Statement by the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, on the Occasion of Movie Night

OTTAWA, Feb. 25, 2014 /CNW/ - As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, I am thrilled to be the host for this Movie Night, which is presenting the excellent and very moving film Gabrielle. These evenings allow us to fully appreciate the talents of the artists in our audiovisual industry. I would especially like to thank Telefilm Canada for organizing this evening's event.

Directed by Louise Archambault and produced by Kim McCraw and Luc Déry, who also gave us Incendies and Monsieur Lazhar, the film Gabrielle received the audience award in Locarno, Switzerland, as well as recognition at a number of other festivals.

I am consistently impressed by the talents of our actors. This time, it is Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, Alexandre Landry and Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin who make us experience a wide range of emotions, while the young singers from Les Muses performing arts school are true examples of courage and perseverance.

I am very proud of our filmmakers and pleased with the support that our Government provides to them. Each year, we invest over $600 million in our audiovisual sector through Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board, the Canada Council for the Arts and tax credits.

I am also thrilled that, just yesterday, our Government signed an audiovisual coproduction treaty with the Republic of India to enable Canadian and Indian producers to carry out audiovisual coproduction projects. It is the first treaty to be finalized since Canada's Policy on Audiovisual Treaty Coproduction was implemented in March 2013. This policy, which is geared to the changing audiovisual production environment, will help Canada position itself as an ideal partner for audiovisual coproduction.

Our Government is proud to contribute to the vitality of this industry. I hope that everyone enjoys this evening and leaves with a desire to continue exploring the world of Canadian cinema.

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage

For more information (media only), contact:

Marisa Monnin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788