Canadian Heritage committee  That's a huge debate at this point in time. It's a complex debate to actually enter into. There are a lot of interests that don't want that to happen. That may well be the way that it actually evolves, but I think it will take a few more years for people to actually get to that position.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think that traditional exhibitors certainly don't want films to open day-and-date in every single platform at the same time. They want to have their theatrical window left intact. Also, I think Robert would probably argue that for his films to create that kind of profile, they need that theatrical window.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think young Canadians are avid to pick up cameras. They want to play in the medium. I don't think we really need to do anything more to encourage it, because it's self-generating. I think that with film, television cameras, gaming, and all of the visual media, kids and teenagers are naturally attracted to it.

Canadian Heritage committee  This is almost an unwinnable battle, to be honest. Even simultaneous releases have not combatted piracy. Most films are pirated before they actually go into commercial release. I think the statistics all show that pirating actually happens in post-production houses. Of course, it's the young generation who are used to seeing and getting everything for free, so this is an immense problem.

Canadian Heritage committee  I support that. I think that's a very good idea. I completely agree with Robert's analysis. We're a very small market. We need more marketing money to create greater awareness of Canadian films in our own marketplace.

Canadian Heritage committee  Telefilm is already investing in some of the key festivals around the world. They have stands and they do a lot of marketing at festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Berlin's, and also here in Toronto. I think that's obviously a very good step, so I'm not sure that a new program actually needs to be devised.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think it's really about reinforcing Telefilm's mandate and giving them more resources to do more in key centres as well as to explore emerging markets. I know that Telefilm is very interested in the Chinese market, as is every other country in the world. We should be very aggressive.

Canadian Heritage committee  As well, Mr. Dion, I think the private sector—and I guess I include myself in that to a certain extent—non-government organizations are beginning to aggressively get out into the world. As I said, we ourselves are focusing on four cities: London, New York, Los Angeles, and Beijing.

Canadian Heritage committee  But with the clout, size, and impact of a festival like TIFF, our global brand internationally now, is such that we can also make an impact.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think there are training institutions already in place, clearly, in Montreal and in Toronto, and with the Canadian Film Centre and the National Screen Institute. I think that a more coordinated policy, perhaps, more resources, and more of an effort need to go into developing new Canadian talent.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's very focused. Every year at the festival we actually put very young filmmakers—Canadian and international—together in a very intense five-day seminar to work with some of the key talent in the world. Mike Leigh, one of England's great directors, whose films have many times been in competition in Cannes and who has also been nominated for Oscar awards, was one of the keynote speakers this year.

Canadian Heritage committee  Could I add something to the debate around international talent? Canadian talent has fled south of the border, as Robert has talked about so eloquently. It's about some of the Canadian names that have gone south of the border and why we can't reclaim them. I think it's a question for all of us around this table, as well as the culture as a whole.

Canadian Heritage committee  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.