CRTC rejects Vision licence renewal

The CRTC has rejected a seven-year licence renewal application from Vision TV because the spiritual broadcaster failed to meet its previous obligation to air a minimum of 60% Cancon.

Instead, the commission put Vision on a tighter leash, granting it a 33-month licence term to monitor the channel’s activities.

The CRTC also rejected Vision’s request to increase its monthly wholesale rate to cablers to $0.15 a subscriber from $0.08, saying that Vision’s suggestion that more funding is necessary to improve programming and end audience erosion was inconclusive.

Corus wins approval for Telelatino

Corus Entertainment has received CRTC approval to acquire controlling interest of specialty channel Telelatino Network.

Corus, which already owned a 20% interest in the channel, purchased additional shares in March, increasing its stake to 50.5%.

The completion of the $11-million transaction will allow Corus to consolidate its share of Telelatino earnings by Nov. 29. The specialty reported EBITDA of $4.7 million for 2001.

Telelatino operates TLN Television, which offers programming in Italian, Spanish and English.

CineGroupe inks merch deal with Lego

CineGroupe has struck a partnership deal with Lego Company, giving the Denmark-based toy outfit full global merchandising rights to the new kids series Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension.

The coming-of-age series, produced by CineGroupe in Montreal, will debut on YTV and Fox Kids Network in February 2002.

As owner of the merch rights to Galidor, Lego holds the master toy and software licences as well. To extend the Galidor property beyond these categories, the company has signed leading worldwide licensing and syndication company United Media to rep the property in Canada and the U.S.

Galidor follows the adventures of a 15-year-old boy who turns upside down when he travels to the outer dimension.

The series is distributed worldwide by CineGroupe and Columbia TriStar Television International.

CHUM down sharply in Q4

CHUM Ltd. reported a nearly 50% drop in forth-quarter earnings to $1.6 million or $0.14 per share from $3.1 million or $0.27 per share over the same period last year.

On the year ending Aug 31, the Toronto-based broadcaster, which operates such specialty channels as MuchMusic and Bravo!, plus a host of digital start-ups, saw profits decline 32% to $17.5 million from $25.9 million. The slide represents a decrease in earnings per share to $1.51 from $2.23 in 2000.

Operating costs in 2001 increased $34.6 million to $356 million.

Nelvana secures Babar rights

Nelvana has acquired all proprietary rights to Babar from Laurent de Brunoff, son of Babar creator Jean de Brunhoff.

The Toronto-based animation company, which already produces an animated series based on the adventures of the loveable elephant, will control all trademarks and copyrights while de Brunhoff will continue to publish Babar books around the world.

Nelvana plans to leverage its stake through continued licensing and merchandising initiatives worldwide, the company says.

APFTQ, SPACQ sign first collective agreement

The APFTQ producers association and Societe professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Quebec, representing lyricists and music composers, have reached an agreement in principle for their first collective agreement. The three-year contract establishes minimum conditions in the area of dramatic feature films and TV movies and has to be ratified by both parties, says Celine Pelletier, APFTQ director of communications.

It’s the third collective agreement (following deals with video technicians in the APVQ and ACTRA) signed by Quebec producers in the past month (see story, p. 3).

Top draws at Que. box office

Emile Gaudreault’s feature film directing debut Nuit de Noces is far and away the year’s top-grossing Quebec film with receipts of $2,055,169, according to distrib Films Seville. Produced by Cinemaginaire, the romance comedy ranks 10th on the all-time Quebecois release list.

Christal Films Distribution will release Melenny Productions’ Les Boys III across the province on Nov. 30. The first two films in the hugely successful franchise rank first and second on the all-time money list with combined box-office earnings of more than $11.5 million.

Distributor TVA International reports Jean Pierre Jeunet’s La Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain (Amelie) has set a new box-office record for a foreign French-language film in Quebec with receipts of just over $2.4 million since its release on Sept. 7.

TVA’s upcoming Canadian theatrical releases include Century Hotel, Suspicious River and the zany comedy Red Green’s Duct Tape Forever.

Femme fest launches in TO

The Female Eye Film Festival, Toronto’s first annual women’s film festival, kicks off a three-day run Nov. 15.

More than 40 films, all directed by women, will be presented at the Bloor Cinema, including four world, two North American and 21 Canadian premieres. All genres from drama, doc and comedy to sci-fi, animation and music video will be showcased.

The evocative dramatic feature Mariage from Quebec filmmaker Catherine Martin will open the festival.

The Sacred Run from Andrea Sadler, who will be in attendance, is the closing film.

Other attending filmmakers include: Anais Granofsky (Have Mercy), Dawn Kuisma (Shave It Baby, Shave It), festival director Leslie Ann Coles (In the Refrigerator – Spirit of a Haunted Dancer), Roslyn Dauber (Tibetan Women Refugees) and Lianne Klapper McNally (Artists & Orphins).

The festival also includes a filmmakers symposium on high-definition, sponsored by Stonehenge, followed by the world premiere of the HD feature Drop Dead Roses, directed by Jessica Hudson.

TO seminar focuses on Asian copros

Telefilm Canada, the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada are presenting An Introduction to the International Coproduction: Canada, Hong Kong and Accessing Asia, Nov. 20 at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto.

The seminar will focus on all aspects of producing, funding and marketing international coproductions.

Panelists include: Karen Franklin, director of operations, Telefilm (Toronto); Shan Tam, producer, Lunch with Charles (Canada/Hong Kong); Rosanna Ure, director, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (Canada); and Simon Chung, producer/director, Ying E Chi, Hong Kong.

Stephen Ellis, president of the CFTPA board of directors, will moderate the seminar.

WIFTI special grant program

Women in Film and Television International, a network of some 40 Women in Film chapters worldwide, has announced a special series of cash or in-kind film finishing grants for projects dealing with themes evoked by the tragic events of Sept. 11.

‘We are looking to support a broad range of films and videos, both fiction and documentary, from a diversity of voices from around the world,’ says WIFTI chair and Montreal producer Ina Fichman.

Individuals who are full members of a local Women in Film and Television chapter can apply to the WIFTI Film Finishing Fund. Application forms can be downloaded at www.wif.org The deadline for applications is Jan. 11, 2002.