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 television producers and distributors.

For 30 years Stephen has also been an advocate for independent Canadian production and distribution through extensive volunteer work with various industry bodies, including the Canadian Film & Television production Association.

He joined the distribution side of the business in 1973 and has presided over the business since 1986 and held the controlling interest since 2002. Ellis Releasing is a major exporter of over 1,500 hours of Canadian programming, and the distributor in Canada for a distinguished roster of international independent producers from France, the U.K., and the U.S.

Through production subsidiary Ellis Vision (originally KEG Productions Limited) he has executive produced over 200 hours of award-winning documentary and family entertainment for network television; most recently including Tank Overhaul, an eight-part HD behind-the-scenes look at the restoration of battle tanks from past wars, for History Television and Discovery Military Channel.

Stephen is also founding president of VisionTV International, a joint venture with VisionTV, operated by Ellis Entertainment, which launched in 2003, mandated to produce family-friendly, faith-oriented programming for a worldwide audience. Recent proeuctions include three seasons of the Gemini-nominated documentary-lifestyle series, Divine Restoration, which provides makeovers of churches in black communities across North America.

Stephen has been an active industry volunteer for most of his career and has helped to shape the broadcasting and production landscape in Canada through contributions in the regulatory, copyright and legislative arenas, primarily on behalf of CFTPA.

He is the only member of the CFTPA board of directors to have served continuously from 1980 to 2009, serving as president of the original CFTA in 1984, and for two terms as chair of CFTPA from 2000 to 2002.

He has served as chairman of the Canadian Retransmission Collective since its inception in 1990 as a not-for-profit society distributing over $140 million to date in cable and satellite royalties for distant program signals to domestic and international producers.

In 2007, he served as founding chairman of ISAN Canada, the recognized source of International Standard Audiovisual Numbers for domestic producers seeking to uniquely identify their works – a system now recognized by CAVCO and the CRTC.

In February, 2005, Stephen was presented with the CFTPA-Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual conference of the Canadian Film & Television Production Association in Ottawa.

In February, 2010, he received the Industry Builders Award, an annual honour created and presented by PS Production Services, at a dinner during the CFTPA’s annual conference in Ottawa.

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.






		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 television producers and distributors. For 30 years Stephen has also been an advocate for independent Canadian production and distribution through extensive volunteer work with various industry bodies, including the Canadian Film & Television production Association. He joined the distribution side of the business in 1973 and has presided over the business since 1986 and held the controlling interest since 2002. Ellis Releasing is a major exporter of over 1,500 hours of Canadian programming, and the distributor in Canada for a distinguished roster of international independent producers from France, the U.K., and the U.S. Through production subsidiary Ellis Vision (originally KEG Productions Limited) he has executive produced over 200 hours of award-winning documentary and family entertainment for network television; most recently including Tank Overhaul, an eight-part HD behind-the-scenes look at the restoration of battle tanks from past wars, for History Television and Discovery Military Channel. Stephen is also founding president of VisionTV International, a joint venture with VisionTV, operated by Ellis Entertainment, which launched in 2003, mandated to produce family-friendly, faith-oriented programming for a worldwide audience. Recent proeuctions include three seasons of the Gemini-nominated documentary-lifestyle series, Divine Restoration, which provides makeovers of churches in black communities across North America. Stephen has been an active industry volunteer for most of his career and has helped to shape the broadcasting and production landscape in Canada through contributions in the regulatory, copyright and legislative arenas, primarily on behalf of CFTPA. He is the only member of the CFTPA board of directors to have served continuously from 1980 to 2009, serving as president of the original CFTA in 1984, and for two terms as chair of CFTPA from 2000 to 2002. He has served as chairman of the Canadian Retransmission Collective since its inception in 1990 as a not-for-profit society distributing over $140 million to date in cable and satellite royalties for distant program signals to domestic and international producers. In 2007, he served as founding chairman of ISAN Canada, the recognized source of International Standard Audiovisual Numbers for domestic producers seeking to uniquely identify their works – a system now recognized by CAVCO and the CRTC. In February, 2005, Stephen was presented with the CFTPA-Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual conference of the Canadian Film & Television Production Association in Ottawa. In February, 2010, he received the Industry Builders Award, an annual honour created and presented by PS Production Services, at a dinner during the CFTPA’s annual conference in Ottawa. 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.