VANCOUVER – OUTtv CEO and Canadian producer James Shavick has been honoured with a Doctor of Fine Arts (honoris causa) from Capilano University's School of Motion Picture Arts.
The honorary doctorate degree is the highest form of recognition granted by Capilano University and is conferred upon those who have outstanding and sustained achievement in their area of expertise.
“It is an honor for Capilano University to recognize his deep commitment to education and his exemplary record of leadership and voluntarism,” said Capilano University president Kris A. Bulcroft. “Mr. Shavick has been a driving force of inspiration to our students as they embark on their careers and lives in the interestingly complex world of broadcast media.”
Shavick's career began in 1976 with his first feature Two Solitudes, a landmark drama about the English-French conflict in Canada, that quickly earned a reputation as a Canadian classic. While working in California, Shavick handled many productions in Los Angeles, working with Jerry Offsay at RKO Pictures and with Academy Award winner Arnold Kopelson.
He has also produced over 500 hours of television in Canada and the U.S. with series and films commissioned by ABC Family Channel, NBC/PAX, Showtime and HBO. Shavick’s credits include Breaker High, The New Addams Family, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, Christmas Caper, Finder’s Fee, and four Donald Strachey mystery movies. His television productions were among the top ten performers for their networks, and he retains the singular distinction of being the only Canadian producer to ever have two number 1-rated shows in the United States.
After moving his production company to Vancouver in 1993, Shavick mentored and employed a multitude of young producers – many of whom now form the backbone of film and TV production in Western Canada. The awarding of the D.F.A. recognizes his ongoing contribution to young filmmakers.
Shavick and his wife, former BC finance minister Joy MacPhail, became the majority owners in OUTtv Network in 2006. The specialty channel is Canada’s only television network focusing on programming of interest to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) audience and its allies. The channel’s mission is to serve as a bridge between the LGBT community, its allies and the broader community, a cause close to Shavick’s heart.
