As first reported by the CBC (“Telefilm redefines Canadian film success”), Telefilm Canada’s 2011-12 Corporate Plan sets out a new “Success Index” intended to measure Telefilm’s (and the Canadian film industry’s) own success. The new measure, which replaces a success metric which looked solely to share of Canadian box office gross, is comprised of commercial, cultural and industrial components:
- Commercial (60% of the total index)
- Box-office receipts in Canada
- Gross domestic and international sales
- Cultural (30%)
- Number of selections and prizes at certain international festivals and events
- Selected awards won at certain national competitive events and festivals
- Industrial (10%)
- Ratio of private versus public funding in productions supported by Telefilm
While, from the available information, it appears this new “Success Index” will apply initially to Telefilm’s own activities, it will be interesting to see whether it is applied more broadly through Telefilm’s own programs which measure “success”, such as the “envelope system” of the Canada Feature Film Fund, which allocates funding to producers who achieve box office success.
