Indie Producers Vote

On October 21, Canadians are heading to the polls. The CMPA is working hard to advocate on behalf of our sector, speaking to candidates and senior political staff associated with the election. At the same time, our members—Canada’s independent producers—are reaching out to candidates across the country, identifying key issues that are important to the production industry. Together, our voice is strong.

 

As underscored by the stats below, our industry is critically important to the country’s economic and cultural fabric. We’ve also outlined steps we believe the next government should take to bolster the industry, and ensure stability and success for years to come.

Independent producers are creative entrepreneurs

They assume financial, business and creative risk and responsibility

They raise financing from a complex variety of sources

They invest revenues from their shows to develop new projects and grow their businesses

They are the key touchpoint for all creative, financial and administrative activities that make a project
a success


Canada’s production sector creates jobs and drives economic growth

179,000

fulll-time jobs

$8.9 billion

in national production volume

$12.8 billion

in GDP

$5.6 billion

in foreign investment

802

Canadian television series

105

Canadian feature films

223

Canadian convergent digital media projects


How government can support Canada’s vibrant independent production sector

1. APPLY STABLE FUNDING MECHANISMS TO ALL PLAYERS WITHOUT INCREASING COSTS FOR CONSUMERS.

 

Canadians now watch programming from a variety of sources: through their TVs, computers and mobile devices. But only traditional broadcasters and cable companies are required to make financial contributions to support Canadian programming, and their contributions are declining even though Canadians are watching more programming than ever.

Updating funding mechanisms—without increasing costs for consumers—will reflect modern viewing habits and help ensure a vibrant domestic industry well into the future.

 

2. INCREASE TELEFILM CANADA’S PARLIAMENTARY APPROPRIATION BY AN ADDITIONAL $50 MILLION.

Accounting for inflation, Telefilm’s capacity to support Canadian feature films is far less today than it was in 2000. So while Canadian TV has grown by 40 per cent, feature films have remained flat. With new resources (phased in over three years), Telefilm would be able to:

1. Promote exports and showcase Canadian talent abroad
2. Support the career path of young and talented filmmakers
3. Establish a dedicated co-production fund

4. Rebalance funding across Canada and in the regions
5. Achieve a representative and diverse film portfolio
6. Facilitate feature films’ digital transition

3. COMMIT TO STABLE, LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR CBC/RADIO-CANADA.

 

CBC/Radio-Canada has a unique mandate to create high-quality content by Canadians for Canadians, and make it available across the country. It is a key cultural institution that also supports thousands of jobs in regions across Canada.

ECONOMIC OUTPUT OF SELECT CBC-COMMISSIONED DRAMAS

$471.1 million

MURDOCH MYSTERIES (10 seasons)

$469.1 million

HEARTLAND (10 seasons)

$126.5 million

MR. D (8 seasons)

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