Telefilm Canada has released its 2002/03 annual report, boasting that its ‘end-to-end support for cultural products, from script to international marketing,’ totaled $239 million in financial commitments. Telefilm’s 2001/02 fiscal saw the agency commit $208 million.

According to the report, Canadian films were responsible for 2.6% of the year’s domestic box-office take, up from the 1.4% before the implementation of the Canada Feature Film Fund, which launched in 2001. It also reports that the recent success of films including La grande seduction and Mambo Italiano has driven that percentage to 3.8%, en route to its goal of 5% for 2006.

A reported $84 million was distributed through the CFFF in ’02/03. Much of that was destined for its development, production and marketing assistance programs, which encompassed 270 projects in total, 43 of which were feature films. The Screenwriting Assistance Program had 100 projects, while the Low-budget Independent Feature Film Assistance Program had eight. The Complementary Activity Program also drew from the pot in support of Canadian film festivals and Canadian film presentation at international festivals and markets. Some of the big successes from this arm of Telefilm’s initiatives include features Bollywood/Hollywood and Seraphin, un homme et son peche, which became the biggest homegrown box-office hit in Canadian film history this year.

On the TV front, $114 million of the overall commitments figure was allocated via the Equity Investment Program. Within the period, Telefilm saw returns through ratings generators, including minis and MOWs Trudeau, 100 Days in the Jungle and Betrayed, series Da Vinci’s Inquest and Cold Squad, and one-offs such as the special The True Meaning of Christmas.

Telefilm also committed $6 million through its Canadian New Media Fund to 60 projects and development assistance within the Canadian new media arena. It divided up another $8 million for development activities, training, promotion, marketing and versioning. Telefilm’s administrative expenses, also included in the total $239 million, came to about $22 million for the year.

The report falls at the end of a fiscal year where Telefilm put its idea of largely supporting major, potentially box-office-enhancing Canadian projects into practice.

‘We have revised not only our fund guidelines but also our decision-making process,’ said Telefilm executive director Richard Stursberg in a press release. ‘We are standardizing and simplifying our business policies and procedures nationwide.

‘At the same time, the success of Canadian products abroad and the high volume of coproduction have confirmed the importance of international activities in building industry capacity, along with the promotion, training and industrial development that we support. Our initiatives are now backed by research and improved market intelligence.’

-www.telefilm.gc.ca