John deNottbeck, Wanted! Post-Production, Toronto

While there may never be enough production money to go around, Canadian television should be able to avoid a repeat of last year’s funding crisis now that the federal government has restored its $100-million commitment to the Canadian Television Fund for 2004 and 2005.

Things are going to be a little different at this year’s Genies, with Quebec films better represented than ever and the Genie broadcast torch passing to CHUM from CBC. The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television announced the nominees for the 24th annual Genie Awards March 16, with the event to be held in Toronto May 1.

MIPTV enjoyed an unexpected uptick last year – seeing a busier-than-expected floor despite a slight drop in attendance – and as Canadian buyers and sellers again jet off to the five-day market in the sunny south of France, many are optimistic that MIP’s improved (if not yet actually ‘good’) luck will continue into 2004.
Funder and lead flag-waver Telefilm Canada has lured a record-breaking 82 companies into its 400-square-foot pavilion, up from 65 last time and 52 in 2002.

Following its purchase of Vancouver-based Mainframe Entertainment last year, U.S. animation producer IDT has added another Canadian property to its growing stable with the acquisition of DKP Effects.
John Morch, DKP’s VP of business development, says business will go on as usual for the Toronto-based CG effects company, but he is definitely excited about future collaborations with IDT.

SARS, a strong loonie and increased competition from other territories teamed up to take an 11% bite out of Ontario’s production sector in 2003, according to stats recently released by the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
Total film and TV spending in the province was $874.1 million last year, down from the approximate $980 million paid out in 2002 and 2001. The total number of productions – including foreign and domestic series, features, docs, pilots, animation and minis – in Ontario last year was 173, down from 240 in ’02.

The axe that has been hanging over Toronto post house Casablanca seemed to drop a few more inches this month following the release of a financial report from parent Alliance Atlantis Communications which restated the company’s plans to back away from TV and feature film production and which, according to one source, has sent staff at the shop and its animation and FX sister Calibre Digital Pictures ‘scrambling’ to find new jobs.

The story remains the same at the domestic box office, with four of the top five Canadian films coming from Quebec.

While long-form docs rarely have wide theatrical releases, The Corporation has managed to remain among the top five grossing Canadian films at the box office since it opened Jan. 16, based largely on Ontario audiences. This despite the fact that Ontarians have had free access to the doc since commissioning broadcaster TVO started airing it in three one-hour segments Feb. 25 to record ratings. In addition, the doc has also been packaged into three one-hours for Knowledge Network, SCN and Access.

Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival and market, opened last year just days after the SARS travel advisory was issued about Toronto, but this year festival organizers are hoping for smoother sailing despite a change of venue after a decade of hosting the event in Little Italy.

After six seasons with CTV and The Comedy Network, Mike Bullard has network-hopped himself right off Canadian airwaves, failing to last a full season after defecting to Global.

* Samantha Morris has been promoted to producer at Vancouver-based Brightlight Pictures and will oversee the production of Pink Ludoos in May on Vancouver Island and then work in reality and lifestyle television. Previously, she was assistant producer to Shawn Williamson.