Evan Beloff

Evan Beloff is a Canadian film writer, producer, director and production company executive.

Evan Beloff
Born
Montreal, Quebec
NationalityCanadian
Occupationfilm director, writer, producer
Known forOnce a Nazi

1990s

A Montreal native, Evan holds a double major in creative writing and theatre. While a student at Concordia University, Beloff was a member of a group of students who called themselves the Sofar Poets.[1]

In 1998, he and an associate organized Montreal's first Radical Jewish Arts and Performance Festival which they called Chutzpah. It was inspired by the Radical Jewish Festival in New York. It was held on the McGill University campus and included music, spoken word and even a walking tour.[2] After a brief spell in Montreal's underground, Anglo theatre scene, he found work writing and researching IMAX documentaries for renowned producer Pietro Serapiglia ""

2000s

In 2000-2001, Beloff co-founded the Montreal film house Diversus Productions and served as the Producer and Second Unit Director for the Gemini Award-nominated documentary Too Colorful for the League: A History of Blacks in Hockey for the CBC.[3]

In 2002, he produced, starred in and narrated the festival hit mockumentary Schmelvis: Searching for the King's Jewish Roots (Nodance, HBO Comedy Arts Fest). The film is about a camp Jewish character called Schmelvis created by a Montreal Hasidic Jew named Dan Hartal. His costume comprises a rhinestone-studded white jumpsuit with a large Star of David wrestling-style belt-buckle and a red star-covered cape.[4][5][6]

In 2002 and 2003, Beloff produced, wrote, and directed the nineteen-part documentary series (two seasons) Women Warriors for WTSN, SCN, CBC, Radio Canada and CFCF12/CTV.[7] He also produced an episode of Life & Times for CBC on Canadian poet Irving Layton.[8]

In 2003, Beloff co-produced the reality comedy-documentary Cruising Quebec for Global.[9] He produced, co-wrote and co-directed the mockumentary The Legend of Memphre for Space and City TV.[10]

In 2004, he co-produced Being Osama for CBC's Passionate Eye, RDI and Al Arabiya.[11]

His final documentary project at Diversus was an architecture and travel documentary for Global titled Winter Wonderland: The Making of the Ice Hotel. Beloff wrote, directed and produced the film which is distributed by the National Film Board of Canada and broadcast internationally on such channels as: HBO Europe, Spektrum TV RT Hungary, CPS Czech Republic, TVC Spain, NHK Japan and TV2 in France.[12]

In 2005, Beloff relinquished partnership in Diversus Productions to establish his own company, Ontic Media Inc. and has since written, directed and produced (in collaboration with Bunbury Film's, Academy Award-winning producer Frederic Bohbot) the prize-winning, biopic thriller, Once a Nazi on former Waffen SS soldier turned professor Adalbert Lallier for SCN, CTV, Canal D, CLT, American Public Television / PBS and distributed internationally by the National Film Board of Canada. Once a Nazi was awarded the 2006 J. I Segal Award for Canadian, Jewish-Themed Film of the Year.[13][14][15] In 2007, he co-wrote/produced/directed an update of the Bigfoot/Sasquatch legend titled "Bigfoot's Reflection" for CHUM, City TV, CLT, Space and SCN.[16]

In 2008, he produced the documentary Quitter le Bercail (Leaving the Fold) by acclaimed director Eric Scott for Radio Canada, Documentary Channel Canada, ABC Australia. It is about two brothers who leave the Montreal Hasidic community.[17][18]

In 2010, Beloff produced the access documentary Burning Water along with Frederic Bohbot's Bunbury Films for CBC's The Lens. The film is directed by Cameron Esler and Tadzio Richards.[19]

In 2010, Beloff also returned to directing with the documentary Underdog Plaza on Quebec Super Welterweight Boxing Champion Dierry Jean for OMNI Television Canada and PBS' World Compass.[20][21]

in 2013 Beloff covered the story of eight-year-old Sandra Cantu, who was abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered next to her trailer park home in Tracy, California. "Heaven Beside Us" (aka The Disappearance of Sandra Cantu) was produced by SLV Films and is distributed by Films Transit International.

On January 25, 2014, Beloff visited Washington, DC, to document Dierry Jean's IBF Junior welterweight title fight vs. Lamont Peterson. The events surrounding the fight would become the central narrative to Beloff's boxing sequel on Jean. Underdog Rises premiered in 2015 on Omni Television in Canada.

In October 2016, Beloff partnered again with producer Frederic Bohbot and his company Bunbury Films to write and direct Kosher Love a feature documentary exploring orthodox and Hassidic relationships in a wired, modern world. Kosher Love premiered on CBC's new documentary strand FIRSTHAND on February 16, 2017.[22] Kosher Love was a finalist for Best Canadian Documentary at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards, March 11, 2018 in Toronto.[23]

On September 1, 2018 Beloff's film Daughters of the Voice an intimate POV documentary capturing the work of five extraordinary Montreal-based women who have devoted their lives to preserving the sacred music of various religions through teaching and song premiered on the CBC film series Absolutely Quebec / Absolutely Canadian

On March 5, 2019 his feature documentary A People’s Soundtrack which explores the rich history of Jewish Cantorial music in Montreal premiered on PBS. The film mixes rare photos, intimate interviews, candid family moments and performance footage from some of the city’s greatest Jewish tenors, "celebrating the unique ways the active voices of today are fighting to keep the ritual observances and emotional expressions of their communities alive." A People’s Soundtrack had its US theatrical, premiere in February 2020 at the Miami Jewish Film Festival. {https://miamijewishfilmfestival.org/films/2020/a-peoples-soundtrack}

Beloff is again partnering with CBC on his next documentary Just As I Am a film which explores the founding of a special needs musical group called the Shira Choir, and the power of music to shatter judgement and celebrate life while the COVID-19, global pandemic challenges their ability to stay connected. The film is slated for broadcast in August 2021 [24]

Awards and honors

Evan is the recipient of a CTV Producer's Fellowship from the Banff International Television Festival (2000).[25] as well as a Gemini nomination for best sports documentary- Too Colourful for the league: a history of Black hockey players (2001), a JI Segal Award for Canadian Jewish-themed film of the year - Once a Nazi (2006), and a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Canadian Documentary - Kosher Love (2018)

Personal life

Beloff is a strict vegetarian.[26]

Credits

Plays
  • The Wait, produced by Vilna Players (1997)[27]
  • Never, by Rightime Productions
  • Natural Times , produced by the OK Theatre

Films
  • Too Colorful for the League: A History of Blacks in Hockey (2001)
  • A Red Carpet for the Sun: The Life & Times of Irving Layton (2002)
  • Schmelvis: Searching for the King's Jewish Roots (2002)
  • Winter Wonderland: Making of the Ice Hotel (2003)
  • Being Osama (2004)
  • Cruising Quebec (2004)
  • The Legend of Memphre (2004)
  • Once a Nazi... (Nazi un Jour...) (2006)
  • Bigfoot's Reflection (2007)
  • Quitter le Bercail (Leaving the Fold) (2008)
  • Burning Water (2010)
  • Underdog Plaza (2011)
  • Heaven Beside Us (aka The Disappearance of Sandra Cantu) (2013)
  • Underdog Rises (2015)
  • Kosher Love (2017)
  • Daughters of the Voice (2018)
  • A People's Soundtrack (2019)
  • Just As I Am (2021)

Television
  • Life & Times: Irving Layton (2002)
  • Women Warriors (2002–2003)

Music videos
  • La Vie est Laide (1998)

References
  1. "Literary calendar" (28 Mar 1992) The Gazette, Montreal
  2. "Chutzpah without the bad attitude: Montreal's first 'radical' Jewish arts festival is mostly a musical celebration" (8 June 1998) The Gazette, Montreal
  3. Goldman, Julia (2002-06-28). "King Of The Jews". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
  4. "King of kings: The Schmelvis story: Two filmmakers explored Israel and the U.S. South for Elvis's Jewish roots" (28 Feb 2002) The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, Ontario
  5. "The Mensch Connection ; Was Elvis Just a Nice Jewish Goy?" (April 30, 2002) New York Post
  6. "The Kosher King: In search of Elvis Presley's Jewish roots" (June 2002) beliefnet
  7. "WOMEN WARRIORS". Telefilm Canada. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
  8. "IRVING LAYTON: A RED CARPET FOR THE SUN". Telefilm Canada. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
  9. "Reality TV show cruises Quebec: Documentary follows six Montrealers on RV tour" (10 July 2004) The Gazette, Montreal
  10. "Moviemakers seek out Memphremagog monster" (22 Oct 2004) The Gazette, Montreal
  11. "BEING OSAMA". Telefilm Canada. Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
  12. "Winter Wonderland: The Making of the Ice Hotel" (2013-04-08) National Film Board of Canada
  13. Jewish Public Library Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Once a Nazi...: Nazi victim" (September 14, 2006) Hour Community Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Ex-soldier who turned confessional about Nazi past leads to accounts from all sides" (September 17, 2006) The Gazette, Montreal Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  16. "Bohbot tracks Bigfoot" (March 8, 2007) Playback
  17. "Leaving the Fold is an eye-opening experience" (August 29, 2008) The Gazette, Montreal Archived November 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "The documentary filmmakers at Bunbury pick their fights and win" (17 Feb 2011) The Gazette, Montreal
  19. "Burning Water" (2010) Bunbury Films
  20. "UNDERDOG PLAZA" (2011) Ontic Media Inc.
  21. ""Packing a Punch" (January 6–12, 2011) Montreal Mirror". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  22. {http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/855924291810}
  23. {http://povmagazine.com/blog/view/2018-canadian-screen-awards-documentary-nominees
  24. {https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/montreal-shira-choir-shines-the-spotlight-on-unlikely-stars
  25. "mfg news / nouvelles du mfg" (February 19th, 2008) Montreal Film Group
  26. "Famous Vegetarians - Evan Beloff" International Vegetarian Union (IVU)
  27. "Waiting for Tragedy" (16 June 1997) The Gazette, Montreal

Sources
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