Commissioned by both Industry and Heritage, the final copy of the Wall Communications study of Canadian feature film policy framework has been filed, the latest contribution to the PolyGram Filmed Entertainment debate.

Without providing specific recommendations on policy changes, the paper, written by telecommunications consultant Dr. Gerry Wall, confirms that Canadian distributors are, in terms of scale and degree of integration internationally, ‘comparatively disadvantaged relative to the Hollywood majors’ and that existing guidelines ‘help preserve’ Canadian distribution entities which in turn support indigenous production.

But while verifying the obvious, Wall concludes there are flaws in the current policy. Specifically, that although existing guidelines preserve Canadian distribution companies which ‘indirectly’ aid the production of and commercial potential for Canadian features, there is no policy in place which guarantees current sources of distribution revenue will remain consistent in the face of emerging technologies and the growth of the global marketplace.

In tandem, with or without Canadian cultural policy, distributors purchasing bundled distribution rights for both the u.s. and Canada is a challenge local distributors already face, as well as size and integration disadvantages, and ‘lack of a pervasive Canadian media structure for the promotion of Canadian features,’ Wall observes.

The study concludes with recommendations that it’s time to consider a ‘forward-looking’ policy framework for the Canadian feature film industry. ‘Such a framework would need to recognize the importance of access to equity capital and other sources of financing as the Government restructures its overall fiscal framework in favor of lower direct public expenditures.’

Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters president Dan Johnson is upholding the paper as ‘providing a recognition of the structural realities and of the important role of distribution in the film industry.’

‘It may strike those of us that work in the industry as obvious, but now it’s on paper in a study for both Heritage and Industry so they can recognize the facts.’

But new Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association president Doug Frith says the paper points to bigger issues of how Canadian product fares internationally.

‘Because of the growth of the export of film and television over the last decade and the international buy and sell system that’s developing, I think the question is what is the net result going to be for Canadian productions with any policy that inhibits the ability of Hollywood to access Canadian programs.

‘The policy should at the very least be publicly debated.’ AV