UK filmmakers handed boost by new film agreement with Canada
Signed at the Toronto International Film Festival, the agreement will enable more collaboration in film and TV on both sides of the Atlantic.
UK filmmakers are set to benefit from a new agreement between the UK and Canadian governments that will boost cooperation in the film and TV industries.
Collaboration between the screen sectors in both countries will be boosted by this modernised treaty, which allows companies to co-produce films and TV shows while being able to enjoy the same treatment as solely UK or Canadian films.
UK and Canadian companies will benefit from greater access to domestic funding and tax incentives, more flexibility, clearer rules on sharing copyright and revenue and stronger guarantees around distribution and broadcast when collaborating on a production.
The Co-Production Treaty was signed by Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray, alongside his counterpart Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, during a visit to the Toronto International Film Festival.
Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray said: “The cultural, historical and economic bonds between Britain and Canada are already incredibly strong and thanks to this new agreement, we will be able to forge even deeper ties. Both Britain and Canada have world-class film and TV industries and I look forward to seeing what we create together following this landmark deal.”
Harriet Finney, Deputy Chief Executive of the BFI, said: “The UK has a fantastic track record in partnering with Canada, and we are thrilled to see our co-production treaty updated which will enable more collaboration between our two territories. The treaty is more user-friendly and recognises the major shifts we’ve seen in our sector, where building finance for new film and television projects now regularly requires numerous partners and territories. Providing greater flexibility and covering both film and television, there is now more scope for UK producers to look to Canada for their next creative partner.”
By updating this treaty to ensure it better aligns with the realities of international screen production in the modern day, we build on the success of UK-Canadian collaboration that has brought us content like Brooklyn, & Sons.
To promote the UK film sector during his trip to the film festival, Minister Murray spoke at a reception hosted by the BFI, British Film Commission, Bafta, BBC Film4 and Screen Scotland.