Death: Pillar Of N.L. Film Industry Paul Pope’s Has Died, What Happened? For more than 40 years, Paul Pope was a well-known producer and driving force in the Newfoundland and Labrador film business. Pope, who worked on hundreds of films and television shows, founded Pope Productions, which produced films such as Hudson & Rex, Grown Up Movie Star, Rare Birds, and Life with Derek, among others.
According to cbc.ca, Pope died peacefully on Thursday morning, surrounded by family, according to a message on his Facebook page. The message stated, “His warmth and dedication will be forgotten.” He was a founder member of the Newfoundland Filmmakers Cooperative, as well as a board member of the Canadian Media Producers Association and vice-chair of the Canadian Media Fund, and a supporter of independent Canadian media.
Pope received a number of honors, including ArtsNL’s Arts Achievement Award, the 2020 St. John’s Tourism Award, and an honorary doctorate from Memorial University. “It is with great grief that St. John’s City Council learned of Paul Pope’s untimely death, a vibrant force in Newfoundland’s film and television sector,” the city of St. John’s said in a statement on Thursday. “Paul’s impact on the entertainment industry on a national scale is tremendous.”
