Telefilm Canada

In 1967, the Canadian government founded the Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), allocating $10 million in support of the country's feature film industry. Michael Spencer (1919-2016)[3] was named the first executive director of the CFDC, which by then included offices in Montreal and Toronto.

By 1976, the Canadian government had increased the CFDC's budget to $25 million annually, at which point it decided to finance the corporation with an annual parliamentary appropriation. Spencer was replaced by Michael McCabe in May 1978. Notable films produced with the agency's support included Goin' Down the Road (1970), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), Shivers (1975), Why Shoot the Teacher (1977), In Praise of Older Women (1978).

The early 1980s sees the CFDC's budget increased yet again and the creation of the Canadian Broadcast Program Development Fund to revitalize Canadian television programming. At the time, approximately 85% of all prime time programming on Canadian television is imported from other countries—namely the US. Under the direction of André Lamy, in 1984 the CFDC is renamed “Telefilm Canada” to better reflect the organization's full range of activities in both the film and television industries.

With the creation of the Feature Film Fund aimed at supporting feature films by Canadian filmmakers and the Feature Film Distribution Fund that makes credit lines available to Canadian distributors, Telefilm Canada takes a central role in the development and growth of Canadian cinema around the world.

Now under the executive direction of François Macerola, the Canada Television and Cable Production Fund is created. The Fund is a private-public partnership between the federal government of Canada and the cable and satellite television industry, with Telefilm administering the Equity Investment component of the Fund. By the end of the 1990s, in 1998, Telefilm Canada creates a five-year, $30-million multimedia fund, aptly-named The Multimedia Fund, with which to support Canadian work in the digital age. The Fund helps Canadians in multimedia to compete effectively in the new technologies arena.

With the new millennium, the Canadian government implemented a new Canadian Feature Film Policy, From Script to Screen, that effectively created the Canada Feature Film Fund (CFFF) to be managed by Telefilm Canada.

Beginning April 1, 2001, with an annual budget of $100-million, the CFF's primary objective is to build larger audiences in Canada and abroad for Canadian feature films with improved distribution and marketing. Also that year, Telefilm Canada announces guidelines for the Canada New Media Fund, replacing the Multimedia Fund. Budgets grow from $6 million, to $9 million, and now sit at $14 million annually. The latter half of the decade brings about other changes for Telefilm.

In 2005, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announces a new collaboration between the organization and the Canadian Television Fund and, with it, renewed funding of $100 million for Canadian television programming. While the Board of the Canadian Television is responsible for the governance of all programs, Telefilm heads up the administration and delivery of the CTF programs.[4]

The 2012 Canadian federal budget cut funding for the National Film Board of Canada and Telefilm Canada by 10%. Today, following a new four-year plan, Telefilm has made stimulating demand for Canadian screen-based content one of its top priorities.[5]

• Michael Spencer –March 1969 to April 1978
• Michael McCabe – May 1978 to April 1980
• Pierre Thibault – April to July 1980, Acting Executive Director
• André Lamy – August 1980 to June 1985
• Peter Pearson – July 1985 to October 1987
• Judith McCann – October to December 1987, Acting Executive Director
• Michèle Fortin – December 1987 to May 1988, Acting Executive Director
• Pierre DesRoches – June 1988 to June 1994
• Peter Katadotis – June 1994 to March 1995, Acting Executive Director
• François Macerola – March 1995 to November 1998
• Peter Katadotis – November to December 1998, Acting Executive Director
• François Macerola – January 1999 to July 2001
• Johanne St-Arnauld – July 2001 to January 2002, Acting Executive Director
• Richard Stursberg – January 2002 to July 2004
• Carolle Brabant – July 2004 to January 2005, Acting Executive Director
• Wayne Clarkson – January 2005 to January 2010
• Carolle Brabant – March 2010 to March 2018
• Jean-Claude Mahé - March to July 2018, Acting Executive Director
• Christa Dickenson - July 2018 to present[6]