Movies - Cinema of Canada

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	Movies - Cinema of Canada

The cinema of Canada has produced many people who have made an impact in the cinema of the world, despite the small scale of the Canadian film industry.

Overview

International production and distribution

Much of Canada's film and television industry produces output geared towards mainstream North American audiences. The major production centres are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver; Vancouver is the second largest film and television production centre in North America (after Los Angeles).

Alliance Atlantis is currently the largest and most successful Canadian media company, and is the major Canadian distributor of American and international films. In fall, 2003, it ceased to produce films and almost all television to focus instead on distribution. Lions Gate Entertainment has also become a major distributor in recent years.

One particular film production house, the National Film Board of Canada, had become internationally famous for its animation and documentary production. More recently it has been criticized for its increasingly commercial orientation; only one third of its budget is now spent on the production of new films.

Domestic-oriented production and distribution

Canada also produces films which are not driven by concerns for the American market.

Of all Canadian cultural industries, English-Canadian cinema has the hardest time escaping the shadow of its American counterpart. Between the marketing budgets of mainstream films, and the largely US-controlled film distribution networks, it has been nearly impossible for most distinctively Canadian films to break through to a wide audience. In many Canadian cities, in fact, moviegoers do not even have the option of seeing such films, as they are not shown at any. As a result, a Canadian film is usually considered a runaway hit if it makes as little as $1 million at the box office.

French-Canadian films, on the other hand, are often more successful—as with French-language television, the language difference makes Quebec audiences much more receptive to Canadian-produced film. In most years, the top-grossing Canadian film is a French-language film from Quebec (see Cinema of Quebec).

As a result of the economic challenges involved in Canadian film production, film funding is often provided by government bodies such as Telefilm Canada, and CBC Television is often a Canadian film's most lucrative potential market. However, an established network of film festivals also provide important marketing and audience opportunities for Canadian films. The major festival is the Toronto International Film Festival and is considered one of the most important events in North American film, showcasing Hollywood films, cinema from around the world, and Canadian film. The smaller Vancouver International Film Festival features films from around the world, and festivals in Montreal, Quebec and Greater Sudbury, Ontario (Cinéfest) —among other cities—are also important opportunities for Canadian filmmakers to gain exposure among more populist film audiences.

Problems in the Canadian film industry

Although Canadian films have often received critical praise, and the National Film Board has won more Academy Awards than almost any other institution (for both their animation and documentary work), it is almost a national joke that Canadian films fail to make back their production costs at the box office. One This Hour Has 22 Minutes sketch parodied an Atom Egoyan-like director whose films had won numerous international awards, but had never actually been released in theatres.

With the exception of a few Quebec films (e.g. Les Boys
), almost no Canadian film makes back its budget in its Canadian release. For example, Men With Brooms made CA$1,000,000 in its general domestic release, which by Canadian standards is fairly high. However, it was made on a budget of over CA$7,000,000.

By comparison, Australian films, made in a country with a smaller population than Canada's, may make their money back from their respective domestic markets may do comparatively better; the best known example is Mad Max
, made with the then unknown Mel Gibson, and with a budget of AU$350,000, and which made AU$5.6 million in its domestic release alone.

Although many Canadians have made their names in Hollywood, they have, with few exceptions, started their careers in Los Angeles rather than Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, all thriving filmmaking centers. Again, this contrasts with the Australian experience, where actors and filmmakers often find an American career based on their success in their domestic market; for example, Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving all became well known for work in their home market before moving to the United States.

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