INDUSTRY SPEAK

from playback mag :

Canadian film reaches 5% goal

The Liberals might be out of office, but they leave an impressive legacy regarding the growth of the Canadian film industry, as Canuck flicks met a five-year goal to claim 5% of the domestic box office in 2005.

According to final 2005 box office statistics released by Telefilm Canada, domestic films accounted for 5.2% of the theatrical take. There is, however, a strong discrepancy between the Two Solitudes. Films out of French Canada brought in $32.5 million for a 25.6% market share, while English-Canadian product generated $7.4 million, for a 1.1% market share (down from 1.6% in 2004).

Whereas the English-Canadian totals have fluctuated year over year depending on the success of one or two particular productions, such as the U.K. copro Resident Evil: Apocalypse in 2004, Quebec is annually claiming a number of hits. Last year, nine Quebec films surpassed $1 million in ticket sales, according to box office tracker Cineac.

In step with the U.S., overall box office in Canada was down 16% in 2005, to $766.5 million.
In 2000, then-heritage minister Sheila Copps upped annual feature film investment to $100 million, with the ultimate 5% target in mind. In 2001, Canadian films accounted for 1.6% of the domestic box office, and that share has grown every year since.