John Kemeny (1925 – 2012) was a Hungarian-Canadian film producer whom the Toronto Star called "the forgotten giant of Canadian film history and...the most successful producer in Canadian history." His production credits include The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Atlantic City, and Quest for Fire.

Early career John Kemeny was born in Budapest and, at a young age, forged a career in the film business, working in distribution and promotion. Following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, he moved to Montreal where, in 1959, he was hired by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He began as an editor, then moved to directing but it was evident that his talent lay in producing. While at the NFB, he edited, wrote, directed and/or produced 100 films, including Memorandum, Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen, The Things I Cannot Change, The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar and Don't Let the Angels Fall.

International Cinemedia Center In 1971, Kemeny left the NFB, along with three NFB colleagues: Joe Koenig, George Kaczender and Don Duprey. They formed International Cinemedia Center Productions (ICC), with the aim of producing documentaries and educational films. In 1973, the prominent director Ted Kotcheff returned to Montreal from London and, with his friend Mordecai Richler, starting developing the film version of Richler’s book The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. Kemeny had the reputation of being a calm, precise and budget-conscious producer and the deal was struck for ICC to produce the film. It was a massive success. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz grossed $1.7 million, won several awards and was ranked, by the Toronto International Film Festival, in the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time."Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time ", The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012, URL accessed 28 April 2013.

The success of Duddy Kravitz led to a three-picture deal with Columbia Pictures. Kemeny produced Ice Castles, Shadow of the Hawk and White Line Fever; Ice Castles was a success; White Line Fever grossed $35 million on a $1.4 million budget.

International Cinema Inc. In 1978, Don Duprey returned to the NFB and Joe Koenig left the group to form Interactive Image Technologies (which would become Electronics Workbench). Kemeny was joined by his friend, the Quebec filmmaker Denis Héroux, and ICC became International Cinema Inc. The company produced eleven films in six years, most notably Atlantic City and Quest for Fire.

Alliance Entertainment In 1984, Kemeny and Héroux merged International Cinema with RSL Entertainment, the company of producers Stephen J. Roth, Andras Hamori, Susan Cavan and Robert Lantos, to form Alliance Entertainment. The company saw immediate and stunning success, producing at least six projects a year, including features, TV movies and series (in 1998, it became Alliance Atlantis Communications). Perhaps because of the pace, Kemeny left Alliance in 1991. He had already produced several films for HBO and would produce three more, including The Josephine Baker Story, before retiring in 1997.

Personal life and death Kemeny was married three times; the last to Margaret who he married in 1964. Kemeny retired in 1996. He and Margaret, who was also Hungarian, returned to Europe, dividing their time between homes in Hungary and Spain. With the increasingly-unpleasant political situation in Hungary, and the desire for a warm climate, they bought a house in Sedona, Arizona. Kemeny was a citizen of Hungary and Canada, and his Green card had lapsed; from Spain, they waged a stressful two-year legal battle to be permitted to live in the US. In September 2012, they were allowed to return. Two weeks after their arrival, Kemeny was diagnosed with cancer. He died one month later, on November 23, at age 87. He was pre-deceased by a daughter and was survived by his wife and one son.

Legacy At the 12th Genie Awards in 1991, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television awarded Kemeny the Special Achievement Genie in recognition of his contribution to the Canadian film industry.

Upon his death, Robert Lantos told the Toronto Star: "John was a producer of extraordinary accomplishments. Because he never promoted himself, preferring to stay in the shadow, few in the Canadian industry today know who he is. By the time he retired 15 years ago, he had accomplished more than any other Canadian producer - ever. Five Oscar nominations for Atlantic City including Best Picture (still the only Canadian film ever nominated in this), and the Golden Lion in Venice. An Oscar nomination and the Golden Bear in Berlin for Duddy Kravitz. The César (French Oscar) for best picture and an Oscar nomination for Quest For Fire. No other Canadian film has ever won either the top Berlin or the top Venice prize. He won them both, as well as a multitude of Genie Awards for these and for other films like The Bay Boy. He made some of the most distinguished HBO movies ever, such as Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story, and The Josephine Baker Story, which was nominated for twelve Emmy Awards and won five. He also made major commercial hits for Hollywood Studios, such as Ice Castles and White Line Fever. He was a pioneer and a perfectionist and a founding partner of Alliance. Homage should be paid."

Filmography

National Film Board of Canada

The Inquiring Mind - documentary short, David Bairstow 1959 - editor Dykes for Dry Land - documentary short, Donald Wilder 1959 - editor Grassland Farming - documentary short, Donald Wilder 1959 - editor On Prescription Only - documentary short, Julian Biggs 1960 - editor Men Against the Ice - documentary short, David Bairstow 1960 - editor Steering North - documentary short, David Bairstow 1960 - editor Cash Advances for Prairie Grain - documentary short, Ernest Reid 1961 - editor Everybody’s Prejudiced - documentary short, Donald Brittain 1961 - editor Henry Larsen’s Northwest Passages - documentary short, David Bairstow 1962 - editor The Boy Next Door - short film, Ernest Reid 1962 - editor What Farm Price Support Means to You - documentary short, Ernest Reid 1962 - editor Canada at War: Days of Infamy - documentary short, Donald Brittain, Peter Jones & Stanley Clish 1962 - editor Canada at War: Turn of the Tide - documentary short, Donald Brittain, Peter Jones & Stanley Clish 1962 - editor Canada at War: Road to Ortona - documentary short, Donald Brittain & Stanley Clish 1962 - editor Canada at War: New Directions - documentary short, Donald Brittain & Stanley Clish 1962 - editor Canada at War: Crisis on the Hill - documentary short, Donald Brittain & Stanley Clish 1962 - editor Canada at War: The Clouded Dawn - documentary short, Donald Brittain & Stanley Clish 1962 - editor Canada at War: Dusk - documentary short, Donald Brittain & Stanley Clish 1962 - editor Drylanders - documentary short, Don Haldane 1963 - editor The Early Journeys of Vilhjalmur Stefansson - documentary short, David Bairstow 1963 - editor The Later Journeys of Vilhjalmur Stefansson - documentary short, David Bairstow 1963 - editor Memories and Predictions - documentary short, David Bairstow 1963 - editor Wedding Day - documentary short, Julian Biggs, Hector Lemieux & John Howe 1963 - editor Three Grandmothers - documentary short, Julian Biggs & John Howe 1963 - editor Bethune - documentary, Donald Brittain 1964 - writer, editor, producer Three Country Boys - documentary short 1964 - co-director Three Fishermen - documentary short 1964 - co-director The Visit - documentary short 1964 – director Stefansson: The Arctic Prophet - documentary short 1965 - director and producer Henry Larsen - documentary short 1965 - director and producer Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen - documentary, Donald Brittain & Don Owen 1965 - producer Miner - documentary short, Robin Spry 1965 - producer Two Men of Montreal - documentary, Suzanne Angel, Donald Brittain & Don Owen 1965 - producer You're No Good - short film, George Kaczender 1965 - producer Level 4350 - documentary short, Robin Spry 1965 - producer Little White Crimes - short film, George Kaczender 1966 - producer No Reason to Stay - short film, Mort Ransen 1966 - producer The Long Haul Men - documentary short, Michael Rubbo 1966 - producer The Merry-Go-Round - documentary short, Tanya Ballantyne & Tanya Tree 1966 - producer Trawler Fishermen - documentary short, Martin Defalco 1966 - producer The Game - short film, George Kaczender 1966 - producer Pikangikum - documentary short, John Gould 1967 - producer Andrew Britt at Shoal Bay - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Indian Dialogue - documentary short, David Hughes 1967 - producer A Wedding and Party - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer A Woman’s Place - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Fishermen’s Meeting - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Fogo’s Expatriates - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Billy Crane Moves Away - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Brian Earle on Merchants and Welfare - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Citizen Discussions - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Dan Roberts on Fishing - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Jim Decker Builds a Longliner - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Jim Decker’s Party - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Joe Kinsella on Education - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer McGraths at Home and Fishing - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Encounter at Kwacha House - Halifax - documentary short, Rex Tasker 1967 - producer Encounter with Saul Alinsky - Part 1: CYC Toronto - documentary short, Peter Pearson 1967 - producer Encounter with Saul Alinsky - Part 2: Rama Indian Reserve - documentary short, Peter Pearson 1967 - producer Indian Relocation - Elliot Lake: A Report - documentary short, David Hughes & D'Arcy Marsh 1967 - producer Madawaska Valley - documentary short, John Ormond 1967 - producer Ride for Your Life - documentary short, Robin Spry 1967 - producer Sabre and Foil - documentary short, George Kaczender 1967 - producer The Children of Fogo Island - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Some Problems of Fogo - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Discussion on Welfare - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer The Fogo Island Improvement Committee - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer The Founding of the Co-operatives - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer The Mercer Family - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer The Merchant and the Teacher - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer The Songs of Chris Cobb - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer The Story of the Up Top - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Thoughts on Fogo and Norway - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Tom Best on Co-operatives - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer Two Cabinet Ministers - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer William Wells Talks About the Island - documentary short, Colin Low 1967 - producer The Halifax Neighbourhood Center Project - documentary short, Rex Tasker 1967 - producer The Things I Cannot Change - documentary, Tanya Ballantyne 1967 - producer Memorandum - documentary, Donald Brittain & John Spotton 1967 - producer The Circle - documentary, Mort Ransen 1967 - producer A Continuing Responsibility - documentary short, Bonnie Sherr Klein 1968 - producer Introduction to Fogo Island - documentary short, Colin Low 1968 - producer Building an Organization - documentary short, Peter Pearson & Bonnie Sherr Klein 1968 - producer People and Power - documentary short, Bonnie Sherr Klein 1968 - producer Deciding to Organize - documentary short, Peter Pearson & Bonnie Sherr Klein 1968 - producer Through Conflict to Negotiation - documentary short, Bonnie Sherr Klein 1968 - producer Saul Alinsky Went to War - documentary, Donald Brittain 1968 - producer