Future of Cinema

Toronto filmmaker Ron Mann, one of Canada's foremost documentary filmmakers. Mann established his international reputation while in his twenties with a series of award-winning theatrical documentaries:

His first feature,'Imagine the Sound'(1981) (Best Documentary, Chicago Film Festival) brings together, in interviews and performance, the prime innovators of the once-controversial free jazz movement of the 60's.

'Poetry in Motion' (1982) (Best Documentary, Chicago Film Festival), continues the tradition with a frenetically paced performance marathon of 24 talents of the contemporary poetry scene, including such alternative cultural luminaries as Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs and John Cage.

Third in the series,'Comic Book Confidential' (1988) (Genie, Best Feature Length Documentary; Blue Ribbon Award, American Film and Video Awards) combines a history of the comic book with a look at the work of 23 of the art form's most respected practitioners, including Will Eisner, Bill Gaines, Lynda Barry and Robert Crumb.

'Twist' (1992) mixes interviews with rare and often hilarious archival footage to chronicle the evolution of rock and roll dance. More than just a "rockumentary",'Twist" is ultimately a movie about the changes experienced by the baby-boom generation.

'Dream Tower' (1994) a portrait of Toronto's infamous Rochdale College: an experimental living environment that came to symbolize the best and the worst of what the 60's had to offer.

'Grass' (1999) (Genie Award for Best Documentary) presents a humorous and surprisingly balanced history of recreational marijuana use in the late 20th century.

"Go Further" (2003) which follows actor and activist Woody Harrelson as he takes to the open road on his "Simple Organic Living Tour".

In addition to his films, Ron Mann has produced the ground-breaking CD-ROMs 'Poetry in Motion I' and 'Comic Book Confidential', 'Poetry in Motion II' and 'Painters Painting'.

Ron is has just completed work on a new feature-length documentary about Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, cartoonist and hot rod designer, called "Tales of the Rat Fink" .

In addition to his films, Mann also pioneered the development of movies on CD-ROM, for the Voyager Company.