Rudy Buttignol

Rudy Buttignol is President and CEO of the Knowledge Network Corporation, British Columbia's public educational media service. He is also a contributor and moderator at international financing forums including Toronto, Leipzig and Amsterdam. He has received many international honours and the inaugural Outstanding Industry Achievement Award from the Hot Docs. He is a nine-time Canadian Academy (Gemini) award-winner.

Buttignol is Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Toronto Documentary Forum; on the Board of Governors of the Banff Television Foundation and the Canadian Conference for the Arts; a member of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver International Film Festival and on the advisory councils of the DokLeipzig Festival and the European Television Management Academy in Strasbourg. He is Vice-Chair of the Association of Education Broadcasters of Canada; President of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television Foundation; Chair of the Academy's Television Rules & Regulations Committee; and past Chair of the Board of Directors.

In 2006-07, Buttignol worked as a media consultant, leading conferences, workshops and masterclasses, around the world, on the subject of the international marketing of documentaries and television programming.

From 2000 to 2006, Buttignol served as TVO's Creative Head of Network Programming, and from 1993 to 1999 as Commissioning Editor and Creative Head of Independent Production. He was also Executive Producer of the international documentary series Human Edge and Masterworks, and Saturday Night at the Movies. Buttignol founded and commissioned documentaries for TVO's award-winning series The View From Here. Notable commissions include The Corporation; Manufactured Landscapes; Dying at Grace; The Bodybuilder and I; McLuhan's Wake; Hitman Hart; The Champagne Safari; the Oscar nominated Hardwood, and limited series Diamond Road, Black Coffee, and Emmy-winner Yo-Yo Ma: Inspired by Bach.

From 1975 to 1993, Buttignol was an independent producer, director and writer. His programs, which have appeared on A&E, CBC, Discovery, Global and PBS, include Jack Bush; Neon: An Electric Memoir; and Soviet Space.


Market Check: Commissioning Editors, Buyers and Funders (FTV01)
DOC DAY, September 24, 9.00 am - 10.30 am