What is Starlight: The ALA_Pdale_1sheet_M01.qxd:One_Sheet_Mech_Template 7/18/08 4:03 PM Page 1 Canadian Movie Channel? Starlight is a new specialty television channel that will be entirely devoted to Canadian movies, particularly feature films intended for theatrical release. The program schedule for the channel will be 100% Canadian, consisting of Canadian feature films, Canadian feature documentaries, Canadian made-for-TV movies, and programs with or about Canadian filmmakers. All feature films intended for theatrical distribution will be presented On June 1, 2012, an application was filed with the without commercial interruption. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a new Canadian specialty channel to be called Starlight: The Canadian Movie Channel. How will Starlight Passchendaele be distributed? This brochure describes the channel and why it is so critically needed for the Canadian broadcasting system. The channel will be provided to every subscriber to digital television in English Canada. Cable companies like Rogers or Shaw would distribute the service to all digital subscribers outside Quebec as part of the digital basic service. The direct-to-home satellite providers – Bell TV and Shaw Direct – would distribute the service to all subscribers who subscribe to an English-language or bilingual basic service package. And the retail rate for the service for all subscribers will be no more than three cents a day. Incendies Academy Award Nominee Best Picture Genie SUPPORT FOR CANADIAN FEATURE FILMS FROM OUR BROADCASTING SYSTEM Why should our broadcasting system Is the situation any different in Canada? support Canadian feature films? No. A 2012 study by the Department of Canadian The Broadcasting Act states that the broadcasting system Heritage showed that 89% of Canadians watch films on should provide a wide range of programming that reflects regular television channels and this was the most common Canadian artistic creativity. The CRTC has singled out way they watch films. The same study showed that 90% “programs of national interest” (defined to mean drama, of respondents agree that it is important for Canadians comedy, documentaries and selected award shows) as to have access to Canadian films. The study also requiring special emphasis and support by broadcasters revealed that 73% of Canadians outside Quebec think in order to achieve the objects of the Act. And of these that Canadian broadcasters should show more Canadian types of programs, Canadian feature films have the movies on television. (The number is even higher in highest cost, are the most difficult to finance and are the Quebec). Given this reality, it is clear that we need our riskiest to produce. They also represent the high water broadcasting system to support Canadian films. mark in Canadian creative expression and make us proud internationally, winning awards at festivals around the The Sweet Hereafter world. How are feature films supported Cannes, Official Selection - Grand Prix, Barney’s Version Ecumenical Prize and Critics Prize Golden Globe Winner in Europe? Two time Academy Award Nominee Academy Award Nominee Best Picture Genie But if these films are intended for European countries require their national broadcasters theatrical release, why do they need to be to support domestic films. In Europe, the broadcasting supported by the broadcasting system? system is seen as an important mechanism for supporting the financing and exhibition of local feature films. All the Virtually no film anywhere in the world nowadays recovers its major countries in Europe, including Germany, France, costs in theatres. Films require distribution in other media to Britain, Italy and Spain, as well as many other smaller recover their costs. And the audience for films on television countries, require their broadcasters to support European dwarfs the cinema audience. A few years ago, the UK Film films, through expenditure and/or scheduling conditions. Council noted that the average person in the UK watched It is clear that those countries consider feature films to 78 films a year. Three of them were seen in the cinema. 18 be the supreme expression of their cultural heritage and were seen on DVD or video. One was seen on video on diversity. And they also recognize that their broadcasting demand. And 56 films (out of 78) were seen on television. systems need to support feature films. But that support So television is the dominant form of exhibition for does not occur in Canada. feature films. The Barbarian Invasions De père en flic Cannes, Official Selection - Best Actor, Screenplay Award Winners Academy Award Winner Golden Globe Nominee Best Picture Genie CANADIAN FEATURE FILMS: BROADCAST ORPHANS FROM ACCLAIMED DIRECTOR DAVID CRONENBERG Can we rely on our over-the-air TV stations to What is the result? IN A WORLD FULL OF DENIAL, support Canadian feature films? HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO’S TELLING THE TRUTH? The unfortunate result is that Canadian feature films Neither CTV nor Global has ever provided a platform end up being orphans in the broadcasting system. But for Canadian feature films. CITY-TV Toronto used to run the purpose of this application is not to criticize existing one Canadian film every week, but the licence condition broadcasters for largely abandoning Canadian feature requiring this was removed in 2011 and CITY-TV no films. Rather, it is to fill that void with a new service that longer supports Canadian films to any significant extent. restores the balance and gives Canadians a chance to As for the CBC, its support has been sporadic at best. see the thousands of Canadian feature films that were EVERY SIN LEAVES A MARK. financed in part with their tax dollars. What about the specialty and pay TV services? ® “ ” FROM ATOM EGOYAN, THE ACADEMY AWARD -NOMINATED DIRECTOR OF THE SWEET HEREAFTER VIGGO MORTENSEN NAOMI WATTS VINCENT CASSEL Don’t they support Canadian feature films? Are there enough Canadian movies to support a channel? ALLIANCE ATLANTISAND SERENDIPITY POINT FILMSIN ASSOCIATION WITH EGO FILM ARTSAND ARPPRESENT A ROBERT LANTOSPRODUCTION A FILM BY ATOM EGOYAN “ARARAT” DAVID ALPAY COSTUME PRODUCTION Over the past seven years, the percentage of the pay CHARLES AZNAVOUR ERIC BOGOSIAN BRENT CARVER MARIE-JOSÉE CROZE BRUCE GREENWOOD ARSINÉE KHANJIAN ELIAS KOTEASAND CHRISTOPHER PLUMMERDESIGNER BETH PASTERNAKDESIGNER PHILLIP BARKER MUSIC DIRECTOR OF ASSOCIATE CO- PRODUCED WRITTEN AND EDITORSUSAN SHIPTONBY MYCHAEL DANNAPHOTOGRAPHY PAUL SAROSSY,C.S.C.,B.S.C. PRODUCERS SIMONE URDLAND JULIA ROSENBERGPRODUCER SANDRA CUNNINGHAMBY ROBERT LANTOSAND ATOM EGOYANDIRECTED BY ATOM EGOYAN PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE MOVIE NETWORK AND SUPER ÉCRAN - CORUS ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH MOVIE CENTRAL - TELEFILM CANADA TV services’ schedule devoted to Canadian feature films PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF TELEFILM CANADA,THE MOVIE NETWORK AND SUPER ECRAN,ASTRAL MEDIA THE HAROLD GREENBURG FUND Definitely! Research carried out for the channel OFFICIAL SELECTION CANNES FILM FESTIVAL has been steadily declining. In the case of TMN, Movie demonstrates that there is a significant library of Canadian Eastern Promises Central and Super Channel, their use of Canadian feature Ararat Academy Award and Golden long-form films. That library includes over 3,000 feature Cannes, Official Selection Globe Nominee films was less than 6% of the schedule in 2011. The mini- Best Picture Genie films made for theatrical release, 24 animated features, pay services (MPix and Encore Avenue) have a slightly 340 documentary features and 1,231 made-for-television better track record but in 2011, they only devoted 12.2% films. And this number is increasing by 150 titles or more of their schedules to Canadian feature films. Nor are the each year. Given the depth of this inventory, there is no film-oriented specialty services doing any better. Services question that a channel entirely devoted to Canadian like Showcase, Bravo! and History have all cut back on movies can readily be programmed. their use of Canadian films. Why have the Canadian television services What sort of variety is found in the library? largely abandoned Canadian feature film? The library of Canadian titles has enormous diversity Canadian television services have followed the lead of and variety. For example, the channel could include the US networks in this regard. In order to encourage programming blocks devoted to Canadian films on repeat viewing, it makes abundant good sense for these particular themes or genres, increasing their accessibility. television services to focus on exclusive TV series like In the next few pages, an illustrative weekly schedule for Flashpoint on CTV or Rookie Blue on Global, rather than the channel shows the incredible range of titles that can on one-off Canadian feature films, which are more difficult be programmed. to schedule and promote. Similarly, the pay services, The Saddest Music in the World although expected to run Canadian feature films, relegate Maurice Richard them to a minor part of the schedule and focus their promotions on exclusive signature television series, just like HBO has done with series like The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. EXAMPLE OF A WEEKLY PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR THE MOVIE DESCRIPTIONS STARLIGHT: THE CANADIAN MOVIE CHANNEL MONDAY McKellar, Mia Kershner and Bruce Greenwood) Set mass media today. Won the Peoples’ Choice in and around an exotic strip club called Exotica, awards at both the Toronto and the Vancouver Film DOCUMENTARY TV MOVIE SUBTITLED TV SUBTITLED SUBTITLED DOCUMENTARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE FEATURE Les Plouffe : (The Plouffe Family) (1981, directed this won a Best Picture Genie, as well the AVN Festivals. by Gilles Carle, with Emile Genest, Denise (Adult Video News) Award for Best Alternative Filiatrault, Gabriel Arcand) A resonant look at Adult Motion Picture. The Corporation (2003, directed by Mark Achbar Quebec society circa WWII, based on Roger and Jennifer Abbott) Applying psychological Lemelin’s extremely popular radio series and Felicia’s Journey (1999, directed by Atom Egoyan evaluation criteria to the behaviour of large MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY subsequent teleroman.