Bruce Pittman — Director | Biography, Movies & Career

Biography

Bruce Pittman (born February 4, 1950) is a Canadian television and film director best known for directing the 1987 slasher Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II.[1] He also directed the 1989 film Where the Spirit Lives, which won the Gemini Award for Best TV movie and numerous international awards.

He is a member of the Directors Guild of Canada[2] and the Directors Guild of America.

Early life and career

Born in Toronto, Ontario, on February 4, 1950. Pittman attended Park Lawn Public School, Royal York Collegiate and Kipling Collegiate in Etobicoke.[3]

In 1966, he made his first student film, which received an Honorable Mention at the Kodak Student Film Festival in Rochester, New York.[3]

That year he began working at the Odeon Humber Theatre learning every aspect of film exhibition.[3]

From 1968 through 1972 Pittman worked at Famous Players in their publicity department, Communikon a market research company which was a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures and Allan King Associates directing their independent film distribution. He also opened the Revue Cinema in Toronto.[3]

Pittman began professional filmmaking in 1971 with documentary films about other filmmakers: Freddie Young and John Frankenheimer. In 1974 with Elwy Yost and Jim Hanley he co-created and was Producer/Director of TVOntario's long running show Saturday Night At The Movies.[3]

Beginning in 1977 Pittman embarked on directing dramatic films with a series of half hour programs based on Canadian short stories one of which, The Painted Door, was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Live Action Short. In 1984 he directed his first feature The Mark Of Cain followed by Confidential and Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II which 30 years later has developed into a minor cult classic.[3]

Over the next 27 years Pittman directed 19 feature length dramas and mini series and 98 episodes of 27 series for 12 North American networks.[3]

His directorial work has resulted in 102 award nominations and 57 wins in Canada and internationally for his films.[3]

Since 2004 he has worked exclusively on 51 independent dramatic and documentary productions.