Convergence has been a shaky mast for Canadian broadcasters to nail their colors to amid a softening economy.

While Y2K turned out to be a record year for the Canadian film and TV industry, with a tally of $4.4 billion in production, a much deflated figure is sure to characterize 2001, a year in which various events south of the border had a jolting impact locally.

Degrassi: The Next Generation

‘I created Kensington, but he created King.’

Distributor Film Release Total Box

EIGHT players in Canada’s post-production industry answer the question: ‘What was the biggest story in equipment in 2001?’

Looking back at the inaugural issue of Playback magazine, published Sept. 29, 1986, provides a poignant reminder of how far the Canadian film and television industry has come in 15 years, how some things never change and how Playback has truly been there all the way, morphing and evolving alongside an ever-burgeoning production and broadcasting community.

While it’s no surprise two of Atom Egoyan’s films placed high on Playback’s list of top Canadian films of the past 15 years, with The Sweet Hereafter taking first place and Exotica fifth, the absence of David Cronenberg films might raise some eyebrows. Canada’s master of macabre proved his own toughest competition, with many votes being divided evenly among Dead Ringers, Crash, eXistenZ and Naked Lunch, with none making the final cut.

Dan Lyon is the executive VP of distribution for TVA International.

Each year at the Genie Awards, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents the Golden Reel Award to the producer(s) of the Canadian film that earned the highest domestic revenue at the box office during that year’s qualifying period. The following is a list of the top grossers of the year in Playback’s lifetime.

Elizabeth McDonald is president and CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association. In this article, she reflects on the growth of indigenous Canadian production over the past 15 years, and the challenges it faces over the next 15.

Phyllis Yaffe is CEO of Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting. In this article she looks at the past, present and future of diverse Canadian programming.