Does Money Grow On Trees? Kinda

When I attended the Toronto International Film Festival  (TIFF) last year I learned something I had not come across in the countless books I had read. The film industry in Canada like many European countries functions through a subsidized model that has as its underpinning, cultural preservation.

Many filmmakers rely on soft money that is available from national and local film institutes to fund their films. They benefit from generous tax credits and rebates. And they organize co-productions to combine funds from multiple countries eliminating the need to seek investors. While I was in the filmmaker lounge I joined a conversation with three men, one from Canada, one from Ireland and the third from France. They were co-producing a film and did not need to seek funding because each was able to secure funds their government provided.

In Europe and in Canada, film is treated as an art form. Films are made to fulfill social responsibility and sustain cultural values. The financing system is designed to sustain artistic integrity. There is significantly less pressure to raise and make money.