AMMSA productions win big, too

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Although "Beyond the Bend of the River" did not win the Best Documentary Award at the Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association (AMPIA) annual awards night, held in Edmonton, March 21, it was still an honor to see it win a most prestigious award-the Special Jury Award.

The "special jury award" is given when it is decided by the jury members that a certain movie is deserving (moving) of a special award.

Nominated as one of the most outstanding documentaries produced for 1986, is an achievement in itself, and AMMSA, along with the director Rossi Cameron from CBC, can take pride in knowing they accomplished a success in their winning documentary.

The documentary was based on the life of country singer and now ordained Minister, Harry Rusk. It was produced in Nashville, Tennessee, British Columbia and in the Edmonton area.

Harry Rusk, a Slavy Indian originally from British Columbia, has the distinction of being the first full-blooded Indian to ever sing on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Rusk's life could be classed as "Bittersweet" from his battle as a young boy with tuberculosis, the death of his family from the disease, to his eventual climb to fame in country music.

Beyond the Bend of the River, along with another heart warming movie, "Close to the Heart" both won the award but lost out to "Long Lance" as best documentary.

Other productions produced with AMMSA's involvement were Native Nashville North, nominated for Best Musical Variety, with "The Guitar" produced by Fred Voss, CFRN-TV, winning the award.

Also nominated for Best Documentary was "Music of the Metis" produced in cooperation with AMMSA, with CFRN-TV, Producer Fred Voss.

The AMMSA-CBC co-produced Native Nashville North series and Beyond the Bend in the River will now be entered in the Pincher Creek Aboriginal Film Festival (October 8-10) and the Yorkton Film Festival, scheduled for May in Saskatchewan.