Montreal: Quebec producers in the APFTQ are voicing strong opposition to broadcaster-affiliate access to the selective component of the Canada Feature Film Fund.

According to the producers, Telefilm Canada executive director Richard Stursberg told an early May CFFF advisory group meeting Telefilm would open the fund’s selective funding component to broadcasters soon.

Claire Samson, president and director-general of the APFTQ, says giving broadcast affiliates access to already limited selective feature film funding ‘would demolish what has taken 20 years to build.’

Letter to Telefilm

In a recent letter to Stursberg, Samson says traditionally undercapitalized independent producers would face significant disadvantages competing directly with the publicly traded media conglomerates that own Quebec’s two major private TV networks, Quebecor Media (TVA) and Cogeco/Bell Globemedia (TQS). Broadcaster affiliates already have access to CFFF production and distribution funds in the performance envelope as stated in program modifications effective April 1 of this year.

According to the APFTQ, granting broadcast affiliate producers access to one-third of French-language feature film production funds in the main program would deprive independent producers of $7 million annually. Wider access would further deprive independent producers of already diminishing domestic and international distribution advances, related domestic broadcast licence fees and sponsorship benefits, a potential loss of up to $12 million a year, says the APFTQ.

Despite major differences between the English- and French-language theatrical markets, Samson says she isn’t sure Telefilm is willing to adopt a dual-market policy, effectively granting selective fund access on the English side to broadcaster affiliates but denying access to broadcasters on the French side.

Jeanine Basile, Telefilm manager, communications and public affairs, told Playback the agency has not made a final decision on affiliate access to selective funds, nor determined a timetable for eventual access.

CFFF guidelines for 2002/03, released Feb. 7, state ‘broadcaster-affiliated production companies which qualify for a performance envelope will be eligible to apply for production financing but not eligible to apply for financing to the selective component.’

Following an early March meeting with Stursberg on the issue of broadcaster access, Paul Gratton, VP/GM at CHUM’s Space: The Imagination Station and Drive-In Classics and station manager at Bravo!, and a member of the feature film advisory committee, told Playback he expected a response to CHUM’s concerns ‘in a matter of weeks. All of this predates [Stursberg’s] arrival at Telefilm and I am confident he’ll be able to clarify some of this,’ said Gratton.

-www.quebec.audiovisuel.com