Cynthia Scott facts for kids

Cynthia Scott RCA (born January 1, 1939) is a Canadian filmmaker who has won many awards. She has produced, directed, written, and edited several films for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Her films have won big awards like an Oscar and the Canadian Film Award. Cynthia Scott is also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

Most of her work with the NFB is making documentaries, which are films about real life. One of her most famous documentaries is Flamenco at 5:15 (1983). This film is about dancing and won an Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 1984. She is married to filmmaker John N. Smith, and their son is actor Dylan Smith.

Early Life and Education

Cynthia Scott was born and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She came from a working-class family that encouraged her creativity. She studied English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Manitoba. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959 when she was 19 years old.

Filmmaking Career at the NFB

Cynthia Scott's career changed in 1972 when the National Film Board of Canada hired her. She quickly started directing, producing, and writing both documentaries and fiction films for the NFB. She often made documentaries about everyday life and social issues.

Her first directing job was a 26-minute documentary called The Ungrateful Land: Roch Carrier Remembers Ste-Justine (1972). This film won a Canadian Film Award for direction. In 1976, Scott produced the documentary Listen Listen Listen (1976) for the NFB.

After working at the NFB for about ten years, she helped write, edit, and produce a film called For The Love of Dance (1981). Over the next few years, Scott made several documentaries about the world of dance. This included Flamenco at 5:15 (1983), which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.

She also helped research and write First Winter (1981). This film was directed by her husband, John N. Smith. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short. During her time at the NFB, Scott also took part in a workshop for women directors in Banff, Alberta. She described this workshop as a chance to educate and connect women directors.

The Company of Strangers Film

In the late 1980s, Cynthia Scott started making a full-length film with the NFB. This film, The Company of Strangers (1990), was a mix of documentary and fiction. It featured eight women who were not professional actresses, most of whom were senior citizens.

The script for the film was largely made up on the spot. It was based on the real lives of the women in the cast. The movie was a huge hit in Canada and around the world. At the time, it became the highest-earning film ever made by the NFB.

Scott chose to have an all-female production team for The Company of Strangers. This included female assistants, producers, writers, and artists. She did this to show how important it is for women in the film industry to support each other.

Flamenco at 5:15 Documentary

Cynthia Scott directed the short documentary film Flamenco at 5:15, which came out in 1983. This Oscar award-winning film helped boost Scott's career. Flamenco at 5:15 shows what it's like inside a Flamenco dance class at the National Ballet of Canada. The film won the award for best short documentary at the 56th annual Academy Awards.

Later Life and Interests

Cynthia Scott has mentioned that she is now retired. She has also taken an interest in learning French. She wants to speak the language fluently. Scott and her husband, John N. Smith, have spent many summers living in Dunany, Quebec. The community there honored Scott by showing her Oscar-winning documentary, Flamenco at 5:15, at their clubhouse.

Filmography

Films Directed by Cynthia Scott

• The Ungrateful Land: Roch Carrier Remembers Ste-Justine (1972)
• Some Natives of Churchill (1973)
• Scoggie (1975)
• For the Love of Dance (1981) (co-directed)
• Flamenco at 5:15 (1983)
• Discussions in Bioethics: A Chronic Problem (1985)
• Jack of Hearts (1986)
• The Company of Strangers (1990)

Films Co-written by Cynthia Scott

• First Winter (1982) (co-written with Gloria Demers)
• The Company of Strangers (1990) (co-written)

Films Produced by Cynthia Scott

• Take 30 series (1965–72) (TV, 71 episodes) (co-producer)
• Man Alive: Jack Chambers (1971)
• West series: Ruth and Harriet: Two Women of the Piece (1973)
• West series: Every Saturday Night
• Some Natives of Churchill (1973)
• Listen Listen Listen (1976) (co-produced)
• Canada Vignettes: Holidays (1978)
• Canada Vignettes: The Thirties (1978)
• You've Got the Power: Arioli: Running (1979)
• You've Got the Power: Teenagers (1979)
• Man of Might: Fit In (1979)
• For the Love of Dance (1981) (co-produced)
• Flamenco at 5:15 (1983) (co-produced)

Films Co-edited by Cynthia Scott

• For the Love of Dance (1981) (co-edited)
• Flamenco at 5:15 (1983) (co-edited)

Awards and Nominations

For The Ungrateful Land: Roch Carrier Remembers Ste-Justine (1972):

• Canadian Film Awards: Won Best TV Information Programme

For First Winter (1982):

• 54th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Live Action Short

For Flamenco at 5:15 (1983):

• 56th Academy Awards: Won Best Documentary Short

For The Company of Strangers (1990):

• fr:Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma: Won Best Quebec Feature Film
• 12th Genie Awards: Nominated for Best Picture
• 12th Genie Awards: Won Film Editing
• Paris Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival: Won Best Feature Film
• Vancouver International Film Festival: Won Most Popular Canadian Film
• International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg: Won Grand Newcomer Award

See also

• List of female film and television directors