-^ >«»9»99»«»»i*»id3$l$9i9»»^ •**»3i5S®***»SS®SS3*Si I THE WEATHER I I t * Cinema Canada? I I Increasingly | 9> "You won't turbulent, I have a chance!" with hostile winds | from the South | - Vic Beattie f eeesseees s>«e*es*s«**« 4^ '€SS««««e« e«**«««S«>*** fe* Vol. 1, no. 2 december-january SuPP^AT TZ/f iNTBf^NKTi Of wolves in sheep's clothing, and eagles and beavers.. Boycott of Cinema Canada Revives the Digest starting this December, the cause the Association would be guarantee from the Association try, and would cover the ac­ Canadian Motion Picture Distri­ putting all its resources into its in order to begin publication. tivities of the CMPDA. butors Association will be pub­ own "organ." In October 1975, a formal lishing its own magazine, a re­ A conversation with Vic Beat- meeting had been held between vived Canadian Film Digest. An­ Calling Nat Taylor's offices tie, president of the CMPDA, Millard Roth and Frank Man- thony Ross, director of inform­ in Toronto, Cinema Canada con­ confirmed the above inform­ cuso, respectively executive di­ ation services for the CMPDA, tacted Pat Thompson who con­ ation. Beattie, having been out rector and president of the informed Cinema Canada of this firmed that she had been nam­ of town in recent weeks, did not CMPDA, and Connie Tadros, in response to a routine query ed editor of the Canadian Film know if the actual decision had editor of Cinema Canada. At about the advertising policy of Digest, which is to be a monthly been taken to back the Digest, that time, it was made clear the CMPDA. Ross announced publication in magazine format. but acknowledged conversations that the magazine would wel­ that a decision had been taken Although denying that the Digest were being held. He insisted on come the participation of the at a CMPDA executive session would be a house organ for the the necessity of creating an "or­ CMPDA - on a equal footing not to advertise in any Canadian CMPDA, she did say that Taylor gan" which would realistically with all the other organizations publications in the future be­ was expecting an advertising reflect the Canadian film indus­ interested in filming in Canada December-January / 9 communication had been going Cinema Canada contacted be glossy and attractive. The on between the CMPDA and George Destounis, president of first issue is to contain 64 pages. Cinema Canada, and admitted Famous Players, in order to The offices are already equipped - in Cinema Canada. Since that that he himself had only begun confirm that the support with a composer and a camera, time, correspondence has been to read Cinema Canada two Famous had accorded the and have a staff of four: editor, continuing with Millard Roth and months ago. magazine over the last year art director, and two contribut­ Tony Ross, and the invitation When asked whether he would be forthcoming in the new ing editors. has been renewed several times. thought the market could sus­ year. Destounis reassured us of The members of the CMPDA Nevertheless, the American tain yet another film magazine, his support, saying that we are Ambassador, Astral Films, members of the CMPDA have Beattie answered that the Di­ shouldn't be surprised to see Columbia Pictures, International exercised a virtual advertising gest would need the advertising that Famous had given the Di­ Film, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, boycott concerning Cinema Can­ support of the distributors, ex­ gest a Christmas ad "because Twentieth Century-Fox, United ada, and have never submitted hibitors and producers and that the boys in New York didn't Artists, Universal Films and any articles for publication. Cinema Canada "doesn't have have time to free up the cash." Warner Brothers. Vic Beattie, the current pre­ a chance" of surviving the re­ Like other American-backed sident, was unaware that any vival of the Digest. projects, the new Digest should Connie Tadros Capital Cost: Annual CPDC Report The Canadian Film Develop­ The total cost of the feature ment Corp. has published its films funded by the C.F.D.C. annual report for 1975/76. With in 1975/76 was $5.9 million. "Canadian Film^^ increased investment, the CFDC This figure is down $2.2 mil­ On November 24, in the Cana­ personnel must go to Cana­ participated in fewer films than lion from the $8.1 million in­ dian Gazette, the Treasury dians in preceding years; English vested last year, but the Cor­ poration's share was $3.8 mil­ Board officially defined a Cana­ d) Seventy-five percent of pro­ production was on the increase dian film/video work to qualify while French production was lion as mentioned above. Thus, cessing and post-production for the first time since its in­ it for the lOO'^r capital cost al­ must be spent in Canada. seriously depressed. The lowance. That makes it official­ following is an excerpt from ception in 1968, the Corpora­ Certification can be officially ly law, retroactive to May 26, the introduction of that report: tion's share of production costs gained at either of two points in 1976. exceeded the contribution of the the filmmaking process, at "The Corporation assisted in private sector (64.62', to Briefly the following criteria completion of principal photo­ the production of 18 feature 35.38''f). This is not a desirable are required for certification: graphy or at completion of pro­ fihns during the year, one of situation and in 1976/77 at­ 1-The film is a co-production duction. A ruling can be gained the lowest years on record. To tempts will be made to keep under current international in advance, though certification maintain even this figure, it had the Corporation's share below agreements OR procedures must still be follow­ to increase its financial contri­ 50'r of production costs." 2-a) The producer is a Cana­ ed at one of the above two points. bution significantly. The drop dian The amendment applies to in the number of films produced English Production b) A minimum of six points is features or shorts. Although occurred almost entirely on the Eleven new English-language allocated to Canadians in the shorts need not meet the point French side: from 14 in 1974/ features were produced in 1975/ following roles: director (2), system, they must have a Cana­ 75 to 7 this year. English-lan­ 76 with Corporation assistance, screenwriter (2), lead actor/ dian producer and spend 15'c of guage features dropped by one, ten in Ontario and one in British actress (1), second lead (1), production budgets in Canada. 11 as opposed to 12 in 1974/75. Columbia. The cumulative cost art director (1), cinematogra- No mention is made of the of the eleven features was pher (1), music (1), editor (1) national character or location The Corporation's revenues dropped slightly from $864,011 $4,298,259. Of this, the Corpo­ c) Seventy-five percent of the of the production company. in 1974/75 to $833,998. The ration's share was $1,673,155 or renumeration paid to other Stephen Chesley main sources of this revenue 38.93'"f. Investment from indus­ were foreign sales of Kamou- try sources such as laboratories, raska. Death Weekend, Black distributors and exhibitors in­ ment favors a non-profit sys­ Christmas and The Apprentice­ creased considerably over pre­ tem. She sees pay-TV as a cata­ ship of Buddy Kravitz. Some vious years, reaching a total of Sauve lyst to promote Canadian pro­ revenue was also derived from $1,091,000. For the second suc­ duction, but admits that most of Canadian theatrical releases. cessive year, the response of on the programming will be Amer­ private capital did not meet ex­ ican. "It's not realistic," she This year, in a total of 75 pectations, reaching only approx­ said, "to be exclusively Cana­ projects including 18 features, imately $683,000. dian" as some groups have pro­ the Corporation invested Pay TV posed. She also raised the like­ $3,882,000, up $300,000 from French Production lihood of competing means of last year. The amount contribut­ In 1975/76 the Corporation delivery, making use of cable, ed by the private sector - pro­ participated in the production Communications Minister satellite and perhaps even broad­ duction houses, private in­ of 7 feature films in the French Jeanne Sauve has revealed that cast systems. vestors, distribution companies language. The combined bud­ she sees pay-TV as a non-profit Also announced, though not and theatre chains, plus the gets of the 7 films amounted to venture, with the specific cor­ officially, is that pay-TV will be writers, directors and produc­ $1,896,554, the Corporation's porate arrangements still to be a further six months in the fu­ ers who contributed part of share amounting to $1,228,700, determined. She has agreed, in ture, or at least two and a half their salaries - provided ano­ or 64.79''c. The amount invested response to a storm of de­ years away. This is in response ther $2,098,000. This figure by the Canadian film industry mands, unanimous among groups to the 105 briefs the CRTC has represents a significant drop (laboratories, distributors, ex­ affected by pay-TV, that the received on the subject, most of from the $4,536,000 derived hibitors, production houses, etc.) CRTC will hold public hearings, them calling for a delay until from these sources last year was $430,138. Private invest­ possibly across the country. the details of the new commu­ and the amounts contributed by ments represented $5,000 of this In a speech in Toronto on No­ nications medium can be fully private investors outside the sum.