Allan Novak

Allan Novak is an executive producer, director, writer and editor for film and television with a passion for comedy. His company, Indivisual Productions is a creative boutique that has been creating innovative programming since 1999 In 1999, Allan created the Gemini award-winning Loving Spoonfuls a beloved docu-comedy series about grandmothers (65 episodes distributed in 4 countries) for W Network. In 2002 he executive produced and directed The Joke's on Us-50 Years of CBC Satire (with host Leslie Nielsen) a highly rated 90-minute special nominated for a Best Direction in a Variety Special Gemini award. The next year Allan exec produced The Joe Blow Show a Gemini-nominated pilot for The Comedy Network and co-created Second Time Around a thirteen episode comedy/reality series for W Network. As a director Allan's credits include Puppets Who Kill (The Comedy Network), Canada's Worst Handyman (Discovery Channel), My Parent's House (HGTV) and for CBC the legendary CODCO, Comics!, Inside The Newsroom and It's Only Rock and Roll (including the original "Wayne" and "Dieter" sketches with Mike Myers). Other directing credits include CBC's Life and Times, Global's Heart of Courage, comedy with the Second City Main stage and segments for the Gemini and Genie Awards. As an editor, Allan is considered one of Canada's best. He is responsible for most of Ken Finkleman's internationally lauded television series including: The Newsroom (season one; Gemini award winner- best editing), More Tears, Foolish Heart, Foreign Objects and Married Life (Cable ACE nominee best editing). Other notable editing credits include the premiere season of Kids in the Hall for Broadway Video/HBO/CBC. He continues to consult on post production and edits the occasional Pilot. Allan has directed numerous series for children and youth including The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon (TVO/PBS), The Elephant Show and Vid Kids (CBC) OWL TV (CTV) Dealing with Drugs (TVO) and Mission Reading (TVO). As a writer, Allan has contributed scripts and story editing to many of the above shows. In 2006/2007 he created and produced Punched Up a hybrid comedy-reality series for The Comedy Network and 5 Seekers and Guides and Gurus, two spiritual doc series for VisionTV. All were well received as innovative and entertaining programs. In the future, Allan and Indivisual Productions hope to continue to create innovative comedy and inter-genre experiments and branch into animation and multi-platform projects as well. Allan is well respected in the television industry as an original creative force and is often called on by producers and networks to consult and confer. He is a two-time winner of the Banff I-Pitch award (2004 and 2005) and teaches producing at the Summer Institute of Film each year. He is married and lives in Toronto but a portion of his heart remains in Winnipeg, where he grew up.