Saskatchewan's Jean Freeman named ACTRA Woman of the Year.
Topics: Java Blog
All of us at Java Post Production would like to congratulate our good friend Jean Freeman, who was just named the 2014 Woman of the Year by the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA). Congratulations, Jean! It couldn't have happened to a nicer lady.
Here is the official ACTRA news release:
ACTRA NAMES JEAN FREEMAN 2014 WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Honour bestowed in celebration of International Women's Day
Toronto – ACTRA is shining the spotlight on Jean Freeman, ACTRA’s 2014 Woman of the Year. Each year ACTRA’s Women’s Committee bestows this honour on a woman who has shone both in her artistic and advocacy achievements.
“After
47 gratifying and rewarding years as a member of ACTRA, this honour is
definitely the high point of all we’ve been through together,” said Jean Freeman, who for 6 years played the Mayor’s grandmother on the hit CTV seriesCorner Gas. “As my friends in Dog River might say, ‘It’s like lightning in a bottle - or maybe a jam jar!’”
Jean
was the first actor to join the Saskatchewan branch of ACTRA in 1967
and has been named a Life Member of the union, as well as the Canadian
Public Relations Society, the Regina Women’s Network and Regina Little
Theatre. Jean was one of the first employees of CKCK-TV and later became
a CBC Radio on-air personality on “Matinee Comment” in Winnipeg and
Regina. She has received numerous honours, including a Lifetime
Achievement Award in the Mayor’s Arts & Business Awards, Woman of
Distinction from the Regina YWCA and Trimark Canadian Women's Mentor
Arts and Culture Award. Jean co-authored “Fists Upon a Star: A Memoir of
Love, Theatre and Escape From McCarthyism”, with the late theatre
pioneer Florence Bean James, short-listed for a 2014 Saskatchewan Book Award. Most recently, Jean’s children’s book “Terror on Turtle Creek” has also been short-listed.
“Jean Freeman is not only an accomplished actor, she is a writer, a communicator and a pioneer
in the Saskatchewan film and television industry,” said Ferne Downey,
ACTRA National President. “When trouble came to Saskatchewan with the
provincial government dismantling the film and television tax credit
incentives, Jean fought back. We applaud Jean for the vision and
strength she has provided to her union and the province’s whole
entertainment industry.”
The
mandate of the ACTRA National Women’s Committee includes exploring the
concerns of female ACTRA members and supporting women within ACTRA and
in the audiovisual industry as a whole. Heather Allin chairs the
Committee. Jean is
the fifth woman to be chosen “ACTRA Woman of the Year” for her artistic
and advocacy achievements and joins past recipients Shirley Douglas,
Tantoo Cardinal, Sandi Ross and Mary Walsh.
ACTRA
(Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the
national union of professional performers working in the
English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the
interests of 22,000 members across Canada – the foundation of Canada’s
highly acclaimed professional performing community.