Overall box-office receipts for Canadian films were down last year, though the country hit a high point with the release of its biggest domestic hit ever, Bon Cop, Bad Cop.

According to a 2006/07 report from Telefilm Canada, homemade films earned just under $35 million at the box office in ’06, reducing their market share to 4.1% from 5.3% in 2005. The cultural agency’s target is 5%. The drop is due to the market share of the French box office, which came in at 17.1%, down from 26.6% last year, says the report.

The English-market share climbed to 1.7% from 1.1%, its highest in the five years, says Telefilm.

The box office for French-language Canadian films was $22 million in ’06, nearly double the $12 million of English-language films.

The total box office in Canada amounted to some $846 million in ’06, up slightly from $831 million. Despite this minor increase, the size of the overall market is smaller than in the previous three or four years, says the report.

‘If this trend continues, the total box-office take will remain flat or contract over the next few years and films, both Canadian and foreign, will be competing for fewer dollars,’ it warns.

The report also notes that 18 of Canada’s 20 most profitable films were supported by Telefilm.

‘Telefilm has played an important role in the growth and success of the film, television and new media industries,’ said executive director Wayne Clarkson in a statement. ‘We continue to support Canadian talent who create Canadian content that engages Canadian audiences and the world.’

The new media projects supported by Telefilm drew 140 million page views and nearly four million unique visitors. Overall, Telefilm funded 44 productions in 2006/07 — 18 French-language productions and 26 in English. This compares with the total of 32 productions funded the year before.