CHPC Committee Report

1.

The 2000 feature film policy places an emphasis on support for the front-end phases of filmmaking such as scriptwriting and project development.

a.

What can be done to reallocate resources for scriptwriting?

b.

What can be done to increase resources for project development?

c.

Should support for script development and marketing be offset by a reduction in the number of films that receive support?

2.

Commercially successful filmmakers often spend as much marketing a film as making a film. Canada’s feature film policy suggests that the average marketing budget for a $5M film should be approximately $500,000. Is this sufficient?

3.

Are new financial instruments required to support the marketing of Canadian films?

4.

To what extent is the difference between the levels of success in Canadian French-language and English-language feature films due to differences in marketing budgets?

5.

What specific public and private incentives can be put in place to encourage the exhibition of trailers for Canadian films?

6.

How well are the existing funding support agencies (Telefilm Canada, Canadian Television Fund, National Film Board, Canada Council) working?

a.

Are all of these agencies required?

b.

To what extent is there a duplication of service?

c.

How could these organizations be improved?

d.

Should any steps be taken to harmonize or integrate the work of existing agencies?

7.

What should be done about specific film financing issues (e.g., the application process, the control of a film’s copyright, clawbacks, the grind, the Telefilm decision-making process, performance envelopes, etc)?

8.

Existing support mechanisms award funds for the production of specific film projects. Little or no funding support exists to help sustain production companies (i.e., the film production infrastructure). This is in contrast to federal programs in other areas (e.g., book publishing).

a.

Should a separate mechanism to support production companies be developed?

b.

If yes, who should manage such a program?

9.

Are existing federal tax credit incentives (The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) and the Production Services Tax Credit (PSTC)) sufficiently flexible? 

10.

Should the CPTC be increased to reward the use of a greater number of Canadians?

11.

What can be done to encourage greater private investment in Canadian feature films?

12.

Do current ownership rules for film distributors inhibit access to Canadian feature films? If yes, what can be done?

13.

Does the ownership of film exhibitors inhibit access to Canadian feature films? If yes, what can be done?

14.

Are new financial instruments required to support the distribution and exhibition of Canadian films?

15.

The licensing of films for distribution and exhibition in Canada is a matter of property and civil rights and as such falls wholly within provincial jurisdiction under section 92(13) of the Constitution Act, 1867.  With this in mind, how can the federal government work with the provinces to encourage the distribution and exhibition of Canadian feature films?

16.

Are there any specific exhibition strategies (e.g., in schools, First Weekend Clubs, etc.) that could be used to develop audiences for Canadian films? What role could the federal government play?

17.

What specific improvements need to be made to the education and training programs for those aspiring to work in the feature film industry?

18.

Are there any ongoing training needs required for those who are currently working in the feature film industry? How might this be done?

19.

The Auditor General’s November 2003 report notes that the preservation of Canada’s cultural heritage, including feature films, is at risk. What measures are required to ensure the preservation of Canada’s feature film heritage?

20.

Is the current organization and governance of the institutions directly and indirectly involved in the support of Canadian feature film appropriate? What specific changes in governance are required?

21.

Does the Canadian content certification system (CAVCO) help foster, or hinder, the creative process that underlies the production of Canadian feature films?

22.

The CRTC and CAVCO do not use the same criteria to certify Canadian content. Recent reports have suggested that one arm’s-length organization should be responsible for the certification of Canadian content. Would this help the Canadian feature film industry?

23.

Telefilm’s equity recoupment process involves ongoing costs for producers.  Should equity recoupment be limited to a fixed period after a film is released (e.g., for three years)?

24.

The 2000 feature film policy made permanent a panel comprised of industry representatives, known as the Canadian Feature Film Advisory Group. The purpose of this panel was to provide advice to Telefilm Canada on how best to achieve the objectives of the policy. In April 2005 the Minister of Canadian Heritage dissolved the Advisory Group.

a.

Was the Canadian Feature Film Advisory Group an effective policy oversight instrument?

b.

What were its strengths and weaknesses?

c.

Is an advisory group still needed? If yes, please provide details on its potential membership and mandate. If no, please explain why the group is not necessary.

25.

How should the policy define feature films?

26.

How should “Canadian content” be defined for the purposes of the feature film industry? 

27.

What could be done to harmonize, modernize or simplify existing definitions of Canadian content?

28.

Should the feature film policy support the production of long form documentaries?

29.

An objective of the current feature film policy is to foster the quality and diversity of Canadian feature films.  How should diversity be defined and measured?

30.

The feature film policy does not mention the creation or preservation of jobs made possible by foreign location shooting in Canada. Should industrial objectives be an element of the feature film policy?

31.

Should different objectives, targets and measures be developed for the French- and English-language markets?

32.

Data on Canadian film audiences (e.g., age, sex, language) and their viewing preferences (e.g., theatrical, television, DVD, etc.) are difficult to obtain. Should a revised policy place a stronger emphasis on measurement? 

33.

Since 1967, Canadian feature film policy, and the programs designed to support it, has assumed that Canadian feature films should be promoted and distributed within the existing framework designed for Hollywood films. Given the limited levels of success in reaching audiences in this manner in the English-language market (and the costs involved), should this assumption be reconsidered?

34.

Witnesses have suggested the development of an alternate distribution system using new exhibition methods such as e-cinema and d-cinema.

a.

Is this feasible? 

b.

What would be the likely costs?

c.

How could such a system be developed?

35.

Looking ahead five years, what targets should a revised policy set for the Canadian feature film industry? What would be required to bring these about?

36.

What specific changes, if any, need to be made to CRTC policies?

37.

What specific policies or practices do the CBC and Radio-Canada need to put in place to enhance the viewing of Canadian feature films?

38.

Do treaty co-productions have a positive or negative impact on the creation of Canadian feature films?

39.

Are any specific changes to copyright law or policy required?

40.

Canada’s feature film policy sets an annual target of 5% for the viewing of Canadian films in theatrical release. 

a.

Is this a reasonable target? 

b.

Is this a useful way to measure the extent to which Canadian films are reaching audiences?

c.

Should there be separate targets for the English and French-language markets?

41.

The 2000 feature film policy does not take into account other ways that Canadian feature films may reach audiences (e.g., conventional broadcasting, pay-per-view, specialty and digital services, PVRs, DVDs, video-on-demand, peer-to-peer file-sharing).

a.

What are the most appropriate performance measures for Canada’s feature film policy?

b.

Should a revised policy recognize non-theatrical distribution and exhibition methods? 

c.

Should a revised policy place a stronger emphasis on support for non-theatrical distribution and exhibition methods.

d.

Should performance measures include the viewing of feature films on television and through video sales and rentals?

42.

Rather than measuring the success of Canadian films against Hollywood blockbusters, should performance measures focus on how well Canadian films compete with films made by foreign independent filmmakers?

43.

Who should be responsible for gathering and reporting on performance measures?