Quebec producers are teaming up to address some of the province’s most pressing production issues at the Association des Producteurs de Films et de Television du Quebec annual congress, to be held May 4-6 at Hotel Loews Le Concorde in Quebec City.

The conference kicks off with a special screening of the Cite-Amerique feature drama Monica la mitraille from first-time feature director Pierre Houle and producers Lorraine Richard and Luc Martineau. The film is based on the true story behind the infamous Montreal burglar Shotgun Molly, portrayed by Celine Bonnier (Tag), and was shot in the province last September.

Because this year’s conference is to be held in Quebec City, the APFTQ has invited members of the provincial government to attend in an attempt to form closer ties between the production community and MPs outside the Ministry of Culture.

‘We strongly believe that [the film and television industry] is not only a concern for the minister of culture and this is a good way to make [other ministers] feel involved,’ says director of communications Celine Pelletier.

The next day features a debate on the topic of reality television with Universite du Quebec a Montreal professor Jean-Pierre Desaulniers and writer/director Alain Roy, to be moderated by journalist Emmanuelle Garnaud. The debate will center on the question of whether reality television is going to be a lasting genre or just a passing fad.

The debate will be followed by a series of roundtables, including a key discussion on the relationships between producers, broadcasters and distributors. Hosted by financial consultant Suzanne D’Amours, the roundtable will address the fragile economic position of today’s producers in comparison to broadcasters and distribs, whom many producers feel receive a disproportionate percentage of profits generated by Canadian productions.

Monique Simard, VP production for Montreal-based Productions Virage, will host a roundtable on the new realities of coproducing with Europeans, Quebec’s biggest copro partners. According to the APFTQ, the topic is becoming increasingly important to Quebec producers as new subsidies and aid programs being developed in Europe to solidify its film and television industries threaten the viability of Quebec/Europe coproducing partnerships.

‘We have a feeling that Europe is closing its doors more and more and they are [Quebec’s] biggest partner at the moment,’ says Pelletier.

An afternoon roundtable hosted by Guillaume Aniorte will address the revenue potential of TV-related Internet properties. And Emmanuelle Garnaud will host a talk on exporting Quebec features, a topic that has gained urgency since Alliance Atlantis decided to abandon international sales of theatrical releases, leaving Quebec with little access to effective international distribution of feature films.

The final day of the conference is reserved for a general assembly restricted to APFTQ members, during which discussion will return to the issue of forming new relationships and business models between producers, distributors and broadcasters. In addition, APFTQ members will establish their action plan for the coming year.

-www.apftq.qc.ca