Peter Wintonick facts for kids

Peter Kenneth Wintonick (born June 10, 1953 – died November 18, 2013) was a Canadian filmmaker. He was known for making documentaries. Documentaries are films that show real events and people. Peter Wintonick lived in Montreal, Quebec.

He won a special award in 2006. It was called the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. He was also a "Thinker in Residence" for the Premier of South Australia. Peter Wintonick made many award-winning films. He was one of Canada's most famous documentary makers around the world.

About Peter Wintonick

Peter Wintonick was born in Trenton, Ontario, in 1953. His parents were John Wintonick and Norma Latham.

He started a film company called Necessary Illusions Productions. He began it with Mark Achbar. Later, Francis Miquet helped him run the company. Peter also helped create DocAgora. This was an event at film festivals. It showed new digital ways to make films.

In 2009, Peter made a documentary with his daughter, Mira Burt-Wintonick. The film was called PilgrIMAGE. It was about how documentary films are made.

Peter Wintonick passed away on November 18, 2013. He was 60 years old. He died from a type of cancer called cholangiocarcinoma.

His Films

Peter Wintonick made many important documentaries. Here are some of his well-known films:

• Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992) – He made this film with Mark Achbar and Francis Miquet.
• Cinéma Vérité: Defining the Moment (1999) – He worked on this film with the National Film Board of Canada.
• Seeing is Believing: Handicams, Human Rights and the News (2002) – He co-directed this film with Katerina Cizek. It won an award at the Hamptons International Film Festival. It was also nominated for a Gemini Award.

Other Projects

In 2005, Peter Wintonick was invited to South Australia. He became a "Thinker in Residence." This meant he spent time thinking about big ideas. He looked at the future of documentaries. He also explored how the digital revolution would change them. He focused on how films could be used for education and culture.

Governor General's Award

Peter Wintonick won a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2006. This is a very important award in Canada. It celebrates amazing artists. He received it for all the great films he had made. His work included dramatic films, documentaries for theaters, and educational movies.

His Legacy

Peter Wintonick left a lasting impact on filmmaking. In 2014, a new award was created in his honor. It was called the Peter Wintonick Award. The first award was given at the Sheffield Doc/Fest to the film Vessel. Peter's daughter, Mira, sent a message. She said she was happy the award went to a filmmaker who shared her father's spirit. His film Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media was also shown at the festival.

Peter's daughter, Mira, also made a film about him. Her 2019 film is called Wintopia.