments is a Canadian black comedy film, released in 1995, by John Pozer.The film stars Henry Czerny as Alex Hartwell, a government auditor sent to the small town of Walton to review the books of a chemical company...
, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was theatrically distributed by Cineplex Odeon
Cineplex Odeon
Cineplex Odeon Corporation was one of North America's largest movie theatre operators, with theatres in its home country of Canada and the United States...
.
Pozer also executive produced and edited the independent feature Kissed
Kissed
Kissed is a 1996 Canadian film, directed and co-written by Lynne Stopkewich, based on Barbara Gowdy's short story "We So Seldom Look On Love"...
, which was selected for the Director's Fortnight at Cannes in 1997. The film earned eight Genie nominations and went on to critical and box-office success.
He has directed episodic television such as Disney's So Weird
So Weird
So Weird is a television series shot in Vancouver, British Columbia that aired on the Disney Channel as a midseason replacement from January 18, 1999 to September 28, 2001. In season one and season two, the series centered around teenage girl Fiona Phillips who toured with her rock star mom ,...
, CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
's Cold Squad
Cold Squad
Cold Squad is a Canadian police procedural television series first broadcast in 1998 that followed the investigations of a part of the Vancouver Police Department Homicide Division tasked with solving cold cases, the titular Cold Squad, as led by Sergeant Ali McCormick .The cast of Cold Squad was...
, CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's These Arms of Mine, Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
’s Blackfly
Blackfly (TV series)
Blackfly is a Canadian sitcom which ran on the Global Television Network for two seasons in 2001 and 2002. Although shot single-camera like most Canadian comedies, this series was shot on film rather than videotape and contains a laugh track rather than making use of the usual live audience because...
, Fox Family
Fox Family
Fox Family may refer to:* The Fox Family, a 2006 South Korean film* Fox Family, a former name of American television cable network ABC Family...
's computer-animated Beast Wars
Beast Wars
Transformers: Beast Wars is a Transformers toyline released by Hasbro between 1995 and 2000, and a Daytime Emmy Award winning full-CG animated television series spawned by it that debuted in 1996...
, and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 2ge+her
2ge+her
2gether was an American fictional boy band whose composition, songs, and formation story is a satirical approach to the boy bands of the 1990s, such as New Kids on the Block, 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys...
. Pozer received a Leo Award for Best Director in May 2002 for his work on the MTV comedy series Sausage Factory.