Telefilm Canada unveiled the broad outlines of its strategic plan for the next three years during the annual conference of the Association québécoise de la production media (AQPM). An ambitious plan through which the state corporation undertakes to review all of its programs.
On the sidelines of her speech, the General Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, Julie Roy, clarified her objectives to The Press.
“Telefilm is an investor,” she tells us. We give money to finance films, festivals, all of that goes through programs. Over the next three years, we will review these programs to ensure that they are efficient, relevant and that they meet their objectives. Do they all still meet our needs? We want to maximize their impact. »
Julie Roy mentions in particular the defunct export assistance program, which was intended for foreign distributors wishing to export Canadian content, but which should be extended over the next year to Canadian distributors, a pressing demand from the industry.
“It’s one of the first programs we’re going to look at. It’s a priority, says Mme Roy. In June, we want to hold a forum on distribution, but in the coming months, there will be concrete news on that. In the meantime, conversations continue with distributors like h264 [qui se sont retrouvés en difficulté financière il y a quelques mois], but also with other companies who want to export our films abroad. We talk about our heritage. »
Modernity and sustainability
Julie Roy would like to subject some of Telefilm’s programs to a more modern analysis grid. But how can you measure the success of a film other than by box office results?
PHOTO MYRIAM BARIL TESSIER, PROVIDED BY THE ASSOCIATION QUÉBÉCOISE DE LA PRODUCTION MEDIATIC (AQPM)
Julie Roy, General Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada
There are discoverability indices, which include measuring public reactions on social networks. For example, sharing recommendations. But all this is very embryonic, we want to work on this file over the next three years.
Julie Roy, General Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada
Renewing Telefilm Canada’s funding is also one of the Crown corporation’s priorities. Julie Roy, in office for a year, welcomes the investment of 100 million over two years made by Canadian Heritage, but wants lasting funding (of 50 million annually), which increases the annual budget of the federal organization to 150 million.
“We are very happy and very grateful, but it is for a period of two years. We want it to be a permanent annual investment. Without this recurring funding, our budget drops to 100 million,” Julie Roy tells us.
If there is a contribution from streaming platforms, as Canadian Heritage is currently considering, Telefilm Canada recommends to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) – whose work continues throughout the summer – that 20 % of the sums collected are reinvested in the production of feature films. “We want to highlight the importance of feature films in the conversation,” insists Julie Roy.
How is Telefilm preparing for the possible change of political regime in Ottawa?
“We must take this into account, of course,” admits Julie Roy, “and what we have started to do is to measure the economic impact of our industry. »
We know the social and cultural impact of our activities, but we want to quantify this contribution, because we know that the economic angle is important.
Julie Roy
Last important axis of this strategic plan: Telefilm wishes to optimize its internal operations. “We want to improve our processes for our requests for help, this is where artificial intelligence can be an interesting tool. We want to make the user experience more friendly, more pleasant, easier and faster. »
Mme Roy also intends to support French-language production, particularly outside of Quebec, notably by working with the Société de développement des enterprises culturelle (SODEC). “We want to support production in the minority French language, but to achieve this, it takes recurring aid measures,” she clarified.