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Jay Firestone
Jay Firestone
Jay Firestone
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Jay Firestone (born 13 October 1956) is a Canadian film and television producer.

Key Information

Personal

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Growing up in a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Firestone was the third child of six born to Jewish parents Esther, the first female cantor in Canada, and Paul. He attended Hamilton's McMaster University, graduating in 1979 with a degree in commerce and aspirations for accounting and business. After wedding University of Toronto student Sherry Barad and earning his CA a few years later, Firestone joined accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co.[1]

Career

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In 1985, disenchanted with accounting, Firestone helped found Alliance Communications with four of Canada's top producers. Firestone began as chief financial officer and set up a tax-shelter lucrative financing arm. He rose to Vice-Chairman, overseeing world operations.[1][2] In 1995, he left after falling out with Lantos over company direction.[3] Firestone cashed in his company interests, leaving with film and television credits such as ReBoot, for which he received a Gemini Award for "Best Animation Series.".[1][2][4][5]

Days after his one-year non-compete clause expired, he bought SkyVision Entertainment (the film and television production arm of Labatt Breweries of Canada,[2]) through his newly created company, Fireworks Entertainment, Inc. He attributed the name to his own surname and the exploding film and television industry. He thus acquired 170 program episodes, including reality police series Secret Service, and RoboCop: The Series, based on RoboCop 1987 film.

A year later, Fireworks neared $100 million in production through television series La Femme Nikita, F/X: The Series and Pacific Blue. In Fall 1997, he took Fireworks public, then sold to CanWest Global Communications for over $60 million, making CanWest the sole shareholder and Firestone the chairman and CEO of Canwest Entertainment.[6] He was a finalist for the 1998 Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year.[7]

Firestone was involved in over 20 film and television projects over the next five years. He made films such as Rat Race, Hardball and Rules of Engagement, television shows Relic Hunter, Queen of Swords, Adventure Inc., Mutant X and Andromeda. The independent film The Believer won the Saint George prize for "Best Film" at the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival.[8]

CanWest founder Izzy Asper fell ill and his son Leonard became CEO in time for downsizing, along with the industry. Firestone left the company in May 2003 along with Fireworks Pictures president Daniel Diamond, and was replaced by Gerry Noble, former CEO of Global TV. Firestone honored his one-year non-compete clause.[9]

In April 2005, Canwest Global sold the name and film and television library to ContentFilm,[10] a British company. From 14 March 2011, the name Fireworks became defunct, re-branded Content Television under the umbrella Content Media Corporation PLC.[11]

Firestone next founded Prodigy Pictures. Stuck, a horror film released in 2007, starring Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea, tells the true story of a man hit by a car and left for dead in the driver's garage. A mini-series out of the popular comic book series XIII was released in 2008, starring Stephen Dorff, then a 13-episode follow-up series starred Stuart Townsend. The series aired in France on Canal Plus in 2011 and on Showcase in Canada in spring 2011.[12]

Firestone produced the supernatural series Lost Girl, starring Anna Silk, which broke Showcase's viewing records for Canadian scripted series premiere when it premiered in 2010.[13] Lost Girl ran for five seasons, the final season airing in 2015 in Canada on Showcase.[14] The popular show aired in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal, and Brazil.

Firestone was a producer on the TV show Dark Matter, which is based on a comic book series created by writers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie.[15][16]

References

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Jay Firestone

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from Grokipedia
Jay Firestone is a Canadian film and television producer known for his influential role in the Canadian entertainment industry through founding multiple production companies and executive producing a diverse range of television series and feature films. He co-founded Alliance Communications in 1985, serving as Vice Chairman for a decade before leaving in 1995 to establish Fireworks Entertainment, which developed various projects before its acquisition in 1998. He later founded Prodigy Pictures, where he has overseen productions including the supernatural drama Lost Girl and the science fiction series Dark Matter. His work also extends to feature films such as Crooked House, Fisherman's Friends, and Blithe Spirit. Firestone's career highlights include early contributions to series like La Femme Nikita and ReBoot, and a consistent focus on genre television and international co-productions, earning him industry recognition including a Gemini Award for Best Animated Program or Series. He remains active in producing content across drama, comedy, and documentary formats.

Early life

Family background and upbringing

Jay Firestone was born in 1956. He was the third of six children born to Jewish parents Esther Ghan Firestone and Paul Firestone. His mother, Esther Ghan Firestone, was recognized as Canada's first female cantor, having begun serving in that role in the mid-1950s at a time when women were rarely accepted in such positions. His siblings were Debbie, Shawn, Danny, Ari, and Hillary. Firestone grew up in the Toronto suburb of Don Mills, in a busy household shaped by his mother's dual roles as a pioneering cantor and an energetic mother who filled the home with music, activity, and hospitality. The family environment was welcoming and vibrant, with Esther often described as a "den mother" not only to her own children but also to their friends and extended visitors who became like family.

Education and early professional experience

Jay Firestone earned a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm) degree from McMaster University in 1979. Following graduation, he joined the accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co., and later worked for two years at the Canada Development Corporation. He received his Chartered Accountant (C.A.) designation in 1982. Firestone began his professional career as an accountant before transitioning to the entertainment industry.

Career

Entry into entertainment and Alliance Communications

Jay Firestone entered the entertainment industry in 1985 after becoming disenchanted with his prior career as a chartered accountant. He co-founded Alliance Communications (also referred to as Alliance Entertainment) with four other prominent Canadian producers, initially joining as chief financial officer after impressing the founders during an impromptu job interview where he highlighted opportunities for greater financial sophistication in the Canadian entertainment sector. Firestone negotiated a board seat and stock options as conditions of acceptance, reflecting his strategic approach from the outset. He advanced quickly within the company, becoming vice chairman within five years and serving as executive vice-president of worldwide operations. During his tenure, Firestone established a tax-shelter financing arm that generated significant revenue and devised Alliance Equicap, a brokerage firm focused on film and television productions, where he served as initial president. Under his contributions as principal dealmaker overseeing worldwide operations, Alliance grew into one of Canada's leading television and film production companies over the course of his decade-long involvement from 1985 to 1995. Philosophical differences with Alliance chairman Robert Lantos regarding the company's direction—particularly on matters of budgeting, rights acquisition, and global distribution—led to Firestone's departure in 1995, when the company bought out his interests. Following this, he founded Fireworks Entertainment in 1996.

Founding and leadership of Fireworks Entertainment

Jay Firestone founded Fireworks Entertainment in January 1996 after leaving his position as vice-chairman at Alliance Communications. As the company's founding president, he led Fireworks in producing, distributing, and financing television programs and feature films. Under his leadership, Fireworks quickly grew its operations and established partnerships, including a C$250,000 development fund for children's television programming with YTV Canada Inc. in 1997. In early May 1998, CanWest Global Communications Corp. acquired a majority equity and voting interest in Fireworks Entertainment, with the company's board recommending that minority shareholders tender their shares at C$3.50 per share. Retrospective accounts place the total acquisition value at approximately C$64.7 million. Following the acquisition, Firestone continued as chairman and CEO, overseeing television and feature film productions from offices in Los Angeles and London. During this era, Fireworks developed a significant slate of international television content.

Establishment and ongoing work at Prodigy Pictures

Jay Firestone founded Prodigy Pictures in 2006 following the sale of Fireworks Entertainment to CanWest Entertainment. As founder and leader of the company, he has steered its direction toward producing high-quality film, television, and cross-platform media by drawing on global talent and partnerships. Prodigy Pictures specializes in international co-productions, establishing successful collaborations in countries such as the UK, France, and the United States to access diverse financing sources, international talent pools, and wider audiences. This approach has created a financial safety net for projects, proving particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when shared burdens among international partners enabled production to resume despite heightened safety costs and delays. In recent years, Firestone has taken a more active creative role within the company, working directly on set, collaborating with writers on scripts, and emphasizing storytelling alongside his traditional focus on financing and partnerships. This shift builds on his experience with earlier successful series and reflects a commitment to innovation amid ongoing industry changes. The company's mission remains to utilize the best worldwide talent to deliver the highest quality content across television, theatrical distribution, and the internet, maintaining a forward-thinking strategy that positions Prodigy Pictures for continued global impact.

Notable productions

Pioneering animated series and early credits

Jay Firestone contributed to the emergence of computer-generated animation in television during his time at Alliance Communications, where he rose to Vice-Chairman. As executive producer on the first season of ReBoot in 1994, he played a key role in a project that is credited as the first full-length, completely computer-animated television series. ReBoot pioneered the use of CGI for episodic, long-form animation, representing a major technical and creative advancement in the medium at the time. Produced by Mainframe Entertainment, the series demonstrated the viability of fully digital animation for broadcast television. Firestone's work on the series earned him a Gemini Award for Best Animation Series. This accolade underscored his early impact on innovative programming in the animation sector. ReBoot stands as one of Firestone's most notable early credits, reflecting his involvement in groundbreaking projects before he departed Alliance in 1995 to found Fireworks Entertainment.

Supernatural and drama series

Jay Firestone executive produced several notable supernatural and drama television series through Prodigy Pictures, building on his experience in genre television. He served as executive producer on Lost Girl, a supernatural drama series centered on a succubus navigating the human and fae worlds, which became a hit for Showcase and Syfy. Firestone's involvement included oversight across multiple seasons, with interviews highlighting his role in guiding the show's development and production. Firestone also executive produced the science fiction drama Dark Matter, an adaptation of the comic book series by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, which followed a crew awakening with amnesia aboard a spaceship. He received executive producer credit on all 39 episodes of the series, which aired on Syfy from 2015 to 2017. In addition, Firestone was executive producer on XIII: The Series, a drama series based on the graphic novel about an amnesiac assassin uncovering a vast conspiracy, where he was credited on 26 episodes across its 2011–2012 run. These projects underscore his focus on high-concept, narrative-driven series in the supernatural, sci-fi, and thriller genres during this phase of his career.

Feature films and miniseries

Jay Firestone has executive produced and produced a range of feature films and miniseries across genres, often through his companies Fireworks Entertainment and Prodigy Pictures. During his leadership of Fireworks Entertainment, he served as producer on the drama The Believer (2001), starring Ryan Gosling in a role that earned critical acclaim for its intense portrayal of identity and prejudice. He also executive produced other films from that era, including An American Rhapsody (2001) and Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001). Following the sale of Fireworks and the founding of Prodigy Pictures in 2006, Firestone produced the thriller Stuck (2007), directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea in a story inspired by real events. Prodigy Pictures further developed miniseries projects, including the mystery adaptation XIII: The Conspiracy (2008) and the sci-fi remake The Day of the Triffids (2009). In subsequent years, Firestone has taken executive producer roles on numerous feature films, such as the Agatha Christie adaptation Crooked House (2017), alongside titles like Finding Your Feet (2017), Fisherman's Friends (2019), and Blithe Spirit (2020). His film contributions span dramatic, thriller, and comedic works, reflecting collaborations on independent and international co-productions.

Recognition and impact

Industry contributions and style

Jay Firestone is widely recognized in the Canadian entertainment industry for his self-styled reputation as a loose cannon who injects fun and irreverence into an often reserved sector. He has emphasized enjoyment in his creative process, most notably by pitching projects while armed with a squirt gun, underscoring his belief that work should be playful and engaging. Through founding and leading production companies including Fireworks Entertainment and Prodigy Pictures, Firestone has played a pivotal role in expanding the scope and reach of Canadian film and television. His work at Fireworks achieved significant international distribution, with productions airing in over 100 countries and contributing to the growth of Canadian content on the global stage. Firestone is regarded as a forward-thinking visionary, particularly through his mastery of international co-productions at Prodigy Pictures, where he has built strategic global partnerships to unite talent and financiers across borders. This approach has enabled successful financing of award-worthy projects, access to diverse international talent pools, and improved production quality while serving as a financial safeguard amid industry pressures and disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, during which shared risks allowed productions to proceed. Prodigy Pictures pursues collaborations with partners in countries including the UK, France, and the US, leveraging the best global talent to develop content across television, theatrical, and digital platforms. His style blends creative passion with financial expertise, aiming to establish new benchmarks for excellence in global storytelling and production.

Awards and nominations

Jay Firestone's contributions as a producer have earned him and his productions several awards and nominations over the years. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award for the Arts from McMaster University in 2003 in recognition of his accomplishments in film and television. His work on the animated series ReBoot garnered a Gemini Award, and the series was also nominated for a Gemini Award in 1995 with Firestone credited as producer. In 2022, Firestone won the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Music Documentary/Special Program as one of the producers on Killing Me Softly with His Songs. According to his profile on IMDb, Firestone has a total of 2 wins and 3 nominations across various awards, including multiple recognitions from the Gemini Awards.

Personal life

(content)

Jay Firestone was born on October 31, 1956. He is one of six children born to Esther Ghan Firestone, Canada's first female cantor, and Paul Firestone. His siblings are Debbie, Shawn, Danny, Ari, and Hillary Firestone, the youngest of whom passed away from ovarian cancer in 2009. His father Paul died shortly after Hillary's death. Firestone grew up in Toronto, Ontario, in a household where his mother balanced a groundbreaking career in Jewish liturgical music with raising a large family. Esther Ghan Firestone was remembered by her children as an energetic and tireless figure who managed domestic responsibilities alongside her professional achievements. Little additional public information is available about Firestone's personal life, as he has maintained a low profile focused primarily on his professional endeavors in film and television production.

(content)

Jay Firestone was born on October 31, 1956. He is one of six children born to Esther Ghan Firestone, Canada's first female cantor, and Paul Firestone. His siblings are Debbie, Shawn, Danny, Ari, and Hillary Firestone, the youngest of whom passed away from ovarian cancer in 2009. His father Paul died shortly after Hillary's death. Firestone grew up in Toronto, Ontario, in a household where his mother balanced a groundbreaking career in Jewish liturgical music with raising a large family. Esther Ghan Firestone was remembered by her children as an energetic and tireless figure who managed domestic responsibilities alongside her professional achievements. Little additional public information is available about Firestone's personal life, as he has maintained a low profile focused primarily on his professional endeavors in film and television production.

References

  1. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jay-firestone/bio/3000498194/
  2. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0278649/
  3. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jay-firestone/credits/3000498194/
  4. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/esther-ghan-firestone-canadas-first-female-cantor-delighted-audiences-with-her-voice/article24867420/
  5. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/common-touch/article18426322/
  6. https://thecjn.ca/news/obituary-canadas-first-female-cantor-mother-figure-many/
  7. https://alumni.mcmaster.ca/s/1439/index2.aspx?sid=1439&gid=1&pgid=1575
  8. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jay_firestone
  9. https://www.jewage.org/wiki/en/Article:Jay_Firestone_-_Biography
  10. https://www.nexttv.com/news/accidental-mogul-92935
  11. https://playbackonline.ca/2000/11/27/30406-20001127/
  12. https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/canadian-partners-set-kidvid-fund-1116675982/
  13. https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/fireworks-backs-canwest-bid-1117471453/
  14. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canwest-snaps-up-tv-library/article22404007/
  15. https://www.directorsandboards.com/roster_individual/jaffrey-jay-a-firestone/
  16. https://www.screendaily.com/canwest-extinguishes-fireworks/4018208.article
  17. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jay-firestone
  18. https://prodigypictures.wordpress.com/
  19. https://www.flaunt.com/post/prodigy-pictures
  20. https://reboot.fandom.com/wiki/Jay_Firestone
  21. https://reboot.fandom.com/wiki/ReBoot
  22. https://mutantxarchive.livejournal.com/136747.html
  23. https://variety.com/exec/jay-firestone/
  24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8qvThw6EM0
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1713938/fullcredits/
  26. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0278649/fullcredits
  27. https://www.prodigypictures.com/
  28. https://alumni.mcmaster.ca/s/1439/index2.aspx?sid=1439&gid=1&pgid=516
  29. https://playbackonline.ca/1995/01/30/4086-19950130/
  30. https://www.hmmawards.com/2022-hmma-winners-and-nominations/
  31. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0278649/awards/
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