NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 1998-1999 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 1998-1999 © 1999 National Film Board of Canada Published by Corporate Affairs P.O. Box 6100, Station Centre-ville Montreal, Quebec H3C 3H5 Telephone: (514) 283-9246 Fax: (514) 283-8971 Internet: http://www.nfb.ca ISBN: 0-7722-1008-X 4th quarter 1999 Graphic design: Cormier Publicité Printed in Canada recycled paper NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA OFFICE NATIONAL DU FILM DU CANADA Ottawa, 1999 The Honourable Sheila Copps Minister of Canadian Heritage Ottawa, Ontario Minister: I have the honour of submitting to you, in accordance with the provisions of section 20(1) of the National Film Act, 1950, the Annual Report of the National Film Board of Canada for the period ending March 31, 1999. The report also provides highlights of noteworthy events which occured during the fiscal year. Respectfully, Sandra Macdonald Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson TABLE OF CONTENTS NFB's profile — Management Committee 6 Members of the Board of Trustees 7 Chairperson's Message 9 Overview of the National Film Board 11 Performance of the National Film Board 13 Productions 19 Versions and Adaptations 33 Summary of Activities — Production 38 Summary of Activities — Canadian Distribution 39 Summary of Activities — International Distribution 40 Summary of Activities — Technical Services 41 Financial Statements 43 NFB Offices and Partners 55 NFB’S PROFILE 6 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE The National Film Board of Canada is extensive film collection, a conserva- a unique centre for the creation of tion laboratory, post-production and audio-visual materials. Its mandate is research and development facilities to produce and distribute films and located at its operational headquarters other audio-visual works intended for in Montreal. Its Government Relations Canadian audiences and foreign mar- service operates from Ottawa, while kets, in order to increase viewers Corporate Affairs, Human Resources, knowledge and understanding of the Administration, Planning and social and cultural realities of Canada. Evaluation services are principally located in Montreal. Its films are produced in both official languages through its French and English Programs, by in-house and Sandra Macdonald independent filmmakers across the country. The NFB maintains production facilities in Vancouver, Edmonton, Barbara Janes Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton Doris Girard and Halifax. (until May 1999) The NFB has a network of distribution Maryse Charbonneau partners, the majority of which are public libraries, to provide access to Lyette Doré NFB films and videos, thus ensuring Guy Gauthier the NFB’s presence in all provinces and territories. NFB productions are often Joanne Leduc aired by conventional and specialty broadcasters alike, and Canadians can Claude Parent easily purchase NFB videos seven days a week, by calling its toll free-number. René Villeneuve Internationally, the NFB has offices in London, Paris and New York. The NFB is an integrated production and distribution organization, with an BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7 The Board of Trustees of the National Film Board of Canada consists of eight members. Six members repre- sent the people of Canada. The sev- enth member is the Executive Director of Telefilm Canada. The Government Film Commissioner acts as Chairperson of the Board. Sandra Macdonald Patricia R. O’Brien Cherry E. Karpyshin Government Film Vice-Chairperson Chair, Audit & Finance Commissioner Adjunct Professor, Memorial Committee and Chairperson University of Newfoundland General Manager There were a number of changes in St. John's, Newfoundland Prairie Theatre Exchange the composition of the Board during Winnipeg, Manitoba the period covered by this annual report. On September 3, 1998, Michelle Courchesne resigned in order to accept an appointment to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Board of Directors. On Michelle Courchesne Rock Demers Carolyn Fouriezos October 23, 1998, François Macerola (until September 1998) Chairman and Founder Writer and Journalist General Manager Productions La Fête Sudbury, Ontario resigned as Executive Director of Orchestre symphonique Montreal, Quebec de Montréal Telefilm Canada. He was subse- Montreal, Quebec quently reappointed on January 4, 1999. Two appointments to the Board of Trustees were announced on February 2, 1999, Rock Demers and Sandra Kolber. As a result, there were no vacant positions on the Board as of March 31, 1999. On June 29, Sandra Kolber François N. Macerola Norah Mallory Author Executive Director Partner — Harley & Mallory 1998, Cherry Karpyshin was elected Westmount, Quebec Telefilm Canada Strategic Communications Montreal, Quebec Fredericton, New Brunswick Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. CHAIRPERSON’S MESSAGE 9 As a public producer with a mandate tells the story of the famous poem and to produce and distribute films “in the pays tribute to the Canadian soldiers national interest”, the National Film who died for a few feet of Belgian soil, Board of Canada has a special respon- and Kanata: l’héritage des enfants sibility and a special challenge. Our d’Aataentsic retraces the path of the productions often deal with difficult Huron-Wendat ancestors of the film- and controversial topics. We make it maker as he reflects upon the identity our particular mission to give a voice of the Wendat nation and finally, My to those Canadians whose voices are Healing Journey : Seven Years With seldom heard; aboriginal people, Cancer has Joe Vizmeg tell his story people of colour, new Canadians from of living with cancer and recounts a variety of origins, Canadians from some of the medical and alternative parts of the country seldom seen therapies he has been through. on the screen; and to do so in both official languages. As a matter of Our films were once again much principle, we also make a significant honoured both domestically and inter- proportion of our films with new nationally. A total of 65 international talent and in experimental forms. awards were accorded to NFB produc- All of these preoccupations operate tions and co-productions. The Board within the over-arching goal of also received its 63rd Academy Award making films which are notable for nomination for Sunrise Over Tiananmen their excellence, relevance and Square, a film reflective of many of innovation. the NFB’s concerns, being about the experiences of a new Canadian, made This annual report, as always, contains by a first-time filmmaker, in a unique a listing of the films and other audio- and original visual style. visual works completed within the year, as well as the audited financial In addition to its role as a public statements for fiscal 1998-99. This producer, the NFB has also the man- year, however, we are including some date to distribute its productions. In new features, which we hope will give recent years, the principal means of Canadians some further insights, not reaching viewers has been television, simply into what we’ve done, but also with the proliferation of specialty how and why we’ve done it. In the services worldwide offering many pages which follow readers will find new opportunities for both Canadian additional information about our films, and foreign audiences to see NFB our workforce, our administrative productions. The cumulative domestic practices, and our audiences. audience for NFB titles in 1998-99 was the largest ever, reaching 193 millions Once again in 1998-99, the NFB com- according to BBM data. pleted more than 100 new titles, not counting versions of different lengths Schools and institutions continue to be and in other languages, on topics the major non-broadcast users of NFB across the spectrum of Canadian life. productions, representing some 35% of For example, a documentary called sales both domestically and interna- 5 pieds 2 — 80,000 livres looks at the tionally. It is difficult to estimate life of women who drive trucks while viewers in the institutional context, Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows but recent studies indicate that in NFB charts the progress of professional films represent about 25% of a/v wrestling’s brightest star and provides holdings in Canadian school libraries, a vivid portrait of the wrestling world, and that viewings in the institutional John McCrae’s War: In Flanders Field setting exceed 13,000,000 a year. 10 Finding new and effective ways to These are some of the results of the serve young audiences using the inter- year 1998-1999. However, facts and net, both as a delivery mechanism for statistics tell only a small part of the existing productions and as a produc- story. They do not speak of the impor- tion medium in its own terms, has tant role the NFB plays in supporting been a major preoccupation of the and helping new talents find their Board in recent years — a preoccupa- place in the sun. Or of the NFB’s duty tion likely to intensify in future. to deal with complex and controversial subjects that are nonetheless essential The home consumer market has also in order to enlighten public opinion been a very effective outlet for some and provoke public discussion and productions. For example, Le Rocket, debate on fundamental issues in a film on the life and career of hockey Canadian society. And then there’s the icon Maurice “Rocket” Richard was a front-line role played by the NFB in best-seller in the home video market research and development related to in 1998-99, with more than 30,000 new technologies in order to, among copies sold. other things, provide new or renewed access to this rich heritage belonging As a public producer and distributor to Canadians. And, last but not least, now entering its 60th year, the the partnerships the NFB has developed National Film Board of Canada is the with the private sector and with other custodian, through its film collection, organizations in the public sector so of a very significant part of Canada’s that Canadians and others the world audio-visual history.