Who they are

Canada’s publicly traded production companies, in chronological (market debut) order are:

Groupe Coscient

groupe Coscient is a publicly traded production and financing company with subsidiaries that include Coscient, Allegro Films and Productions sda.

Coscient has solid coproduction ties to Europe through Group Expand, and through its subsidiaries has interests in a Montreal tv studio, post-production companies, and in theatrical and home-video distribution.

sda, producer of Scoop, one of Quebec’s top-rated drama series, is developing English-language tv programming, while Allegro produces a wide range of mows for the u.s. and European markets. Allegro recently completed shooting on Screamers, a $14 million sci-fi feature film with financing from Triumph in the u.s. and Fuji-8 in the Far East.

Coscient’s diverse production slate is supported by Coscient Marketing, a successfully launched merchandising and sponsorship company.

Paragon Entertainment

Paragon Entertainment, a distributor and producer headquartered in Toronto with offices in l.a., specializes in producing family entertainment for television, such as Forever Knight and the upcoming series Kratt’s Creatures. With the recent acquisition of u.k.-based HandMade Films (The Meaning of Life, Mona Lisa), Paragon is moving gradually into the production of feature films. Paragon also recently purchased 50% of Ottawa-based animation house Lacewood Entertainment, thereby launching it into the animation market.

Paragon International, the company’s distribution arm, is a leading distributor with rights to such prestigious titles as the Rolling Stones documentary, At the Max. Paragon trades on the tse. In 1994, the company’s production total was $47 million, with two movies-of-the-week, one television special, three series and one new media project.

Alliance Communications

Alliance Communications is a leading producer of feature films and television material, producing eight feature films, seven mows and 56 hours in tv series in 1994. Best known for its highly successful series Due South and ReBoot, in 1994 Alliance also produced the big-budget feature film Johnny Mnemonic starring Keanu Reeves.

Alliance Releasing, a major distributor in Canada, launched close to 60 titles in 1994 with box office receipts of over $50 million.

Alliance trades on the tse, with headquarters in Toronto and offices in Montreal, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Paris and Ireland.

Cinar Films

Cinar Films is an integrated production, production service and international distribution company specializing in tv programming for children and families.

Traded on the Toronto and Montreal Stock Exchanges, as well as the Nasdaq National Market in the u.s., Cinar operates an audio post-production and recording studio and a large animation studio.

Highlights in 1994 included the broadcast of the top-rated Million Dollars Babies miniseries on cbc and cbs, and a CableACE Award for the live-action youth series, Chris Cross.

In 1994, Cinar became Canada’s most active coproducer with France. Production includes The Busy World of Richard Scarry, developed in association with Paramount and France Animation, and the popular tween series Les Intrepides, coproduced with Marathon Productions.

In the fall, Cinar and Sony Music Canada announced a five-year label deal for distribution of Cinar programming in the video and audio markets.

Atlantis Communications

Atlantis Communications, a Toronto-based distributor and producer with its own studios in Toronto and offices in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Australia and Barbados, had a $122 million production slate in 1994. Atlantis produces for television, primarily family, live-action drama series and movies-of-the-week. Its target for broadcast is u.s. cable and networks (mows) and Canadian networks. Some notable productions include TekWar and Destiny Ridge.

In 1994, Atlantis acquired an interest in Great North Communications, Edmonton, and Salter Street Films, Halifax – two leading Canadian independent production companies – and purchased 100% of Soundmix, a post-production facility based in Toronto.

Malofilm Communications

Malofilm Communications, a production and distribution company headquartered in Montreal with an active distribution office in Toronto, is set to expand its film and tv production activity.

In distribution, foreign and tv sales are new growth areas, added to the company’s established strength in sell-through and home-video rental.

Malofilm Distribution has output arrangements with many companies including Paramount Pictures, Vidmark, Republic Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn, Random House, Turner Home Entertainment, and in selected markets in Canada, with Nelvana, Norstar, and Transfilm.

Traded on the tse and mse, Malofilm recently acquired a minority share of International Keystone Entertainment.

Malofilm is completing a children’s program for Family Channel and is in negotiations on a $25 million feature film called Cancer Conspiracy to be coproduced with Oliver Stone.

Nelvana

Nelvana, an animation producer and merchandiser renowned for its children’s tv series such as Rupert, Care Bears, Tintin and Babar, has the largest animation production facilities in Canada. Nelvana is the leading supplier of Saturday morning animated programs to major u.s. networks.

The company’s wholly owned subsidiary Bear Spots is a commercial production house with more than 100 commercials in the can. Nelvana is based in Toronto and trades on the tse. In 1994, Nelvana produced 102 half-hours of animated television.