Arthur Hiller’s graduation from U of T, with a Bachelor of Arts, in 1947 long pre-dates the establishment of both Innis College (1964) and of Cinema Studies as a recognized academic field (1975, give or take). But his impact on both departments will last for years to come. He cut his teeth during an early stint with the CBC, which he describes as basically a fated accident (“Trying to keep my cool, I walked up to the information desk… Then I heard myself say, ‘Uh… I want to be a director.’ To this day I don’t know where that came from,” he’d told his children). He went on to direct enduring hits like Love Story (1970) and The In-Laws (1979), and satirical thrillers like The Americanization of Emily (1964) and The Hospital (1971), but Hollywood never took him far from his old stomping grounds.
“He always felt a special fondness for the Cinema Studies Institute, where students had an opportunity to actually study film and film history,” says his son Henryk, reflecting on his father’s unconventional path to filmmaking. “He visited and spoke at CSI many times over the years, watching the development of this excellent program,” his daughter Erica says.
Above: Children of the late Arthur Hiller (1923-2016), Henryk (far left) and Erica (far right) congratulate the inaugural recipients of the Arthur Hiller Award (photo by Shayla Anderson).
Inset: Arthur Hiller (right) visited Innis College in May 2002, shown here with Cinema Studies faculty member Bart Testa.
This year, Erica and Henryk have each donated $5,000 USD to the Cinema Studies Fund, which will be used as a matching opportunity. Their generosity will double the impact of any incoming donations until the $10,000 mark is reached. “It’s been 10 years since his passing, but our family’s connection to the CSI remains strong, and we are pleased to do what we can to help keep this program operating at such a high level,” says Henryk.
This 10-year anniversary presents another opportunity for Hiller’s memory to benefit incoming generations of film students—the Arthur Hiller Award, jointly established by the siblings in their late father’s name back in 2022, is awarded annually to outstanding racialized students entering their second year, and is geared toward breaking down the kind of barriers Hiller experienced as a Jewish youth in pre-war Canada.
This year’s initiative is more capacious, geared toward meeting the needs of the department at large and honouring their father’s commitment to nurturing the area of study that his generation missed out on. “The general funds are of particular importance precisely because they can be used in so many different ways, responding to needs that arise for undergraduate and graduate students alike, as well as strengthening the overall program’s offerings and impact. We hope others will see the value of this campaign and join us as we participate in it.”
For more information please contact Innis Development Officer Maya Waldman:
maya.waldman@utoronto.ca
416-978-7096
Donations to the Cinema Studies Institute general fund support our primary mandate to bring the highest level of education and opportunity to our students. The fund supports student scholarships, introduction of cutting-edge screening technology, delivery of public-facing lectures and screenings, and more.