OTTAWA, April 12, 2022 – A new report, released today by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), provides a summary of film and television production activity in Canada between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, including a comprehensive look at how the global pandemic impacted Canada’s media production industry.

Topline numbers from Profile 2021 show that between April 2020 and March 2021, media production in Canada generated $9.09 billion in production volume, $11.27 billion in GDP and created 216,660 jobs across Canada, numbers that were lower than pre-pandemic levels.

The report indicates that while in March 2020, the pandemic brought virtually all TV and film productions across the country to a halt, the industry quickly pivoted to enable production to resume. This included putting in place new health and safety protocols in June 2020. Domestic production faced an additional challenge in securing insurance against COVID-19 shutdowns. In response, the Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF) for Canadian audiovisual productions was launched by the Government of Canada in October 2020. Administered by Telefilm Canada, the fund kick-started the Canadian production sector and enabled it to enter 2021 with strong momentum.

“Canada’s independent producers demonstrated incredible resilience and the ability to adapt to new realities in the face of a global pandemic, all while continuing to create content that reflects the people and places that make up this country,” said Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO, Canadian Media Producers Association. “While we saw an overall decrease in production due to COVID-19, thanks to unprecedented collaboration by stakeholders and the establishment of the Short-Term Compensation Fund, media production came roaring back faster than many other sectors. The entire industry should take a bow for its performance during the most trying period of its history.”

Data in Profile 2021 indicates that Canadian production volume decreased by 12 per cent in 2020/21, which was due at least in part to the pandemic. During this same period, FLS production saw a marginal uptick of 0.4 per cent, the only sector to see an increase in the 2020/21 period, propelling it to an all-time high production volume level of $5.27 billion.

Profile 2021 can be downloaded here. This latest edition of CMPA’s annual economic report is compiled by Nordicity, and developed in collaboration with the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM), and with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage and Telefilm Canada.

-30-

ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production, and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema, and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

For more information:

Gamiela Fereg
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications, CMPA
gamiela.fereg@cmpa.ca