Quebec artists waiting for Netflix cash
Francophone directors, writers and actors are still waiting for a big project to fulfil promise
MONTREAL— On a recent episode of Quebec’s popular TV talk show Tout le monde en parle, co-host Dany Turcotte asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau why he hadn’t heard of any significant Netflix investment in Quebec since a major announcement last year.
The U.S. streaming giant committed in September 2017 to investing $500 million over five years in Canadian-produced movies and television shows, in both English and French.
“It’s not happening fast,” Turcotte said to Trudeau about Netflix money in Quebec. “There is nothing happening.”
The prime minister replied defensively.
“On the contrary.” Netflix would invest “even more than they had initially planned to,” he promised. Maybe Trudeau knew something about Netflix’s plans that Turcotte, a Quebec show-business veteran, didn’t.
But none of the Quebec production companies or unions representing actors, directors or writers contacted by The Canadian Press said they have heard of any French-language movie or TV series in development by Netflix in the province.
Culture is a highly charged issue in Quebec, and it’s no surprise that alongside questions about cannabis legalization and Saudi arms sales the prime minister was put on the spot about Netflix.
Mélanie Joly, the former heritage minister, lost her portfolio last summer following what was widely seen as a disastrous handling of the Netflix file.
Joly was savaged in the Quebec media for her government’s decision not to impose the federal goods and services tax on Netflix or any other onlinestreaming company.
Netflix’s $500-million announcement was seen by cultural and political leaders in the province as a sop to the industry after Ottawa decided against imposing sales taxes on streaming services such as Netflix.
It’s a question of equity, said Gilles Charland, director general of the union representing Quebec’s image and sound technicians.
“It’s not about adding a tax on people,” Charland said. “It’s about ensuring that whether you’re subscribed to Bell or Vidéotron or Shaw or Netflix, you pay a tax for using that product.”
The $500-million pledge was supposed to make up for the break given to Netflix, but more than one year after the announcement, francophone Quebec directors, writers and actors are still waiting for a big project.
“It’s very disappointing,” said Gabriel Pelletier, head of a union representing 700 film, TV and web directors in Quebec.
“It takes time to develop projects,” he conceded, “but still, there should at least be some deals for developing something.”
On the English side, Netflix has made significant moves in Canada over the last year. It recently renewed the show
Travelers, created by Canadian Brad Wright and shot in Vancouver. The company has other English-language movies and TV shows in production across the country.
Montreal-based Muse Entertainment is currently in postproduction on Good Sam, a $5-million (U.S.) feature film for Netflix, scheduled to run in 2019.
Netflix points to two recent projects involving francophone talent as evidence it has not ignored Quebec.
Netflix bought the rights to the 2017 film Les Affamés, scheduled to appear on the platform in 2019. And the company plans to record four francophone comedians during the next Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal as part of an international series featuring 47 comedians from around the world.
Writers, editors and actors see signs of goodwill from Netflix, but so far it is not funding any original Quebecois movie or TV series.
In a statement to The Canadian Press, Netflix said its $500-million commitment includes movies and TV shows in both English and French, as well as an additional $25 million in market development.
“There is more to come,” the company said.
Last May, Netflix held a twoday series of meetings in Montreal during which it received numerous pitches. Hélène Messier, head of an association that represents 150 independent Quebec production companies in film, TV and online, attended one of the events in May.
“There were more than 1,000 ideas submitted to Netflix during those meetings,” Messier said in an interview.
“I know it can take time to develop projects,” she added, “but I would have hoped that by now we would have at least been able to announce something.”
Messier said Netflix “created an expectation” in Quebec last year when it announced its investment and she remains optimistic.
“I think they will deliver,” she said, “but I don’t know when.”
“There should at least be some deals for developing something.” GABRIEL PELLETIER