The National Film Board of Canada’s 2024–25 Departmental plan at a glance
A departmental plan describes a department’s priorities, plans and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.
Vision, mission, raison d’etre and operating context
Read the full departmental plan
© 2024 National Film Board of Canada
Cat. No. NF1-4E-PDF
ISSN: 2371-6479
Key priorities
Audiovisual Programming and Production
Engage audiences with works that entertain, inspire and promote dialogue
- Engage all Canadians through high-quality content that expresses their interests and their values, and by ensuring they see their lives and concerns reflected on-screen.
- Continue to refine, develop and share programming expertise in order to produce innovative storytelling for diverse genres, screens and target audiences.
- Progress in the NFB’s commitments to advance racial and gender equity, as well as Indigenous representation and sovereignty, across all of its active projects; these commitments also align with the NFB’s dedication to producing stories from coast-to-coast-to-coast by emerging and seasoned talent.
Strengthen programming workflow by integrating production-management tools
- Advance production through technology by developing and implementing real-time programming tools and optimizing administration and operational costs.
- Implement ShotGrid, the project-management tool used and recognized in the audiovisual sector, to support production practices with the latest technology.
Renew business policies for co-productions
- Renew business policies for co-productions to create optimal partnership conditions that foster innovative and flexible storytelling approaches.
- Publish new parameters for co-productions by updating and sharing the NFB’s co-production guide with the industry.
Content Accessibility and Audience Engagement
Begin the process of changing distribution methods and structures to increase audiences in Canada and worldwide
- Explore the possibility of making the NFB’s YouTube channel available in additional geographic regions.
- Foster an increased presence of NFB works on streaming platforms and increased NFB collaboration with content aggregators.
- Examine the possibility of creating the NFB’s own FAST channel (a free, advertising-supported linear streaming television channel) or collaborating with such a channel.
Ensure the NFB’s works are accessible on digital platforms
- Continue making more NFB productions available online on various platforms.
- Continue to update the NFB’s distribution and streaming platform, nfb.ca, by developing a new interface that’s adaptable, flexible and centred on the works.
Strengthen the NFB’s relationship and interactions with its audience
- Democratize the NFB’s educational offerings and facilitate access to all the teaching materials developed by the NFB.
- Develop new teaching formats and tools to engage more audiences in schools throughout Canada.
- Lay the groundwork for a unit with a mandate to produce audiovisual content that informs the public about various aspects of creating audiovisual works (including interviews with artists and craftspeople) and the NFB’s various areas of expertise.
Ensure that the NFB’s works are preserved so that they remain available to future generations
- Continue digitizing the active collection.
- Continue image restoration for works in the active collection.
Internal Services
Remain an indispensable player in the new Canadian audiovisual ecosystem
- Participate fully in the Department of Canadian Heritage initiative to modernize the audiovisual sector.
- Prepare the NFB’s 2025–28 Strategic Plan and position the NFB with a renewed mandate.
- Proceed with the request for exemptions and increased authorities that will enable the NFB to become a nimbler, higher-performing organization.
- Reiterate the importance of the NFB’s long-term financial viability.
An organization that is representative of Canada’s cultural diversity, behind the camera and on the screen
- Implement the renewed Indigenous Action Plan and update the NFB’s governance with regard to equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Update the NFB’s action plan on official languages to reflect the modernization of the Act.
- Proceed with the second phase of implementation of the NFB’s self-identification form.
- Continue the deployment of the NFB’s 2023–25 Accessibility Plan and its new Green Plan.
A flexible workplace that’s conducive to development
- Prepare an internal-communication plan to improve two-way communications.
- Leverage opportunities to develop talent and complete the profiles of skills related to the NFB’s values for all NFB employees.
- Optimize the layout of NFB workspaces to accommodate the new post-pandemic reality, which has seen a sharp increase in remote work.
Refocusing Government Spending
In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $14.1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.
While not officially part of this spending reduction exercise from 2024-25, the NFB will respect the spirit of this exercise by increasing monitoring of its expenses and exploring opportunities to decrease them.
Highlights
A Departmental Results Framework consists of an organization’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve, and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.
Audiovisual Programming and Production
Departmental results:
- The NFB works reflect pan-Canadian perspectives.
- The NFB is a global centre of excellence in audiovisual production.
- The NFB supports Canadian industry talent and cultural diversity.
Planned spending: $37,079,225
Planned human resources: 158
Among the various priorities that are part of the NFB’s mandate, engaging audiences with works that entertain, inspire and encourage dialogue is the beating heart of the organization. To ensure that this activity remains a priority in 2024–25, the NFB will evolve its programming, optimize its costs for administration and operations, and renew its production policies so that they foster innovative approaches to storytelling.
More information about Audiovisual Programming and Production can be found in the full departmental plan.
Content Accessibility and Audience Engagement
Departmental results:
- The NFB works are accessible on digital platforms.
- The NFB works are viewed around the world.
- The NFB forges relationships with its online audiences.
- The NFB works are preserved, and their longevity assured for future generations.
Planned spending: $23,093,384
Planned human resources: 159
Under the direction of the new Director General of Creation, Distribution and Marketing and Chief Programming Officer, the Distribution team will work to reach and engage more Canadians and increase the number of views of its works. In 2024–25, the NFB will undertake new, ambitious initiatives, explore innovative projects and continue the work begun in preceding years to enhance the accessibility and discoverability of its productions, increase its engagement with its audiences and preserve Canada’s audiovisual heritage.
More information about Content Accessibility and Audience Engagement can be found in the full departmental plan.