Pinewood Toronto Studios hosted a celebration and naming ceremony of ‘The Paul Bronfman Stage’ in honour of the founding Chairman of Pinewood Toronto Studios. The event was attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, members of Paul Bronfman’s family including his children, Jonathan, Alexandra and Andrew Bronfman, British Consul General to Toronto Fouzia Younis, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming of Ontario Stan Cho, Film Commissioner of Ontario Justin Cutler, Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries for the City of Toronto, Marguerite Pigott and the Toronto film community.
“Paul Bronfman was a true champion for Ontario’s film industry. His hard work and passion helped build Pinewood’s Toronto studios into one of North America’s top production facilities. This tribute is a well-deserved recognition of a man who believed in Ontario talent and helped make our province a world leader in film and television.”
Doug Ford
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Ontario Premier
Members of the Toronto film community outside of The Paul Bronfman Stage
Ontario Premier Doug Ford with Jonathan Bronfman and Elizabeth Squibb
Bronfman was a passionate and vocal advocate for the Canadian film and television industry, a film producer, and philanthropist who championed worthy causes within and outside the film industry. His support and determination saved the studios (then Filmport) during a downturn in the industry shortly after its doors opened in 2008 and he went on to become Chairman of Pinewood Toronto Studios.
As well as his deep-rooted connection to Pinewood Toronto Studios, Paul was Chair and CEO of Comweb Corp and William F. White, and co-founder of North Shore Studios and Spark Camera & Lighting,
Jonathan Bronfman
'We are grateful to Pinewood Toronto Studios and the Pinewood Group for their tribute to our father Paul Bronfman by naming Stage 7 in his honour. Our Dad was incredibly passionate about providing first class production service infrastructure to the Canadian and international film and TV communities. Being a founding partner in Pinewood Toronto Studios embodied that mission. It's tremendously meaningful to us that Pinewood will continue his legacy in this way.'
son of Paul Bronfman
(L-R) Gilda Carbone - Head of Creative, Media, Sports Economy, and Technology, Sarah Farrell - General Manager, Pinewood Toronto Studios, Fouzia Younis - British Consul General to Toronto, David Conway - CEO Pinewood Group, Siddhanth Das - Pinewood Group and Ashley Pierrepont - VP Commercial, Pinewood Toronto Studios
Marguerite Pigott (centre), Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries for the City of Toronto with staff and production crew on the lot at Pinewood Toronto Studios
The Bronfman Family outside the newly named The Paul Bronfman Stage at Pinewood Toronto Studios
Dedication poster of Paul Bronfman displayed on the lot at Pinewood Toronto Studios
The Stage was formerly Stage 7 and is a key location on the lot, next to The Star Trek Stage (previously Stage 8). It has been home to Star Trek productions including Star Trek: Section 31, five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, Pixels, Robocop (2014), Cosmopolis and Dream House.
“Paul was not only a vocal champion for our Studios, he was heroic in his support for our entire sector throughout Canada. It is incredibly fitting and important that we acknowledge and celebrate his astounding accomplishments and efforts as well as the mutual love and respect between him and our shared industry, by naming this Stage in his honour.”
Sarah Farrell
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General Manager of Pinewood Toronto Studios
Photographer: Steve Blackburn