Treaty Coproduction, Promotion and Sales

Understanding the International Landscape for Canadian Documentaries: Treaty Coproduction, Promotion and Sales

BY: Maria De Rosa and Marilyn Burgess FOR: Documentary Organization of Canada Funding for this study was provided by Ontario Creates

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ontario Creates, the Rogers Group of Funds, the CMPA, or the Government of Canada. The funders, the Government of Canada and their agencies, and the CMPA are in no way bound by the recommendations contained in this document.

2 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

I. General Portrait of Trends in Canadian Documentary Treaty Coproduction and International Sales of Canadian Independent Documentaries 4 1. Key Trends in International Treaty Documentary Coproductions 4 2. Key Trends in International Sales of Canadian Independent Documentaries 6 3. Summary Observations 8

II. Perspectives on Opportunities, Challenges and Lessons Learned From International Coproduction of Canadian Documentaries 9 1. Opportunities and Challenges 9 2. Lessons Learned from International Documentary Coproductions 11 3. Summary Observations

III. Perspectives on Opportunities and Challenges For the International Promotion and Sale of Canadian Independent Documentaries 16 1. Opportunities and Challenges 16 2. Summary Observations 19

IV. Measures to Support International Coproduction, Promotion and Sales of Documentaries in Selected Jurisdictions 20 1. Measures to Support Greater International Coproduction 20 2. Measures to Encourage International Promotion and Sales 21 3. Summary Observations 22

Funding for this study was V. Conclusion and Future Directions 23 provided by Ontario Creates 1. Concluding Overview 23

Glossary 25 Annex 1: Selected Bibliography 26 Annex 2: List of Interviewees 28 Annex 3: Initiatives to Support International Coproduction, Promotion and Sales in Selected Jurisdictions 29 Annex 4: Case Studies of International Documentary Coproductions Undertaken by Canadian Producers 34

3 INTRODUCTION

1. OVERALL CONTEXT AND GOALS OF THE STUDY

The international market presents opportunities for Canadian documentary producers to coproduce, promote and sell their works. When a television program or film is coproduced with an international partner under the framework of an international coproduction treaty, it allows producers to pool financial, creative and technical resources with international peers. An international treaty coproduction typically enables a higher overall production budget and ensures a release in the territories of the coproducing partners. Better-financed films or television programs are more exportable, and benefit from a higher proportion of international pre-sales.

Within this context, Communications MDR was engaged to conduct a study aimed at the following:

to identify international financing, treaty coproduction and distribution/sales opportunities and challenges for Canadian independent documentaries; and

to provide market and sector intelligence that will support the development of a high-level approach aimed at enhancing international financing and treaty coproduction opportunities; and international promotion, and sales of Canadian independent documentaries; thereby encouraging the growth of the Canadian documentary production sector.

2. Approach and Methodology

The consultants conducted an analysis of available data on trends in the financing of official Canadian documentary treaty coproductions. An official treaty coproduction is a production certified under the framework of an international coproduction treaty between Canada and

4 2021

other jurisdictions. For these analyses, the consultants relied on data provided by CAVCO, the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, as presented in recent studies on the independent film and television sector in Canada, and on a directory of certified treaty coproductions published on the website of Telefilm Canada. Telefilm Canada is responsible for evaluating and recommending projects likely to be recognized by the Department of Canadian Heritage as audiovisual treaty coproductions.

The data analysis extended to trends in international sales of certified Canadian independent documentaries (domestic productions and treaty coproductions). This analysis examined both foreign pre-sales and sales of completed productions.

The consultants conducted a review of literature to identify approaches to encouraging international coproduction, promotion and sales in selected jurisdictions. These included the United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany, Denmark and Australia. Annex 1 provides a selected bibliography and Annex 3 presents the findings of the review of measures taken in selected international jurisdictions to encourage greater international treaty coproduction, promotion and sales of documentaries.

Twenty-eight in-depth interviews were conducted with Canadian documentary producers experienced in international coproduction, international distributors and sales agents, representatives of international festivals, markets, and promotional agencies. Annex 2 provides a list of interviewees. The study included six case studies of international Canadian documentary coproductions. Annex 4 contains the case studies. The goal of the case studies was to identify lessons learned for coproducing in the international market.

Scope and Limitations

The directory of treaty coproductions published by Telefilm Canada was Trends with respect to certified co-ven- limited to partner countries and did not tures were outside the scope of the study provide financial information.

5 3. Structure of This Report

This report is divided into five sections as follows:

Section I provides a general portrait of trends in Canadian documentary treaty coproduction and foreign sales of Canadian independent documentaries;

Section II examines the perspectives of stakeholders on opportunities and challenges in undertaking official treaty documentary coproductions and the lessons learned from case studies of international coproductions undertaken by Canadian producers;

Section III describes the perspectives of stakeholders interviewed for this report on the opportunities and challenges of promoting and selling Canadian independent documentaries in international markets;

Section IV describes the measures developed in selected international jurisdictions to encourage greater international coproduction, promotion and sales of documentaries; and

Section V provides a summary of findings and conclusion.

6 2021

I. General Portrait of Trends in Canadian Documentary Treaty Coproduction and International Sales of Canadian Independent Documentaries

This section provides a general portrait of trends in the international treaty coproduction of documentaries by Canadian producers, in terms of how many 1.1 are made, with which countries and the financing brought to projects by foreign partners. This section Ninety-Nine Treaty then goes on to examine trends in the sale of Cana- dian independent documentaries (domestic produc- Documentary Coproductions tions and treaty coproductions) in foreign markets, including foreign pre-sales and sales of completed from 2015 to 2019 productions. In the five years from 2015 to 2019, Canadian companies produced a total of 99 documentaries as official treaty coproductions. A total of 19 treaty 1. coproductions were feature documentary films, and 80 were television documentaries, including 35 Key Trends in series and 45 one-off documentaries. International Treaty The most important coproducing partner countries for Canadian international treaty documentaries are Documentary Coproductions France and the UK. There were 32 bi-partite and 3 tri-partite coproductions with France, and 29 International treaty coproduction is an important bi-partite coproductions with the UK. vehicle that allows Canadian documentary producers to combine creative, technical and financial Other countries that Canadian documentaries resources with foreign partners to make larger have coproduced with are Germany and Israel. budget documentaries destined for both domestic There were two tri-partite treaty coproductions and international markets. Each coproduction treaty with France, Germany, Israel and Switzerland, sets minimum standards for financial participation, respectively. creative participation and the circumstances under which “third party” countries can be involved in the Figure 1 shows the number of treaty production. coproductions by country and by format.

7 Figure 1: Total Number of Official Treaty Documentary Film and Television Productions, by Partner Country, and by Format, 2015-2019

Coproducing Countries Feature Film TV One-off TV Series Total France 1 16 15 32 United Kingdom 1 13 15 29 Germany 3 3 1 7 Israel 4 3 7 Australia 1 2 1 4 Switzerland 2 1 3 Italy 1 1 2 Brazil 1 1 Chile 1 1 Denmark 1 1 France, Israel* 1 1 France, Switzerland* 1 1 Germany, Austria* 1 1 Germany, France* 1 1 Greece 1 1 Ireland 1 1 Israel, Switzerland 1 1 Japan 1 1 Mexico 1 1 New Zealand 1 1 South Africa 1 1 Spain 1 1 Grand Total 19 45 35 99 Source: Coproduction Database of Telefilm Canada published on Telefilm’s website. *Indicates a tri-partite treaty coproduction.

8 2021

1.2

Foreign Participation 2012-2013 to 2016-2017.

Accounts for Majority of In the English-language market, foreign Financing in Documentary participation in the financing of certified documentary treaty television coproduc- The most recent profile of the independ- tions accounted for 56% of total overall ent documentary production sector, budgets. Foreign participation accounted shows that the foreign financial partici- for 64% of total overall budgets in treaty pation in the overall production budgets coproductions of English-language theat- (Canadian and foreign production costs rical documentary films. (See Figure 2.) combined) of treaty documentary coproductions accounts for over 50% to overall production budgets in the years from

Figure 2: Share of Canadian and Foreign Participation in English-language Independent Documentary Treaty Coproductions, 2012-2013 to 2016-2017

TV FILM Number of 65 Projects 6

Total $132,433,743 Production Budgets $5,446,796

Share of 44% Canadian Participation 36%

Share of 56% Foreign Participation 64%

Source: CAVCO

Over the same period, foreign participation in the financing of French-language documentary treaty television coproductions accounted for 42% of total overall budgets (Canadian and foreign production costs combined). Foreign financial participation accounted for 63% of total overall budgets of French-language theatrical documentary film treaty coproductions. (See Figure 3.)

9 Figure 3: Share of Canadian and Foreign Participation in French-language Independent Documentary Treaty Coproductions, 2012-2013 to 2016-2017

TV FILM Number of 30 Projects 6

Total $38,676,188 Production Budgets $1,734,421

Share of 59% Canadian Participation 37%

Share of 42% Foreign Participation 63%

*Percentages do not total 100 due to rounding. Source: CAVCO

10 2021

11 2. As reported in the most recent economic profile Key Trends in International of the documentary production sector, Canadi- Sales of Canadian Independent an independent documentaries (domestic and treaty coproduction) attracted approximately Documentaries $96 million in foreign pre-sales, in the five-year period from 2012-2013 to 2016-2017. (See Fig- Trends in foreign sales provide clear evidence ure 4.) of international demand for Canadian independent documentaries (domestic productions Foreign pre-sales are important to the financing and treaty coproductions). of Canadian independent documentary productions in both language markets, accounting for 7% of all production financing. A higher per- centage of English-language production budg- 2.1 ets can be financed through foreign pre-sales, due to the dynamics of the different language markets. Ninety-Six Million Dollars in Foreign Pre-sales of Canadian Documentary Productions from 2012-2013 to 2016-2017

Figure 4: Total Foreign Pre-sales of Documentaries, All Formats, by Language, 2012-2013 to 2016-2017

English

French Total Foreign $93,524,369 Pre-sales $2,435,357

Total Production $959,049,372 Budgets $351,790,117

% 10%

Source: CAVCO

12 2021

As is shown in Figure 5, in the English-language market, foreign pre-sales and distribution advances accounted for 11% of total documentaries series production budgets and 5% of total budgets of single documentary episodes (“one-offs”). Foreign pre-sales and distribution advances accounted for 6% of total financing of feature-length documentaries.

Figure 5: Foreign Pre-sales of English-language Documentaries, 2012-2013 to 2016-2017

$11,120,678 Total Foreign Pre-sales $10,305,461 $5,013,999

Total $99,078,961 Production Budgets $203,259,140 $89,554,913

11% TV Series % 5% Single TV Episodes 6% Feature-length

Source: CAVCO

In the French-language market, foreign pre-sales and distribution advances accounted for 0.3% of total documentaries series production budgets and 0.5% of total budgets of single documentary episodes (“one-offs”). Foreign pre-sales and distribution advances accounted for 0.5% of total financing of feature-length documentaries. (See Figure 6.)

13 Figure 6: Foreign Pre-sales of French-language Documentaries, 2012-2013 to 2016-2017

$1,958,665 Total Foreign Pre-sales $110,145

Total $670,084,476 Production Budgets $72, 332,146 $24,345,234

0.3% TV Series % 0.5% Single TV Episodes 0.5% Feature-length

Source: CAVCO

Foreign pre-sales account for a higher proportion of total production financing in projects supported by the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Telefilm Canada, at 17%, respectively. As reported in a recent study on exports of Canadian film and television productions, Canadi- an documentary television projects funded by the Canada Media Fund generated a total of $8.9M in foreign pre-sales over the years from 2014-2015 to 2018-2019. From 2013-2014 to 2018-2019, 9 theatrical documentary projects funded by Telefilm Canada generated $1.6 M in foreign pre-sales. (See Figure 7.)

14 2021

Figure 7: Foreign Pre-Sales of Documentaries Funded by the CMF and Telefilm Canada, by National Funder, 2013 - 2019

CMF-funded TV projects 2014-2015 to 2018-2019 # Projects 45 9

Foreign $8,917,008 Pre-Sales $1,638,831

Production $54,385,998 Budgets $9,792,267

17% % 17%

Source: CAVCO

2.2 Seventeen Million Dollars in Foreign Sales of Completed Documentaries

Projects funded by the Canada Media Fund In the years from 2013-2014 to 2018-2019, a and Telefilm Canada generate sales in inter- total of 15 completed Canadian theatrical national markets after the production is com- documentary productions funded by Telefilm pleted, which provide an important stream of Canada generated foreign sales of $1.6 million. revenues to production companies, as these (See Figure 8.) sales are not used to finance the production.

In the five years from 2015-2016 to 2018-2019, 142 completed documentary productions supported by the CMF generated foreign sales of $15.9 million.

15 Figure 8: Foreign Sales of Documentaries, by National Funder, 2013 - 2019

CMF-funded TV projects Number of 2015-2016 to 2018-2019 Completed 142 Production 15 Sold

Total Foreign $15,947,957 Sales $1,638,831

Source: CAVCO

16 2021

3. Summary Observations

It is clear from trends in international treaty Foreign financing contributed by international coproduction and sales of Canadian coproducing partners accounts for over 50% independent documentaries, that interna- of total production financing of treaty docu- tional markets are important to this sector. In mentary coproductions, allowing higher over- the five years from 2015 to 2019, 99 Canadian all production budgets (Canadian and foreign independent documentaries were produced combined). under the framework of an official coproduction treaty. The vast majority, 80%, were tele- Pre-sales of Canadian independent documen- vision projects. The majority of independent taries are another indicator of demand for documentary coproductions were undertaken Canadian documentaries from international with France and the UK, each accounting for buyers, and represent an important source about 30% of the total number of independ- of production financing. From 2012-2013 to ent documentary coproductions. 2016-2017, Canadian independent documentary productions attracted almost $96 million International treaty coproductions and for- in pre-sales. It is easier to finance English-lan- eign sales are significant sources of financing guage productions through foreign pre-sales. for the production of Canadian independent Foreign sales of completed film and television documentaries, and provide a stream of rev- productions examined in similar periods at- enues for Canadian production companies. tracted a total of $17 million.

17 II. Perspectives on Opportunities, Challenges and Lessons Learned From International Coproduction of Canadian Documentaries

This section presents the perspectives of stakeholders interviewed for this study on the challenges and opportunities with respect to the international coproduction of Canadian documentaries. It also presents the lessons learned from case studies of international coproductions undertaken by Canadian documentary producers.

1. Opportunities and Challenges

1.1 Larger-Budget Productions and Creative Collaboration

International treaty coproductions provide broadcasters and public funders to support numerous opportunities for Canadian doc- Canadian documentary films that will reso- umentary productions, including access to nate in the international marketplace. foreign buyers, tax credits and public funds, locations, talent and expertise. Canadian pro- In spite of the heavier administration bur- ducers interviewed for this study described den and cost, treaty coproduction on higher how entering into international treaty copro- budget series provides the opportunity for ductions allowed them to produce with larger future revenues that can make a company overall production budgets and reach greater more sustainable. Producers also pointed to audiences, as well as providing opportunities new business opportunities that had aris- to work with international talent and subject en for them from relationships established matter. through international coproduction.

Stakeholders pointed to the funding availa- For some producers interviewed, it is the cre- ble from Canadian federal and provincial tax ative fit between the two production compa- credits, federal and provincial funders and nies that is the most important consideration broadcasters, which can help attract interna- when embarking on an international copro- tional partners. However, some producers duction. Higher budgets and pooled talent interviewed for this study noted that there can lead to greater commercial and creative is a need to strongly encourage Canadian impact.

18 2021

1.2 International Demand for Compelling Documentary Stories

Our interviews with representatives of inter- This finding is supported by the case- stud national markets and festivals, distributors ies undertaken for this report. (See Annex and sales agents stated that, based on their 4.) The projects featured in the case studies experience, there is international demand are based on subject matter with broad ap- for compelling documentary stories. One of peal, ranging from global social and political the challenges noted by Canadian producers issues, to science and nature themed docs. is the lack of demand for compelling stories This is consistent with findings from other with more international appeal on the part export studies on the types of documentary of Canadian broadcasters. It was pointed out subjects sought by international buyers. that Canadian broadcasters tend to favour Canadian documentaries with a Canadian focus and are generally averse to sub-titled content, which can limit coproduction opportunities.

1.3 Opportunities in International Jurisdictions

Canadian producers interviewed for this As Canada does not have an international study noted their success with undertaking coproduction treaty with the United States international coproductions with France, (US), a different approach is taken by produc- Germany, Switzerland, Israel and the UK. ers working with American partners. Stake- holders noted that there are opportunities to Canadian producers interviewed for this re- make substantial pre-sales to US broadcast- port described gaining access to substantial ers. As noted by interviewees, the US is an licence fees from foreign broadcasters and important market for films by Black directors, distribution rights as two of the benefits of featuring predominantly Black interviewees undertaking treaty coproductions. Public and telling stories that resonate within Black broadcasters in countries such as France communities. Some of these films will have and Germany were said to be interested in greater success in the US than in Canada or licensing international treaty coproductions Europe. by independent documentary producers. In- terviewees noted that international partners Canadian documentary projects involving US with local relationships are often better po- partners may be structured as official co-ven- sitioned to access buyers in their respective tures.. Official co-ventures allow for some jurisdictions. access to Canadian sources of public funding and may incentivize Canadian broadcasters Canadian documentaries were said to be well to offer a higher licence fee. However, as regarded in international markets. Some noted by one producer, partnerships with the producers interviewed were of the view that US can be challenging. This is primarily due to available funding in Canada facilitates copro- the absence of any coproduction treaty. duction by making Canadian projects attrac- tive from a financial perspective. Also attrac- tive to foreign partners was said to be the deep talent in documentary production that exists in Canada. 19 1.4 Administrative Complexity and Costliness of Compliance International treaty coproductions are recog- There are cases where producers may decide nized as complex to structure, and can rep- not to enter into a treaty coproduction. For resent a significant administrative burden on example, for some documentary projects, producers. In order to qualify as a national requirements such as spending thresholds work in all countries that are party to a trea- and/or the attachment of key creative per- ty coproduction, a project must fulfil the- fi sonnel from the partner countries, may be nancial, technical and artistic requirements too restrictive. For others, the requirement to in each jurisdiction as set out under the spe- submit applications for treaty certification 30 cific treaty framework or frameworks, in the days in advance of the start of principal pho- case of multi-party coproductions. A critical tography may disqualify their projects. It was difficulty with putting together international noted that this rule is better suited to produc- treaty coproductions is the need to balance tion in genres other than documentary. Doc- Canadian expenditures and the involvement umentaries may also require more flexibility of Canadian creative with the value of Cana- with respect to production schedules than dian investment in the production. To these the treaties allow. requirements are added the specific criteria associated with each source of public fund- As noted in the interviews, the elevated level ing. Balancing these requirements necessi- of compliance associated with international tates accessing relevant expertise to avoid treaty coproductions makes these projects inadvertently disqualifying a production. more time consuming and they may take longer to close. Most producers interviewed It was noted by stakeholders that many small- for this report indicated that under a certain er production companies, as well as many budget, typically identified as one million dol- BIPOC-led companies regardless of their size, lars, the cost and effort associated with com- often have less resources at their disposal plying with treaty requirements may not be and less industry support to undertake large justified. budget films or television series that would benefit from international coproduction.

2. Lessons Learned from International Documentary Coproductions

Our case study analysis of successful international documentary coproductions allows us to identify lessons learned.

20 2021

21 2.1 Overview of Projects Case Studied

Figure 9 provides a summary overview of the Projects featured in the case study analysis projects examined in the case studies. Two were presented at major international festi- projects examined are being co-developed in- vals including at the Sundance Festival, Tribec- ternationally, while a third is a coproduction ca Film Festival, Hot Docs, Sheffield Doc/Fest for which production is not yet completed. and the Cannes Marché du Doc. Amongst the Official treaty coproductions examined were awards garnered by featured projects were evenly divided between minority and major- prestigious prizes such as the Hot Docs Spe- ity coproductions (3 each), while one project cial Jury Prize for Canadian Feature Docu- was a collaboration with the US outside of any mentary, the Jackson Wild Media Award for treaty framework. Four of the projects were Best Conservation Film, and the Trophée Or feature-length documentaries, one was a mi- at the 2019 Deauville Green Awards (in the ni-series and one was a single television ep- category of Handicap, Diversity, Solidarity). isode. Featured projects were also nominated for prestigious awards, including for the Grand Four projects involve France as the copro- Jury Prize at Sundance, the Truth Award at ducing partner country. Ireland, South Af- the Dokufest International Documentary and rica and the US are involved in one project Short Film Festival, and Best Science in Na- each. Four of the seven projects examined ture Film award at the Jackson Wild Media are being produced with a major broadcast Awards. license from ARTE France. In terms of domestic broadcasters, three of the projects exam- The pandemic disrupted planned promotion ined have licenses from CBC, another has a and marketing activities for one film’s festival Radio Canada license. Three of the projects tour, and delayed the release of another film. examined in the case studies involved licens- As film festivals turned to virtual programming es from a private broadcaster, including Bell and producers were unable to travel to them, Media in Canada, eTV in South Africa and planned promotional activities had to be RMC Découverte in France. cancelled. Illness due to COVID-19 delayed the post-production timeline of another pro- The documentaries examined also have size- ject. able budgets and reach, thanks to their status as international coproductions. All of the projects examined have total production budgets ofover $1M (all countries and all episodes). Four projects are represented by international distributors.

Detailed case studies can be found in Annex 4 of this study.

22 2021

Figure 9: Summary Overview of Case Studies

Co- Production Title Media Pro- Majority / Partner Major Broadcaster Companies duction Minority Counties Distributor budget

Domestic Foreign

EyeSteel-Film Influence Feature $1.3 M Minority South Africa CBC ARTE, eTV, / Storyscope (2020) length Cinetic Media Intuitive Pictures/ The Gig is Up: Feature $1.2 M Minority France CBC ARTE Point du Jour A Very Human length Point du Tech Doc (in Jour Inter- PROD) national

Hungry Eyes Media/ Stateless Feature $1.1 M Non-treaty US NFB PBS Hispaniola Produc- (2020) length tions/ Rada Film Group/NFB Ideacom Inter- Human +: The 5-Part TV $2.2 M Majority France ICI Ex- RMC national/ Bonne Future of our Mini Series plora, ICI Décou- Pioche Senses (2019) RDI verte, TVO Terranoa AMITV AMI Télé

Merit Motion Pic- Reef Rescue Single TV $1.6 M Majority France CBC ARTE, tures/ Films à Cinq (2020) episode Terra Mater Screen Siren Pic- Children of Feature Minority Ireland tures/ Wildfire the Church (in length DEV) Films/Films à Cinq The Concert Feature $1.5 M Majority France Bell ARTE That Broke Up length Media the Beatles (in DEV)

23 2.2 Lessons Learned from the Case Studies 2.2.1 Attend International Markets and Festivals to Seize Opportunities The case studies reveal the critical importance Merit Motion Pictures was able to identify an of attending international markets and festi- opportunity for partnering with Vulcan Pro- vals in order to identify new opportunities and ductions on a trip to the World Congress of strengthen business networks. EyeSteelFilm Science and Factual programmer. The fact seeks partnerships with filmmakers who can that the producer had met the head of de- benefit from their expertise and who can help velopment at Vulcan a year prior facilitated them elevate their films to a higher standard the partnership. A few months later, Vulcan for festivals and theatrical distribution, and made a significant investment in the produc- notes that for a creative collaboration, it is tion. Hungry Eyes Media noted that visibility at necessary to first meet a potential partner in festivals is essential to drive sales. The North person. American festival circuit provides important opportunities for films about Black communi- 2.2.2 Develop Capacity to Access Relevant Expertise

It is clear from the case studies that success- Films à Cinq, which is headed by a Canadian ful international coproductions benefit from producer (Sally Blake). Her familiarity with access to specialized knowledge and exper- both the Canadian and French systems was tise. Being able to coproduce successfully said to be crucial to knowing how best to requires having enough, and the right, people structure the Canada-France treaty coproduc- in the company to handle the complexity tion. of coproduction, as was noted by Intuitive Pictures. As producers amass experience, their capacity to undertake higher value projects through Coproductions benefit from the deep knowl- treaty coproductions increases. Idéacom, edge and understanding that the partners which has amassed significant expertise in have of their respective markets. Producers navigating coproduction requirements, has also noted the greater facility of working with made long-term investments in training staff partners whose knowledge extends to both in its coproduction partners company, ensur- partner jurisdictions. As described in the ing highly qualified collaborating producers, case studies, two Canadian producers, Merit and enhancing its capacity to undertake trea- Motion Pictures and Screen Siren Pictures, ty coproductions. worked with French coproduction partner

2.2.3 Establish Relationships of Trust The case studies developed for this report ing, are evident in all of the case point to the critical importance of having es- studies. Screen Siren Pictures noted the tablished international business relationships positive impact that participating in interna- based on trust, to successfully undertake an tional missions had had on its development international treaty coproduction. Solid busi- of lasting business relationships. ness relationships, some of them longstand-

24 2021

The case studies developed for this report Long-standing and strong relationships de- point to the critical importance of having es- veloped over more than two decades with its tablished international business relationships partners, producers, distributors and broad- based on trust, to successfully undertake casters in Canada and France assure that an international treaty coproduction. Solid Idéacom International can seize opportu- business relationships, some of them long- nities that arise in the international market. standing, are evident in all of the case stud- French distributor Terranoa brought the ies. Screen Siren Pictures noted the positive project Human + to the company’s attention. impact that participating in international Idéacom was able to rely on its existing re- missions had had on its development of lationship with Bonne Pioche to enter into a lasting business relationships. coproduction arrangement.

Long-standing relationships facilitate copro- Coproductions, especially across multiple duction by fostering trust between partners time zones, can be challenging from a com- and in the best cases, creative affinities. munications perspective. Anything that can Coproducing with partners abroad allows In- be done to help companies develop their tuitive Pictures to take on higher budget doc- international networks will encourage greater umentaries, while also benefiting creatively. coproduction. Intuitive Pictures also benefits from long- term relationships with regular collaborators in Canada, including crew members and directors they have worked with before and some of the finest post-production studios in the country which are based in Montreal.

2.2.4 Tailor the Model of Collaboration to the Project It is clear from the case studies developed for worked with a US partner on a non-treaty this report that the path of collaboration tak- coproduction, which accessed a major broad- en by each project is unique. The case studies cast licence from the US market. EyeSteelFilm provide examples of projects where produc- noted that, depending on the project, it may ers have successfully tailored the model of provide production services without entering collaboration to the project and structured into an agreement governed by a coproduc- their partnerships to fit the needs of the pro- tion treaty. ject. In some cases, producers are working through majority or minority treaty coproduction arrangements. Hungry Eyes Media

3. Summary Observations There are opportunities and challenges asso- There is an international market for compel- ciated with undertaking international treaty ling documentary stories that resonate widely coproductions. Amongst the opportunities with audiences in multiple jurisdictions. Cana- are that treaty coproductions enable the fi- dian producers are finding opportunities to nancing of higher budget productions and work within treaty coproduction frameworks facilitate greater creative collaboration. With with partners in France, Germany, Switzer- higher budgets and pooled creative input, land, Israel and the UK, amongst others. treaty coproductions have increased quality and can reach greater audiences.

25 Treaty coproductions represent an adminis- portance of having access to relevant exper- trative burden on Canadian producers. For tise in order to structure and manage a treaty smaller companies, compliance requirements coproduction and ensure compliance with may create a barrier, discouraging their par- the treaties; the critical role of established ticipation in these complex undertakings. relationships of trust between coproducing partners to continue to make international The case studies of Canadian documentary coproductions; and the importance of struc- coproductions provide a number of lessons turing the partnership to fit the needs of the learned. These include: the important role project. played by international markets and festivals in allowing Canadian independent documentary producers to identify new opportunities and expand their business networks; the im-

III. Perspectives on Opportunities and Challenges For the International Promotion and Sale of Canadian Independent Documentaries

This section presents the challenges and opportunities with respect to the international promotion and sales of Canadian independent

1. Opportunities and Challenges

1.1 Online Distribution Opportunities Interviews with international distributors, ket screening rooms online (for example at festivals and markets revealed how the COV- Sunny Side of the Doc) and the International ID-19 pandemic has accelerated online sales Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). For and distribution opportunities for Canadi- some stakeholders interviewed, it is becoming an independent documentaries. In response increasingly clear that new online models will to COVID-19, new streaming platforms have probably last long after the pandemic. Some emerged, such as virtual cinema platforms interviewees speculated that the theatrical (Kino Marquee and Documentary Online Cin- market for documentaries may never recover ema), as well as expanded festival and mar- from the effects of the pandemic.

26 2021

Subscription-based streaming platforms, in Doc Leipzig and Hot Docs at Home. Stake- particular those which have a documentary holders indicated that distributors have in brand, such as HBO Max and the CBC’s GEM, some cases been able to negotiate higher were perceived by interviewees to provide screening fees in light of the greater region- future opportunities for distributing docu- al reach of some online festival program- mentaries. Stakeholders cautioned howev- ming, enabled by geoblocking technology. It er that while the online streaming platforms was noted that this type of exposure may of broadcasters may provide significantly be favourable for films that may not neces- wider access to audiences, they may not sarily make a sale, and whose run is focused necessarily translate to higher license fees. on the festival circuit.

According to interviewees, festivals have Some producers and distributors inter- extended their online programming. For viewed spoke of a greater use of B2B sales example the IDFA online screening room, platforms such as VUURL to make sales.

1.2 Hybrid Models of Online Programming at International Market Events Hybrid models of business programming at get a meeting during an online event, as de- international market events have proliferat- cision-makers were said not to dedicate the ed, combining in-person and online activities same amount of time as they would if they such as virtual webinars, pitch sessions and had travelled to an event. In addition, online screenings. Some online programming has platforms do not allow for serendipitous ex- expanded to year-round offerings, such as changes and meetings with buyers that are a extended training initiatives. These were said hallmark of live events. to allow markets and festivals to engage with participants throughout the year. On the other hand, some producers who said they are participating virtually in international Stakeholders interviewed for this study noted festivals and markets were of the view that as new challenges as well as opportunities with a result they can attend more events. Interna- respect to the promotion and sale of Canadi- tional festival and trade market representa- an documentaries at virtual markets and fes- tives also noted that, as more pitch sessions tivals. Interviewees noted that online events move online, they have the potential to be work best for producers who already have more inclusive of producers who might not be their networks and contacts. It is reported- able to travel to the event. ly more difficult to make new contacts or to

27 1.3 Priority Markets Stakeholders interviewed noted that attend- Other events valued by interviewees as plac- ance at international markets is important for es where they could build their international Canadian producers to build relationships relationships were Hot Docs, Les Rencontres and drive the sale of Canadian documenta- Internationales du Documentaire de Mon- ries, to seek pre-financing of projects and tréal (RIDM), and the International Documen- develop partnerships for treaty coproduction tary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The Europe- projects. The priority events identified by an Film Market was identified by interviewees interviewees were: Sunny Side of the Doc, as very relevant for emerging producers. a bridge to the European market at which Telefilm Canada, SODEC and the Canadian Telefilm and SODEC join forces to promote Media Producers Association provide sup- Canadian documentaries; the World Con- port to the Toolbox initiative at the European gress of Science and Factual Producers; Film Market. Targeting diverse producers MIPCOM, as the largest market, and MIP TV, with less international experience, the initi- which this year is hosting MIPDOC. In the ative provides roundtables and networking US, Realscreen and Jackson Wild, for wildlife events to help producers get the most out of documentaries, are described as priority the market. Interviewees also pointed to the events. Some producers point out that spe- European Film Market’s DocSalon - a dedicat- cific missions to key international markets, ed documentary platform for networking and such as those organized by the Canadian exchange between buyers, sellers, directors Media Producers Association (CMPA), are an and producers of documentaries. effective way to help producers expand their business networks.

1.4 Marketing Assets and Pitch Sessions Pitching sessions at priority events were de- particularly in development, to support their scribed as ideal to make contacts with poten- efforts to seek financing. According to some tial buyers or potential coproduction partners. producers interviewed, producers seeking fi- Interviewees involved in promotion note that nancing in development lack resources to cre- films that are pitched at high profile events ate marketing assets, at a time when the need have a greater chance of international success is greatest. Resources are needed to hire writ- later on due to the early buzz, which may lead ers and designers to prepare professionally to additional opportunities for promotion produced, scalable pitch documents and to through high-profile residencies. These films support their evolution as the project evolves. were said to have a greater chance of eventu- Producers acknowledge that these costs may ally being invited to prestigious festivals. eventually be assumed by distributors, but as they seek initial financing it is producers who Producers stated that they need access to must bear the costs. resources to develop their marketing assets,

28 2021

1.5 Market Preparedness Initiatives Stakeholders noted that any initiative that SODEC-LAB have taken place at Hot Docs, can help Canadian producers identify po- the Berlinale, CPH:DOX and Sunny Side of the tential international coproduction partners, Doc. The latter two events occurred virtually help increase networking as well as initiatives this year due to the pandemic and the SODEC to help first time coproducers prepare for adapted its support through the Labs accord- new markets are beneficial to documenta- ingly. ry producers. A number of initiatives have been developed to support better outcomes Stakeholders interviewed noted that BIPOC for documentary producers at international producers face greater difficulty in accessing events. One such initiative that was men- international markets. For example, it was tioned by interviewees is the SODEC-LAB, recognized that films about Black communi- organized in conjunction with the Rendez- ties and / or films led by a majority Black key vous International du Documentaire de creative team or production company face a Montreal (RIDM). systemic lack of access to major international festivals in Europe. Initiatives designed to as- Through the SODEC-LAB, industry mentors sist BIPOC producers to access international work with companies interested in accessing markets are needed. The view was also ex- new international markets to prepare their pressed that Indigenous distributors require pitch, identify the buyers to target, and pro- access to resources to promote and market vide support and networking opportunities at Indigenous-led productions in international trade events, to enable participants to meet markets. buyers informally as well as formally. The

1.6 Dedicated Promotional Initiatives for Canadian Documentaries There exist a variety of coordinated ap- promotion of Canadian documentaries at the proaches to promoting content to buyers rough-cut stage at the Cannes Doc Showcase at international trade events, not least of event, was a successful event that should be which is the Canada Pavilion, led by Telefilm repeated at the European Film Market. Initi- Canada in partnership with other industry atives targeting BIPOC-led documentary stakeholders. Stakeholders were apprecia- production companies are needed to in- tive of the Canada Pavilion, however also ex- crease their access to international festi- pressed the need for additional opportunities vals and markets. for the promotion of Canadian documentaries at major markets. For example, producers interviewed noted that Telefilm Canada’s

29 2. Summary Observations

There are opportunities and challenges Hot Docs, Les Rencontres Internationales identified by stakeholders on the interna- du Documentaire de Montréal (RIDM), and tional promotion and sales of Canadian the International Documentary Festival Am- documentaries. Among the opportunities sterdam (IDFA). are new online programming by international festivals and markets. With distribu- Dedicated documentary promotional initi- tion evolving to ever more digital platforms, atives at markets and festivals are needed it will be important to ensure that Canadian to enhance the international profile and documentary producers have opportuni- sales potential of Canadian documentaries. ties to distribute their productions through Producers also need support for marketing virtual channels. assets to support their production financing efforts. More producers could benefit There is confidence that virtual activities will from support to develop their relationships continue to constitute part of the program- with potential foreign buyers or partners ming at international events into the future, and prepare producers for attending in- and that hybrid events will become the ternational markets. Initiatives targeting norm, even after international travel and BIPOC-led documentary production compa- live exchanges resume. Critical events iden- nies are needed to increase their access to tified by interviewees include Sunny Side of international festivals and markets. the Doc, the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers; MIPCOM, Realscreen, Jackson Wild, the European Film Market,

30 2021

IV. Measures to Support International Coproduction, Promotion and Sales of Documentaries in Selected Jurisdictions

This section provides the findings of a literature review on measures that exist to encourage international coproductions, promotion and sales of documentaries in the jurisdictions of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Australia. More detail on the measures examined is provided in Annex 3.

1. Measures to Support Greater International Coproduction

1.1 Funding Initiatives Dedicated to International Coproductions Multilateral funding agreements to sup- international feature film coproductions port international coproductions exist be- with Poland and France, and programs tween European nations through Eurim- to support the co-development of inter- ages (about €27.5 million or CAD $42.2 national feature film coproductions with million), and between circumpolar juris- Poland, France and Italy. dictions through the Arctic Indigenous Fund (about CAD $1 million). Canada has For its part, France has entered into entered into funding agreements with agreements, to support international each of these Funds, providing access to coproduction of feature films, including them by Canadian producers. documentaries, with Italy, Greece, Portu- gal and Tunisia. France has also entered Germany and France have entered into into bi-lateral agreements to support numerous bi-lateral agreements to sup- the co-development of film or television port the development and production treaty coproductions with Italy. These of projects intended as treaty coproduc- co-development programs support doc- tions, including documentaries. Germany umentaries intended to be produced as has created programs to support the treaty coproductions.

31 France Germany

French broadcasters provide sizeable li- In Germany, public broadcasters have a cence fees for documentary productions. significant documentary mandate. Ger- Of the total number of documentary hours man public broadcaster ZDF has multi- produced with support from the CNC, 390 ple documentary slots and through its hours of documentary television were subsidiary ZDF Entreprises produces and produced as majority French coproduc- acquires documentaries in multiple are- tions. A further 40 hours of documentary as from history to science to wildlife and programming were produced as minority nature. ARTE Deutschland TV GmbH can coproductions. These projects attracted a provide significant licence fees to produc- total of €25.4 M (CAD $39.6 M) of invest- ers of documentaries. ment from their foreign partnering countries. Germany provides public funding for feature documentary films. In 2019 the RMC Découverte, Arte and France 5 are national German funder, FFA, allocat- the main national broadcasters of doc- ed €1.05 M (CAD $1.64 M) to eight fea- umentaries in France. The most popu- ture documentaries. While the number lar types of documentaries broadcast by of documentary coproductions is not these networks are social documentaries, known, Germany is known for a high level history and nature documentaries. of coproduction. After the UK, Germany most-often coproduces with non-Europe- an countries.

1.2 Dedicated National Funds for Minority International Coproduction

As a means to strengthen its moder- ternational feature film coproductions, ately-sized production sector, Denmark which includes a stream of funding for favours support for international minority documentaries. The Fund supports 4 to treaty coproductions. The Danish Film 6 minority documentary coproductions Institute provides financing through the each year. Minority Coproduction Funding to in-

32 2021

2. Measures to Encourage International Promotion and Sales

A range of initiatives exist in the jurisdic- In the UK, the Accelerator Program of tions examined intended to promote and the independent producers association, encourage international sales of docu- PACT, is a training program available mentaries. They include the hosting of online to UK independent producers to international markets, dedicated promo- assist them with developing their export tional initiatives for documentaries, and strategies. Sales agents work together financing support for export prepared- under the banner of Film Export UK to ness. promote their films at international markets. The BFI supports international sales France has two dedicated agencies for of festival films through its BFI Film Ex- promotion and sales. Unifrance is a port Fund. government agency that supports international sales of French films. Industry The Danish-based industry organization organization TV France International Filmkontakt Nord, which has a mandate (TVFI) supports international promotion to promote Nordic documentaries inter- and sales through market events and its nationally, organizes the Nordisk Pano- B2B online platform Screenopsis. rama International Market and financing event, Nordisk Forum. Through German Documentaries, a partnership between the German Documen- The Australian International Finance Fund tary Association and German Films (the launched in 2020 provides support for national film promotion agency), the two producers to elevate their skills and en- organizations promote German docu- sure they have the tools to exploit inter- mentaries at the European Film market national sales opportunities. and other international markets around the world.

33 3. Summary Observations

France and Germany have made interna- For its part, Canada does not have a dedi- tional coproductions, promotion and sales cated promotional agency for films or televi- a priority. This is shown by the number sion productions. Promotion and marketing of bi-lateral initiatives to support greater are supported by the Canada Media Fund treaty coproduction between their respec- and Telefilm Canada. tive countries and others elsewhere. France is home to two international promotional In the Nordic region, Denmark seeks to en- agencies, for film and television, respective- courage more international coproductions ly. Germany too has a national film promo- through the Danish Film Institute’s Minority tion agency, German Films. This organiza- Coproduction Fund, and through its involve- tion works with the documentary industry ment in the Arctic Production Fund target- to promote German documentaries. In the ing Indigenous-led projects. By comparison, UK, industry-led initiatives support interna- Canada does not have a dedicated copro- tional promotion and sales, under a com- duction fund at the national level that could mon branding initiative of the UK govern- stimulate more coproduction. ment, the Great campaign.

34 2021

V. Conclusion and Future Directions

1. Concluding Overview

A number of Canadian documentary produc- acquired by international broadcasters, sales ers are successfully leveraging international agents and distributors. opportunities to coproduce compelling documentaries that showcase the country’s strong With higher licence fees from Canadian broad- tradition of documentary excellence and casters, more programming slots for higher deep talent to Canadians and the world. The budget internationally coproduced docu- international relationships forged through mentaries, and more dedicated promotion of these projects strengthen producers’ capacity Canadian documentaries at international to seize new opportunities, while successful events, Canadian producers could take even projects may provide a stream of revenues greater advantage of opportunities afforded through ongoing sales in international mar- by international markets, stimulating growth kets. Canadian documentaries are well re- and a higher profile for Canadian documenta- garded on the international scene, receiving ries on the world stage. global acclaim and awards at major festivals. As evidenced by data on sales, they are being 1.1. An International Strategy for Canadian Documentaries

This study has laid the groundwork on which television, and with Israel for theatrical doc- to build an international strategy to increase umentaries. While France and Germany are international networking, treaty coproduction commissioning a wide range of documenta and sales opportunities for Canadian inde- ries, including social issue productions, pro- pendent documentaries. While every project ducers interviewed for this report noted a is different, there are clearly opportunities preference for wide-appeal documentaries, being exploited by Canadian producers, not such as nature or history programs, on the least with France, the UK and Germany for part of the major broadcasters in the UK.

35 Wherever possible dedicated treaty documentaries. In the years from 2010 to coproduction funds in partner jurisdic- 2019, 51 Indigenous producers had pro- tions should be leveraged to increase ducing credits on Australian documentary opportunities for Canadian documenta- titles and 61 Indigenous directors had a ries. These include opportunities afforded directing credit on Australian documenta- by Eurimages and the DFI’s minority co- ries. production Fund. The benefits of minority coproduction were documented in a At the time of writing this report, the COV- 2017 study, Exporting Canadian Feature ID-19 pandemic had wrought considerable Films in the Global Market, which found upheaval to the audiovisual sector global- that minority international coproductions ly. It is anticipated that many of the inno- generate the most sales for Canadian vations introduced during the pandemic, producers. The study recommended the such as virtual cinema networks and hy- establishment of a coproduction fund in brid market events, will continue into the Canada that would provide support for future. These present opportunities for minority coproductions. Canadian producers. At the same time, it is hoped that exceptions made for interna- A key consideration for an international tional coproductions, such as to allow the strategy will be to address the barriers hiring of non-nationals to shoot in remote faced by smaller production companies locations (due to COVID-19 related travel and the particular challenges facing BI- bans) may inspire greater flexibility on the POC-led production companies. Australia, part of coproducing countries in the fu- and the member countries of the Arctic ture. Any future international strategy will Indigenous Fund, present opportunities be informed by these developments. for Canadian documentaries led by Indig- enous producers. Australia has a sizable Indigenous production sector active in

36 2021

Glossary

Coproduction: The production of an Minority Treaty Coproduction: audiovisual work by more than one pro- The country providing a minority of financ- ducer in which each co-producer co-owns ing is referred to as the minority coproduc- the rights to the work, as defined in a tion partner. A “Canada/France minority coproduction agreement. The latter defines coproduction” indicates that Canada is the creative and technical details of the providing a minority of the coproduction’s production, the distribution of manage- financing. ment and responsibilities, the exploitation of rights and share of income, and the ter- Non-Treaty Coproduction: An interna- ritories where the co-producers will jointly tional coproduction in which the partners or exclusively exploit the property. have elected not to apply for official coproduction certification, e.g., where no copro- International Treaty Coproduction: duction treaty exists between the partici- An international coproduction between pating countries, or where the production producers from different countries, which budget does not justify the costs associ- adheres to the requirements of a copro- ated with complying with a coproduction duction treaty. Coproduction treaties list treaty. the requirements (financial, creative and technical) for a coproduction to be catego- Official International Co-venture: rised as “national”, allowing the production In Canada, international coproductions to receive national public funding in each involving production companies from jurisdiction governed by the treaty. The countries with which Canada does not have coproduction must be approved by the au- a coproduction treaty may be certified as thorities representing each signatory to the official co-ventures by the Canadian Radio agreement. In Canada, treaty coproduc- Television and Telecommunications Com- tions are administered by Telefilm Canada, mission (CRTC). These productions can for ultimate certification by Canadian Her- benefit from production-services tax cred- itage through the Canadian Audio-Visual its and can be counted by broadcasters Certification Office (CAVCO). towards the fulfilment of their Canadian programming obligations. Majority Treaty Coproduction: The country providing the majority of the financing is referred to as the majority coproduction country. A “Canada/France majority coproduction” indicates that Canada is providing the majority of the coproduction’s financing.

Sources: Hot Docs, Hot Docs Guide to CoProduction, 2016.

37 Annex 1: Selected Bibliography

Abbatescianni, Davide, “Nordic film bodies publish first responses to the COVID-19 outbreak,” Cineuropa, March 23, 2020.

Alcinii, Daniele, “BBC, ZDF, Love Nature pen copro for Offspring’s ‘Animals at Play’,” Realscreen, June 28, 2019.

British Film Institute, BFI Statistical Yearbook: Screen Sector Production, 2020.

Canadian Media Producers Association, Profile 2019: An Economic Report of the Screen-based Production Industry, 2020.

Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), “Bilan 2019,” Les dossiers du CNC, Number 342, May 2020.

Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board (CITIB), International Strategy for the UK Creative Industries 2019-2022.

Danish Film Institute, Facts and Figures 2020: Production and Exhibition Figures for 2019.

De Rosa, Maria & Burgess, Marilyn, Exporting Canadian Feature Films in Global Markets: Trends, Opportunities and Future Directions, for the Canadian Media Producers Association, May 2017.

De Rosa, Maria & Burgess, Marilyn, Exporting Canadian Television Globally – Trends, Opportunities and Future Directions, for the Canadian Media Producers Association, May 2017.

De Rosa, Maria and Marilyn Burgess, Exporting Canadian Screen-based Produc- tions in a Global Market: Trends, Opportunities and Future Directions, prepared for the Canadian Media Producers Association, 2020.

De Rosa, Maria and Marilyn Burgess, Getting Real 6: A Profile of Documentary Production in Canada: 2012 – 2017, prepared by Communications MDR for the Documentary Organization of Canada, 2019.

Documentary Organization of Canada, DOC Submission – Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019 – 379, 2019.

European Audiovisual Observatory, “Brexit: The impact on the audiovisual sector,” IRIS Plus, Strasbourg, 2018.

European Audiovisual Observatory, Film Production in Europe: Production vol- ume, co-production and worldwide circulation, 2017.

38 2021

European Audiovisual Observatory, International Coproduction: A Success Formu- la for European films? Presentation to the Cannes 2018 conference, June 5, 2018.

European Audiovisual Observatory, “The Legal Framework for International Coproductions,” IRIS Plus, Strasbourg, 2019.

German Films, German Films Abroad 2019: Facts and Figures, 2020.

Hopewell, John and Jamie Lang, “How Will Film Festivals React to the Covid-19 Cri- sis?,” Variety, Apr 27 2020.

Hot Docs, 2018 Documentary Audience Research, September 2018. Hot Docs Guide to Coproduction, Hot Docs, 2016.

Howcroft, Chloe, “Best of PSM: Collaborate or Die?,” Public Media Alliance, Sep- tember 23, 2019.

Howcroft, Chloe, “The financial impact of Covid-19 on European public broadcasters,” Public Media Alliance, May 13, 2020.

Kanter, Jake, “BBC Studios Signs Wide-Ranging Co-Production & Content Sales Deal With Sony-Backed Chinese Streamer Bilibil,” Deadline, October 18, 2020.

“Le Marché Documentaire,” Les syntheses du CNC, no. 4, June 2018.

MIP, What do Buyers and Commissioners Want, MIP Trends, 2019.

MIP, “Tencent Video fosters growing young audience for global docs,” MIPTV News, April 8, 2019.

Mitchell, Robert, “BBC Studios, ZDF Form Development and Coproduction Part- nership,” Variety, April 18, 2019.

Presence, Steve, Andrew Spicer, Alice Quiqley and Lizzie Green, Keeping It Real: Towards a Documentary Film Policy for the UK, UWE Bristol, UKRI, Arts and Humanities Research Council, 2019.

39 Annex 2: List of Interviewees

1. Mathieu Béjot, Sunnyside of the DOC 2. Nathalie Bourdon, National Film Board 3. Michelle Bruce, Belle Vie TV 4. Nathalie Clermont, Canada Media Fund 5. Erin Creasey, Ontario Creates 6. Nicholas de Pencier, Mercury Films 7. Trish Dolman, Screen Siren Pictures 8. Élaine Dumont, SODEC 9. Ina Fichman, Intuitive Pictures 10. Arnie Gelbart, GalaFilm 11. Prem Gill, Creative BC 12. Jennier Holness, Hungry Eyes Media 13. Merit Jensen Carr, Merit Motion Pictures 14. Robert Lange, Kensington Communications 15. Wendy Lidell, Kino Lorber 16. Michael McMahon, Primitive Entertainment 17. Hervé Michel, TV France International 18. Bob Moore, EyeSteelFilm 19. Josette D. Normandeau, Idéacom International 20. Jan Rofekamp, Films Transit International 21. Yorinde Segal, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam 22. Bernard Simek, German Films 23. Shane Smith, Hot Docs 24. Heidi Tao Yang, Hot Docs 25. Nadja Tennstedt, Doc Salon, European Film Market 26. Lucie Touboul, Dogwoof 27. Jesse Wente, Indigenous Screen Office 28. Bob Wong, Creative BC

40 2021

Annex 3: Initiatives to Support International Coproduction, Promotion and Sales in Selected Jurisdictions

1.1 Dedicated Programs of Support for International Coproduction in Selected Jurisdictions

Multilateral Funding Agreements

Eurimages National Support Funds

Eurimages, a cultural support fund of the DFI Minority Coproduction Fund Council of Europe, provides financial support to feature-length films that are international The Danish Film Institute provides fiction, animation or documentary copro- financing through the Minority Coproduc- ductions, which provides access to the fund tion Funding to international minority fea- for Canadian production companies with an ture film coproductions involving a Danish eligible coproduction project. Total available producer. The Fund includes a stream of funding is about €27.5 million or CAD $42.2 funding for documentaries. The program million per year. aims to “strengthen partnerships and creative exchange between Danish and inter- Arctic Indigenous Fund national producers,” and encourage “the opportunities afforded from coproductions The Arctic Indigenous Fund is a circumpolar – international financing, cultural and busi- partnership between Greenland (Denmark), ness exchange and distribution.” With an Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada, annual budget of approximately DKK 2.5 M Nunavut and the US (Alaska). The Fund pro- (CAD $521K), the documentary stream of the vides a platform for collaboration between program supports between 4 and 6 minority Indigenous producers in Arctic regions and feature-length documentary coproductions supports Indigenous-led coproductions. each year. Total available funding is about CAD $1 million per year.

41 Bilateral Funding Agreements German-Polish Film Fund

German-Polish Film Fund is a partnership be- Support for the Coproduction of tween the German Federal Film Board (FFA), Franco-Italian Cinematographic and the Polish Film Institute, and two regional Ger- Audiovisual Works man funds: Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM) and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg A partnership between the Centre National du (MBB). The Fund allocates €500K (CAD $775K) Cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) of France to support project development of interna- and the Italian Ministry for Culture and Tour- tional German-Polish films. The Fund may ism (MICBAC), this fund provides support to award up to €150K (CAD $ 232K) to full-length eligible treaty coproductions including in the feature, animation and creative documentary documentary genre. Funding for the copro- coproductions between Germany and Poland. duction of eligible feature films can attain €200K (CAD $310K). German-French Minitraité Support for the Coproduction of The German French Minitraité (Ger- Franco-Greek/Portugese/Tunisian man-French coproduction agreement) allo- Cinematographic Works cates support to international German-French coproductions, allocating €3 M (CAD $4.7 M) France has entered into partnerships with for eligible coproductions each year. The Greece, Portugal and Tunisia to support the fund is managed in Germany by the Federal international coproduction of feature films, Government Representative for Culture and including in the documentary genre. These Media (Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für are based on bi-lateral funding agreements Kultur und Medien, or BKM) and the German between the CNC in France and respectively, Federal Film Board (Filmförderungsanstalt, the Centre for Greek Cinema (GFC), the Insti- FFA) and by the National Center for Cinema tuto do Cinema e do Audiovisual (ICA) in Por- (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image tugal, and the Centre national du cinéma et de animée, CNC) in France. l’image (CNCI) in Tunisia. These funds provide assistance ranging from €200K (CAD $310K) to €450K (CAD $697K) to eligible coproductions.

42 2021

1.2 Dedicated Funding for Co-development of International Coproductions

German-French Minitraité

The German-French Minitraité (see above) €100K (CAD $155K) for the co-development of allocates €200K (CAD $310K) for the international treaty coproductions, including co-development of international Ger- feature length documentaries. man-French coproductions each year. Support for the Co-Development of German-Polish Co-development Fund Franco-Italian Cinematographic and Audiovisual Works German-Polish Film Fund (see above) provides support for co-development and may award up A partnership between the Centre National du to €70K (CAD $110K) to the international (co-de- Cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) of France velopment) of full-length features, animations and the Italian Ministry for Culture and Tourism and creative documentaries. (MICBAC), this fund provides support to the co-development of eligible treaty coproductions German-Italian Coproduction including in the documentary genre. Funding Development Fund for the co-development of eligible feature films can attain €50K (CAD $78K). Funding for the The German-Italian Coproduction Development co-development of eligible television series can- Fund is a partnership between the German not exceed 40% of eligible development costs, Federal Film Board (FFA) and the Italian Ministry to a maximum of €50K (CAD $78K). for Culture and Tourism (MiBACT). Established to encourage closer collaboration between Ger- man and Italian filmmakers, the fund allocates

1.3. Dedicated Measures to Support International Sales and Distribution

France market organized by TVFI that is dedicated to the viewing and the selling of recent TV France International (TVFI) is a French French programs, similar to the North industry association dedicated to pro- American Up Fronts. The event welcomes moting the sales of French TV programs about 260 foreign buyers, who attend by worldwide and facilitating international invitation. TVFI also supports internation- coproduction. Rendez-Vous Bi@rritz is a al promotion and sales through the B2B 43 platform Screenopsis which is the larg- encourage greater networking with festi- est database and online screening room vals and other industry experts. This ini- providing information on over 20,000 tiative receives support through Telefilm French programs to support their sale. Canada, SODEC and the Canadian Media The online platform tvfrance-intl.com is Producers Association. an exporting tool for member companies, providing an international database with UK information on 15,000 content buyers of audiovisual programs from over two hun- The British Film Institute (BFI) Film Export dred countries throughout the world. Fund aims to enhance the export opportunities for British films selected at impor- Germany tant international film festivals, by providing support for publicity and/or marketing The national film promotion agency, activity and assisting with the technical German Films, working in partnership and logistical costs involved with a high with the German Documentary Associa- profile festival appearance. tion, have developed a joint initiative to promote and brand German documentary The UK independent producers asso- films in international markets. Under the ciation, PACT, supports international “German documentaries” initiatives, the business development and exports by two organizations promote German doc- organizing delegations of UK independ- umentaries at the European Film market ent producers and special missions to and other international markets around international television markets around the world. The initiative also publishes the globe. A special mission is planned for an online catalogue featuring some 200 documentary producers to participate in new films that are available for distribu- Reelscreen Summit 2021. The PACT Ac- tion worldwide, while a website provides celerator is a training program available further information on German docu- online to UK independent producers to mentary productions The European Film assist them with developing their export Market’s DocSalon is a dedicated doc- strategies. The industry organization Film umentary platform for networking and Export UK provides member sales agents exchange among buyers, sellers, directors and distributors with promotion and sales and producers of documentaries. Part of support through its umbrella spaces at the DocSalon at the European Film Market international market events. These initia- initiative is an event called Toolbox, for tives are supported by the government’s diverse producers with less international common branding initiative, the Great experience. It provides participating pro- campaign. ducers with access to mentors and consultants, as well as structured activities to

44 2021

Denmark Australia

Filmkontakt Nord is a Copenhagen-based The Australian International Finance Fund industry organisation dedicated to pro- provides new support for producers by moting Nordic documentaries and shorts connecting creative teams with industry internationally and strengthening profes- mentors and consultants to elevate their sional networks. It organizes the Nord- pitching, further develop their marketing isk Panorama International Market that and business plans, and ensure they have promotes Nordic documentaries to inter- the tools they need to make the most of national buyers as well as the internation- the current and changing international al documentary financing event, Nordisk marketplace. Forum.

45 Annex 4: Case Studies of International Documentary Coproductions Undertaken by Canadian Producers

1. EyeSteelFilm

The Production Company The company is further diversified through its distribution activities, building EyeSteelFilm is a Montreal-based produc- relationships with US buyers and forming tion company co-founded by Daniel Cross production partnerships and selling to and Mila Aung-Thwin that is dedicated global broadcasters. efforts aim to make to socially engaged cinema and an inter- the company less dependent on any active, inclusive direct filmmaking ethos. single source of financing. The company The studio is currently run by Co-Presi- also launched its own distribution com- dents Mila Aung-Thwin and Bob Moore, pany, which rents films to theatres across who brings a focus on international Canada. In addition to a steady stream of co-producing. revenues, distribution provides valuable market intelligence. The company’s focus is on long-form, auteur-driven documentaries made for The company’s internationaThesel col- theatrical exhibition. Some of the compa- laborators include Super Channel, PBS, ny’s biggest hits include award winners CBC, National Geographic Channel, The Rip: A Remix Manifesto (2008), Last Train History Channel, BBC Storyline, YLE, TV2 Home (2009), China Heavyweight (2012), Denmark, ZDF ARTE, The documentary I Am the Blues (2015), Wintopia (2019) Channel, SBS, CTV and the National Film Yung Chang’s Up the Yangtze, one of the Board of Canada (NFB). highest-grossing docs of 2007; and A Cambodian Spring, which won the Hot Docs Special Jury Prize and was nominated for a BAFTA.

46 2021

The Project Production financing in Canada received Influence (2020), is an international co- a license from the CBC documentary production between EyeSteelFilm and Channel that triggered funding from the South Africa’s StoryScope and Chronicle Canada Media Fund, the Rogers Cable Productions, produced by Neil Brandt of Network Fund and the Société de dével- Storyscope (South Africa) and Bob Moore oppement des entreprises culturelles of EyeSteelFilm (Canada). Storyscope is (SODEC), as well as federal and provincial an experienced South African production tax credits. There were numerous pre- company, passionate about nurturing sales to other broadcasters around the authentic African voices that challenge world, including major broadcast licenses stereotypes. Neil Brandt is one of four to Arte (France/Germany) and e.TV (South founding partners. The company’s cur- Africa). The film also obtained financing rent production and development slate from the Blue Ice Docs, Hot Docs Partners includes factual, fiction and advocacy Fund, the National Film and Video Foun- projects underway with CBC Canada, Arte dation of South Africa and the Sundance France, CGTN China, A&E USA, SABC, eTV Institute Documentary Funds. and MNET. Promotion and Distribution Influence charts the recent advancements in weaponized communication by investi- Influence premiered at the Sundance gating the rise and fall of the world’s most Festival in January, 2020, where it was notorious public relations and reputation nominated for the Grand Jury Prize – a management firm: the British multina- first for South African film directors. It tional Bell Pottinger. Exploring the “dark was also nominated for a Truth Award at art of geopolitical spin-doctoring”, the film the Dokufest International Documentary was written and directed by award-win- and Short Film Festival later that year. ning journalists and filmmakers Richard The film played at major documentary Poplak and Diana Neille, whose journal- film festivals including the Sheffield- In ism exposed the reputation-management ternational Documentary Festival, Hot firm Bell Pottinger. Docs, DOXA, a Human Rights Film Festival Berlin, and DMZ Docs. The film was also Financing shown at the Moscow International Film Festival and the Durban International EyeSteelFilm raised significant financing Film Festival. The film was also screened from ARTE in France. A big part of the at the Cannes Marché du doc in 2019 and ARTE license was allocated to the South 2020 the European Film Market (Berlin) African partner who ran the shoot, while in 2020. Telefilm Canada assisted with -fi EyeSteelFilm provided the Canadian cin- nancing for the international marketing of ematographer and editor. For their part, the film, which took place during its festi- the South African coproducer accessed val run and participation at international a generous license from South African markets. broadcaster e.TV.

47 The theatrical release of Influence was align with their socially engaged ethos. temporarily held back as the producers The company recognizes that its engaged waited to see what sales opportunities style of documentary filmmaking is at- might develop in connection with a big tractive to buyers and to potential co- Hollywood fiction film rumoured to be in production partners. The company seeks development on the same subject. Influ- partnerships with filmmakers who can ence is now selling around the world. It benefit from their expertise and who can had an early sale to Scandinavian distrib- help them elevate their films to a high- utor, NonStop Entertainment and was er standard for festivals and theatrical released theatrically in Sweden, where distribution. For a creative collaboration, theatres were not locked down during it is necessary to first meet a potential the early part of the COVID 19 pandemic. partner in person. International sales are ongoing, including a sale to New Zealand and ongoing talks The small number of financing sources in the with distributors in the US and the UK. Canadian market means that the company is Deals with the US have taken a longer going more often to the international market time than usual to close, in part because for financing. They identify projects through of the COVID-19 pandemic, which created international festivals and markets, and prior to the pandemic, spent about 1/3 of one pro- significant confusion in the market early ducer’s time attending these events. Because on, and in part because of the high num- they have established business relationships, ber of presales. The film had its world Hot Docs is perceived by the company to broadcast premier on CBC in May 2020, be a very efficient market. However, the airing on Hot Docs at Home on CBC GEM, producer notes that for companies without and on the Documentary Channel. such relationships, the current context of the pandemic must be making it very difficult to Lessons Learned find funders, buyers and partners.

EyeSteelFilm is always on the lookout for potential coproduction projects that

2. Intuitive Pictures

48 2021

2. Intuitive Pictures Point du Jour has been producing award-winning documentaries, series and Ina Fichman of Intuitive Pictures has been weekly magazines for the French and inter- producing award-winning documentary national markets for over 25 years. Many and fiction films for television and theatri- of its films are international coproductions cal release, as well as digital projects, for with partners in North America, Europe, Ja- over twenty-five years. She has worked pan and Australia. The company’s distribu- with first time and established directors in tion arm, Point du Jour International, han- Canada and around the world, including dles distribution and pre-sales, in France “some of the finest creators, ‘ideas people’” and the international market, of documen- in developing projects that are both innova- taries produced by Point du Jour as well as tive and have a wide audience appeal. The selected films from third-party producers. company’s credits include The Oslo Diaries (2018), Inside Lehman Brothers (2018), and Call it gig work, gig economy, platform numerous other award-winning films and work, crowd work, crowd sourcing, ghost interactive documentaries such as Once work… Most people know it as Uber, Bird, Upon a Sea (2020), that have played at Lyft, TaskRabbit, Crowdflower, Deliveroo, major international festivals, including Hot Meituan or Amazon Mechanical Turk. The Docs, Sundance, IDFA, CPH: DOX, and TIFF. gig economy is worth over USD 5 trillion Based in Montreal, Intuitive Pictures has globally. People were lured to it by the developed an expertise in international promise of flexible working hours, not be- coproduction amassed over many years. ing confined to the office, being your own Intuitive Pictures works regularly with inter- boss… Getting paid for the value of your national collaborators, including Israeli and work and not based on your gender, race European broadcasters, and producers in or looks. Has this worked out? What are France and Israel. The company has copro- the human costs of this ‘brave new world’? duced with Medalia Productions and Blimey How is it transforming our lives? Through in Israel, as well as long-time French collab- its engaging characters - gig workers and orator Point du Jour. platform founders from China, Nigeria, France, the UK, Florida, California – the film reveals the new opportunities, but also the precarious nature of this economy that The Project clearly calls for “a new social contract”. We’re sharing a moment of the lives of The Gig is Up: A Very Human Tech Doc, is these “invisible” workers from very different a France/Canada treaty coproduction be- parts of the world whose stories are deeply tween Point du Jour and Intuitive Pictures, connected - between them and across on the pros and cons of the platform various platforms. (or “gig”) economy.

49 Financing theatrically released and played in over 70 film festivals worldwide. Her documenta- This project originated in Canada. With a ries have also been broadcast internation- Canadian writer-director attached to The ally on Netflix, CBC, Discovery, Al Jazeera Gig is Up (Shannon Walsh) Intuitive Pic- and Canal-D, and shown in museum spac- tures was able to raise Canadian financing. es at the 56th Venice Biennale and the First, Telefilm Canada’s Theatrical Docu- Pompidou Centre in Paris. mentary Fund came onboard followed by the documentary Channel, which triggered The project’s completion timeline has been the Canada Media Fund, Canadian and impacted by COVID-19. The film was al- Quebec Production Tax Credit. The Gig is ready in post-production in Canada when Up had been in development by Intuitive the pandemic hit, with editing undertaken Pictures and their long time collaborator in Montreal while director Shannon Walsh Point du jour for a few years and both worked remotely from Vancouver. Howev- companies interested ARTE France in the er, editing was slowed by the health crisis project, who came onboard even before and completion of the film is now sched- the Canadian financing was in place. Given uled for December 2020. the size of the budget, $1.2 M, this coproduction was necessary. Lessons Learned

The project is a typical coproduction for Being able to coproduce successfully re- Intuitive Pictures, in which creative ele- quires having enough (and the right) peo- ments are split between the two coproduc- ple in the company to handle the com- ing territories. The film’s writer-director is plexity of coproduction. Producers can Canadian, while the co-writer and compos- raise substantial funding in the Canadian er are French. Shot internationally with a market, which can help attract internation- Canadian director of photography, the film al partners. However, the producer notes is being post-produced in Canada. that there is a need to strongly encourage Canadian broadcasters and public funders Promotion and Distribution to support documentary films that will resonate in the international marketplace. The Gig Is Up is intended for theatrical release and a first broadcast airing on Long-standing relationships facilitate ARTE television in France and the doc- coproduction by fostering trust between umentary Channel in Canada. Point du partners and in the best cases, creative Jour International is exploiting world dis- affinities. Coproducing with partners tribution rights, excluding North America. abroad allows Intuitive Pictures to take on Intuitive Pictures aims to exploit the film’s higher budget documentaries, while also English-language rights by taking on a US- benefiting creatively. Intuitive Pictures also based sales agent. benefits from long-term relationships with regular collaborators in Canada, including Producer Ina Fichman is aiming for a high crew members and directors they have profile festival release as she sees that worked with before and some of the fin- the issue of the gig economy is trending est post-production studios in the country around the world. This will leverage the which are based in Montreal. Anything that international profile of Canadian writer-di- can be done to help companies develop rector, Shannon Walsh, whose numerous their international networks will encourage films include Illusions of Control (2019) and greater coproduction. H2Oil (2009), which have been

50 2021

3. Hungry Eyes Media

The Production Company production. The Rada Film Group is a media production company commit- Co-founded by writer and producer Jen ted to creating compelling and thought Holness and writer-director Sudz Suther- provoking visual stories by, about and land, Hungry Eyes Media is a BIPOC-led for communities of colour. It is helmed award winning production company. by the Sundance award-winning team Overseeing a staff of five, President of Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brew- Jennifer Holness has produced numer- ster (American Promise). Producer Lea ous documentaries, including Badge of Marin, at the helm for the NFB, is an Pride (CBC and PBS) and Speakers for award-winning Toronto-based producer the Dead (CBC/NFB), which she co‐di- whose most recent film credits include rected. She is the executive producer of Astra Taylor’s What Is Democracy?, which the feature doc Black Zombie, currently premiered at TIFF in 2018 and Charles in production with CBC’s Doc Channel Officer’s Unarmed Verses, which won the and is currently directing her second Best Canadian Documentary Feature feature documentary, Subjects of Desire, Award at Hot Docs 2017. with TVO Canada. A documentary series about Black Canadian history is in devel- Written and directed by New York-based opment with Corus. Haitian-Canadian Michèle Stephenson, Stateless traces the complex tributar- Hungry Eyes Media established Hispan- ies of history and present-day politics, iola Productions, in partnership with US- as state-sanctioned racism seeps into based Rada Films, with the goal of telling mundane offices, living room meetings, stories by, for, and about communities and street protests. Anyone defending of colour. The Toronto-based company marginalized groups faces threats of is led by Jennifer Holness (Hungry Eyes violence. In this dangerous climate, a Media) and Michèle Stephenson (Rada young attorney named Rosa Iris mounts Films Group). a grassroots campaign, challenging electoral corruption and advocating for The Project social justice. As Rosa balances her con- gressional run with her dedication to her Stateless (2020) is a Canada/US copro- family and community, the full scope of duction between Hispaniola Productions her fight is revealed. and the National Film Board of Canada. It is Hispaniola Productions’ first feature 51 Financing company’s detailed promotion plan could not be executed as the festival was badly With a budget of $1.1 M, the producers impacted by Covid-19. The film won the sought financing from Canada and the Special Jury Prize at Hot Docs for Best US. The NFB came on board early in Canadian Feature Documentary and was development and again as a co-producer named Best Feature Documentary at and partner in production. Funding from the Blackstar Film Festival in Pittsburgh. Telefilm Canada and the Rogers Group The film was also screened at Caribbean of Funds through the Theatrical Docu- Tales in Toronto, DOXA in Vancouver, the mentary Program, and the Hot Docs Ted Calgary International Film Festival and Rogers Fund followed. the Atlantic International Film Festival in Halifax, and well as many Black and Just less than half the budget was raised Latino Black festivals in the US: Boston in the US, where Stephenson is well-re- Latino International Film Festival, Phil- garded for her film An American Prom- adelphia Latino American Film Festival, ise (2013), which won the Special Jury the AFI Latin American Film Festival, and Award at Sundance and was nominated internationally at the Trinidad and Toba- for three Emmys, including Best Docu- go Film Festival. The film was awarded mentary and Best News Coverage of a the Best Feature Documentary prize at Contemporary Issue. The project made a the BlackStar Film Festival, and the Best major license sale to PBS for its signature Feature Film Audience Award at the documentary series POV, and an inter- Boston Latino International Film Festival. national sale was made to Al Jazeera for Stateless was also featured at the RIDM non-exclusive world rights. Chicken & Egg festival in Montreal in the fall of 2020. pictures, which supports women filmmakers of non-fiction content for social Lessons Learned change, provided a grant, as did a number of foundations, including Cinereach, The US is an important partner to Cana- Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, John dian filmmakers and provides access to Simon Guggenheim Memorial Founda- an important market for films by Black tion, National Association of Latino Arts filmmakers that tell stories that resonate and Cultures Fund for the Arts Grant Pro- within Black communities, with a poten- gram, Sundance Documentary Film Pro- tial audience of over forty million Black gram, Surdna Foundation and TFI Pond5 Americans. The producer notes that in Program. The project was completed her experience, decision-makers in the with the US have tended be more diverse. How- support of Women Make Movies, Inc. ever, in the absence of any coproduction through its Women in Film Finishing treaty, partnership models can be chal- Fund. lenging.

Promotion and Distribution A major challenge for films led by Black key creative teams and produced by ma- The film was set to première at Tribecca jority Black production companies is the in the early spring of 2020, however the perception from Canadian and European

52 2021 decision-makers that the audience for international film festivals can hamper such films is limited to Black audiences the development of careers, lead to within the United States. Of the many fewer international pre-sales and small- films produced by Black filmmakers in er domestic broadcast licenses. With- the US each year, only a few make it out pre-sales or significant broadcast to international festivals. However, the licenses, productions take longer to popularity of the filmmakers’ previous finance, and companies are undercapi- films is clear. talized as a result.

Stateless was not selected for major European documentary festivals such as the IDFA or Berlin. As noted by the producer, a systemic lack of access to

4. Idéacom International

misssing image

The Production Company international topics with local relevance that will also appeal to international A Canadian leader in strategic part- buyers. The company’s most recent titles nerships and high-end coproductions, include Human + The Future of Our Senses, Conversations with Dolphins, Idéacom International is an audacious, Who Was the Real Neanderthal?, and the independent television and digital media blockbuster documentary series Apoca- production company that’s always on the lypse World War I. lookout for innovative and thought-provoking content. With its strong focus on The company has established relation- science, health, and history, the Montre- ships with international partners, work- al-based firm has produced more than ing often with French producers, who 500 hours of bold original series and can provide access to buyers in their documentaries since 1973, and has gar- markets. Regular coproducing collab- nered over 100 awards and nominations orators include the French production along the way. Led by Josette D. Nor- companies Bonne Pioche, CC&C and AB mandeau, Idéacom has amassed exper- (both Mediawan Group company), Factu- tise in international high-end television al Factory (a Satisfaction Group cie), Little coproduction, undertaking programs on Big Story and Pernel Media. The com-

53 pany also has established relationships first proposed the project toIdéacom with many international broadcasters, and provided a minimum guarantee. including PBS, Channel 4, ARTE, France 2, With a budget of $2.2 M for this series, France 3, France 5, RTBF, RTS (Switzers- Idéacom sought out an international land), NHK, National Geographic, Discov- coproduction partner ery Channel, American Heroes Channel and Science. Ideacom has since 2017 Financing for the project included broad- partnered with prolific production and cast licenses from RMC Découverte, ICI distribution house Cineflix Media (Mon- Explora, ICI RDI, Ami TV and Ami Télé, treal, Toronto, Dublin, London, NYC) to TVO as well as financing through the facilitate and accelerate the production CNC, Creative Media Europe, Canada Me- of blue-chip scripted and unscripted con- dia Fund and the Telus Health Fund. Fi- tent for the global market. nancing was also obtained in the form of a minimum guarantee from the French The Project distributor Terranoa and tax credits.

Human +: The Future of Our Senses Promotion and Distribution (2019) is a Canada/France coproduction between Idéacom International and Terranoa first brought the project to the Bonne Pioche Télévision. Bonne Pioche attention of Idéacom. The company is a produces award-winning documentary leading French distributor of high-end series and premium documentaries for factual content, with fifteen years’ experi- television, as well as feature films, includ- ence and a catalogue of over 1300 hours ing content with an international focus of programming that includes history, and financing, high production standards science, wildlife, travel and adventure, and innovation. as well as general factual entertainment series. The company invests in complet- Human + brings viewers into the enig- ed productions and helps gap finance matic world of scientists, researchers, projects it scouts from the international and entrepreneurs who are revolution- market. Terranoa is selling Human + to izing the way people see, touch, taste, the world except Canada. hear, and smell. Each episode delves into the awe-inspiring and emotional stories Lessons Learned of people whose lives are being trans- formed through some of the most cut- Long-standing and strong relationships ting-edge advances in technology of the developed over more than two decades five senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste with its partners, producers, distribu- and smell. The series won the Trophée tors and broadcasters in Canada and Or at the 2019 Deauville Green Awards in the category of Handicap, Diversity, France assure that Idéacom Internation- Solidarity. al can seize opportunities that arise in the international market. Human + was Financing brought to the company’s attention by leading French distributor Terranoa, who

provided a minimum guarantee. As the The project originated with French dis- sum total of financing available in Cana- tributor Terranoa, a leading French dis- da was insufficient to finance the higher tributor of high-end factual content who

54 2021

budget series, Idéacom was able to rely the opportunity for future revenues on its existing relationship with Bonne that can make a company more sustain- Pioche to enter into a coproduction able. Working with a small number of arrangement. highly qualified collaborating producers in Canada and France, some of whom Coproductions benefit from the deep were trained by the company, Idéacom knowledge and understanding that the has amassed significant expertise in partners have of their respective mar- navigating coproduction requirements, kets. In spite of the heavier administra- providing it with the capacity to do high- tion burden and cost, treaty coproduc- end documentary series and one-offs, tion on higher budget series provides

5. Merit Motion Pictures

The Production Company award-winning multi-platform series One Ocean awarded Best Interactive/New Founded 30 years ago by industry vet- Media Production at the Jackson Wild eran Merit Jensen Carr, Merit Motion Film Festival and the hit US/Canadian Pictures is a sought after co-producer series, Polar Bear Town. Recent theatri- of award-winning factual entertainment cal documentary releases are: Call of the that specializes in human interest, sci- Forest; Beyond the Spectrum and Almost ence, and natural history documentaries Almost Famous. International partners and series. Merit is passionate about include the ZDF/ARTE; Animal Planet; telling great visual stories that challenge BBC; Shaw; National Geographic Chan- and expand our knowledge of the hu- nel; Smithsonian Channel; PBS; Knowl- man condition and the natural world. edge Network; Terra Mater; Canal D and MMP productions include Turtle Beach, Super Channel. a coproduction with Renegade Pictures (UK) for CBC, BBC, ARTE and Blue Ant,

55 The Project in Canada, advancing projects to production is highly competitive. Finding a lead Reef Rescue is a natural history/science Canadian woman scientist and securing coproduction between MMP and CAPA/ international financing was key to the Films à Cinq, produced for CBC and CBC’s decision to greenlight the project. ARTE. Vulcan Productions (affiliated to With Vulcan on board, CBC’s The Nature the Vulcan Foundation) is a US social of Things and ARTE greenlit the one-hour impact documentary production compa- documentary with a budget of $1.8 M. ny founded by Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates. Vulcan Pro- Promotion and Distribution ductions has announced that it will be closing at the start of 2021, in light of the Vulcan brought UK distributor, DRIVE, unprecedented crisis brought on by the on board to distribute the project in- COVID-19 pandemic. ternationally. The news of a major win at Jackson Wild has brought significant Reef Rescue follows three leading sci- international interest. Last month NOVA entists, Ruth Gates (US), Madeleine van acquired US broadcast rights and plans Oppen (Australia) and Julia Baum (Can- to broadcast Reef Rescue on Earth Day ada) unlocking the secrets of how coral 2021. Vulcan Productions and the Vul- has evolved over millions of years. Sci- can Foundation fund significant impact entists predict that in 30 years, nearly all campaigns for all its projects. Plans for of the world’s coral will be lost, as part of US outreach are underway with interest an environmental disaster threatening from several major US and internation- food security for hundreds of millions al non-profit partners. Royal Canadian of people worldwide and irreparably Geographical Society is developing an harming ocean ecosystems. But new educational program for the film and is ground-breaking scientific discoveries are promoting it on its various platforms. offering a glimmer of hope. Reef Res- cue unveils the ground breaking science The show was recently awarded Best behind “super corals” and a radical new Conservation Film at Jackson Wild Media plan to save the Earth’s imperiled coral Awards (JWMA) and nominated for Best reefs. The film is directed by respected Science in Nature Film. Based out of Jack- Canadian filmmaker Su Rynard, whose son, Wyo., the JWMA are considered to 2015 documentary The Messenger gar- be “the highest bar of achievement in the nered critical acclaim and was granted natural history filmmaking industry” and numerous awards. Mosquito (2017) was have been dubbed “nature film’s equiva- awarded the Golden Sheaf Award for lent to the Oscars.” best documentary in the research and science, nature and technology catego- Lessons Learned ries. This project demonstrates the critical Financing importance of being present at industry events in order to network and make This project was developed for CBC’s The meaningful connections. A trip to the Nature of Things and ARTE in France, World Congress of Science and Factual with French coproduction partner Films Producers was serendipitous for the pro- à Cinq. With few documentary platforms ject. When Jensen Carr and her co-pro-

56 2021 ducer, Sally Blake attended a seminar between filmmakers and charitable led by Vulcan, they learned that Vulcan financiers. was looking for a documentary featur- . ing the work of visionary coral scientist, Having knowledgeable people to assist Dr. Ruth Gates, a key character in the is critical to a successful coproduction. project they were pitching at the con- Films à Cinq coproducer Sally Blake is ference. The fact that Jensen-Carr had a Canadian producer based in France, met the head of development at Vul- familiar with both the Canadian and can a year prior also helped facilitate a French systems and that experience partnership. A few months later, Vulcan was crucial to knowing how best to made a significant investment in the structure the Canada-France Treaty production. coproduction.

Working with charitable foundations The generous Manitoba Film and Video can provide projects with support for Production Tax Credit and the interna- development, access to coproducers tional financing enabled the partners and support for marketing. Philan- to raise the $1.8M budget required to thropic funding is becoming increasing- shoot coral reefs around the world. ly important to social issue documen- According to the producer, the interna- taries. Many foundations are open to tional team that the treaty coproduc- collaborations with documentary films tion with France allowed the producers to reach common goals for social im- to assemble greatly enhanced the pact, and as a result, pitching sessions, visual impact of the show. impact producers and donor circles have arisen to facilitate introductions

6. Screen Siren Pictures

The Production Company Horse (2009), produced with industry veteran Christine Haebler, which went on Founded by president and producer to become the most successful Canadian Trish Dolman, Screen Siren Pictures is an theatrical release in 2018. The New Cor- independent television, film and digital poration, a sequel to the most successful media company based in Vancouver. Canadian documentary of all-time, pre- With established relationships with local miered at the Toronto International Film and global industry partners, the compa- Festival in 2020. The company’s projects ny fosters unique Canadian voices and have been screened at major interna- emerging, diverse talent from around tional festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, the world. The company’s award-winning Sundance, Hot Docs and TIFF and have documentaries include: Eco-Pirate: The been honoured by The Prix Italia, The Story of Paul Watson written and direct- Leo Awards, and the Canadian Screen ed by Trish Dolman (2011), and Indian Awards.

57 Over its 23-year history, Screen Siren tivities supported by this funding allowed has produced numerous treaty copro- Screen Siren Pictures to develop tangible ductions. Its international partners have material to move the project forward and included German producer Egoli Tossell generate broadcaster interest, which led Film, UK-based Scott Free Films, and to a Canadian broadcast license that in Spanish-based sales agent Moonrise Pic- turn triggered further Canadian financ- tures. The company has produced with a ing. wide number of distributors, broadcasters and streaming platforms, including The global pandemic of COVID-19 has Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Worldwide, impacted the financing of the project. Elevation Pictures, eOne, Netflix, the BBC, Production funding deadlines at the Bankside Films, Wild Bunch, CBC, Bell Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) Media/CTV, Crave, Channel Four, Show- were pushed back, resulting in a delay in time, Sundance Channel, Discovery Can- financing the Irish portion of the project. ada, documentary Channel, Knowledge Network, Corus/History Canada, TMN/ MovieCentral, AETN, ARTE, ABC Austral- The Concert That Broke Up the Beatles ia, Vision TV, Superchannel, Al Jazeera among others. The Concert That Broke Up The Beatle is a majority Canada/France coproduction The Projects in Development with Chapman Productions (Ontario) and Films à Cinq (France). Paris-based Films à Children of the Church Cinq is headed by Canadian and French producing duo Sally Blake and Martin Screen Siren Pictures is currently devel- de la Fouchardière, specializing in docu- oping two international coproductions, mentaries about science, cinema and art. for which they are closing financing. Chil- Combining English- and French-language dren of the Church is a minority copro- skills, Films à Cinq has built a far-reaching duction, co-developed by Wildfire Films network of contacts in the international in Ireland, headed by Martha O’Neill, and market, and involvement in numerous Screen Siren Pictures (Trish Dolman). coproductions between French and Eng- lish speaking countries. The company’s Celibacy, fatherhood, love, lies and be- work has been shown on major television trayal. These are the true stories of the networks, been nominated for Emmys, legion of invisible sons and daughters of selected at Cannes and enjoyed cinema Catholic priests. releases in North America.

Toronto, 1969. A Beatle in crisis. A con- Financing cert promoter with a crazy idea. A re- nowned documentary filmmaker fight- Canadian financing includes a broadcast ing for access. All these stories collided license from the CBC, and funding from at one of the greatest rock concerts in the Canada Media Fund, the Rogers Doc- history, which changed the music world umentary Fund, and Creative BC, through forever. the Creative BC + Screen Ireland co-development financing initiative. The intent of this initiative is to foster film and television production between Irish producers and British Columbia producers. The ac-

58 2021

Financing to advance in development and move closer to production. The Creative BC + Screen Siren Pictures sought an interna- Screen Ireland initiative allowed Screen tional coproducer to help complete the Siren to join the project’s development financing of the film. in a meaningful way, by accessing crucial early stage development funding. The The film was licensed by Bell Media in initiative enabled both projects to be Canada and subsequently pre-sold to developed with bigger budgets, inter- ARTE, and obtained Canadian financing national talent and subject matter, and from the Canada Media Fund through access to international buyers through the English Regional Production Bonus, the coproducing partner’s business rela- the Rogers Cable Network Fund and the tionships abroad. Rogers Documentary Fund. Coproduc- ing with Films à Cinq is enabling Screen Coproductions, especially across multi- Siren Pictures to access the French-lan- ple time zones, can be challenging from guage market. a communications perspective. Films à Cinq, with a Canadian producer at its helm, ensured greater understanding of the rules of coproduction in the partner Lessons Learned jurisdiction. Films à Cinq was therefore a natural partner on the project, given Ca- International co-development initiatives nadian producer Sally Blake’s familiarity are crucial to enabling new projects to with the Canadian market and documen- get off the ground, and encouraging tary production context. greater coproduction. The Creative BC co-development initiative with Ireland allowed both of the company’s projects

59 docorg.ca | [email protected] @DOCorg facebook.com/Docorg