Source: Toronto Star

A funny thing seems to have happened on the way to finding a new CEO for Telefilm Canada, the federal government's film-funding agency, to succeed the recently departed Wayne Clarkson.

Two weeks ago, after a long process of forming a committee and conducting a search, the moment had come to open the envelope and announce the name of the winner. But when we open the envelope, metaphorically speaking, it turns out there is nothing in it.

Film industry insiders suspect that the reason Jan. 15 – the expected date for naming Telefilm's new boss – came and went without any announcement whatsoever is that the Prime Minister's Office declined to approve the candidate recommended by the search committee.

All of which can only crank up the anxiety level of anyone who worries about the intentions of the Harper government concerning Canada's movie industry.

Clarkson, whose credentials included stints running the Toronto International Film Festival, the Ontario Film Development Corporation and the Canadian Film Centre, was appointed five years ago under the Liberal government of Paul Martin. In retrospect, he appears to have been the victim of great expectations that were mostly unrealistic.

His predecessor, Richard Sturs-berg, had lost credibility by hiring a Hollywood talent agency to help close the gap between French-language movies (which usually account for 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the Quebec box office) and English-language movies (which have trouble climbing much beyond 1 per cent of the box office) – causing a near-mutiny in the industry.

To his credit, Clarkson focused on quality, impact and prestige, not just box office numbers, while trying to tweak the bureaucratic quagmire within the organization.

Early on in his term, his former allies in the Toronto film world attacked him when Telefilm, claiming the script wasn't ready, delayed approval of Passchendaele, the World War I epic that Paul Gross and Rhombus Films eventually made.

Soon afterward, in order to get rid of Telefilm's notorious decision-by-committee system, Clarkson appointed a film czar who was personally going to decide which English-language movies would get $1 million or more of Telefilm money. But just days after he introduced the Toronto community to Michael Jenkinson – a Canadian who had gone on to major film executive jobs in Hollywood – the new wizard abruptly changed his mind and went back to L.A.

Talk of eliminating the so-called envelope system, under which producers of films that have made $1 million or more at the box office automatically get money for future projects, was dropped. Had it gone forward, Clarkson would have been under siege from major filmmakers like Robert Lantos.

Gradually the resources, power and prestige of Telefilm have been whittled away by its Ottawa masters. It gradually lost its historic role of deciding which television projects would be subsidized, now determined by the Canadian Television Fund, dominated by cable operators. Most recently, Telefilm lost control of the New Media funding program.

Upshot: There isn't much discretionary funding money for Telefilm to hand out.

One point about Telefilm's future is certain. Its next head will be a francophone with whom the Harper government feels comfortable.

But where will that leave the Toronto filmmakers who felt alienated from an organization that had its head office in Montreal, even when one of their own was running it?

Clearly, given the economic crunch, Ottawa will be looking for ways to cut budgets without losing votes. That could mean a reduction in Telefilm's $400 million a year budget. It could mean more emphasis on digital projects and less money for big-screen movies. It could mean slashing the Canadian Television Fund – which would be a huge blow to domestic TV production.

Or it could lead to something as drastic as a merger of Telefilm with the government's other film agency, the National Film Board.

If despite all that, you're interested in becoming CEO of Telefilm, now's the time to step forward.

© Toronto Star