TORONTO — The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today the appointment of Tammy Frick (above) as CEO, effective Oct. 31.
Her hiring comes after a search led by the Canadian Academy’s board of directors, following the departure of former CEO Beth Janson in April 2022.
Frick is joining the organization after serving as executive director of the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival for the last 27 years.
In her new role as CEO of the Canadian Academy, “Frick will assume leadership for the largest non-profit professional media arts organization in Canada and will oversee both the National and Quebec branches of the Canadian Academy,” reads a press release announcing her appointment.
“Her dedication to innovation and the growth of the Canadian screen-based industries, along with her passion for developing creative works and opportunities for talent both in front of and behind the camera, will bring a unique perspective to the Canadian Academy’s ongoing mission to foster industry growth, knowledge, inclusion, and mentorship,” the release says.
“After an extensive search, we are extremely confident that we have found a fantastic candidate to lead the Canadian Academy,” said John Young, chair of the Canadian Academy, in the release.
“Tammy’s experience and knowledge of the industry will be extremely beneficial to advancing our hard work towards developing, recognizing, celebrating and advocating for Canadian talent in Canada’s screen-based industry. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire organization, I’d like to offer a sincere thank you to (interim CEO) Louis Calabro for guiding us through the last six months and leaving the Academy in a great place for Tammy to step in and continue to help us make impactful change.”
With Frick’s appointment, Calabro will resume his key leadership role at the Academy executive level, the release says.
“I am honoured and thrilled to enter this chapter as the Canadian Academy’s next CEO,” Frick said. “It is a privilege to be granted this opportunity to further develop my passion for the Canadian content industry as the leader of such an important organization.
“While I will certainly miss my family at Cinéfest Sudbury and am incredibly proud of all that we have achieved, I am elated to bring my years of knowledge and experience, along with a fresh perspective, to this organization to help further develop our country’s world class industry.”
In addition to her tenure as executive director of Cinéfest Sudbury, Frick has served on the board of directors of several organizations, including as a founding member of Music and Film in Motion (MFM), which transitioned to Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION) in 2014.
“A strong believer in the mission of the organization, which seeks to promote and foster the ongoing expansion of the media arts sector in Northern Ontario, Frick took on a secondary role as CION’s Associate Executive Director in addition to her responsibilities with Cinéfest,” the release says.
In 2019, Frick was honoured with a Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business by Women in Film and Television (WIFT-Toronto).
For more, please click here.
Photo provided by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Photo credit: George Pimentel Photography.
