Measures related to film and audiovisual productions
Audiovisual productions include productions or programs, including those that are digitally produced, that are intended to be viewed in movie theatres, on television networks, on DVD and on Internet streaming platforms.
Film and television help promote national culture and have significant economic effects. In Quebec, like elsewhere in the world, film and television are constantly evolving, changing and undergoing many shifts.
Following two years of consultations with several associations, organizations and individuals, in 2003 the government adopted the Plan de soutien au cinema et a la production audiovisuelle (available online in French only), which defines courses of action in that sector. The purpose of the plan is to stimulate creation; promote the production of French feature films, short films and documentaries; encourage diversity and access; preserve heritage, among other things by implementing the Regulation respecting the legal deposit of films; expand film education; and consolidate the industry.
Some courses of action in the plan have changed after work had been carried out in order to take account of changes in the sector, which is marked by the digital revolution. There are two ministerial actions of note:
- the rapport du Groupe de travail sur les enjeux du cinema quebecois (available online in French only), which was submitted in 2013. In that report, several recommendations were taken into consideration to provide courses of action for the Societe de developpement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) to update its film and television production support programs;
- Quebec's Digital Cultural Plan, which was unveiled in 2014, which specifies interventions notably for creation and broadcasting.
Tele-Quebec is Quebec's public educational and cultural television channel. The purpose of its programming is to be able to help people acquire knowledge and promote artistic and cultural living.
Regulation
There are four pieces of legislation governing interventions by the Ministere de la Culture et des Communications (MCC) and state-owned enterprises: the Cinema Act, the Act respecting the Societe de devefoppement des entreprises culturelles, the Act respecting Bibliotheque et Archives nationales du Quebec and the Act respecting the Societe de telediffusion du Quebec.
The mission of the Regie du cinema is notably to rate films screened in Quebec by distributors that have the right to do so and to notify the public, including young people and their parents, of that rating (workshops, pamphlets, etc.).
Help for the industry and artists
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec (CALQ) supports artistic production, experimentation and creation and helps to broaden that influence in Quebec, in the rest of Canada and abroad through grants and awards (available online in French only) (emerging artist, development or career grants or awards).
The SODEC is mainly responsible for the Government of Quebec's involvement in promoting film and television production (available online in French only). lt supports the development, production, promotion and dissemination of film and television work, as well as emerging work. it offers the services of an investment bank and supports the dissemination of Quebec film and television productions on the international market as along with the development of foreign markets through the Programme d'aide a l'exportation et au rayonnement culturel (available online in French only).
Since 2014, the SODEC has offered a film residency, called Regard sur Montreal, in collaboration with the Conseil des arts de Montreal and the National Filmboard of Canada.
The Government of Quebec also offers three refundable tax credits that are jointly managed by the SODEC and Revenu Quebec: the refundable tax credit for film and television production (available online in French only), the refundable tax credit for film dubbing (available online in French only), and the refundable tax credit for film or television production services.
Lastly, through its participation in the TV5 channel, Quebec offers an international showcase for Quebec's audiovisual productions.
The Quebec film and audiovisual industry is evolving in a context that is heavily influenced by international competition and the accelerated development of new technologies. The MCC is aware of the significant challenges that the industry must tackle and supports the industry's development and consolidation, while fostering the emergence and promotion of Quebec filmmaking and audiovisual productions.
For example, in 2014-2015, the SODEC funded 26 fictional feature films, 28 documentaries and 22 young filmmakers' productions.
The challenge in the coming years for the film industry will be to reach audiences on multiple screens while encouraging them to have a collective experience in movie theatres, and fostering diversity in films to meet their expectations, while supporting the development of national filmmaking.
In 2014-2015, the SODEC approved the following funding for the film and television production sector:
$CAD 30.6M in assistance programs;
$CAD 1.7M in programs for cultural promotion and export;
$CAD 19.3M in funding for companies;
$CAD 2.6M in interim tax credit funding.
In addition, according to SODEC estimates, the following amounts were allocated as cultural tax credits:
$CAD 139.2M in tax credits for Quebec film and television production;
$CAD 4.2M in tax credits for film dubbing;
$CAD 117.7M in tax credits for film or television production services.
In 2014-2015, the CALQ provided awards totalling $CAD 2.5M to artists in addition to a total $CAD 1.5M in grants to organizations in the film and video industry. The indicated amounts were taken from the SODEC's and CALQ's 2014-2015 annual reports.
As for the MCC, in 2011 it provided $CAD 2.4M over two years to digitize movie theatres and $CAD 1M in 2014 to digitize parallel movie theatres. In 2014-2015, the MCC also granted $CAD 191K to the Association des cinemas paralleles du Quebec and $CAD 1.7M to the Cinematheque quebecoise.
Lastly, the Government of Quebec awarded a $CAD 61.6M to Tele-Quebec for 2014-2015.