GATINEAU – Canada has become the first country outside of Europe to join Eurimages, the Council of Europe's common film coproduction fund.
Established in 1989, Eurimages promotes the European audiovisual industry by providing financial support to feature films, animation and documentaries produced in Europe. It has an annual budget of about EUR22 million (C$32.2 million), which is granted to approximately 70 films per year.
Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly said Wednesday that membership in the fund will help to increase the number of audiovisual co-productions between Canada and European countries.
"Our government understands the importance of supporting Canadian creators in accessing international markets and audiences”, Minister Joly said in a statement. “We are proud of the important reinvestment we made in Telefilm Canada in Budget 2016, which allowed Canada to join Eurimages. In addition to deepening Canada's relationship with its European partners, this membership will further position our country as a coproduction partner of choice and give Canada a competitive advantage on the world audiovisual stage."
Telefilm Canada will represent Canada on Eurimages' Board of Management.
“Our participation in Eurimages is once again pushing the boundaries of the market; this historic agreement opens up new channels for distribution, new platforms for promotion and new partners for creation”, added Telefilm Canada executive director Carolle Brabant. “Ultimately, it is a sign of confidence in the quality of Canadian talent from our partners in Eurimages."
