Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Welcome to this meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

I apologize for our late start, but we all had to stay in the House a little longer today.

We welcome here this morning, from the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, Robin Jackson and Jean-Louis Robichaud.

Whoever is going to lead off with your statement today, it would be appreciated if you do. Thank you.

[Robin Jackson, Executive Director, Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Robin Jackson. I am the executive director of the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund. With me is Jean-Luis Robichaud, the co-chair of the fund and, in his regular day job, director of the Centre provincial de ressources pédagogiques in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia.

We thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.

The Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund is a dynamic private sector funding body that supports non-theatrical film and video projects created by Canadian independent producers to enable lifelong learning.

The fund provides financial assistance to documentaries and to educational and informational films and videos, and it has also supported new media projects. These programs are destined for use in the educational sector—kindergarten to university—museums, film festivals, libraries, health services, community groups, cultural and social services, educational and specialty television, airlines and cruise ships, and in the business, home video, and new media markets.

The CIFVF has supported many award-winning projects and talent; for example, The Corporation was partially funded by us. It has won 25 awards and grossed more than $5.6 million worldwide. In 2004 it was the second most commercially successful film in English Canada, either fiction or documentary.

The CIFVF funds projects that are culturally, regionally, and linguistically diverse. Through our programs and policies, the CIFVF has been able to allow entry of first-time and emerging creators into the industry and to assist them in gaining real experience in filmmaking, including business skills, such as securing financing, hiring crew, and negotiating distribution agreements. Since 2000, 32.3% of the successful producers receiving money from the CIFVF have been new and emerging producers.

One of our success factors is continuity. In many cases, the CIFVF has helped launch and grow the careers of producers, directors, writers, and other creative craftspeople, and those individuals have continued to work in the audiovisual industry. In many cases, these emerging filmmakers have gone on to work in drama and/or feature film. Zacharias Kunuk is one such example. He has received assistance from the CIFVF for three documentaries and has gone on to direct two feature films, one of which was awarded the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001.

We would like to read you a note from a talented new director.

To whom it may concern:

I'm the director of the documentary called La Vie après la shop, which was recently nominated for a prix Gémeaux for the best social documentary. This is my first film. So I am very proud. Had it not been for your organization, this documentary would never have been made. So I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Vincent Audet-Nadeau

The CIFVF is one of the few funding agencies in the country that does not require a broadcast licence to be in place in the financing structure of projects. While this may not seem significant, it can be very difficult for a newcomer to gain the attention of a broadcaster, let alone get a broadcast licence, as new producers do not have the track record that broadcasters demand. While the CIFVF does not restrict a producer from obtaining a licence, it does not mean that a licence is mandatory in order to access CIFVF funding.

Because the CIFVF assists new and emerging filmmakers, it often finds itself in the role of being the first financier to commit to a project. This is very important to a producer, as it provides incentives to other funders to step forward and invest. In 2003 the CIFVF was the first committed funder in 22 of the 63 projects that we financed, or 35% of them. In 2004 we were the first funder in 19 of 56 projects, or 34% of them.

New and emerging producers are often not successful in securing funding from the Canadian Television Fund or Telefilm Canada. Since 2002, 61.8% of projects funded by the CIFVF have had no Canadian Television Fund or Telefilm assistance. In these cases, CIFVF funding has been critical to the realization of these projects.

[Jean-Louis Robichaud, Co-Chair, Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund]

Mr. Chairman, I would like to talk about the social impact of the projects we support, if I may.

Many films that received assistance from the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund do more than provide information: they encourage people to get involved, to bring about social change. In this regard, we think the fund has done much more than encourage film-making; it is a way of allowing Canadians to talk about various subjects, to get to know and understand others better and thus make our world a little better.

The film entitled The Boy Inside, produced by Marianne Kaplan from Vancouver, is a very good example of this. The Boy Inside us about Adam, a 12-year old boy with Asperger syndrome, who talks about his struggle as a teenager living in the complicated world facing young people today. Adam has a type of autism that is being diagnosed more and more among children, but which is far from being understood by the public, which tends to see only a child who speaks frankly and says silly things, rather than a child suffering from a disease.

The film shows the intimidation and exclusion of this child and informs children about their classmates who are different. The Family and Child Development Ministry of British Columbia said it was interested in showing the film in public schools in that province and has already provided funding for a website that allows parents with children who have Asperger syndrome to talk to each other.

We would like to read you a few e-mails that illustrate the impact the film has had on two Canadians. The first one was written by a woman who lives in Halifax. Since it is quite long, we will read just a few excerpts of it.

Hi Marianne & Adam & Family,

Tonight, my almost 9 year old son and I were watching a documentary on spam and saw the preview of your movie. During the preview, my son started to cry when he saw Adam sitting out on the basketball court, lonely and sad, being shunned by the other children. Evan, my son, said -- “Mom, that's me at school, I don't know why no one wants to play with me.” It breaks my heart.

Late last year, Evan was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. ... Evan's main difficulty is socializing with other children, and has never maintained one friendship throughout his life so far, and he's almost 9 yrs old. ...

It was hard watching the clip with Adam saying he just wants to die for a few minutes, because my son says he'd rather die than live like this. ... Evan doesn't want to stand out for misbehaving and getting into trouble, and even though he struggles with this every single day trying his best, he feels he's a bad person and a failure. ...

I guess–I just want to let you know that it gives me hope to get through this–I don't know how we're going to yet, and sometimes it feels hopeless–but you're the first person I ever heard talk about what it's really like. ...

...I want you to know that you have given me a sense that I feel like I'm no longer alone anymore. I never realized there was autism that only affected socialization, and it seems to fit with what Evan exhibits.

Thank you so much for sharing your life. Just writing to you to let you know you moved me is therapeutic. I'm anxious to watch the whole movie, and think it should be mandatory for all school boards to have for staff to watch as well.

Carlene Hood Halifax.

The next e-mail is from a father in Ontario who, like many parents with an autistic child who has Asperger syndrome, feels very alone in trying to deal with everyday challenges. He's very happy to find that there's a film that explains all the aspects of this disease and it helps the public better understand people who have to deal with it. He writes:

My boy, Brandon, same age as your boy, same grade (as of when the film was being made), he has Asperger's Syndrome. Seeing your son was almost identical to looking at my child...there was many quiet moments in my house that night after the film. ...

I want to know, is there any way to get the entire full-length video? I have no problems with a fee, but I would like [to] say, I want to show it to as many people as I can get to see it. I want to approach 2 independent small cinemas locally (...in Ontario) to screen it. I will pay them for their ad space in local papers. I NEED your film to be seen by as many people as possible.

I need what you made, this film, to be out there. I need people to see it and revisit it and learn. ... I believe your film can help the world to understand that they are not freaks, they are just dancing to a slightly different beat, but the beat isn't bad at all!

Regards, and oh yes, a BIG HIGH-5 to Adam for the courage and great spirit he showed during the filming. Please let him know how courageous it was and how much help he will be to so many kids out there.

Ron Singh

The Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund is one of the rare organizations that supports one off documentaries. And that is another reason why it is vital that the Fund be able to continue helping producers make these important documentaries.

Ms. Manon Barbeau, the President of the Observatoire du documentaire recommended in an open letter published on November 2, 2006:

Documentaries are in a crisis [...] And yet, documentaries are essential. They take a reading on society, wake it up, provoke it, and question it. They encourage people to take action, to take a stand [...] Documentaries speak to the heart and to people's conscience and are concerned more about human development than about ratings.

We hope you will agree with us that the CIFVF plays a very valuable role.

That completes our presentation, Mr. Chairman. We would be pleased to answer your questions. If we do not have the documentation with us to answer all your questions, we would be pleased to send it to you as soon as possible.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

The first question is to Mr. Simms.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Robichaud and Ms. Jackson. Merci beaucoup.

In the last session we carried out a study on film in this country, and many issues came up. I don't know where to start, but one of the issues that I found was probably the biggest obstacle is that if you look at the statistics, it will state that if we have a goal of viewership of 5%, some of these goals and that sort of thing–Is that a realistic goal we should be looking at? Because one of the comments you just made was that it was the human spirit, not so much ratings.

What do you think about the fact that you put this money invested into films that don't get the ratings or may not get the distribution you so desire? Is that a failure to you?

[Jean-Louis Robichaud]

I think what we're looking at is talking to Canadians about Canadians presenting Canadian issues, the world as it's seen through Canadian eyes. It may not be the bestseller in commercial theatres, but it's something that needs to be told. It's what we're all about.

[Robin Jackson]

You were primarily studying feature films in the last session, right?

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Yes.

[Robin Jackson]

This is a bit of a different species, animal, bird, I don't know.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

I realize that, but I just wanted you to touch on some of the similar obstacles that young producers–you have to make a living doing this.

[Robin Jackson]

You do, but you've also got documentary filmmakers who are very driven by their passion, particularly. They're driven by what they do. This woman who has just done the story on Asperger's syndrome lives it every day. She wants to communicate with people. People who go off and study la vie après le choc, where there's a situation in a town in Quebec where the factory is gone, and the effect it's having on people. These documentary filmmakers are dedicated to studying these things, trying to work towards social change. I think it's a very laudatory thing, and if they don't get huge ratings, I don't think you can say that they have to really. I think there's a merit that is perhaps separate from what you might want to gauge the box office by.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Yes, and I wholeheartedly agree. I'm somewhat biased, coming from broadcasting myself, where I would almost put a documentary in the category of an art form more so than others would. But one of the biggest challenges, and I go back to distribution again, is that many independent producers can't seem to find the distribution they want. Where does your organization fit in, speaking about your budgets, as to what is towards distribution and what is towards the actual production itself? Is this some type of thing that you monitor, or is it pretty open-ended?

[Robin Jackson]

We're a very small organization, as you know.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Understood.

[Robin Jackson]

We have put all of our moneys towards production, not into distribution. We don't have enough money to have a distribution program. What we do, however, is we have a moral obligation to our distributors. There are only certain distributors who work in the non-theatrical area. We have a list of them, and we require that when a producer receives funding, they have to take somebody from that list because those people know how to get to the non-theatrical market. They know to go to the film showcases. They know to go to the institutions, that kind of thing.

We do require that the distributor gets the non-theatrical rights for Canada for three years, so that's the way we support. It would be wonderful if we had money for distribution, to give them money directly to help in promotion. Those kinds of things we don't.

Often the distributors have to fund out of their own pockets teachers' guides or guides that people use in a community setting if they're going to discuss a film. It's a challenge for them, the same challenge as feature film distributors face on a different scale.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Okay. That's a pretty good point.

What are some of the bigger restrictions you place on film producers who receive the funding?

[Robin Jackson]

I'm sorry, our restrictions?

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Yes. Perhaps restrictions is a bad word, but what are the criteria?

[Robin Jackson]

The individual has to be a Canadian; a landed immigrant or a Canadian citizen.

The subject matter has to be educational or informative. It might be an animation piece, but it definitely has to be educational or informative.

It has to comply with our proof-of-market demand. It has to tell us who the specific audience is. It's not enough to say it's the general public from ages 15 to 25. You have to specifically tell us who the audience is going to be.

We need letters of support from end users. The producers work with individuals in the community in many cases, and we want to know how people in the community are going to use the film. You've now heard a little bit about that from the illustration of The Boy Inside. This film is going to be used in schools, and there would be letters from end users.

There would be a letter and eventually a contract from a non-theatrical distributor. We don't want a product that we fund to sit on the shelf. We want to make sure it's distributed, and there has to be a distributor involved.

We ask the producer to research competing and analogous products. If a producer comes forward and tells us one day that he or she would like to make something on aluminum, or mining, or farming, it's not sufficient. We need to know whether or not something has been done before. Are they taking a newer approach? Are they using a different point of view? We want the producer to think through those kinds of things.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

I have a quick question. What do you require from the new government as of now? What's on your ask list? What's your number one priority?

[Robin Jackson]

We need some money. Right now we're between contribution agreements; our contribution agreement ended on October 5, 2006. We understand there is a submission in process to Treasury Board. We're very hopeful it will be renewed.

In an ideal world, if you asked me for my Christmas list, I'd say I'd like more money to do more things. We get an enormous number of applications, and we could do a lot more.

But on a basic Christmas list, I'd like to see a renewed contribution agreement.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

Mr. Kotto.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Welcome, Ms. Jackson and Mr. Robichaud. I would like to begin by paying tribute to you for the quality of the missionary work you do, so to speak, with the few resources you have. I would also like to pay tribute to your rigorous approach and, in light of your experience, I would like to ask you a simple question for the information of the members of this committee, because some of them are new.

Is the next generation of directors, scriptwriters and other people in the film industry beginning to come along?

[Jean-Louis Robichaud]

Yes indeed, there is a new generation in the industry. We established a mentoring program to provide the young generation with guidance. At one time, we did so even if we did not have the means. But there is an emerging pool of talent; these are young people and not so young people, but who are new in the field, people who have vision and new things to put forward.

So to answer your question, yes, there is new talent, and it is encouraging.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Would this new generation exist without the support of an organization like yours?