National Promotion Strategy highlights and new brand presented during the Banff World Media Festival
Banff, AB, June 10, 2013 — Today during the Banff World Media Festival, Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund (CMF), Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Michael Hennessy, President and CEO of the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) presented an update of a National Promotion Strategy and released a new brand to promote Canadian audiovisual content.
As a result of a Symposium on the Promotion of Canadian Films and Television Programs in Canada and Internationally held in Ottawa last October, a Working Group was created to focus attention on developing partnerships with various industry leaders. Its mandate is to determine ways to increase awareness of, and interest in, the success of Canadian content with targeted audiences and the general public, primarily through a social media campaign.
IThentic Canada, Canada’s longest running, pure play, online video distribution platform, is working with Telefilm and the CMF to identify an extensive selection of back catalogue Canadian titles that could form a library of Canadian content and determine the best options to provide public access to this library.
The CMF and Telefilm will partner with film festivals in Calgary and St. John’s to undertake red carpet screenings designed to engage municipal, provincial, federal, corporate citizens and the public to focus their attention on the success and high quality of Canadian-produced entertainment.
Internationally, following the record-breaking success, in terms of media coverage, of presenting Canada as the Country of Honour at MIPCOM 2012, Canadian talent and content was featured at MIPTV 2013 and plans are underway to continue developing this strategy in the fall for MIPCOM 2013.
With films and television shows being filmed in various locations across the country throughout the year, initial plans are also being considered to develop coordinated set visits for the public. This project will foster pride in Canadian productions, promote filming locations and build public awareness of the contribution the sector makes to the Canadian economy. Partnerships are currently being explored for this innovative program.
To pull all of these initiatives together, a new brand was announced to rally the industry around the promotion of Canadian content. Eye on Canada (Vue sur le Canada in French) was developed to unite all initiatives surrounding the promotion of Canadian content and to resonate with various audiences at home and internationally.
The brand was created to conjure a unique perspective on Canada, offering audiences a birds-eye view of Canadian life and culture. The eye is the window to Canada’s television, film and digital media production. The logo was designed to be easily recognizable globally - using the iris of an eye to create a “C” for Canada. The spokes of the iris radiate outwards, showing an interest to project out to audiences.
The social media committee stemming from the Working Group has started work on a strategy to create and engage online communities about Canadian television, feature film and digital media production. A Twitter hashtag has been created to group related posts on the topic: #eyeoncanada (#vuesurlecanada in French). Here the industry hopes to foster a buzz fans can join in on to talk about the television shows, feature films, webisodes and digital media they love.
A growing number of industry leaders and organizations are involved in supporting the National Promotion Strategy, and are contributing to one or more of ongoing initiatives. Contributors include:
Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
Alberta Media Production Industries Association
Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada
Association des Producteurs de Film et de Télévision du Québec
Association québécoise de la production médiatique
Atlantic Film Festival
Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
Canada Media Fund
Canadian Film Centre
Canadian Media Production Association
Canadian Media Production Association- BC Branch
Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission
CBC
CineCoup
Cinema Canadiana
Directors Guild of Canada
Entertainment One
First Weekend Club
IATSE International
Independent Production Fund
Interactive Ontario
Jumpwire Media
Manitoba Film and Music
On Screen Manitoba
Ontario Media Development Corporation
Québecor
Reel Canada
Rogers Media
Shaw Media
Telefilm Canada
Women in Film & Television
Writers Guild of Canada