Cam Haynes
Cam Haynes is the Founder and Director of Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group. Raised in a small town in Ontario, Haynes has always been sympathetic to regions outside the key markets who have limited access to Canadian and international films. This interest inspired Haynes to develop the concept of Film Circuit in 1992, during his tenure as Festival Director of the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.
The success of the Circuit inspired the Toronto International Film Festival Group to embrace the project in 1995. Film Circuit has since blossomed into an alternative exhibition/distribution model which currently services 160 communities across Canada. Annual box office earnings rose to more than 1.95 million this year, and by the end of 2004, 350,000 filmgoers will have attended Circuit screenings across Canada. In the past 10 years, Film Circuit has screened more than 400 Canadian films; to date, more than 1.2 million filmgoers across Canada have attended Circuit screenings.
In 2002, Haynes launched the international circuit to promote Canadian and international films abroad. Initiatives include the Canadian Cinema Showcase, that toured a selection of highly acclaimed Canadian films across the United Kingdom, including Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. Haynes has also assisted in programming films at sites such as Colorado (Beaver Creek), Mexico, and Spain (Madrid). Film Circuit's international expansion will see an additional 15 to 20 countries join over the next year.
