Telefilm Canada holds Annual Public Meeting in Ottawa under theme Talent. Together.

A red carpet for the feature film Corner Gas: The Movie and an invitation to the House of Commons caps this celebration of Canadian talent

MONTREAL, Dec. 1, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Telefilm Canada held its 2014 Annual Public Meeting this morning at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, under the theme Talent. Together. The event was attended by representatives of government departments and organizations as well as members of Canada's audiovisual industry.

This evening, the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, will host a red carpet event in honour of Corner Gas: The Movie, a feature film based on the hilarious hit TV series set in Saskatchewan, in the presence of Ministers, MPs, Senators as well as some 500 dignitaries and public- and private-sector sponsors. This afternoon, the movie's cast and crew, as well as the sponsors of the evening's screening, will be the special guests of the Honourable Andrew Scheer, Speaker of the House of Commons, who will greet them following Question Period. Corner Gas: The Movie opens nationwide on December 3.

Telefilm's 2013-2014 annual report is available here.

"We continue to foster Canadian cultural success, both at home and abroad," said Michel Roy, Chair of the Board of Telefilm Canada. "Canada's audiovisual industry and creative talent benefit from solid support from the public and private sectors. Indeed, the number of industry partners, in both production and promotion, is rising. This will enable us to continue to effectively seek out new audiences for Canadian talent."

Carolle Brabant, Telefilm's Executive Director, added: "The Canadian audiovisual industry wants to be recognized as a major supplier of independent audiovisual products—and is becoming increasingly successful in this regard. Congratulations to the industry's very talented artists and craftspeople, and thank you to all the public- and private-sector partners that contribute to the industry's boom. Our collective challenge is to continue along this path and ensure that Canadian stories are available and showcased on all platforms possible."

Fiscal 2013-2014 highlights

Supporting and promoting Canadian talent

• Telefilm supported the production of 91 feature films, the development of 306 projects and the marketing of 92 features, while also helping to promote Canadian talent at 109 Canadian and 29 international festivals and events, for a total investment of $92.2 million.
• A sign of investor confidence, private and foreign funding in films supported by Telefilm doubled since the previous fiscal year, reaching $50 million. The Talent Fund, a private donation fund, raised $13.7 million.
• The audiovisual world is innovating, as shown by the success of the Micro-Budget Production Program, which encourages emerging filmmakers to produce a first feature film and to leverage digital platforms. The Program now includes a new component aimed at emerging Aboriginal filmmakers.
• The promotion of Canadian talent is strongly supported by public and private partners such as the Canada Media Fund, Bell Media, Corus Entertainment, the Rogers Group of Funds, the Canadian Media Production Association, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, festivals, consulates, provincial organizations and various companies, such as Birks, which hands out each year an award to 10 women directors and actors.
• How do we attract Canadian consumers in this new multiplatform world, which offers an abundance of challenges as well as possibilities? That is the question that Telefilm and its partners are asking. A survey of Canadian consumers, titled Film consumers in Canada, found most notably that the majority of films viewed by Canadians are watched at home, mainly on television. Streaming is next in line as the platform of choice for film viewers in Canada.

2013-2014 success stories

• Canadian feature films were entered in 74 international festivals, where they won 40 major prizes. Highlights include: Gabrielle, by Louise Archambault, winner of the UBS Audience Award at Locarno and also Canada's selection in 2013 for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar; Tom à la ferme [Tom at the Farm], by Xavier Dolan, winner of the FIPRESCI international critics' prize in Venice; Pierrot Lunaire, by Bruce LaBruce (Teddy Special Jury Award) and Triptyque [Triptych], by Robert Lepage and Pedro Pires (Special Mention, Ecumenical Jury Prize), both rewarded at Berlin; and The Phantoms, winner of the Best Kids TV Movie/Mini-Series at the International Emmy Kids Awards.
• Enemy by Denis Villeneuve, The Grand Seduction by Don McKellar and Le Démantèlement by Sébastien Pilote—which recently won the award for Best Narrative Feature Film at the Trophées francophones du cinéma—were also among the year's success stories.

Administrative excellence

• Telefilm's management expense ratio remained constant, at 5.8%. Operating expenses have fallen by 10% over three years.
• Over the last three fiscal years, a total of $4.5 million in administrative budget savings has been transferred to program funding. In 2013-2014, $800,000 in savings were transferred back into program funding.
• In 2013-2014, 86% of Telefilm clients said they were satisfied with the organization's customer service, a figure which surpassed the target rate of 80%.

About the 2013-2014 annual report and the 2014 Annual Public Meeting
A video on Telefilm's 2013-2014 annual report is available here. Telefilm will shortly post online the speeches delivered at its 2014 Annual Public Meeting as well as related questions and answers.

About Telefilm Canada
Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada's audiovisual industry. Through its various funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent here at home and around the world. Telefilm also administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

SOURCE: Telefilm Canada

Media inquiries: Douglas Chow, Head, Public Relations, [phone], ext. 2225 or 1-800-567-0890, [email protected]