OTTAWA – The federal government has fully implemented the Audiovisual Treaty Coproduction treaty, providing a big boost to Canadian television and film co-productions, Paul Calandra, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced at the Canadian Media Production Association’s annual Prime Time event on Ottawa on Thursday.
“What this will ultimately mean, simply put, is more film and television productions overall in Canada. We are making Canada a more attractive place to do business,” Calandra said during a luncheon keynote, subbing for Heritage Minister James Moore.
“And how are we doing this? First we made it easier for Canada and our partners to get co-productions projects off the ground by simplifying the administrative burden. We have provided a flexible approach to treaties which will increase productions overall.”
The new policy is “paving the way for future production negotiations between Canada and its foreign partners. This policy will focus Canada’s approach to co productions and ensure that Canadians and the film and television production industry achieve the maximum benefit from government actions,” states a backgrounder on the co productions treaty. In addition, the federal government has put out calls to several other countries to either restart treaty negotiations or to kick off the negotiation process.
Throughout his address, Calandra spoke about the significant economic benefits being generated by Canada’s cultural sector. Television and film production grew by more than $500 million last year, jumping from $2.5 billion to $3 billion. This 20% increase in grow also contributed to the creation of more than 66,000 jobs.
Canada has coproduced with international partners more than 700 film and TV programs with a value of nearly $5 billion. This includes feature films such as Barney’s Version Resident Evil: Retribution and TV shows like The Tudors and the Borgias.
Calandra added that while other countries and governments made cuts to their cultural endeavours during the recession, Canada actually increased its investment and did so because it recognizes the economic benefits derived from this critically important sector. “We did this because we understand that supporting culture is absolutely essential to keeping our economy on track. We understand then as we still do, the importance of the creative economy and that safeguarding Canada’s culture community from economic devastation,” he said.
The Parliamentary Secretary also highlighted some key economic indicators during his speech. The cultural sector employs 630,000 people. That means that about 4% of all Canadian jobs come from culture. Canada’s cultural sector represents $46 billion to the nation’s GDP, that’s twice as much as our forestry industry, and three times as much as our country’s insurance industry.
