Sheena Macdonald, George Anthony to Be Honored at Rose d’Or

LUCERNE/TORONTO, January 13: The Honorary Rose at this year’s Rose d’Or Festival, taking place May 2 to 5 in Lucerne, Switzerland, will be given to Sheena Macdonald of the Canadian Film Centre and George Anthony of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The Honorary Rose is presented to individuals who have made a significant impact on the television industry. It will be presented during the gala dinner and award ceremony on May 5.

Macdonald is the director of special projects at the Canadian Film Centre. She is responsible for creating and expanding upon content, distribution and co-production strategies, as well as furthering the company’s reputation in the international marketplace.

Anthony, a Montreal-born writer and producer, acts as a creative consultant for TV arts and entertainment at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He currently serves as the creative point person on the network’s highest-rated comedy series, The Rick Mercer Report, now seen by 2 million Canadians every week.

This year, ten Rose d’Or Awards will be presented to the top winners in the categories of comedy, sitcom, drama, entertainment, reality, game Show, arts documentary and, for the first time, multiplatform and pitch pilot. In addition to the Honorary Rose for Sheena Macdonald and George Anthony, an award for Best of 2009 will be presented to the most outstanding program, across all genres of programming.

—By Kristin Brzoznowski