White Int'l Selling Camera Unit

William F. White International, Canada's biggest lighting and production equipment supplier on Monday said it is selling its camera division to Panavision Canada and partnering with its former rival to offer one-stop shopping for foreign and domestic producers shooting here.

White chairman Paul Bronfman he and Panavision Canada, a division of Panavision International, have struck a multiyear packaging and marketing deal that will see both supply cameras and other production equipment to film and TV shoots nationwide.

Bronfman said he wanted White to focus on lighting and grip equipment, remote heads and cranes, and other "bells and whistles," for which the equipment supplier is best known.

Panavision Canada will acquire White's camera division, which introduced the Arricam 35mm camera to Canada, as part of a "multimillion-dollar" deal, Bronfman said.

Their proposed deal will see Panavision employees join existing William F. White offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Halifax.

Bronfman said the deal is expected to close by early January.