Mel Hoppenheim

Dubbed as “Mister Hollywood North” by the media, Mel Hoppenheim worked tirelessly throughout his career to help establish Montreal’s reputation as an international hub for film production.

In 1997, he gave $1 million to Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts to support students enrolled in film programs. In recognition of his generosity, the Department of Cinema was renamed the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema that same year.

The school has since become the largest university-based centre for the study of film in Canada, and has developed into a foremost training ground for future scholars, helping to launch the careers of some 2,500 alumni.

Hoppenheim officially joined the Concordia family in June 2019 when he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws at convocation, alongside graduates of the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Each year, the school honours the best graduating film production student with the Mel Hoppenheim Award.

The Canadian business leader, film-industry entrepreneur and namesake donor to Concordia’s cinema school passed away on July 27, 2022. He was 84.

More about Mel Hoppenheim

• ‘A visionary builder in Canadian cinema’
• Mel Hoppenheim: A Blockbuster Benefactor