Tony Ianzelo

Tony Ianzelo (born June 13, 1935) is a Canadian documentary director and cinematographer.

Career Ianzelo was born in Toronto, Ontario, and attended Toronto's Ryerson Institute of Technology. His career at the National Film Board of Canada was characterized by an empathic portrayal of his subjects, and he gained a reputation for compassion and honesty through sensitive films and unobtrusive cinematography.

He joined the NFB in 1960 as a camera assistant and, in 1966, made his first film, Antonio. This short piece, which uses his own father as a subject to explore the themes of family, immigration and alienation, was shown in schools and institutions for three decades after its release. A prolific and innovative artist, he retired in the late 1990s with over one hundred film credits.

Best known for his quiet empathy and unobtrusive camera-work, he worked with the NFB program Challenge for Change, where he used his skills on such films as Cree Hunters of Mistassini with Boyce Richardson, and other projects in Canada's Far North. In 1986, with Colin Low, he co-directed Transitions, the first-ever 3D IMAX film, which premiered at Expo 86 in Vancouver.

Ianzelo was one of the first cinematographers to become a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and received numerous awards and commendations, including the 1975 BAFTA Award for Best Documentary (for Cree Hunters of Mistassini) and two Academy Award nominations (for Blackwood in 1976 and High Grass Circus in 1977). In 2004, in recognition of his lifetime contribution to documentary cinema, he was invested as Member of the Order of Canada

Filmography (All for the National Film Board of Canada)

Antonio - documentary short 1966 - director, cinematographer, editor The Ever-Changing Lowlands - documentary short 1966 - director, cinematographer All Systems Go - documentary short, Richard Gilbert 1966 - cinematographer The Long Haul Men - documentary short, Richard Gilbert 1966 - cinematographer Canada and the American Revolution: 1763-1783 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1967 - cinematographer The Accessible Arctic - documentary short, David Bairstow 1967 - cinematographer Inmate Training - training film, Peter Pearson 1967 - cinematographer A Question of Priority - training film, Peter Pearson 1967 - cinematographer Chain of Command - training film, Peter Pearson 1967 - cinematographer Compassionate Leave? - training film, Peter Pearson 1967 - cinematographer The Tactless One - training film, Peter Pearson 1967 - cinematographer The Defaulter - training film, Peter Pearson 1967 - cinematographer Impressions of Expo ‘67 - documentary short, William Brind 1967 - cinematographer Isotopes in Action - documentary short, Kenneth McCready 1967 - cinematographer The North Has Changed - documentary short, David Bairstow 1967 - cinematographer We’re Gonna Have Recess - documentary short, Michael J.F. Scott 1967 - cinematographer New England and New France: 1490-1763 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1967 - cinematographer Oskee Wee Wee - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1968 - cinematographer Saul Alinksy Went to War - documentary, Peter Pearson and Donald Brittain 1968 - cinematographer Cosmic Zoom - documentary short, Robert Verrall 1968 - cinematographer Flight in White - documentary short, William Canning 1968 - cinematographer The New Equation: Annexationism and Reciprocity: 1840-1860 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1968 - cinematographer Dangerous Decades: 1818-1846 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1968 - cinematographer People and Power - documentary short, Bonnie Sherr Klein and Peter Pearson 1968 - cinematographer Building an Organization - documentary short, Bonnie Sherr Klein and Peter Pearson 1968 - cinematographer A Continuing Responsibility - documentary short, Bonnie Sherr Klein 1968 - cinematographer Deciding to Organize - documentary short, Bonnie Sherr Klein and Peter Pearson 1968 - cinematographer Through Conflict to Negotiation - documentary, Bonnie Sherr Klein and Peter Pearson 1968 - cinematographer They’re Putting Us Off the Map - documentary short, Michael J.F. Scott 1968 - cinematographer Mrs. Ryan’s Drama Class - documentary short, Michael Rubbo 1969 - cinematographer The Dowry - short film, Peter Pearson 1969 - cinematographer Altitude Zero to Infinity - documentary short, Richard Gilbert 1969 - cinematographer Bing Bang Boom - documentary short, Joan Henson 1969 - cinematographer You Are on Indian Land - documentary short, Mike Kanentakeron Mitchell 1969 - cinematographer The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar - documentary, Peter Pearson 1969 - cinematographer The War of 1812: Causes and Consequences: 1783-1818 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1967 - cinematographer The Friendly 50s and the Sinister Sixties: 1850-1863 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1969 - cinematographer The Triumphant Union and the Canadian Confederation: 1863-1867 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1969 - cinematographer The Border Confirmed: The Treaty of Washington: 1867-1871 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1969 - cinematographer A Second Transcontinental Nation: 1872 - documentary, Ronald Dick and Pierre L’Amare 1969 - cinematographer Go With Us - documentary short, William Canning 1970 - cinematographer Freud: The Hidden Nature of Man - documentary short (non-NFB), George Kaczender 1970 - cinematographer Don't Knock the Ox - documentary short 1970 - director, cinematographer Fort Who? - documentary short, William Brind 1970 - cinematographer Here’s to Harry’s Grandfather - documentary, Michael Rubbo 1970 - cinematographer Tee-Won Short - documentary short, Michael J.F. Scott 1970 - cinematographer That’s the Price - documentary, Michael J.F. Scott 1970 - cinematographer Temples of Time - documentary, William Canning 1971 - cinematographer The Unplanned - documentary short, Andy Thomson 1971 - cinematographer Angus - documentary short, Andy Thomson and Michael J.F. Scott 1971 - cinematographer Don Messer - His Land and His Music - documentary, Martin Defalco 1971 - cinematographer En Garde - documentary short, William Canning 1971 - cinematographer God Help the Man Who Would Part with His Land - documentary short, George C. Stoney 1971 - cinematographer Here is Canada - documentary short 1972 - director, cinematographer A Bus - For Us - documentary short, Rex Tasker 1972 - cinematographer Goodbye Sousa - documentary short 1973 - director, cinematographer Our Land is Our Life - documentary 1974 - cinematographer and, with Boyce Richardson, director Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut - documentary short 1974 - director, cinematographer Cree Hunters of Mistassini - documentary 1974 - cinematographer and, with Boyce Richardson, director Ready When You Are - documentary short, John N. Smith and Douglas Kiefer 1975 - cinematographer Bill Loosely’s Heat Pump - documentary short, Kenneth McCready 1975 - cinematographer Cold Journey - feature, Martin Defalco 1975 - cinematographer Alberta Girls - documentary 1975 - cinematographer, editor and, with Malca Gillson, director Musicanada - documentary short 1975 - cinematographer and, with Malca Gillson, director Blackwood - documentary short 1976 - director, cinematographer High Grass Circus - documentary short 1976 - cinematographer and, with Torben Schioler, director Striker - documentary short, Robert Nichol 1976 - cinematographer The Whales Are Waiting - documentary short 1976 - cinematographer and, with Strowen Robertson and Andy Thomson, director Cree Way - documentary short 1977 - director, cinematographer Little Big Top - documentary short 1977 - cinematographer, editor and, with Torben Schioler, director Games of the XXI Olympiad - documentary, Jean-Claude Labrecque, Jean Beaudin, Marcel Carrière and Georges Dufaux 1977 The Mighty Steam Calliope - documentary short 1978 - cinematographer and director Viking Visitors to North America - documentary short 1979 - cinematographer and, with Anthony Kent, director Canada Vignettes: Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Don Messer 1910-1973 - documentary short, Martin Defalco 1979 - cinematographer Canada Vignettes: Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Charlie Chamberlain 1911-1972, Marg Osburne 1927-1977 - documentary short, Martin Defalco 1979 - cinematographer Canada Vignettes: Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Charlie Chamberlain 1911-1972 - two documentary shorts, Martin Defalco 1979 - cinematographer Canada Vignettes: Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Marg Osburne 1927-1977 - two documentary shorts, Martin Defalco 1979 - cinematographer Canada Vignettes: Cree Hunters - documentary short 1979 - director, cinematographer Canada Vignettes: Breadmakers - documentary short 1980 - director, cinematographer Canada Vignettes: Calliope - documentary short 1980 - director, cinematographer China: A Land Transformed - documentary short 1980 - cinematographer and, with Boyce Richardson, director North China Commune - documentary 1980 - cinematographer and, with Boyce Richardson, director North China Factory - documentary 1980 - cinematographer and, with Boyce Richardson, director Wuxing People’s Commune - documentary 1980 - cinematographer and, with Boyce Richardson, director Canada Vignettes: Celebration - documentary short 1981 - director, cinematographer In Search of Farley Mowat - documentary, William Brind 1981 - cinematographer Gala - documentary, John N. Smith and Michael McKennirey 1982 - cinematographer The Concert Man - documentary short 1982 - director, cinematographer Learning Ringette - documentary short 1982 - cinematographer and, with Bill Graziadei, director Singing: A Joy in Any Language - documentary 1983 - cinematographer and, with Malca Gillson, director Musical Magic: Gilbert and Sullivan in Stratford - documentary, Malca Gillson 1984 - cinematographer From Ashes to Forest - documentary 1984 - director, cinematographer Max Ward - documentary, William Canning 1984 - cinematographer Overtime - documentary, Marrin Canell 1984 - cinematographer Transitions - documentary short 1986 - director, with Colin Low Making Transitions - documentary short 1986 - director Feeding and Clothing China's Millions - documentary short, Dennis Sawyer 1986 - cinematographer School in the Bush - documentary short, Dennis Sawyer 1986 - cinematographer Give Me Your Answer True - documentary 1987 - director, with Stefan Wodoslawsky Tiger Emperor - documentary short 1988 - director Emergency - documentary short 1988 - director, with Colin Low The First Emperor of China - documentary 1989 - director, with Liu Hao Xue Momentum - documentary short 1992 - director, with Colin Low The Art of the Animator - documentary series 1993 - director, cinematographer Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot... He Scores - documentary short, Louis Hone 1995 - cinematographer Making Momentum - documentary short 1996 - director, with Colin Low Louisbourg Under Siege - documentary, Albert Kish 1997 - cinematographer Postcards from Canada - documentary 2000 - director, cinematographer

Awards Cosmic Zoom (1968) Berlin International Film Festival – UNIATEC Award of Excellence, 1972 The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar (1969) 21st Canadian Film Awards, Toronto: Genie Award for Best Black and White Cinematography, 1969 Don't Knock the Ox (1970) Canadian Film Awards, Toronto – Genie Award for Best Theatrical Short Film, 1971 Film Critics and Journalists Association of Ceylon, Sri Lanka – Certificate of Merit, 1971 Here is Canada (1972) Festival of Tourist and Folklore Films, Brussels - Award of the Ministry of National Education, 1973 Golden Gate Awards Competition & International Film Festival, San Francisco – Special Jury Award, 1973 Goodbye Sousa (1973) Canadian Film Awards, Montreal – Genie Award for Best Theatrical Short Film, 1973 Cree Hunters of Mistassini (1974) BAFTA (British Academy Film Awards), London – BAFTA Award for Best Documentary (Robert Flaherty Award), 1975 Canadian Film Awards, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON - Genie Award for Best Documentary, 1975 Melbourne Film Festival – Silver Boomerang, Best film made specifically for TV, 1975 Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut (1974) Biofest, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia – Award of Excellence, 1975 Musicanada (1975) Golden Gate Awards Competition & International Film Festival, San Francisco – Special Jury Award, 1976 Blackwood (1976) Festival international du film sur l'art, Paris: Grand Prize for the Quality of the Image, 1977 Festival of Tourist and Folklore Films, Brussels: Prize of the Principality of Monaco for the Best Film Evocating the Past of a Region by the Means of Art, 1977 Yorkton Film Festival, Yorkton, Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, Best Short Film, 1977 49th Academy Awards, Los Angeles: Nominee, Best Documentary Short Subject, 1977 High Grass Circus (1976) Yorkton Film Festival, Yorkton, Saskatchewan - Golden Sheaf Award for Best Film of the Festival, 1977 Film Advisory Board, Los Angeles - Award of Excellence, 1978 50th Academy Awards, Los Angeles – Nominee, Best Documentary Feature North China Commune (1980) Columbus International Film & Animation Festival, Columbus, Ohio - Chris Bronze Plaque, Social Studies, 1980 From Ashes to Forest (1984) International Green Film Week, Berlin - Bronze Ear of Corn Award, Environment, 1986 Momentum (1992) FIAFest: Festival Internacional Audiovisual, Seville - Award for the Technical Quality of the Image, 1992 The Art of the Animator (1993) National Educational Media Network Competition, Oakland, California – Golden Apple Award, Arts, 1995