Oscar-winner Niv Fichman picks up producer award at TIFF

Niv Fichman, whose credits include Canadian films like The Red Violin and Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, has won a $10,000 prize honouring his prolific work as a film and TV producer.

Fichman is the winner of the second annual Canadian Film and Television Producers Association Award, a fledgling honour designed to celebrate excellence among Canadian producers.

An Oscar-winner for his work on the acclaimed François Girard's The Red Violin, Fichman has worked in the industry for more than 25 years.

His resumeof approximately 200 films and TV projects includes TV's Slings & Arrows as well as the films Last Night, The Saddest Music in the World, Clean, Snowcake and Silk, playing at the Toronto International Film Festival this year.

"Niv has produced some of this country's most inspiring and acclaimed feature films," Sandra Cunningham, chair of the producers association board, said in a statement Friday.

"He has been uncompromising in his support of the artistic vision of the films he produces, which might help explain the loyalty he has earned from more than one of Canada's most talented directors."

A jury of five industry representatives, including filmmaker Lynne Stopkewich and 2006 prize winner and producer Luc Déry, chose Fichman as this year's winner.

Established and first awarded at last year's edition of TIFF, the award acknowledges the craft and challenges of producing.

Producers of any Canadian feature film screened as an official TIFF selection are eligible for the award, with the jury taking into consideration each candidate's body of work.