My Final "Ciao" to a Canadian Film Industry Legend
A tribute to the late, great Tony Cianciotta
It was close to 9:30 pm on a hot July evening back in 1996 as we hovered inside the entrance of the largest house in Toronto’s Uptown Theatre at Yonge and Bloor - a historic theatre with super squeaky/sticky floors that was destined for demolition just a few years later.
And by “we” I mean the PR team and a few marketing and sales execs from Alliance Films. After grabbing a quick dinner - we had all just slipped back into the dark auditorium to capture the audience reaction at the end of the premiere of Trainspotting, Danny Boyle’s highly-anticipated theatrical masterpiece.
As the final scene of the film unfolded to the intense beat of Underworld’s classic “Born Slippy,” the floor beneath my feet literally started to move - to the point that I was physically bouncing up and down. Alarmed at the sudden jarring of the floor in this rickety old theatre, and concerned that it was about to give way under foot, I spun around quickly to see if anyone else in our group noticed or shared my fear of an impending collapse.
To my relief and absolute delight, standing immediately behind me was our GM, Tony Cianciotta or “Tony C” as we all lovingly called him, bearing a smile as wide as the aisle with his eyes transfixed on the screen in a hypnotic state. He also happened to be madly stomping his foot with ALL of his might to the musical beat - which he continued to do right through to the rolling credits and thunderous applause. His sheer joy in that moment was palpable.
It’s funny how some moments & memories just stick with you. Music has a way of re-connecting me to a time and place, but I think this memory from 28 years ago is still SO vivid because it captured, so perfectly, a few things that I loved most about Tony C:
He had an unrelenting fiery passion for film.
He consistently showed up for his team and those he cared about.
He was never shy about letting his authentic/quirky character shine through.
And he was freaking cool.
With a roster of film suppliers at the time that included Miramax, New Line Cinema, Fine Line Features, Film Four and so many other independent producers and production companies – I think our PR team organized at LEAST one screening event per week if not more. And when his schedule would allow, which thankfully was often - Tony C made a point of coming out to support us at our screenings, big or small – as he had done for Trainspotting that night.
It was over dinners after those screenings that I got an elite education in both the art of film AND the business of film distribution from a bonafide Italian master, and he really was just that. He was a truly engaging storyteller, and the incredible work/life experiences and wisdom he shared during those impromptu masterclass sessions helped to expand my knowledge of the business, and to fuel my curiosity and career exponentially. Incidentally - I learned a lot about great Italian food from him during that time as well 😊
A typical day at the office often started off with him wandering through the cubicles gleefully shouting “Good morning, class!” to us in his heavy Italian accent to which some of us would quip back, “Ciao, professore!”, and at various times throughout the day - you might find him kicking a soccer ball around the office (at least during the World Cup) or kibitzing with all levels of staff - he had an incredible dry sense of humour that he generously shared with us all.
On very rare occasions, his temper might flair, but that only happened when it was justified and he was never, ever irrational or mean-spirited like so many others in the nutso film industry. And his kibitzing aside, he was a dedicated professional and a brilliant leader who lead by example and will always be remembered as a father figure to many of us in the industry.
The first time I ever felt a sense of loss as it related to Tony C was many years ago when he, along with three other senior executives on our team (including Anna Maria Muccilli who also had a profound impact on my life) suddenly left Alliance, moved out to Vancouver and started their own film distribution company called Red Sky. It was shocking and upsetting news that caught us completely off guard, leaving our little tight-knit film family reeling and feeling as though we had suddenly been orphaned. In hindsight, we were quick to realize that in the years leading up to their departure, Tony C and his team had prepared and trained us well to thrive and prosper without them, and that we did. After all, we had learned from the very best.
And thankfully, our paths would continue to cross several times again culminating in a weird but wonderful twist of fate many years later when Tim and I ended up living just two doors away from he and his beloved Anna Maria Muccilli, whom he would later marry.
My heart completely shattered upon hearing the devastating news last week that Tony C had passed away, it was a painful blow and a soul-crushing finality. There was nothing that he or anyone could have done this time around to prepare us - I’m still wrestling with how to process such a profound loss.
He was a beaming lighthouse - not just to me but to the hundreds, if not thousands of others whose lives he touched and generously helped to shape throughout his career. His incredible charm, humour and intelligence instantly earned him the respect of anyone he met, and he was a champion of the film industry and everyone in it on every level.
He was a legend and an icon whose fine Italian shoes can never be filled.
There was no one quite like him and I doubt there ever will be again, but I trust and hope that his incredible legacy will live on through those that he touched and inspired throughout his life and career.
Thank you, Tony C, for introducing me to the glorious world of international cinema to a depth that I likely would never have discovered without you. Thank you for sharing your infectious passion for film; for being such a generous and kind teacher and mentor, and for showing me how to be a better leader. Thank you for being a wonderful and hilarious neighbour and most of all, for being a dear friend to both Tim and I.
You were so very loved, will forever be missed and never forgotten, and I will always be so grateful to have known you.
A final “ciao” to you, Tony C, and may you always rest in peace ❤️
Thank you for sharing your tribute and heartfelt thoughts, Susan. You captured the gentleman beautifully.
So, so lovely SSB. That's a great tribute to an amazing guy. xo