MONTREAL — Cinema owners are happy the box office for Quebec-made flicks was up in 2009, because when local films do well, so do theaters, says the spokesman for the Ciné-Québec trade show, which wrapped this weekend.

‘We need strong Quebec films to do well. People here go to the cinema more often if there are strong local films on offer,’ says Jean Colbert, noting that in 2008 cinema owners saw attendance fall by between 15% and 25%. ‘In some theaters outside of Montreal sales dropped by 30%.’

Last January, Quebec producers, distributors and cinema owners were concerned by stats revealing that the box office for Quebec movies has been steadily declining since 2005. American flicks garnered 79% of all movie-ticket sales here in 2008, up from 76% a year earlier.

The industry was so concerned that last year’s Ciné-Quebec saw plans drawn up for an ad campaign to promote homegrown movies, though they ultimately fell by the wayside, explains Colbert. ‘Other things became a priority. Such as the transfer to digital.’

Due largely to the success of Denise Robert’s summer release De père en flic, which drew in $10 million in 2009, the market share for Quebec films grew to 12.8% from 9.3% in 2008. Six Quebec films drew over $1 million and the share of American movies dropped to 75%.

Market penetration for homegrown films is easier in Quebec than in the rest of Canada — 65% of cinemas in the province are owned locally, and producers and distributors can draw on this province’s slate of well-known film and TV actors to promote their products.

Despite the rosier numbers, producer Robert, who was honored at the three-day meeting in St. Sauveur, QC, reportedly sounded the alarm bell about the future of Quebec cinema, which she fears is in peril because of lack of government support.