Today, Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada, announced the appointment of Richard Cormier as Director General, Programming, Creation, Distribution and Marketing, and Head of Programming for the NFB. Mr. Cormier will begin this role on September 11, 2023.
As the person responsible for the NFB's programming vision and objectives, he will oversee the implementation of that vision within production, distribution, marketing and business intelligence teams, providing creative leadership and ensuring that the NFB remains a nationally and internationally acclaimed institution.
Born to Acadian parents, Richard Cormier has worked for more than three decades in audiovisual production and post-production, content creation, and as an innovator in the uses of technology for creative purposes, both in Canada and the United States. He has experience in senior management and holds an executive MBA from McGill University.
At age 24, Mr. Cormier co-founded Buzz Image, the first post-production studio in Canada to offer digital visual effects solutions. In 1995, he created an innovative product that allowed filmmakers to review several production processes in real time. This breakthrough drew interest from Bell/Téléglobe, and he would later partner with the company.
In 1999, he was recruited by Ascent Media for the Los Angeles-based position of Senior Vice President. Mr. Cormier created a highly financially successful studio dedicated to producing films, ads and TV series. He relocated to New York in 2004, where he joined the post-production group Nice Shoes and made his mark by implementing synergies, cost-saving measures and more efficient processes. In 2005, he moved on to Ringside in Detroit, where he served as President. During his six years with the company, he transformed it from a traditional advertising and digital production and post-production studio to a fully integrated creative-services house.
After returning to Montreal, Mr. Cormier led the global expansion of Moment Factory's production services. In 2020, he joined MELS, where he created a virtual production division in addition to heading the company's digital creative services.
QUOTES
"In the context of an industry environment that's both stimulating and constantly changing, Richard is coming to us at a key moment when the NFB, now more than ever, needs to reinvent itself while remaining relevant to its audiences. With his innate leadership abilities and 30 years of experience in the fields of production, emerging technologies, innovation and marketing, he will help inspire the momentum needed to allow the NFB's creative and technology teams, as well as the filmmakers and artists who create with us, to excel and to engage with the public."
- Suzanne Guèvremont
Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB
"I'm inspired by the NFB's current leadership and excited to be a part of this great and unique institution. Working with the NFB's teams and with filmmakers and artists across the country, I intend to continue the organization's rich tradition of taking innovative creative approaches, while also pursuing engagement with younger and more diverse audiences who are connected to the world. As the industry continues to modernize, I want to contribute to our mandate and enhance it by offering perspectives that matter to the lives of Canadians."
- Richard Cormier
Director General, Programming, Creation, Distribution and Marketing, and Head of Programming for the NFB
