Ellis Entertainment

Stephen Ellis, President and CEO

President and CEO of Ellis Entertainment, Stephen Ellis has helped build the company founded by his father, Ralph, into one of Canada’s leading independent producers and distributors. He joined the distribution side of the business in 1972 and served as sales manager and general manager prior to being made president in 1986.

On the production side, he became managing director of KEG Productions in 1983 (now Ellis Vision Incorporated) and was appointed president in 1998.

Through the distribution arm, Ellis Releasing (formerly Ellis Enterprises), Stephen has helped expand on the early relationships forged by Ralph in the U.K. so that the company now handles programming from a wide range of international players from the U.K., U.S., France and Ireland. He also got the company into computer-assisted rights administration as early as 1978, with software he assisted in designing for the company.Stephen has acted as executive producer on all of Ellis Vision’s output (formerly KEG Productions) for over 10 years, supporting the expansion of the production slate into award-winning non-fiction productions including such series as Wild Guess The Baby Human, Echoes of the North and Buck Staghorn’s Animal Bites.

In 2003, he was one of the architects of VisionTV International, a new joint venture in faith-based programming with 15-year-old basic cable network VisionTV.

Stephen has also served the industry in a variety of ways. He was a founding director of the merged Canadian Film & Television Production Association in 1990, and served as Chair for 2000-2002. In 1989 he founded the Canadian Retransmission Collective, a non-profit royalty collecting body for producers, for which he continues to act as chairman. In 2005, Stephen was honoured with the CFTPA-Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ralph Ellis, Chairman

Chairman of Ellis Entertainment, Ralph C. Ellis, C.M., O.Ont., is one of the pioneers of the Canadian film and television industry. He originally founded Ralph C. Ellis Enterprises and KEG Productions in 1964, eight years after opening Fremantle of Canada, prior to which he spent 10 years with the National Film Board of Canada in Halifax, Ottawa and New York.

He has independently produced over 200 hours of network programming, which has earned more than 90 awards and been shown in over 100 countries worldwide in many languages. As a distributor Mr. Ellis has introduced many of the classics of British television to Canadian screens, including Coronation Street, Upstairs Downstairs, and The Jewel in the Crown.

His first drama series, Adventures in Rainbow Country, co-produced with William Davidson for the CBC Network in 1969, was unsurpassed for the top Canadian drama audience records until 1986. His award-winning documentary series Profiles of Nature was one of the longest-running prime time series on Discovery Channel in the U.S.

In 1974 his international production success attracted investment from media giant Maclean Hunter, now part of Rogers Communications, a partnership that helped build KEG Productions (now Ellis Vision) for 24 years. Mr. Ellis was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 1997 and was doubly honoured with the Order of Ontario the same year. Industry recognition has also come from the Broadcast Executives Society (BES Achievement Award, 2002); Canadian Picture Pioneers (50 Years of Service, 1996); Children’s Broadcast Institute (Lifetime Achievement, 1990); and CFTA (Jack Chisholm Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry, 1984.

Michael Steinberg, C.O.O. and Legal Counsel

Michael joined Ellis Entertainment in 1998 as the company's first in-house legal counsel and became the firm’s first Vice President in 2002, responsible for daily business administration.

Reporting to the president, he is involved in many aspects of running the parent company as well as its distribution and production arms, Ellis Releasing, Ellis Vision and VisionTV International, including: strategic planning, personnel, and business development, in addition to all contracting and legal affairs.

His experience in the television industry was honed at Morris/Rose/Ledgett and at Nelvana Limited, where he reported to the COO. Michael holds combined degrees in law and business from Osgoode Hall and the Schulich School of Business at York University. He was called to the Bar in 1996.






		Stephen Ellis, President and CEO President and CEO of Ellis Entertainment, Stephen Ellis has helped build the company founded by his father, Ralph, into one of Canada’s leading independent producers and distributors. He joined the distribution side of the business in 1972 and served as sales manager and general manager prior to being made president in 1986. On the production side, he became managing director of KEG Productions in 1983 (now Ellis Vision Incorporated) and was appointed president in 1998. Through the distribution arm, Ellis Releasing (formerly Ellis Enterprises), Stephen has helped expand on the early relationships forged by Ralph in the U.K. so that the company now handles programming from a wide range of international players from the U.K., U.S., France and Ireland. He also got the company into computer-assisted rights administration as early as 1978, with software he assisted in designing for the company.Stephen has acted as executive producer on all of Ellis Vision’s output (formerly KEG Productions) for over 10 years, supporting the expansion of the production slate into award-winning non-fiction productions including such series as Wild Guess The Baby Human, Echoes of the North and Buck Staghorn’s Animal Bites. In 2003, he was one of the architects of VisionTV International, a new joint venture in faith-based programming with 15-year-old basic cable network VisionTV. Stephen has also served the industry in a variety of ways. He was a founding director of the merged Canadian Film & Television Production Association in 1990, and served as Chair for 2000-2002. In 1989 he founded the Canadian Retransmission Collective, a non-profit royalty collecting body for producers, for which he continues to act as chairman. In 2005, Stephen was honoured with the CFTPA-Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award. Ralph Ellis, Chairman Chairman of Ellis Entertainment, Ralph C. Ellis, C.M., O.Ont., is one of the pioneers of the Canadian film and television industry. He originally founded Ralph C. Ellis Enterprises and KEG Productions in 1964, eight years after opening Fremantle of Canada, prior to which he spent 10 years with the National Film Board of Canada in Halifax, Ottawa and New York. He has independently produced over 200 hours of network programming, which has earned more than 90 awards and been shown in over 100 countries worldwide in many languages. As a distributor Mr. Ellis has introduced many of the classics of British television to Canadian screens, including Coronation Street, Upstairs Downstairs, and The Jewel in the Crown. His first drama series, Adventures in Rainbow Country, co-produced with William Davidson for the CBC Network in 1969, was unsurpassed for the top Canadian drama audience records until 1986. His award-winning documentary series Profiles of Nature was one of the longest-running prime time series on Discovery Channel in the U.S. In 1974 his international production success attracted investment from media giant Maclean Hunter, now part of Rogers Communications, a partnership that helped build KEG Productions (now Ellis Vision) for 24 years. Mr. Ellis was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 1997 and was doubly honoured with the Order of Ontario the same year. Industry recognition has also come from the Broadcast Executives Society (BES Achievement Award, 2002); Canadian Picture Pioneers (50 Years of Service, 1996); Children’s Broadcast Institute (Lifetime Achievement, 1990); and CFTA (Jack Chisholm Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry, 1984. Michael Steinberg, C.O.O. and Legal Counsel Michael joined Ellis Entertainment in 1998 as the company's first in-house legal counsel and became the firm’s first Vice President in 2002, responsible for daily business administration. Reporting to the president, he is involved in many aspects of running the parent company as well as its distribution and production arms, Ellis Releasing, Ellis Vision and VisionTV International, including: strategic planning, personnel, and business development, in addition to all contracting and legal affairs. His experience in the television industry was honed at Morris/Rose/Ledgett and at Nelvana Limited, where he reported to the COO. Michael holds combined degrees in law and business from Osgoode Hall and the Schulich School of Business at York University. He was called to the Bar in 1996.