Montreal: The Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters is calling for more marketable Canadian movies, pointing to the need for increased production and entertainment value, an increase in higher-budget films and more genuine risk-taking on the part of both producers and distributors.

The 11-member association says the core objectives for any new feature film policy should include a higher return on investment for all parties, including government, and an increase in export potential for Canadian films.

cafde president Richard Paradis says if government really wants to revitalize Canadian movies, our films will have to win over home audiences. ‘It’s not a question of competing directly with the Americans, it’s doing things Canadians will want to see that we can do for less money but are also attractive to audiences. We can do children’s movies, love stories, a lot of things that don’t require cars blowing up every five minutes.

‘What we’re saying is that we don’t necessarily need many more Canadian films,’ says Paradis. ‘What we need is a sufficient amount of money to be able to make a film, test it, and when the distributor and producer think they have a film with good market potential, then we should have funds available to be able to enhance the soundtrack or to do some reshooting. That’s going to make the difference.’

Paradis says it’s pointless to throw marketing dollars at films with little or no potential. ‘We don’t want to be pushed by the public sector to spend marketing money on films that don’t deserve to be marketed.’

In its submission to the Department of Canadian Heritage, ‘How to Make a Renewed Canadian Feature Film Policy Reach Out to Canadian Moviegoers,’ cafde says ‘key components towards changing attitudes and performance’ should include:

* An increase in the quality and number of films based on market demand.

In the event a new consolidated feature fund of $100 million is announced, cafde is proposing up to 70% be set aside for production, with 75% of the production fund reserved for commercial and higher-budget projects, and up to 25% reserved for new filmmakers and film d’auteur projects. The balance, $30 million, would be allocated to script writing and development – a significantly underfunded but important category – distribution in the form of minimum guarantees and p&a marketing costs.

Paradis says about $50 million (from Telefilm Canada and the Canadian Television Fund) is currently available for feature film production and distribution.

cafde’s policy paper says, ‘We also have to substantially increase the budgets of the films we produce. Not all films need to have budgets of $8 million or $10 million, but we should attribute resources to the development of a broad range of films with budgets ranging from between $100,000 to $3 million for new filmmakers and films d’auteurs and budgets of $3 million to $15 million for established filmmakers.’

* An increase in the financial resources placed at risk by both producers and distributors – in the spirit of matching private dollars with public dollars – specifically, for more commercial projects.

‘What we are saying is that if you are serious about what you are doing in this business then put up your own hard-earned money, at risk, in your project,’ says Paradis. ‘The government is serious about doing things; they want some accountability and to be able to show something for their buck.

‘We’re saying we’ve been in the business for a while. We think we know what films work in the marketplace. We’re ready to take the risk; are producers ready to do the same? And we’re saying put aside some funds for new filmmakers and the films d’auteur. But if you think you’re big-time, put up.’

Paradis says some adjustments will have to be made for the French-language market, ‘because some of the [proposed] money at risk won’t work as well in the French market as it will in English Canada.’

* More public funding for development, minimum guarantees, marketing and production.

cafde says the minimum guarantee should be retained – half from the annual $12 million Feature Film Distribution Fund and half from the distributor, at his or her own risk. The minimum guarantee provides some leverage with the producer, and is entirely funneled from Telefilm to the distributor directly into the production, says Paradis.

* Greater allocation of funds for market tests and creative enhancements to promising films in areas such as music and soundtrack, extra shooting days, editing.

* More flexibility in the Canadian content point system, specifically, redefining the number of primary actors in a movie as four, of whom two would be non-Canadian.

cafde argues Canadian movies should also be cast with performers with drawing power outside the Canadian market, and that to compete, the Canadian industry needs the same level of flexibility as exists in comparable jurisdictions.

The association cites the example of this year’s Palme d’Or winner, Lars von Tier’s Dancer in the Dark. It’s a Danish film about a Czech woman who lives in the u.s., played by the Icelandic actress Bjork, whose costar is French actress Catherine Deneuve. The film was actually shot in Sweden, in English, and was presold around the world prior to its success in Cannes.

‘It’s not that we want to shy away from Canadian content, but feature filmmaking is different from television,’ says Paradis. He says the public votes with its feet when it comes to movies, which are relatively costly – $8 or $10 for a ticket, and often more. ‘We know films have international appeal. We have to be able to do those kinds of films, and to do that they have to have what we call star recognition.’

* A redefinition of the role of Telefilm Canada, with the federal funding agency no longer active in creative decisions.

Paradis says Telefilm should manage the funds ‘because it’s a public trust,’ and the agency should probably have input in film d’auteur projects as well as projects from first-time directors. ‘But the rest should probably be based on performance.’

* A declaration to the effect the Canadian market is clearly distinct from the American market in regards to the acquisition of feature film rights, particularly rights to non-proprietary films. *