Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
Thank you very much for inviting me to feed into your examination of Canada's feature film industry. Today I'll be giving you a very quick overview of TIFF and our role in supporting the sector, the new direction our organization is taking for the future, and some specific recommendations around our film industry.
TIFF is a not-for-profit charitable organization that transforms the way people see the world through film. You know us best for our flagship event, the annual Toronto International Film Festival. It is one of the two most important film festivals in the world, and it's the largest public film festival anywhere. The festival is also a must-attend event for the international film industry, which comes here to do an enormous amount of business. The festival is global, but it is also the key launch pad for most new Canadian films.
We are now an organization that runs a building showing films on five screens every day of the year for audiences of all ages. We're one of the very few film festivals in the world that actually owns our own infrastructure, a building that acts as a flagship and allows us to interact with our audiences every day of the year. We also bring films to over 152 communities in every province of Canada, and we've been doing this for over 20 years. This unique film circuit, a model that other countries have studied, includes film clubs, community-run film festivals, schools, art galleries, and even libraries.
For the sesquicentennial, we have a very large dream: to identify 150 essential moving-image masterworks from our history, to digitize them, and to make them free to all Canadians in 2017.
Now I have just a few numbers: we have an annual economic impact of $189 million, and 1.4 million people attend all our activities every year.
Today I'd like to address two areas that I think are key to the success of Canada's film industry: acting globally and talent development.
These days, if you're not a global player, you risk irrelevance. The creative economy is moving at such speed and undergoing so many changes that you must develop international relationships and markets if you want to flourish and indeed survive.
TIFF's strategic direction is to be global: to be the global leader in film culture and set new directions for our audiences and the industry. Starting this year, we will bring Canadian films and filmmakers to key markets around the world. Our initial focus will be on London, New York, Los Angeles, and Beijing. Our initiatives will promote Canadian cinema and provide opportunities for Canadian talent: a higher profile, more co-productions, access to new funding partnerships, and larger audiences.
We recommend that the federal government take a leading role in growing the export potential of Canadian film. A funding program to develop international markets, one that allows Canadian filmmakers, artists, and arts organizations to promote Canadian cultural industries abroad, would have significant impact. Every other major film industry is now extremely aware of the international marketplace. We must be more aggressive in this area. For Canadian films to succeed, the industry must tap into international audiences, financing, and partnerships.
To be a global player in the entertainment sector requires desirable and competitive content. This comes from creative artists, the people who capture the imagination of audiences. Talent development is an essential part of this process. This is the R and D component of our industry. Our talent needs to be trained, developed, mentored, and given opportunities to work and play in this new global environment. It is not enough to excel nationally. We need to continue to provide as many opportunities as possible for future generations to hone their skills.
The Toronto film festival is the leading global launch pad for Canadian films. We provide Canadian talent the opportunity to rub shoulders with over 5,000 industry professionals from around the world. We have a number of programs, both at the festival and throughout the year, that are designed to develop and mentor the finest young new talent we have in Canada: filmmakers, writers, producers, and actors. Our talent development programs offer increased profile, access to networks, and training, all of which contribute to building careers that can function in a competitive international environment.
We urge the federal government to invest in talent development programs, not just our own but also the fine work done by other film training institutions across the country. This is an essential investment in the future. As technology assumes increasing importance in our world, the one thing technology cannot replicate is human creativity. We must invest in the creativity of future generations of Canadians. Their creativity will build our economy.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the importance of your federal agencies in supporting the sector, particularly Telefilm Canada, which is the essential agency in our feature film sector. Telefilm has been TIFF's long-time partner, and together we will continue to drive a global agenda and support and promote Canada's talented filmmakers, both within Canada and abroad.
In summary, Canadian films need to be championed on the global stage, and Canadian filmmakers need the proper training, professional development, and opportunities to compete internationally.
Thank you very much.