Ottawa must be smarter about how it supports Canadian film and TV industry, Miller says

Ottawa must be smarter about how it supports Canadian film and TV industry, Miller says BARRY HERTZ PUBLISHED 55 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller said Canada is going to have to 'up our game' in supporting the domestic industry. GABRIEL HUTCHINSON/THE GLOBE AND MAIL COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. New audiovisual co-production treaties with Britain and with Spain will help Canada be “smarter” about its approach to supporting the domestic screen sector during this intense moment for cultural sovereignty, says Marc Miller, federal Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture. In an exclusive interview with The Globe and Mail Saturday in Toronto, where he was attending the Toronto International Film Festival, Mr. Miller underlined the need to better diversify the country’s multibillion-dollar cultural sector, which has become what Prime Minister Mark Carney referred to as an “irritant” in trade negotiations between Ottawa and Washington. “We’re the biggest supplier of funds in an industry [film and television] that’s struggling against some external forces that have great amounts of capital to deploy, so we have to be smarter about it in the way we do it, and I don’t think we’re as smart as we could be,” said Mr. Miller, who announced the British and Spanish treaties – agreements that allow Canadian film and TV producers to access local incentives in each country (and vice versa) – at TIFF on Sunday. “We’re often very siloed in our approach. We’ve laid a bit of a fertile playing field for that, but I think we could up our game and get a lot better. And we’re going to have to, in the context of the trade war with the U.S.” TIFF 2026: Opening night delivers odd dose of America for this era of Canadian cultural sovereignty It is that political conflict that has dominated discussions on the ground at TIFF. In addition to hosting its annual festival, organizers have this year launched, with $23-million in federal support, an official marketplace, in which dealmakers from around the world have gathered for a week of buying and selling film, television and interactive media. Top of mind for Canadian producers is the uncertain state of the Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11), which would have tripled the contributions of foreign-owned streamers toward the production and promotion of Canadian…