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Mr. Gerald Pratley

  • Deceased

    • Barrie, Ontario, Canada

  • Deceased

    • Barrie, Ontario, Canada

    Order of Canada

    • Member of the Order of Canada

      Awarded on: 1984-06-25
      Invested on: 1984-10-03
      A pioneer of film criticism in Canada, he began regular programmes on the CBC thirty-six years ago. He has also been Chairman of the Toronto Film Society; contributor to press and periodicals; Director of the Canadian and Ontario Film Institutes and of the Stratford Film Festival; and the author of five books. Throughout he has upheld the highest standards for Canadian cinema.

    • Officer of the Order of Canada

      Awarded on: 2002-10-10
      Invested on: 2003-10-24
      Gerald Pratley continues to champion Canadian cinema and cinematographers. Former adjunct professor at Ryerson Polytechnic University , he is an expert in the theory and history of the silent film. Also an authority on the science fiction and Italian genres, he has published several books on the work of great filmmakers such as Frankenheimer, Preminger and John Houston. Now retired from his position as founding director of the Ontario Film Institute, he shares his vast knowledge with students at universities across the country. This is a promotion within the Order.