Cinema Esperanca: The possibility of PolyGram joining the Canadian production and distribution marketplace has meant increased scrutiny for Canadian distributors. By rising up against foreign influence, the existing Canadian companies are feeling a need to prove they’re doing their fair share for the state of Canadian film and Canadian moviegoers. ‘Are they or aren’t they?’ is fodder for hot debate.

In a landscape efficiently dominated by the big players, Cinema Esperanca is a small Canadian distributor with a different perspective

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‘People are starving, metaphorically, for alternatives. How else do you explain lineups around the block at the Toronto (film) festival?’

Andre Bennett, head of Toronto distribution company Cinema Esperanca, says that aside from keeping his films in theaters for a decent amount of time, his biggest challenge has been finding an appropriate place to show them.

‘It’s always been hard to get a movie into cinemas,’ says Bennett. ‘Ninety-six to ninety-eight percent of the companies want to focus on American movies. They don’t represent the potential market within the Canadian moviegoing public.’

Bennett started Cinema Esperanca in 1992 after being bought out of Cinephile, which he founded in 1983. The company’s bread and butter is in art films and documentaries, and up to 60% of them are foreign, meaning that Bennett spends two to three months a year combing the key festivals. Bennett says while there’s no shortage of quality product, the challenge is finding the exhibition windows.

To alleviate the problem locally, Bennett is looking for a ‘big, fat investor’ to help him finance an independent cinema in downtown Toronto; ideally two or three modest screens. ‘A number of European distributors have established cinemas,’ says Bennett, ‘and these films make money there. There are lots of films for which it’s appropriate to release them theatrically, but there’s no obvious venue.’

Bennett sees his theater as part of a retail complex.

‘You don’t want it to be self-contained, you want other things happening to offset the overhead costs. Then the retailers could benefit by having the screens attracting a certain audience,’ says Bennett. ‘I want a secure base of operations so that I can do what I love most – find really interesting films and try to convince people to see them.’

Having his own venue would help alleviate one of the other major thorns in Bennett’s side and give him the ability to keep his films on the screen while they’re still doing reasonably well at the box office. On the whole he sees the need to expand independent exhibition across the country, and he looks to government to follow through on its work to strengthen production and distribution.

‘There is a real need to establish a third chain – a chain that’s not committed to American major product, a chain that’s committed to everything but that,’ says Bennett. ‘The Canadian public is not well served by being essentially restricted to major American product and just the highest profile movies coming from abroad.’

In terms of creating more windows for features, Bennett is excited about the new specialty channels, particularly the The History and Entertainment Network. He’s had previous success with the specialties – his films have aired on wtn, Bravo! and Showcase. He looks to home video as a viable opportunity for the movies he reps, but wonders if the distribution mechanisms are developed enough.

Canadian distribs, of which there are too few right now, according to Bennett, will be anxiously awaiting the results of the ongoing PolyGram debate.

Bennett points out that American company Viacom has had a presence in Canada since 1994. That’s when Ottawa approved Viacom’s acquisition of all of Paramount’s Canadian assets. He’s against the presence of either company in the Canadian industry, calling it ‘inappropriate.’

But for Canadian distribs themselves to make a go of it in the Canadian market – particularly for a distributor repping the kind of product Esperanca does – Bennett says there’s need for a healthy dose of creativity. As an example, Bennett and producer Glen Salzman knew it would be a challenge to exhibit the ‘niche’ documentary Power in theaters. Power, a story of the struggle between the Metis Nation and Hydro Quebec, didn’t stand much of a chance for a traditional release. They used a launch at the Toronto International Film Festival to build hype and had John Kennedy Jr., who’s featured in the doc, make appearances in support of the film.

Jessica Holmes is a second-year media writing student in the Radio and Television Arts program at Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto.