Tony Ianzelo (born June 13, 1935) is a Canadian documentary director and cinematographer.

Career

Ianzelo was born in Toronto, Ontario, and attended Toronto's Ryerson Institute of Technology. His career at the National Film Board of Canada was characterized by an empathic portrayal of his subjects, and he gained a reputation for compassion and honesty through sensitive films and unobtrusive cinematography. He joined the NFB in 1960 as a camera assistant and, in 1966, made his first film, Antonio. This short piece, which uses his own father as a subject to explore the themes of family, immigration and alienation, was shown in schools and institutions for three decades after its release. A prolific and innovative artist, he retired in the late 1990s with over one hundred film credits. Best known for his quiet empathy and unobtrusive camera-work, he worked with the NFB program Challenge for Change, where he used his skills on such films as Cree Hunters of Mistassini with Boyce Richardson, and other projects in Canada's Far North. In 1986, with Colin Low, he co-directed Transitions, the first-ever 3D IMAX film, which premiered at Expo 86 in Vancouver. Ianzelo was one of the first cinematographers to become a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and received numerous awards and commendations, including the 1975 BAFTA Award for Best Documentary (for Cree Hunters of Mistassini) and two Academy Award nominations (for Blackwood in 1976 and High Grass Circus in 1977). In 2004, in recognition of his lifetime contribution to documentary cinema, he was invested as Member of the Order of Canada

Filmography

(All for the National Film Board of Canada)

Awards

Cosmic Zoom (1968) The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar (1969) Don't Knock the Ox (1970) Here is Canada (1972) Goodbye Sousa (1973) Cree Hunters of Mistassini (1974) Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut (1974) Musicanada (1975) Blackwood (1976) High Grass Circus (1976) North China Commune (1980) From Ashes to Forest (1984) Momentum (1992) The Art of the Animator (1993)