Signing of the Canada–France Coproduction Agreement

GATINEAU, July 28, 2021

On July 28, 2021, during a videoconference between Paris and Ottawa, Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, Minister of Culture, and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, signed a coproduction agreement between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of Canada with respect to film, television and audiovisual media services.

France and Canada, both staunch defenders of cultural diversity, are frequent coproduction partners: between 2015 and 2020, the two countries coproduced nearly 100 projects.

This new agreement will replace the two co-production agreements currently in force, which were signed in 1983—the first covering cinematographic works and the second, television works. It covers all audiovisual works, whether intended for initial distribution in cinemas, on television or through on-demand media platforms. This agreement provides more opportunities for French and Canadian professionals to collaborate on audiovisual projects, and represents the culmination of an ambitious joint effort by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the French Ministry of Culture, which oversee the development of international coproduction.

To be recognized as a coproduction under this agreement, and thus be eligible for the support mechanisms that are contingent on this recognition, the works must comply with strict conditions regarding the hiring of artists or technicians from the two coproducing countries, and the minority partner must make an active contribution to the production. This obligation demonstrates the desire of France and Canada to intensify their audiovisual cooperation.