Lantos, Robert/Serendipity Point Films fonds

  All archival collections
1981- 2003

Biographical History


Date 1949 -

Born in Hungary in 1949, Robert (Janos) Lantos immigrated to Uruguay in 1958 and Canada in 1963. He studied film and literature at McGill University and formed a small company with his friend Victor Loewy, Vivafilm, in 1972. His first venture into the film business was to purchase the Canadian rights to a New York Erotic Film Festival compilation film and to distribute it on the university campus film circuit.
In 1975, Lantos and Loewy joined forces with entertainment lawyer Stephen Roth to form RSL Productions. They produced Gilles Carle’s L’Ange et la femme in 1977 and George Kaczender’s In Praise of Older Women. RSL produced over 15 films in 10 years, including Agency, Suzanne, Heavenly Bodies and Joshua Then and Now. In 1985, RSL merged with Denis Heroux and John Kemeny’s International Cinema Corporation to form Alliance Communications.
Lantos became the Chair and CEO Alliance Communications in 1987. Under his stewardship, the company became the foremost producer of English language feature films and the leading distributor of Canadian and foreign-made art cinema in this country. Lantos stepped down after overseeing a 1998 merger between Alliance and Atlantis Communications, although he continues to produce features with his new company, Serendipity Point Films. Recent works include Sunshine, Men with Brooms and Ararat.
Lantos has won numerous awards, including the Air Canada Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Business of Filmmaking in Canada’, a Toronto Arts Award, the CFTPA’s Chetwynd Award for ‘Entrepreneurial Excellence’, and, most importantly, an Order of Canada.
Lantos has two children with his ex-wife, actress Jennifer Dale. He lives in Toronto.

Extent and Medium

61.8 m textual records


8,812 photographs
· 6 contact sheets (1 col., 5 b&w)
· 3,939 prints (3,419 col., 520 b&w)
· 4,472 slides (3,728 col., 744 b&w)
· 395 negatives (364 col., 31 b&w)


58 graphic materials
· 25 architectural drawings
· 33 posters


50 audio recordings
· 20 – 35mm 3 track master (20,000 ft)
· 10 – 35mm mag track (16,000 ft)
· 10 – 35mm mix reel (10,000 ft)
· 1 – 35mm sound roll (1,000 ft)
· 2 DAT cassettes (1 hr, 38 min.)
· 1 D2 cassette (1 hr., 29 min.)
· 6 DA88 cassettes (1 hr.)


1,472 video recordings
· 58 – 1 in. tapes (75 hr., 02 min.)
· 61 – ¾ in. tapes (46 hr., 46 min.)
· 5 – ½ in. Digital Betacam (7 hr., 29 min.)
· 10 – ½ in. Betacam cassettes (7 hr., 12 min.)
· 126 – ½ in. Betacam SP cassette (98 hr., 28 min.)
· 1 Beta cassette (1 hr.)
· 2 8mm cassettes (3 hr., 12 min.)
· 2 8mm data cartridges (3 hr., 12 min.)
· 23 CDs (31 hr., 30 min.)
· 2 CD ROMs (1 hr., 20 min.)
· 4 cassettes (2 hr.)
· 3 DV Cam cassettes (1 hr., 44 min.)
· 14 DVDs (26 hr., 20 min.)
· 4 Hi8 cassettes (4 hr., 53 min.)
· 10 MiniDV cassettes (10 hr., 27 min.)
· 7 Video8 cassettes (12 hr., 46 min.)
· 1,140 VHS (1,172 hr., 54 min.)


560 cinefilms
· 15 reels 35 mm cutting copy (15,000 ft)
· 17 reels 35mm dupe negative (30,000 ft)
· 5 reels 35mm internegative (10,000 ft)
· 19 reels 35mm interpositive (19,000 ft)
· 458 reels 35 mm negative (458,000 ft)
· 27 reels 35mm release print (32 hr., 52 min.)
· 2 reels 35mm answer print (2 hr., 4 min.)
· 11 reels 35mm trailers (6,100 ft)
· 1 reel 16mm negative (400 ft)
· 5 reels 16mm mix reel (4,000 ft)


15 artifacts (awards)
This fonds, which documents the activities of a Toronto-based film producer, is divided into 3 series according to format. These are: Textual Materials, AudioVisual, and Photographs.
The first series, Textual Materials, includes scripts, correspondence, production files/binders, financial records, budgets, crew/cast lists, contracts, licensing agreements, shooting schedules, newspaper and magazine clippings, notebooks, 7 computer floppy discs, posters, architectural drawings and awards.
The second series, AudioVisual, consists of audiotapes, videotapes, CDs and cinefilm. Included are camera original negative, dailies/rushes, cutting copies, internegatives, interpositives, release prints, soundtracks, trailers, different language/region versions, protection masters, screening cassettes, demo reels, casting reels/audition tapes and camera tests.
The third series, Photographs, consists of images (contact sheets, prints, negatives, transparencies, Photo CDROMs including actor headshots, production stills, and promotional images.
This fonds includes graphic and textual material relating to a number of productions, including:



eXistenz
This fonds includes audiovisual material relating to a number of productions, including:



In Praise of Older Women (Film, 1978)
Suzanne (Film, 1980)
Agency (Film, 1980)
Your Ticket is no Longer Valid (Film, 1981)
Paradise (Film, 1982)
Scandale (Film, 1982)
Heavenly Bodies (Film, 1984)
Joshua Then and Now (Film, 1985)
Separate Vacations (Film, 1986)
Leolo (Film, 1992)
Exotica (Film, 1994)
eXistenz (Film, 1998)
Sunshine (Film, 1999)
Stardom (Film, 2000)
Picture Claire (Film, 2001)
Ararat (Film, 2002)
Men with Brooms (Film, 2002)
The Statement (Film, 2003)
Being Julia (Film, 2003)

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Preservation concern may limit access, consult archivist.
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Lantos, Robert/Serendipity Point Films fonds

Description
This fonds, which documents the activities of a Toronto-based film producer, is divided into 3 series according to format. These are: Textual Materials, AudioVisual, and Photographs. The first series, Textual Materials, includes scripts, correspondence, production files/binders, financial records, budgets, crew/cast lists, contracts, licensing agreements, shooting schedules, newspaper and magazine clippings, notebooks, 7 computer floppy discs, posters, architectural drawings and awards. The second series, AudioVisual, consists of audiotapes, videotapes, CDs and cinefilm. Included are camera original negative, dailies/rushes, cutting copies, internegatives, interpositives, release prints, soundtracks, trailers, different language/region versions, protection masters, screening cassettes, demo reels, casting reels/audition tapes and camera tests. The third series, Photographs, consists of images (contact sheets, prints, negatives, transparencies, Photo CDROMs including actor headshots, production stills, and promotional images. This fonds includes graphic and textual material relating to a number of productions, including: eXistenz This fonds includes audiovisual material relating to a number of productions, including: In Praise of Older Women (Film, 1978) Suzanne (Film, 1980) Agency (Film, 1980) Your Ticket is no Longer Valid (Film, 1981) Paradise (Film, 1982) Scandale (Film, 1982) Heavenly Bodies (Film, 1984) Joshua Then and Now (Film, 1985) Separate Vacations (Film, 1986) Leolo (Film, 1992) Exotica (Film, 1994) eXistenz (Film, 1998) Sunshine (Film, 1999) Stardom (Film, 2000) Picture Claire (Film, 2001) Ararat (Film, 2002) Men with Brooms (Film, 2002) The Statement (Film, 2003) Being Julia (Film, 2003)
Extent and Medium
61.8 m textual records


8,812 photographs
· 6 contact sheets (1 col., 5 b&w)
· 3,939 prints (3,419 col., 520 b&w)
· 4,472 slides (3,728 col., 744 b&w)
· 395 negatives (364 col., 31 b&w)


58 graphic materials
· 25 architectural drawings
· 33 posters


50 audio recordings
· 20 – 35mm 3 track master (20,000 ft)
· 10 – 35mm mag track (16,000 ft)
· 10 – 35mm mix reel (10,000 ft)
· 1 – 35mm sound roll (1,000 ft)
· 2 DAT cassettes (1 hr, 38 min.)
· 1 D2 cassette (1 hr., 29 min.)
· 6 DA88 cassettes (1 hr.)


1,472 video recordings
· 58 – 1 in. tapes (75 hr., 02 min.)
· 61 – ¾ in. tapes (46 hr., 46 min.)
· 5 – ½ in. Digital Betacam (7 hr., 29 min.)
· 10 – ½ in. Betacam cassettes (7 hr., 12 min.)
· 126 – ½ in. Betacam SP cassette (98 hr., 28 min.)
· 1 Beta cassette (1 hr.)
· 2 8mm cassettes (3 hr., 12 min.)
· 2 8mm data cartridges (3 hr., 12 min.)
· 23 CDs (31 hr., 30 min.)
· 2 CD ROMs (1 hr., 20 min.)
· 4 cassettes (2 hr.)
· 3 DV Cam cassettes (1 hr., 44 min.)
· 14 DVDs (26 hr., 20 min.)
· 4 Hi8 cassettes (4 hr., 53 min.)
· 10 MiniDV cassettes (10 hr., 27 min.)
· 7 Video8 cassettes (12 hr., 46 min.)
· 1,140 VHS (1,172 hr., 54 min.)


560 cinefilms
· 15 reels 35 mm cutting copy (15,000 ft)
· 17 reels 35mm dupe negative (30,000 ft)
· 5 reels 35mm internegative (10,000 ft)
· 19 reels 35mm interpositive (19,000 ft)
· 458 reels 35 mm negative (458,000 ft)
· 27 reels 35mm release print (32 hr., 52 min.)
· 2 reels 35mm answer print (2 hr., 4 min.)
· 11 reels 35mm trailers (6,100 ft)
· 1 reel 16mm negative (400 ft)
· 5 reels 16mm mix reel (4,000 ft)


15 artifacts (awards)
Date Range
1981- 2003