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February 26, 2007
Oscar Winner Has Jamaican Connection
By: Janice Dayle
Torill Kove, Montreal filmmaker who last night won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, "The Danish Poet," has a Jamaican connection. It is National Film Board of Canada Publicist, Pat Dillon-Moore, who not only navigated the film maker's way around the Los Angeles based ceremony, she also pushed that winning film - since it was produced by The National Film Board Of Canada.
Sista P, as Dillon-Moore is more popularly known by Montrealers who listen to her weekly radio programme on CKUT, had been more difficult to locate than usual and getting a hold of her for a chat about the much anticipated Academy Awards had been challenging over the past few months. Then a week before the Oscars, I caught a rare glimpse of her dashing into one of Sherbrooke Street's more trendy fashion spots toting oodles of bagels in shopping bags.
Upon poking my head into the boutique I see, she is out of breath, with more bags than hands to hold them and says in one long sentence, "Yu see de time I picking up my dress though...de bagels are for Canadian ex-pats in Los Angeles...oh mercy is 2 o'clock an I plan to leave my house at 4...where is the dress my dear..."
Needless to say, I held off on the 20 Oscar questions, asking instead if I could contact her for any possible updates and for the status of National Film Board nominees. Dillon-Moore spoke with YardFlex on the Saturday before the big night.
Of course luncheon at the Canadian Consulate with all of Canada's film luminaries was one memorable related event to which the NFB group were invited on Thursday past. However, it was at the Animation World Network reception that Dillon-Moore's Jamaican roots became topic for conversation.
While talking with one of The Academy's movers and shakers Dillon-Moore's Jamaican accent triggered his telling pleasant tales of many trips to Jamaica. The Academy administrator was in love with the island, but mentioned folk not wanting to take him to Kingston out of fear. As a true ambassador of Jamaica, Dillon-Moore, who is actually a second generation Canadian Jamaican, made a promise to ensure the member of The Academy, a tour that he would never forget on his next Jamaican voyage. She said it would encompass trips to our many museums, theatres, restaurants, historical and otherwise scenic spots in Kingston and its surroundings. "I feel the intense need to dispel misconceptions about Jamaica and Kingston in particular," Dillon-Moore said.
The veteran fine artist, has herself earned starring roles in National Film Board movies in the past. Dillon-Moore was the first Afro-Canadian to become a Station Manager for radio in Montreal and her enormous talents as a Comedian are endearingly embraced by all who attend Montreal's annual comedic events.
YardFlex congratulates Pat Dillon-Moore along with the filmmaker, since behind every successful finished piece of art is an amazing publicist.