A keen eye for detail and the ability to direct award-winning performances transcends every genre of film. Directors, sound technicians, producers, and screen writers take simple stories and turn them into unforgettable cinema classics.

Motion picture technical genius Douglas Shearer pushed the boundaries of film-making technology. He gave the MGM lion its roar and won fourteen Academy Awards. Films such as The Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur and Casablanca would not exist without sharp business minds like Jack Warner and Louis B. Mayer. Warner’s decisions would make or break many movie stars. He even signed the original Rin Tin Tin saying that the dog was his most dependable performer who never asked for a raise.

Unafraid to tackle controversial issues, directors such as Norman Jewison and Deepa Mehta have examined race relations, segregation and women’s rights. Denys Arcand and Zacharias Kunuk have addressed the impact of organized religion and misconceptions about Inuit culture.

In honour of these visionaries, we celebrate our Screen Legends behind the lens.