A consortium of national partners putting audiences front and centre
The Canada Media Fund, the Indigenous Screen Office, the National Film Board of Canada and Telefilm Canada are teaming up to enhance audience insight and engagement.
Telefilm Canada, alongside the Canada Media Fund (CMF), the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), are announcing a strategic partnership to strengthen the audiovisual sector’s understanding and reach of audiences by prioritizing and harmonizing the measurement and collection of audience data.
This new audience data initiative is one of the various projects brought forth by the table of leaders at federal organizations of the audiovisual sector (Telefilm, CMF, ISO and NFB). For more than a year, the federal audiovisual table has been working with the department of Canadian Heritage to modernize the Canadian audiovisual ecosystem marked by intense competition and questions of cultural sovereignty. This concerted audience-centred approach will inform more effective strategies for reaching audiences, increasing the impact of the richness and diversity of Canadian and Indigenous stories —whether in feature films, television, documentaries, or animated films— and ensuring its discoverability across digital platforms and cinemas.
Building on the Telefilm-led pan-Canadian consultation, which engaged over 50 active companies and key partners in the audiovisual sector, and resulted in the Exploring the Futures of Distribution – Strategic Visions for the Canadian Audiovisual Industry report, greater collaboration is essential to create a cooperative ecosystemic approach centred around audience.
“This joint initiative is a foundational step towards centering audiences around everything that we do, combining our expertise and audience-data to bridge the gap between our ecosystem’s value chains and audiences,” said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada. “The continuity of our partnerships is paving the way for us to better support the cultural impact of Canadian and Indigenous cinema and position our stories where they belong – at the forefront of screens at home and abroad.”
“This is just the beginning of a major undertaking that will lead to a more concerted action with not only the funding agencies, but will also involve the audiovisual sector at large,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund. “By modernizing how we gather and share audience insights, we will ensure the viability of Canadian content in an era of rapid broadcast and digital change.”
“By strengthening our data collection and audience insights, we can better understand how Indigenous stories are discovered, shared and watched,” said Kerry Swanson, CEO of the Indigenous Screen Office. “This will allow us to amplify Indigenous voices, ensure equitable visibility in the marketplace, and connect these vital narratives with audiences across the country and the world.”
“This collaboration marks a turning point for Canada’s film ecosystem,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada. “By aligning our approaches, the production, promotion and distribution of Canadian films will be better positioned to reach Canadians and reflect the richness, diversity and creativity of our stories for years to come.”
Ongoing key partnerships among the agencies include:
- Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada announce a three-year joint strategy to increase industry inclusivity
- ISO to administer CMF’s $10m Indigenous Program in a new chapter for Indigenous screen content | Canada Media Fund
- In a collaboration to equip Canadian producers with innovative technology and skills to drive viewership, Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, and the National Film Board of Canada are joining founding sponsors to expand Magnify Digital’s Audience Development Pilot.
The collaboration of the four organizations to work towards a structured modernization of the Canadian audiovisual distribution landscape will involve many players in the audiovisual sector. More to come in the months ahead.
About Telefilm Canada
As a Partner of Choice, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation dedicated to the success of Canada’s audiovisual industry, fostering access and excellence by delivering programs that support cultural resonance and audience engagement. With a lens of equity, inclusivity and sustainability, Telefilm bolsters dynamic companies and a range of creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund raises private donations which principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram and Letterboxd.
About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances, and promotes the production of Canadian and Indigenous content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voices, and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors. Visit our website for more information.
About Indigenous Screen Office
The Indigenous Screen Office is an independent national advocacy and funding organization serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis creators of screen content in Canada. The ISO’s mandate is to foster and support narrative sovereignty and cultural revitalization by increasing Indigenous storytelling on screens and promoting Indigenous values and participation across the sector.
About the NFB
Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 7,000 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.
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Media contact:
Joyce Richards
Advisor, Strategic Communications, Telefilm Canada
Joyce.Richards@telefilm.ca
Maxime Ruel
Senior Manager, Communications, CMF
mruel@cmf-fmc.ca
Jean-François D. O’Bomsawin
Director of Communications & Francophone Initiatives, ISO
jfobomsawin@iso-bea.ca
Lily Robert
Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
l.robert@nfb.ca