Montreal: Coproduction financing structures are at the top of the agenda for the upcoming Canada/ France Mixed Commission meetings in Paris, Dec. 12-13.

‘The French are somewhat concerned with the way financing is going in Canadaand very concerned about twinning in animation (series) and animation structures,’ says Deborah Drisdell, Telefilm Canada’s director, international relations.

Per Drisdell, the French side holds Canada is ‘artificially inflating’ the Canadian portion of the financing by using part of the much larger French broadcaster’s licence fee. The specific concern is French-language coproductions and the use of that ‘piece’ of the French licence which exceeds the qualifying level.

As for the twinning issue, Drisdell says the French interpretation in animation series does not coincide with Canada’s.

Use of funds from France’s Fonds de Soutien is at the core of the issue.

Drisdell says the real problem ‘is the difficulty of financing animation in Canada,’ and while current projects may not be in jeopardy, they will definitely have to be restructured, she says.

France’s Centre National de la Cinematographie has made a firm decision – which will not be reviewed – holding only the French portion of twinned productions qualifies for Fonds de Soutien monies, not the Canadian twin.

At issue is the practice of Canadian animation producers who merge both twinned productions into a single financing structure. With this practice, 52 episodes of a twinned animation series, as opposed to 26, the domestic total, are consolidated for maximum benefits.

Yves Moquin, chairman of Montreal-based Coscient Group, Cactus Animation’s parent company, says the lawyers will be called in to restructure the deals.

Says David Patterson, president of Mediatoon, Montreal: ‘The cnc’s interpretation is unfortunate because it is counter to the interests of both French and Canadian producers.’

In a twinning arrangement, series are developed separately in each country, an approach producers say generates creative efficiencies and savings. Under the new cnc ruling, producers will be obliged to ‘split the series’ on a 50/50 coproduction basis, ultimately for the same benefits otherwise available to the single financing structure.

In reference to the Canada/u.k. Mixed Commission, being held in London Nov. 21-22, Drisdell says the Canada/u.k. treaty is working well, but there’s a concerted effort to stimulate more activity in television.