December 2002
* Seraphin: Un homme et son peche sets opening-week box-office record for a Quebec film with $1.6 million
* Jay Switzer steps in as new CEO of CHUM Limited

January 2003
* Robert Lantos acquires 50% stake in ThinkFilm
* Jan. 10-12 weekend: Seraphin: un homme et son peche sets all-time Quebec record with total box-office receipts of $6.6 million after seven weeks

February
* CFTPA trending report Profile 2003 released, indicating production industry recorded no growth in 2002
* Atom Egoyan’s Ararat tops Genie Awards with five wins, including best motion picture
* Federal budget slashes CTF by $50 million over two years and hikes PSTC from 11% to 16%
* B.C. budget adds new tax credits, including a new 15% digital animation or visual effects (DAVE) tax credit

March
* American-led war on Iraq starts
* Canadian Coalition of Audio-Visual Unions releases study on crisis in English-language TV drama, fingering the CRTC’s 1999 Television Policy for significant drops in production and scheduling of homemade drama
* Ontario budget removes the ‘grind’ on equity investment, but hedges on tax credit, telling the CFTPA to expect word later in April

April
* CTF reports funding demand in all program categories is more than double the available resources
* CTF rejects 64% of the drama, kids and variety programs in line for LFP cash
* CHUM announces plans to move into Alberta with two new channels in Calgary and Edmonton

May
* 70 drama, kids and variety shows receive $67 million in funding through CTF and Telefilm Equity Investment Program
* Denys Arcand’s Les Invasions barbares wins awards at Cannes Film Festival for best screenplay (Arcand) and best actress (Marie-Josee Croze). Miramax acquires U.S. rights to the film
* Trina McQueen’s report on the state of Canadian drama is released

June
* Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage releases report on Canadian broadcasting
* Francois Macerola’s report on Canadian content in film and TV is released
* CTF announces additional $12.5 million in funding for current funding applicants looking for EIP (borrowed from next year’s $75-million fund). Money goes to 26 EIP applicants
* New Quebec budget includes a tax-credit deduction that APFTQ says will cost producers $21 million next year
* Ontario Film and Television Consortium (later renamed FilmOntario) unveils plans to revive foreign and domestic production in Ontario

July
* July 11-13: La Grande seduction takes in $902,697 in its opening weekend in Quebec, setting a new Quebec summer release record and besting Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean
* Talks on Ontario tax credit stall

August
* Compromise reached on the establishment of two mega studios in Toronto
* ACTRA reaches new deal with producers (CFTPA and APFTQ) eight months before the old deal expires
* Blackout 2003 leaves Ontario and the northeastern U.S. in the dark

September
* Canadian Idol finale draws an average three million viewers to become the highest-rated English-language, Canadian-produced series
* Sept. 19-21: Mambo Italiano makes $600,000 in its opening weekend in English Canada

October
* Oct. 3-5 opening weekend of much-hyped Foolproof sees $230,000 in box-office receipts
* Izzy Asper, founder and chairman of CanWest Global, dies
* At the Geminis, The Eleventh Hour wins best drama series award, This Hour Has 22 Minutes wins best comedy series award, and Wendy Crewson necks with Ian Hanomansing on stage

November
* The CTF announces major changes to its funding programs
* Ottawa announces changes to the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, including an increase to the base credit for labor costs from 48% to 60%
* A new, as-yet-unnamed Toronto company led by Michael Hirsh and Toper Taylor, in partnership with TD Capital Canadian Private Equity Partners, announces a deal to buy animation house Cinar for US$143.9 million