History

Milestones in Telefilm Canada's History

1967
The Government of Canada allocates $10 million to the newly created Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) to support the Canadian feature film industry.

1968
The Corporation opens offices in Montreal and Toronto.

1969
Michael Spencer is named first executive director.

1971
The government allocates an additional $10 million to the corporation.

1976
The CFDC budget increases by another $5 million to reach $25 million, and the decision is made to finance the CFDC with an annual parliamentary appropriation.

1983
The government raises the CFDC budget by $5 million.

Creation of the Canadian Broadcast Program Development Fund, aimed at revitalizing Canadian television. At the time, 85% of all programs aired in prime time by Canadian broadcasters are imported from other countries.

1984
Under executive André Lamy, CFDC is renamed Telefilm Canada to better reflect the full range of its activities in film and television. Offices are opened in Vancouver and Halifax.

1986
Creation of the Feature Film Fund, aimed at supporting works by Canadian filmmakers. This fund is to play a decisive role in the growth of Canadian cinema.

1988
Creation of the Feature Film Distribution Fund, which makes credit lines available to Canadian distributors to ensure the widest possible distribution of Canadian films in the various markets.

1996
Under executive director François Macerola, the Canadian government announces the creation of the Canada Television and Cable Production Fund (now called the Canadian Television Fund), a private-public partnership between the Government of Canada and the cable and satellite TV industry. Telefilm administers the Equity Investment component of the Fund.

1998
A five-year, $30-million multimedia fund is created. The Multimedia Fund aims to support creativity in the digital age, and enable the Canadian industry to compete effectively in the new technologies arena.

2000
The new Canadian Feature Film Policy, entitled From Script to Screen, is implemented. The new Canada Feature Film Fund managed by Telefilm Canada is a key component of this policy. The CFFF begins operations on April 1, 2001, with an annual budget of $100 million. Four objectives are established, most notably building larger Canadian and international audiences through improved distribution and marketing.

2001
Telefilm Canada announces the guidelines for the Canada New Media Fund, which replaces the Multimedia Fund. Financial support for the new media industry is increased from $6 million to $9 million per year (now at $14 million).

2004
Denys Arcand's Les Invasions barbares, financial supported by Telefilm Canada, (The Barbarian Invasions) takes home Canada's first-ever Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film.

2005
New collaboration with the Canadian Television Fund and renewed funding of $100 million for television is announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Under the terms of the agreement, the Board of the Canadian Television Fund is responsible for governance of all programs. Telefilm Canada is responsible for the administration and the delivery of the CTF programs. The transition to the new structure, in place since April 2006, is successful and generates administrative savings that are re-injected into the industry.

2006
Telefilm announces a five-year plan entitled From cinemas to cellphones, a solid vision of the future that reiterates the vital importance of Canadian content and the need to take full advantage of digital platforms in order to reach wider audiences.

Telefilm creates the Canada Feature Film Fund Working Groups for the French- and English-language markets. The Corporation also holds the first of a series of industry immersions to foster greater working relationships between stakeholders in the English-language feature film market.

Chairpersons of the Board

	Georges-Émile Lapalme		February 1968 to November 1969
	Gratien Gélinas		November 1969 to February 1978
	Michel Vennat		March 1978 to May 1981
	David Silcox		September 1981 to December 1982
	Claude Morin		Vice-Chair; chaired Board meetings January to March 1983
	Ed Prévost		April 1983 to June 1986
	Jean Sirois		July 1987 to April 1988
	Edmund C. Bovey		May 1988 to April 1990
	Harvey Corn		Acting Chair April to June 1990 Chair July 1990 to June 1993
	André Provost		Acting Chair June to July 1993
	Robert Dinan		July 1993 to July 1998
	Laurier L. LaPierre, O.C.		July 1998 to July 2001
	François Macerola		July 2001 to February 2002
	Charles Bélanger		Chair February 2002 to February 2007
	Felix (Fil) Fraser		Interim Chair February to October 2007
	Michel Roy		October 2007
Executive Directors
	Michael Spencer		Acting Secretary April 1968 to February 1969 Executive Director March 1969 to April 1978
	Michael McCabe		May 1978 to April 1980
	Pierre Thibault		Acting Executive Director April to July 1980
	André Lamy		August 1980 to June 1985
	Peter Pearson		July 1985 to October 1987
	Judith McCann		Acting Executive Director October to December 1987
	Michèle Fortin		Acting Executive Director December 1987 to May 1988
	Pierre DesRoches		June 1988 to June 1994
	Peter Katadotis		Acting Executive Director June 1994 to March 1995
	François Macerola		March 1995 to November 1998
	Peter Katadotis		Acting Executive Director November to December 1998
	François Macerola		Executive Director January 1999 to July 2001
	Johanne St-Arnauld		Acting Executive Director July 2001 to January 2002
	Richard Stursberg		Executive Director January 2002 to July 2004
	Carolle Brabant		Acting Executive Director July 2004 to January 2005
	Wayne Clarkson		Executive Director January 2005 to January 2010
	Carolle Brabant		Executive Director March 2010