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Peter Simpson passes away
Tuesday June 12th 2007Peter Simpson, a stalwart of the Canadian film industry, died of cancer yesterday just days after his 64th birthday.
A colourful, tough-talking and chain-smoking realist, Simpson produced 35 feature films as well as miniseries and documentaries. He was probably best known for the 1980 horror classic Prom Night, which spawned three sequels.
Born in Port Glasgow, Scotland, Simpson came to Canada at age 10 in 1953 and grew up in Toronto, where he attended Downsview High School and the University of Toronto.
During the first phase of his career, he became an expert in advertising and marketing.
Simpson founded Canada’s biggest buying service, Media Buying Services, in 1968, deciding where to place ads for his movie-world clients. At one point, his company had offices in Montreal, London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York and L.A.
In 1978, he segued from promoting movies to making them. His first movie was Sea Gypsies, which he sold to NBC. He followed with Prom Night, which became one of the rare cases of a Canadian movie that made money for its investors.
A Conservative, Simpson became intensely involved in Ottawa politics during the Mulroney era, playing a key role as a government adviser and strategist on film policy.
During the ’80s, Simpson got into the distribution business through Norstar Releasing. He won a Genie for his work in the film industry.
Simpson leaves his wife, producer Ilana Frank, and six children. A private funeral will be followed by a public memorial in September.
Headline, Industry News
Peter Simpson passes away
Tuesday June 12th 2007Peter Simpson, a stalwart of the Canadian film industry, died of cancer yesterday just days after his 64th birthday.
A colourful, tough-talking and chain-smoking realist, Simpson produced 35 feature films as well as miniseries and documentaries. He was probably best known for the 1980 horror classic Prom Night, which spawned three sequels.
Born in Port Glasgow, Scotland, Simpson came to Canada at age 10 in 1953 and grew up in Toronto, where he attended Downsview High School and the University of Toronto.
During the first phase of his career, he became an expert in advertising and marketing.
Simpson founded Canada’s biggest buying service, Media Buying Services, in 1968, deciding where to place ads for his movie-world clients. At one point, his company had offices in Montreal, London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York and L.A.
In 1978, he segued from promoting movies to making them. His first movie was Sea Gypsies, which he sold to NBC. He followed with Prom Night, which became one of the rare cases of a Canadian movie that made money for its investors.
A Conservative, Simpson became intensely involved in Ottawa politics during the Mulroney era, playing a key role as a government adviser and strategist on film policy.
During the ’80s, Simpson got into the distribution business through Norstar Releasing. He won a Genie for his work in the film industry.
Simpson leaves his wife, producer Ilana Frank, and six children. A private funeral will be followed by a public memorial in September.
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Headline, Industry News
Peter Simpson passes away
Tuesday June 12th 2007Peter Simpson, a stalwart of the Canadian film industry, died of cancer yesterday just days after his 64th birthday.
A colourful, tough-talking and chain-smoking realist, Simpson produced 35 feature films as well as miniseries and documentaries. He was probably best known for the 1980 horror classic Prom Night, which spawned three sequels.
Born in Port Glasgow, Scotland, Simpson came to Canada at age 10 in 1953 and grew up in Toronto, where he attended Downsview High School and the University of Toronto.
During the first phase of his career, he became an expert in advertising and marketing.
Simpson founded Canada’s biggest buying service, Media Buying Services, in 1968, deciding where to place ads for his movie-world clients. At one point, his company had offices in Montreal, London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York and L.A.
In 1978, he segued from promoting movies to making them. His first movie was Sea Gypsies, which he sold to NBC. He followed with Prom Night, which became one of the rare cases of a Canadian movie that made money for its investors.
A Conservative, Simpson became intensely involved in Ottawa politics during the Mulroney era, playing a key role as a government adviser and strategist on film policy.
During the ’80s, Simpson got into the distribution business through Norstar Releasing. He won a Genie for his work in the film industry.
Simpson leaves his wife, producer Ilana Frank, and six children. A private funeral will be followed by a public memorial in September.
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