Telefilm Canada’s annual public assembly Thursday revealed the growing pains of a film industry increasingly dominated by fewer, yet bigger and more successful players driving for an increasingly global and multiplatform world.

Telefilm chairman Michel Roy and executive director Carolle Brabant reported to a Bell Lightbox audience in Toronto on recent efforts to foster and reward success by indie producers increasingly making films for a world market and multiple digital platforms.

They touted commercial successes like Ken Scott’s Starbuck (pictured) and David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, and cultural successes like Anne Emond’s debut feature Nuit #1 and Leone Stars, by Ngardy Conteh and Allan Tong, which won the Pitch This! competition at the Toronto International Film Festival.

“The Canadian industry has definitely come of age,” Roy said.

And there was talk of giving film producers more autonomy, doing more to measure their success at home and abroad, and stepping up efforts to promote homegrown movies.

“You asked us to be less bureaucratic ­ to cut the red tape, to recognize your know-how and experience, as well as your successes,” Brabant added of recent industry consultations.

From Telefilm's Annual Report

But the Telefilm toppers also aimed to reassure filmmakers at the Toronto APA that expressed fears they’re being left behind as the funding agency backs bigger players doing more big-budget co-productions with foreign partners destined for the world market.

Indie film producer and distributor Avi Federgreen told the Telefilm Canada toppers that too many producers of low-budget projects were deferring their salary, only to see their work receive modest theatrical releases.

“When you’re basing this index on success, you can’t have much success if only two theatres are projecting your film,” Federgreen said of Telefilm’s so-called success index to measure the funding agency’s return on investment.

Responding, Brabant said Telefilm was expanding its definition of lower budget films to up to $2.5 million, but would only cover on average 25% to 30% of the budget.

“And yes, it’s challenging to get the rest of the financing,” she added, before pointing to initiatives like the Talent Fund to get more private investment into films by emerging talent.

Wyeth Clarkson, a spokesman for Producers Roundtable of Ontario (PRO), criticized Telefilm Canada for favouring bigger industry players in its film funding.

To redress that imbalance, Clarkson recommended the funding agency send companies that receive development financing one year to the back of the line the next year, and for a PRO rep to receive a seat on the Telefilm board.

Responding, Clarkson was told Telefilm board members with an industry interest risked a conflict of interest, and that film producers may not welcome getting development coin only in alternate years.

“I don’t know if some of your colleagues in the room would approve if they get development (financing) one year, and they won’t get it the next year,” Brabant argued.

The Telefilm execs spoke at length about getting Canadian film to new audiences and new digital platforms, leveraging public dollars with private investment, and supporting emerging talent with new dollars.

Brabant pointed to the Talent Fund, where private investors can back the development of homegrown talent at home and abroad.

“This is a vote of confidence in our film industry,” she said.

And Brabant pointed to the micro-budget production program to push new creative talent into digital media.

Brabant told Playback after the APA that Telefilm will provide $2.1 million in new low-budget financing in 2012-2013, or a 15% increase on the prior-fiscal year investment.

At the same time, the Telefilm execs insisted the funding agency was pursuing new and bigger audiences for Canadian film.

And for that, better marketing of Canadian film was key.

“To stimulate demand for Canadian content, the way head is clearly marked out: the key is better promotion,” Brabant said.

Those efforts included at home the Talent to Watch series at the Toronto International Film Festival and the recent collaboration with the Canada Media Fund to mount the Canadian spotlight at MIPCOM.

“Our message was the following: There has never been a better time to connect with Canada. I’m deeply convinced of that,” Brabant said.

Find Telefilm’s 2011-2012 annual report here.

Etan Vlessing and Danielle Ng-See-Quan contributed to this story.