Company partners with Screen Nova Scotia, too
TORONTO – Two years ago, streaming giant Netflix made a public commitment to invest at least $500 million in movies and television shows produced in Canada, both in English and French, over five years.
The company, which sure is being mentioned a lot during the election campaign and may well face additional mandates to make and display Cancon in the future, announced last week it has already exceeded that and has no plans to slow its spending here, which has helped contribute to a boom in production across the country.
Readers may recall earlier this year, Netflix announced a dedicated production hub in Toronto which will create 1,850 jobs for Canadians each year and makes available a combined 248,000 square feet of sound stage and office space for the industry. This investment is actually outside of the $500 million commitment, the company pointed out.
Netflix also committed to invest $25 million over five years in market development activities which includes partnerships with Canadian cultural organizations. To date it has invested in training and mentorship programs with L’INIS, École Nationale de l’Humeur, Hot Docs, The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, The Banff World Media Festival, the Pacific Screenwriters Program, the Canadian Film Centre, Quebec Cinéma, Inside Out, Montreal International Documentary Festival, Francophone Producers of Canada, Wapikoni Mobile, Indigenous Screen Office, and ImagineNATIVE
“These significant investments made by Netflix in Canada demonstrate that Netflix is in Canada for the long-haul and committed to working with Canadian producers, creators, talent and crews to create more great content. Netflix has invested and will continue to invest in Canada because Canadians make great global stories,” reads the company press release.
It also noted Canadian creatives Aaron Martin (Another Life) and Michael MacLennan (Tiny Pretty Things) are working for Netflix and first time director Patrice Laliberté, who has no full-length credits to his name, is filming Netflix’s first original film from Quebec this year which will launch on the service sometime in 2020.
Netflix also announced this week it has partnered with Screen Nova Scotia to deliver the film commission’s Screenwriter Internship Program. Now in its second year, the program is designed to help emerging and mid-level Nova Scotian screenwriters grow their network, sharpen their professional skills, and bring new perspectives and ideas to the writers’ rooms of established television series.
“Nova Scotia has always had a deep arsenal of strong writers, and we’re proud to partner with Netflix to showcase this talent in the writers’ rooms of Internationally celebrated showrunners,” said Laura Mackenzie, executive director, Screen Nova Scotia.
Last year’s program placed three local screenwriters in the writers’ rooms of Mary Kills People and Diggstown. With Netflix signing on as a presenting partner, the program will expand into the writers’ room of U.S. series in Los Angeles and New York in addition to Canada, connecting Nova Scotian writers with some of North America’s top showrunners and screenwriters, adds the release.
