Two of the key broadcast triggers for Canadian feature films, TMN-The Movie Network and Citytv, are flagging their prebuys showcased in the ’97 tiff lineup.
City, sponsor of the Perspective Canada program, has three films gearing up for a festival screening: Josh Levy and Andrew Hayes’ first feature Hayseed; Mina Shum’s Drive, She Said, and Gary Burns’ Kitchen Party, all supported at the development stage.
‘We are an important part of the movie engine for Canadian films,’ says tmn’s executive vp programming, marketing and sales James Leder, reporting that the pay-tv network contributes $10 million annually to the Canadian movie industry through prebuys, licensing and equity investments.
The pay-tv network supported Kari Skogland’s Men With Guns at script stage with a licensing commitment. Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter and Christian Duguay’s The Assignment received equity investments. Including films supported through tmn and parent company Astral Communications’ non-profit initiative The Harold Greenberg Fund, seven of the 20 Perspective Canada films have been supported by the company.
During the ’97/98 season, City has supported 12 Canadian films through prebuys at the treatment, outline or script stage. Over the upcoming year, Jay Switzer, vp of programming at CHUM Television, anticipates refreshing the inventory with another 12 presale deals as well as the acquisition of 12 new Canadian films.
But the most welcome news is the increase in licence fees at the Toronto-based station. Switzer reports that over the last 14 months City made a total of six prebuys worth over $250,000 each, while another six rang in at $150,000 or more. Previously, City licences averaged in the $100,000 to $125,000 range.
City plays at least one Canadian feature in primetime per week. The station has a total inventory of roughly 150 Canadian features, says Switzer.
City generally takes a window after pay-tv, but Switzer notes that if a producer can’t secure a pay deal, City will pick up the film and use its leverage to sell it to a pay channel.
For the upcoming ’98 broadcast year, tmn has more than 15 prebuy deals clinched and Leder says 17 presales are the yearly average. In the ’97 broadcast season, tmn acquired 30 Canadian theatrical films, not including straight-to-video releases. tmn generally provides five to seven equity investments per year, says Leder, adding that almost every Canadian film which gets theatrical release is bought by tmn.
He reports that licence fees have ‘remained flat’ over the last couple of years.
tmn also acquires movies headed straight to video.
City’s program director Ellen Bain will be picking up films at the festival, as will programming reps from tmn. Switzer indicates roughly half the films in the Canadian program (21 features) will end up broadcast on City. Last year’s festival hit, Bruce McDonald’s Hard Core Logo, will air on City after a pay-tv run.
Licence fees alone are not the only important vehicle through which City supports Canadian filmmakers, says Switzer. ‘We are stepping up our promotion of Canadian films,’ he explains. ‘The way you play a Canadian movie is also important, it’s the way you glamorize it and treat the films in a non-ghettoized way.’
Highlighting the director’s name alongside the film, promotional spins and editorial coverage through MovieTelevision, syndicated around the world, are ways he says the station showcases Canadian cinema and talent. ‘Other private broadcasters worry about series. We worry about movies. It’s our single biggest investment.’
City cosponsors the Toronto-City Award for best Canadian feature film at the festival, carrying a $25,000 prize, and this year debuting directors are vying for the new Citytv award for best Canadian first feature film, which offers $15,000 in cash.