Alan Mendelsohn
1998-2005: Series Producer , " Turning Points of History "
Produced 91 one-hour documentaries for History Television in Canada. The shows included the bombing of Hiroshima, Bob Geldof's 1985 live-aid concert, the Canadian blood scandal, the mass murder at Jonestown, the genocide in Rwanda, Gorbachev's Revolution, Argentina's dirty war, the story of the Bluenose, the Battle of Stalingrad, the murder of John Lennon, the heroic Marilyn Bell swim, the horrors of thalidomide, the tragedy of Dieppe, the CIA sponsored coup in Guatemala, and the tragic folly of the space shuttle amongst others.
The series won over 120 international awards :
• 34 Houston Worldfest International Film Festival awards including "The Best of the Fest" and several Special Jury and Gold awards
• 21 awards at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival, including "Best of Fest" for the genocide in Rwanda, 12 Chris Statuettes, and 14 bronze plaques
• 18 at the US International Film and Video festival including six golds and five silvers
• 9 awards at the Chicago International Film Festival including two Silver Hugos and two gold plaques
• 4 Toronto Hot Docs Festival awards including one for best series and one for best documentary writing, and the only film that was a double winner at Hot Docs: "The Last Just Man"
• 4 world medals at the New York Film and Video Festivial
• 2 awards at Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival
• Hampton Film Festival audience favorite
• 2 special screenings at Prague's One World International Human Rights Film Festival
• 2 Gemini Awards and 12 nominations
Filmography:
Films written and directed by Alan Mendelsohn
2007
The Road to Partition The story of the tragedy and horror of the partition of India in 1947.
2006
High Water Blues (one hour documentary) The story of the catastrophe of the Mississippi flood of 1927 and a comparison with the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. History Television. World premiere screened at Houston Worldfest International Film Festival. Platinum award for Best Documentary.
Christmas Confidential (one hour documentary) An irreverent and ironic look at the Christmas season and its excesses. CBC TV Documentary Unit.
2005
The Bomb Broadcast on History Television on the 60 th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.
Winner of Special Jury Award at Houston Worldfest International Film FestivalThe Liberation of Holland Broadcast on CBC. Gemini nominee and winner of Chris Statuette at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival.
Junking the Shuttle Broadcast on History Television.
Special Jury Award, Houston Worldfest International Film Festival. Silver plaque at Chicago TV and Film Festival.2004
City of Ruins The story of the Halifax Explosion of 1917.
Broadcast on CBC. Gemini nominee and winner of Chris Statuette at Columbus International Film & Video Festival.Misbehavin' The story of prohibition broadcast on History Television.
Winner at Houston Worldfest International Film Festival.2003
The Life & Times of Barbara Frum Broadcast on CBC.
Chris Statuette at Columbus International Film & Video Festival.Ode to the Robertson The picaresque tale of the Canadian made Robertson screw.
Broadcast on History Television. Award winner at Houston Worldfest International Film Festival.2002
Cornfields to Cosmos The Life & Times of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
Broadcast on CBC on the occasion of his historic space walk.The Top Ten A documentary of the greatest construction projects of the 20 th century.
Broadcast on The Discovery Network's "Frontiers of Construction" series.1999
Sexual Century (series)
Episode 2 The Good, The Bad and The Naughty
Episode 3 Love and War
Episode 6 What's Love Got To Do With It
Broadcast on History TelevisionDani, the Therapy Dog This episode of the series Dogs with Jobs.
Broadcast on The Life Channel. Also broadcast on the Oprah Winfrey Show.A Coup: Made in America The story of the CIA sponsored coup in Guatemala.
Incident At Roswell The strange tale of the crash of a spy balloon or UFO in 1947.
1998
Day of Infamy The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Man in the Mask The dramatic story of Canada's most explosive spy scandal.
Promises to Keep The Life & Times of author and social activist June Callwood.
1997
Dawn of the Eye (series)
Inventing Television News
The Power and the Image "
Broadcast on CBC
Current Affairs
The National Magazine 1992-1995
Documentary Producer for CBC Television. Produced over 20 documentaries including:Cyber-Hate An investigation into hate literature on the internet.
Give Me a Squiggly An exploration into how the retail giant Wal-Mart preyed on small family stores.
Lords of the Flies A look at the inner kingdom of fly fishing.
Who Killed the Cod A scientific detective story about how the cod off the coast of Newfoundland vanished.
The Journal 1982-92
Documentary Producer for CBC Television. Produced over 60 documentaries, including one-hour specials on:The Mirror That Remembers A lyrical look at how photography changed our perceptions of the world and our perceptions of ourselves.
Fear in the Valley An investigative report on Elizabeth Clare Prophet, cult leader of the Universal Church of God.
Troubled Waters The story of how Canada's coastlines are being polluted by city sewage and industrial waste.
The Wizards of Awe A special on magic and the art of deception.
Special documentary reports on Haiti, Cuba, Lebanon, and the Los Angeles riots of 1992.
Science documentaries including The Heart Frontier , a one-hour special on heart transplants and the artificial heart.
Sports documentaries including The Baseball Republic , on how baseball captured hearts and minds in the Dominican Republic.
Historical documentaries including Rethinking the Revolution, a look at the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.