November 8, 2018 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

It is with great sadness that the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) learned today of the death of former NFB Commissioner François N. Macerola.

Mr. Macerola came to the NFB in 1971 as an administrative assistant to the Director of French Program. In 1974, he became head of the Film Board’s commercial service and then, two years later, was named Director of French Program. In 1979, Mr. Macerola was appointed Deputy Government Film Commissioner and Director General of the NFB, serving alongside then-NFB Commissioner and Board Chair James de Beaujeu Domville. In 1984, Mr. Macerola succeeded him, becoming the NFB’s 11th Commissioner, a post he held until 1988.

“He was a man endowed with great wisdom, who showed tremendous leadership both in management and on the creative side. He had a clear and forward-looking vision of the crucial role played by public institutions in helping Quebec and Canadian culture flourish. I had the opportunity and the pleasure of collaborating with him in some of the many roles he filled during his brilliant career. François was a passionate and generous man, and on behalf of all of us at the NFB, I offer my deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
– Claude Joli-Coeur, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB

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