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Telefilm Canada at MIPCOM 2011

27 September 2011

Focus on children and youth productions, a key element of Canadian success in the audiovisual sector

Montreal, September 27, 2011 – With a contingent of more than 70 participating companies, Canada’s audiovisual industry will be out in force at MIPCOM 2011, showcasing an outstanding line-up of television and digital media products. The companies will benefit from the enthusiastic support of Telefilm Canada, highlighting their vitality, creativity and solid international reach.

As part of its solid and diversified programming, the Canadian industry’s youth production activities will be prominently featured at MIPCOM this year. Indeed, 42 of the exhibiting Canadian companies either produce or distribute youth content, and for half of these companies youth production constitutes their main area of activity.

MIPCOM, to be held in Cannes from October 3 to 6, 2011, is the world’s largest international market for audiovisual and digital-content companies interested in buying and selling rights and in coproduction, funding, partnerships, foreign investment and learning about new trends.

“Canada’s audiovisual industry is positioning itself as one of the most competitive in the world, thanks in large part to our youth programming,” says Sheila de La Varende, Telefilm’s Director of National and International Business Development. “Canadian products for children and youth are widely admired. They are innovative and their presence extends beyond television to games, the Web and interactive digital media. By helping producers reach out to a new generation of young audiences around the world, Telefilm is truly acting constructively to secure the future of Canadian content in its broadest sense.”

Canadian youth production at MIPCOM 2011

  • Solid creative content. Canadian companies have close ties to their audiences, both at home and abroad, and they operate from a decidedly international perspective. The use of interactive dialogue, Websites and games feed the development of stories and characters, to the delight of their various audiences.
  • Highly competitive production companies. Owing to their creativity, Canadian companies are renowned for being highly competitive at the international level. Over the past year, many Canadian products did very well most notably in the United States and were also among the most-watched children’s programs in Spain, Australia, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Germany, according to Eurodata.
  • Leading-edge business models. In sync with a rapidly evolving business environment, Canadian companies have also made the transition to new media and digital distribution. Canadian companies’ business models are ambitious and diversified, both in terms of production and distribution.
  • Sought-after coproducers. Owing to their creative talent, entrepreneurial drive and success, Canadian companies are in great demand as coproducers of youth programming. Among other things, there has been an increase in the number of co-venturing initiatives with the United States. And more and more countries are showing an interest in Canadian youth content, including, most recently, several Arabic countries, South Africa and a number of Latin American countries.

Vince Commisso, President and CEO of 9 Story Entertainment (Toronto): “For 9 Story, MIPCOM is one of the most important markets of the year, and we’ll be there with our strongest-ever line-up of programming in development.”

Ghislain Cyr, Founder and President of Sardine Productions (Montreal): “MIPCOM is the event par excellence for forging the business ties we need to develop and produce our projects.”

Also worth noting is that Guru Animation Studio’s Justin Time (Toronto) is one of six finalists in MIPJunior’s 8th annual Licensing Challenge, under which the season’s most promising kids’ TV property is pitched to a group of international broadcasters and buyers.

MIPCOM: major spinoffs for Canada’s audiovisual industry
More than 100 countries are represented at MIPCOM each year, with the Canadian contingent being the fifth largest, after those from the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. In 2010, MIPCOM generated more than $90 million in economic spinoffs for the Canadian industry, of which $69 million came from coproduction and co-venturing initiatives and more than $22 million from business transactions.

Canada-Germany networking activity at MIPCOM
On October 2, 2011, Telefilm Canada is holding an exclusive event for a 100 or so Canadian and German professionals. This gathering will highlight Canadian productions currently in development and encourage coproduction. Germany is Canada’s third-largest coproducing partner, after France and the United Kingdom.

Canada Pavilion partners at MIPCOM
The Canada Pavilion is coordinated and funded by Telefilm Canada in partnership with its main partner, the Ontario Media Development Corporation; its major partner, the Canada Media Fund; its associate partners, Manitoba Film & Music and Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation; its contributing partners, British Columbia Film, Canadian Media Production Association and Film Nova Scotia; and the support of its Silver Sponsor, the National Bank of Canada.

For more information, visit www.canada-mipcom2011.ca.

About Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian productions that appeal to domestic and international audiences. Telefilm also administers the Canada Media Fund’s programs. Visit www.telefilm.ca.

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Media inquiries:
Douglas Chow, Manager, External Communications
Telefilm Canada
514-283-0838, ext. 2225, or 1-800-567-0890
chowd@telefilm.ca
http://twitter.com/Telefilm_Canada