Author Mark Kearney is on a Mission to Showcase the Canadian Who Started Hollywood!

AACB and the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) present the CFG Books Series. Our second interview features Canadian author and award-winning journalist Mark Kearney who is on a mission to draw attention to Al Christie the Canadian WHO STARTED HOLLYWOOD (YES! you read that correctly 'the' Canadian).

​Did you know Al Christie has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame but... there's NO star on Canada's Walk of Fame. Crazy, right? Mark is going to change this and by the end of this interview you will not only know who Al Christie is, we'll also talk about how to promote a novel in the digital age. Mark's novel is called Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer.

About Author Mark Kearney

Mark Kearney is an award-winning journalist whose latest book is Al Christie: Hollywood’s Forgotten Film Pioneer, published in 2023 by BearManor Media. Mark has also co-authored 10 books and contributed to three others. He started his career as a reporter for the London Free Press and has freelanced for some 80 different publications in North America. He’s currently a lecturer at Western University in London, Ontario where he has won several awards for teaching a range of writing and journalism courses. Mark lives in London, Ontario with his wife Catherine Blake and dog Archie.

The Story Behind Al Christie

Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer is a captivating new book that sheds light on the remarkable career of a Hollywood legend who has been overlooked for too long. With over 1,000 short comedies and features to his credit, Al Christie was a prolific director and producer who made the first comedy films in the then little-known town of Hollywood in 1911 and left an indelible mark on the movie industry during his subsequent 30-year career. This biography celebrates Christie's life and work from his early days growing up in London, Ontario, Canada where he helped touring Vaudevillians hone their comic skills to his years in Hollywood behind the camera during the silent film and early talkies' era. Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer is a must-read for anyone with an interest in cinema history.

Watch our interview

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Al Christie is published by ​BearManor Media.

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What is the Canadian Freelance Guild?

The Canadian Freelance Guild is a new form of unionism for freelance workers. They're creating a network where freelance workers can gain access to work opportunities and professional development, and connect with colleagues to transform freelancing into a more collaborative, balanced, sustainable livelihood. Their founding members come from the former Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) and the independent membership of the Freelance Branch of the Canadian Media Guild (CMG Freelance). CMG Freelance now solely represents people who perform freelance contracts for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CFG is affiliated with CWA-SCA Canada, Canada's largest all-media union.

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