Dennis Sawyer
Known For: Editing
Biography
Over the course of his 30-year-long career at the NFB (1955–1987), Dennis Sawyer produced a large body of work, not only as a director (12 titles) and producer (90 titles) but also as an editor (150 titles), sound technician (4 titles) and cast member (1 title). He started out as a sound technician and film editor in 1955, and his first credit as a director came in 1970. He produced his last film in 1987. His impressive and versatile career saw Sawyer working on a range of films that dealt with a variety of topics, from the Canada Vignettes series and the Fogo Island project to films about Latin America or Africa. Sawyer also directed the timeless depictions of the first four editions of the Arctic Winter Games (from 1970 to 1976), which featured many sports typically included in Olympic competitions but with a specific focus on Indigenous sports.
Filmography
1982
1979
- Canada Vignettes: Wop May ... (Producer)
1978
- Sons of Haji Omar ... (Producer)
1973
- Reconstruction of the NRX Reactor 1970 ... (Producer)
1972
- Who Were the Ones? ... (Editor)
- The Second Arctic Winter Games ... (Director)
- When I Go - That's It! ... (Director)
1971
- U 111 Dryout Experiment ... (Producer)
- On the Critical Path ... (Producer)
- On Power Refuelling ... (Producer)
1970
- Where There's Smoke ... (Director)
1968
- Introduction to Fogo Island ... (Editor)
1967
- Thoughts on Fogo and Norway ... (Editor)
- Some Problems of Fogo ... (Editor)
- Billy Crane Moves Away ... (Editor)
- Blades and Brass ... (Editor)
- The Songs of Chris Cobb ... (Editor)
- William Wells Talks About The Island ... (Editor)
- A Woman's Place ... (Editor)
- Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle, or Mutilate ... (Editor)
- The Merchant and the Teacher ... (Editor)
- Dan Roberts on Fishing ... (Editor)
- Discussion on Welfare ... (Editor)
- The Fogo Island Improvement Committee ... (Editor)
- Andrew Britt at Shoal Bay ... (Editor)
- Fogo's Expatriates ... (Editor)
- Jim Decker Builds a Longliner ... (Editor)
- The Founding of the Co-operatives ... (Editor)
- A Wedding and Party ... (Editor)
- Jim Decker's Party ... (Editor)
- Joe Kinsella on Education ... (Editor)
- Tom Best on Co-operatives ... (Editor)
- Citizen Discussions ... (Editor)
- McGraths at Home and Fishing ... (Editor)
- The Story of the Up Top ... (Editor)
- The Children of Fogo Island ... (Editor)
- The Mercer Family ... (Editor)
- Fishermen's Meeting ... (Editor)
- Brian Earle on Merchants and Welfare ... (Editor)
1966
- Canadians Can Dance! ... (Editor)
1965
- War II: Total War ... (Editor)
1964
- Haida Carver ... (Editor)
- The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson ... (Editor)
- Alexander Mackenzie: The Lord of the North ... (Editor)
- Selkirk of Red River ... (Editor)
1961
- Robert Baldwin: A Matter Of Principle ... (Editor)
1956
- The Longer Trail ... (Editor)
- Sable Island ... (Editor)
1950
- Treasure Island ... (Assistant Editor)