Montreal: Organizers of this year’s APFTQ convention, Congrès 2005, are stressing the idea of enhancing international sales for the Quebec industry.

‘Quebec’s international profile is extremely good right now,’ says Céline Pelletier, APFTQ communications director and chief coordinator for Congrès 2005. ‘But there is always work to be done to improve the situation for producers and the industry.’

The two-day event will be held April 26-27 at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, QC. One of the keynote speakers will be Virginia Mouseler, president of World Information Tracking, a France-based company that researches the habits of TV viewers worldwide. Mouseler will discuss market trends and TV genres for which demand has not yet been fully achieved.

As well, Pelletier has organized a roundtable on improving Quebec TV sales abroad. Titled ‘Export: A Challenge to be Met,’ the panel will discuss the challenge faced by Quebecois producers when selling their product to international TV markets. While Quebec’s profile appears to be strong, export of Quebec product to the international TV market has slipped for the past four years running. Filmoption president Maryse Rouillard, Films Séville VP of international sales Anick Poirier and Distraction Formats president Michel Rodrigue are among the panelists.

Another key panel will address the challenges faced by Quebec’s documentary filmmakers, pressed by competition from British documentarians who are backed by much bigger budgets. Panelists will include Télé-Québec general director of programming Louise Gendron, Télé-Astral VP of principal programming and communication Marie Collin, SODEC director general of cinema and TV production Joëlle Levie and Macumba International producer Patricio Henriquez.

New trends in marketing and advertising will also be addressed by New York-based producer and publicist Warren Weideman. Due to the burgeoning growth of TiVo and other PVRs, many advertisers have concerns about their product messages reaching TV audiences. This panel will address questions surrounding the limitations of product placement.

Finally, the home turf will not be overlooked. SODEC president Jean-Guy Chaput will deliver a lunch address on April 26, while Telefilm Canada executive director Wayne Clarkson will address the dinner crowd the same night. Meanwhile, Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm VP Patrick Roy will break down the considerable box-office take of Quebec’s 2002 smash hit Séraphin, un homme et son péché.

‘We’ve tended to organize these conventions with our producer members in mind,’ says Pelletier. ‘But we have also opened the event up to other members of the film community. About half of our attendees are non-producers. It always turns out to be a strong cross-section of the film and TV community.’

-www.apftq.qc.ca