Testifying:
Chris Haddock

Telefilm began funding TV production in 1983 with the creation of the Canadian Broadcast Program Development Fund. Since then, the agency has helped finance more than 4,300 TV projects. One of the beneficiaries has been Chris Haddock, president of Haddock Entertainment, which has received Telefilm support for its CBC series Da Vinci’s Inquest and Intelligence.

‘Without the contributions of Telefilm, we would not have been able to make Da Vinci’s Inquest or Intelligence or any of our movies. They have been great investors who have done a good job of standing up for Canadian productions, and now we have the honor, through sales abroad, to return some of that investment to Telefilm. Hopefully that will feed other productions – and not necessarily our own.

‘The [film and TV] subsidy system gives you a degree of creative freedom and independence, because the investment stakes are lower than if you are making a show for the American system, aiming for a huge mass market. Many of us are willing to trade somewhat lower potential markets for greater creative freedom. The quality of a film doesn’t necessarily align with more money and more spread.

‘I think the difficulty with the subsidy system is that while it exerts a system of support, it also exerts a system of control. That is the tricky part – the hand that helps you up, also holds you down. The subsidy system has been a restrictive system in that it has prevented producers from seeking foreign distribution – where they might get a better dollar – because of a policy to encourage Canadian distributors. We should be able to reach out to global distributors who see the value of a product and get a fair dollar that will bring a return to our companies and help them grow…

‘I would like to see Telefilm policy encourage investment in a much wider spread of small production companies across the country. I think small companies can deal with the global marketplace in a very quick and mobile way, more so than the large companies. In Canada, we must encourage the small companies. They have as great a chance of success – or greater – than some of the big ones.’