Actors' Fund of Canada's Vice-President Maria Topalovich Named to the Canadian Film and Television Hall of Fame

The Actors' Fund of Canada is thrilled to announce that Vice-President Maria Topalovich has been named to the Canadian Film and Television Hall of Fame.

Having spearheaded the Genies, Geminis and later the Prix Gemeaux in her role as CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Ms Topalovich has played an incalculably large role in the promotion of Canadian productions. Preferring to ignore the Canadian penchant for self deprecation, Maria has been a tireless supporter of Canadian talent since long before the media was interested in covering it.

The Actors' Fund of Canada is the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. Performers and others who work behind the scenes in film and television, theatre, music and dance can apply for emergency financial aid from the Fund, which recently set a new record for the amount of financial aid delivered to industry members in a single year, topping $600,000 in 2008. The Fund has helped over 10,000 entertainment industry workers recover from illness, injury or other circumstances causing severe economic and personal hardship since it was founded in 1958.

Ms Topalovich joined the Fund's Board of Directors in 2007 and became Vice-President the following year. Of her appointment to the Hall of Fame, Actors' Fund President, Barry Flatman said "Maria is such a respected figure in the Canadian media world and we are all overjoyed to see her being honoured. She is such an energetic force on the Board and we appreciate the passion and level of expertise she brings to our work within the entertainment industry."

The Actors' Fund is a registered charity that has paid out over $3.7 million in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses in the last 10 years. Performers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can benefit from the Fund, which receives no government funding and is wholly sustained by support from individuals and entertainment industry organizations.