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SECTION II: ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BY STRATEGIC OUTCOME

2.1. Strategic Outcome: The reflection of Canadian values and perspectives through the production of innovative Canadian audiovisual works accessible in relevant media of the day.

The NFB achieves this strategic outcome through two program activities: 2.1.1 Production of audiovisual works, and 2.1.2 Distribution Accessibility Outreach. By producing relevant, challenging and innovative audiovisual works, the NFB gives Canadians a better understanding of Canada and the world. It also explores the creative possibilities of new technologies to ensure an increased accessibility of these works to the Canadian public in all regions of the country, while helping strengthen Canada’s presence in the digital realm through its internationally recognized brand.

On the whole, the NFB met the results it set out to achieve in 2008–2009 for this strategic outcome.

2.1.1. Program Activity 1: Production of Audiovisual Works

          Program Activity: Production of audiovisual works     

2008-09 Financial Resources ($ thousands)			2008-09 Human Resources (FTEs)
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending	Planned	Actual	Difference
51,060	53,606	53,711	342	321	-21

 

Expected Results	Performance Indicators4	Targets	Performance Status	Performance Summary
Programming involving social issues	Percentage of Canadian public that perceive the NFB as producing relevant, challenging and innovative audiovisual works	50% by March 31 2011	Exceeded	An online survey of Canadians from across the country conducted on behalf of the NFB in 2008 found that over 60% of respondents perceive the NFB as producing relevant, challenging and innovative audiovisual works.
	Percentage of NFB audience that perceive it as producing audiovisual works that provide a better understanding of Canada and the world	75% by March 31, 2011	Ongoing	74% of survey respondents perceive the NFB as producing audiovisual works that provide a better understanding of Canada.
Programming with the focus on point of view documentaries, animation, alternative drama and new media			Met all	67 point of view documentaries, 23 animated films, 4 alternative dramas, 4 new media (web) productions were produced in 2008-2009.
Projects innovative in content, form and broadcasting mode, with flexibility for experimentation	Awards, mentions, nominations and tributes earned at Canadian and International festivals	150 awards by March 31, 2011	Ongoing	109 Canadian and international Awards, up from 92 the previous year   2 Special Tributes Paid - by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and City of Cannes for NFB contribution to the development of Cinema
	Number of innovation-related awards, mentions, nominations and tributes.			Two special innovation awards: Webby Award for Filmmaker-in-Residence; Golden Nica for Madame Tutli Putli
Programming exploring Canadian diversity.	Number of audiovisual works exploring Canadian diversity	35% by March 31, 2011	Exceeded	90% (85 films in total), surpassing the current target.
Audiovisual works created by culturally, regionally & linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and disabled filmmakers	Percentage of audiovisual works realized by culturally, regionally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and people with disabilities	50% by March 31, 2011	Met all	Approximately 64% (or 60 films) realized5, on target with the NFB’s performance objective in this area.
	Number of culturally, regionally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal filmmakers and disabled professionals who benefited from NFB initiatives		Met all	59 culturally, regionally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal filmmakers and disabled professionals benefited.
Audiovisual works produced by emerging filmmakers	Percentage of completed audiovisual works produced by emerging filmmakers (including talent-nurturing initiatives)	50% by March 31, 2011	Ongoing	44% of works were produced by emerging filmmakers.   This includes talent nurturing initiatives, which account for 22 productions.
	Number of emerging filmmakers who produced an NFB audiovisual work or were assisted by the NFB		Met all	42 emerging filmmakers either had their films produced by the NFB or were assisted by it.
On-going promotion and development of new talent.	Number of participants in talent-nurturing initiatives, including competitions		Met all	241 participants in talent nurturing initiatives
	Number of culturally, regionally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and disabled professionals who benefited from NFB initiatives.		Met all	183 culturally, regionally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and disabled professionals participated in talent nurturing initiatives.

 

Program Activity Summary

National Film Board productions provide a uniquely Canadian perspective, including diverse cultural and regional perspectives, recognized across Canada and around the world, thereby playing an important role in the lives of Canadians and a pivotal role in the Canadian film and television industry. The NFB’s programming fosters diverse voices and content in both official languages by encouraging participation from Aboriginal groups and ethno-cultural communities from across the country. Production activities include the conceptualization, research, development, production and marketing of documentaries, animation films, new media content, and other emerging forms. The use of the most recent production methods and technologies provide for quality works that are accessible on new distribution platforms and in new media.

Benefits for Canadians

The NFB provides an essential service to Canadians by producing stories that reflect our history and values and that interpret Canada to Canadians and to other nations. NFB audiovisual works offer vital insights into our country’s richness and diversity –and serve as an indispensable part of Canada’s cultural heritage.

The NFB gives voice to communities and helps to create visibility and awareness of the issues they face, giving them a sense of hope and greater stake in the country. Its commitment to official language minority communities has ensured a vibrant cultural community is able to share its stories. Communities welcome the NFB as the agent to give them voice and to generate public dialogue and publicity.

This program activity serves Canadians:

• by producing the rich and diverse cultural content which reflects Canada’s rapidly shifting demographic profile and which cannot otherwise be easily produced.
• by being an essential partner in events of national historic and cultural significance showing Canadian creative innovations to the world and giving creators the freedom to explore and to innovate – while allowing Canadians to be both witnesses and participants in history.
• by being the creative laboratory par excellence for developing the new formats and new approaches to storytelling of the future from ground breaking work in digital creation and distribution (on line, cell phone, e-cinema) to explorations in stereoscopic productions.
• as Canada’s best known international cinematic brand, the NFB serves Canadians and the industry by ensuring a strong Canadian presence in a globalized, digital universe.

Performance Analysis

An online survey of Canadians from across the country commissioned by the NFB in 2008 established baseline measures of its progress towards achieving its strategic objectives, revealing that overall, Canadians perceive the NFB to be effectively delivering on its objective to produce highly relevant and innovative Canadian works that contribute to our understanding of Canada and the world.

Working with independent production companies and emerging filmmakers through its studios in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, Moncton and Halifax, the NFB completed 94 films in 2008-2009: 67 documentaries, 23 animations, four fictions with 74 percent of productions exploring major social issues. In addition, four new media projects (web) were also produced. This represents a decrease from last year’s output of 155 original productions, due to the fact that the yearly compilation of shorts from the Wapikoni mobile initiative had not been completed by March 31st 2009.

Innovation at the NFB supports private sector Canadian companies in a number of ways. As an essential partner to the industry, the NFB takes on the kind of projects that the private sector cannot tackle on its own, serving as an indispensible source of groundbreaking cinema and new media. Thirty three of the 94 films were coproduced with the Canadian independent private sector, and 10 with international partners.

Programming Excellence & Technical innovation

As a key partner in events of national historic and cultural significance, the institution brought Canadians together to celebrate their history and culture and showed Canadian creative innovations to the world. As part of the 400th anniversary of Quebec City, the NFB produced the groundbreaking film about explorer Champlain, entitled Facing Champlain, in an immersive 3D experience seamlessly combining live action, numerous forms of animation, blue screen effects and more. Front Lines was another major contribution by the NFB on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armistice – a tribute to Canadian combatants in the First World War. This was done in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of National Defence, Rideau Hall and the Canadian War Museum, where the film premiered in the presence of Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada. Front Lines was also seen coast-to-coast in schools, on television and online.

This year for the first time the NFB partnered with the Governor General’s Performing Arts awards to produce a series of short signature works honouring laureates of the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Awards, the National Arts Centre Award and the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism.

The NFB also entered into a new partnership with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and 2010 Legacies Now to collaborate in the Canada Code interactive digital project, a website of photos and words that gives all Canadians a chance to participate in the games as a national, pan-Canadian event. The NFB is also working with Cirque du Soleil on Canada’s Pavilion at the Shanghai World Exposition.

Awards

Awards for Excellence and Innovation	2008-09
Canadian Awards	59
International Awards	50
Total	109

 

NFB productions won 109 Canadian and international awards, including a Webby Award for the groundbreaking interactive documentary project Filmmaker-in-Residence. In addition, on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, the NFB was bestowed special honours by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science as well as the Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film and the American National Archives Foundation. Fiscal year 08-09 ended with a special Gold Medal from the city of Cannes, home of the Cannes Film Festival and the world’s largest television market, in honour of the NFB's 70th and in recognition of its continuing and distinctive contributions to cinema and television.

Encouraging diverse perspectives

The Film Board is committed to the principles of equal access and cultural diversity, encouraging dialogue and understanding, and assuring that Canada’s cultural communities have a voice. NFB productions are created by talented Canadians from all backgrounds and regions, in both official languages, representing Canada in all its diversity. In 2008-2009, approximately 64 percent of completed films were realized by culturally, regionally and linguistically diverse filmmakers, as well as Aboriginal filmmakers and people with disabilities.

Films like Twelve, Warrior Boyz and Club Native were instrumental in generating discussion and awareness about the challenges adolescent immigrants face in adapting to Canada, gang life and violence in Metro Vancouver’s Indo Canadian community and the complex legal and cultural implications of claiming membership in some First Nations communities. The film Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny, directed by Mark Sandiford and coproduced with Beachwalker Films Inc, was recognized this year with the 2008 Canada Award presented by the Gemini Awards. The Canada Award honours excellence in mainstream television programming which best reflects the racial and cultural diversity of Canada.

The NFB remains today one of the world’s most important producers of Aboriginal works. Through initiatives such as Our World, created in partnership with remote First Nations communities in British Columbia and the Yukon, First Nations youth created web-based productions about themselves, their home and their community. Wapikoni Mobile, which celebrated its fifth anniversary this year, has connected with 800 youth from fourteen communities to create nearly 300 productions, and received 23 international festival prizes. This travelling audiovisual studio was created by veteran documentary producer Manon Barbeau (Les productions des beaux jours), in partnership with the NFB and the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador.

Alanis Obomsawin, an internationally renowned NFB filmmaker who has produced many documentaries on First Nations history and culture received in 2008 the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

Professional development initiatives

Through 19 talent-nurturing initiatives for emerging filmmakers, the NFB provided professional mentoring for 241 Canadians, preparing them for future creative opportunities and leadership in the development and renewal of Canada’s creative economy. Of these, 183 participants were culturally, regionally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal or disabled professionals.

The NFB plays a particularly important role in supporting the federal government’s commitments under Part VII of the Official Languages Act, which supports the development of official language minority communities (OLMCs). In 2008-2009, 26 films were completed by filmmakers from official language minority communities, while 71 emerging filmmakers from OLMC benefited from seven talent nurturing initiatives.

The NFB also worked in partnership with industry and training institutions on a range of professional development initiatives. In particular, it worked with the Canadian Film Centre launch a new program to advance the art of documentary, the CFC-NFB Documentary Lab. The Program is designed to help Canadian directors with an idea for a theatrical documentary to develop their projects for international audiences.

In addition, 165 films were completed by filmmakers through the support of the Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) and Aide au cinéma indépendant canadien (ACIC).

The NFB met all of its performance targets for fiscal year 2008-2009.

Lessons Learned

To remain relevant, the NFB will continue to:

• Pursue its mission to produce audiovisual works that reflect the country’s diversity and explain the changing cultural and social realities of Canada.
• Push boundaries in creativity, innovation and artistic vision and take commercial and artistic risks that can only be done by the NFB.
• Connect with audiences in all regions of Canada, particularly younger audiences, on the platform of their choice.
• Support emerging filmmakers
• Meet the programming requirements of specific client groups such as the education sector.
• Maintain a strong regional focus, by identifying and developing regional talent, and reflecting Canada regions and diversity

Transition to Digital

The NFB continues to transform its production processes and post-production services in order to produce and deliver programming in the digital formats required by Canadians and world audiences. In order to continually meet the challenges of the digital technological shift and remain at the forefront of innovation, the NFB has identified the need for a more integrated project delivery model for organization-wide project teams so that each function is carried out in parallel from the outset and functional specialists are involved at a much earlier stage in the process. There is also an opportunity to plan for multiplatform formats right from the start. This will simplify project management and delivery and improve productivity.

In addition, a wide range of new skills are currently required to make the shift to digital media and project management among executive producers, producers, line producers, production supervisors, technical coordinators, production coordinators, studio administrators, marketing managers and staff.

The NFB’s expertise in new platforms also makes it a valuable partner in international initiatives with public and private-sector partners in the UK, Brazil, Japan and France to name a few. The NFB enjoys strategic partnerships that go beyond the traditional co-production model. Agreements with the Brazil Ministry of Culture or our most recent agreement with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) deepen the forms of collaboration and open doors for the Canadian industry. Key to this partnership is the NFB’s ability to innovate in multi-platform and socially engaged programming.

 

2.1.2. Program Activity 2: Distribution, Accessibility, Outreach

          Program Activity: Distribution, Accessibility, Outreach     

2008-09 Financial Resources ($ thousands)			2008-09 Human Resources (FTEs)
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending	Planned	Actual	Difference
13,982	15,017	14,295	156	146	-10

 

Expected Results	Performance Indicators6	Targets	Performance Status	Performance Summary
Completed audiovisual works accessible on new distribution platforms	Percentage of audiovisual works accessible on new distribution platforms		Met all	Over 1000 titles (8%) are now available at NFB.ca, 966 hours of the NFB’s stock shot library (25%) have been digitized for its commercial portal NFB Images, 5500 titles (42%) are available on DVD and 140 recent titles digitized for distribution over e-Cinema network.
On-going digitization of the NFB collection	Percentage of NFB archives that are digitized		Ongoing	25% of NFB archives (stockshots) have now been digitized.
Increased number of audiovisual works available online	Number of audiovisual works available online		Met all	Over 1000 titles now digitized and available for streaming online. 5500 titles on DVD available for purchase online. 140 titles digitized for distribution over e-Cinema network.
Increased sales generated by NFB’s collection	Sales generated by NFB's collection		Not Met	Total sales of $4,915,861 achieve in the year, a 17% drop over the previous year.
Improved access to the NFB collection through its various activities and offerings, particularly the mediatheques and other resources and increasing number of initiatives targeted for the educational sector	Percentage of Canadian population who: have access to NFB programming used, accessed, viewed an NFB product used, accessed, viewed NFB audiovisual works through new distribution platforms Number of clients, users and audience reached unique online visitors	60% of Canadian population to have access to NFB programming by March 31, 2011 85% of Canadian population to have used, accessed, viewed an NFB product by March 31, 2011	Ongoing	According to the Canadian Internet Project published in 2008, 80% of Canadian homes have access to Internet (54% to broadband Internet), allowing them to stream films or purchase DVD’s at NFB.ca. According to an online survey conducted on behalf of the NFB in 2008, 81% of respondents have ever accessed an NFB production, while 21% did so in the previous year. The NFB achieved greater than 31 million Canadian views for its productions on all platforms in 2008-2009, up 9% from the previous year. 46% of this Canadian audience was achieved within the educational market. There were 7,670,777 visitors to NFB.ca in 2008-2009: 4,602,466 Canadian and 3,068,311 international. 179, 295 people attended public screenings of NFB films and 212, 569 visited NFB mediatheques.
Appreciable research and development efforts on techniques and technology in the audiovisual field	Number of research and development projects related to innovation		Met all	4 research and development projects were underway in 2008-2009 related to innovation, in accordance with R&D plans.

 

Program Activity Summary

The NFB's distribution, accessibility and outreach activities contribute to a dynamic Canadian culture and heritage. The distribution of audiovisual work includes: commercializing its audiovisual catalogues and well established stock shot library and developing and diversifying markets (Theatrical, TV, web and New Platforms, both Consumer and Institutional) for NFB products in Canada and abroad. Priority activities will make works available in communities across Canada, especially those in remote, rural areas, and provide increased access to Canadians with disabilities, Aboriginal groups and official language minority communities.

Benefits for Canadians

The NFB provides an essential service by distributing stories that reflect our history and values and interpret Canada to Canadians and to other nations. Canadians benefit from NFB programming that serves the public interest by stimulating learning, renewing our shared values and contributing in the long run to a well functioning civil society. This program activity increases the visibility and awareness of the NFB and its products, through marketing, programming and distribution, and building on its strong brand.

Digital technology has provided the NFB with an unprecedented opportunity to connect more directly with its audience, providing a rich viewing experience across all regions in both official languages and engaging Canadians in discourse and ensuring democratic participation and social inclusion. This program activity serves Canadians by making its rich collection and ongoing productions available when and where Canadians want to see it, on the platform of their choice. In particular, the NFB delivers trusted Canadian content to our schoolchildren across the country.

As Canada’s best known international cinematic brand, the NFB serves Canadians and the industry by ensuring a strong Canadian presence in a globalized, digital universe. Through its distribution activities, the NFB continues in its tradition of excellence, giving creators the freedom to explore and to innovate, and allowing Canadians to be both witnesses and participants in history.

Performance Analysis

Canadian audience

Canadian Audience Measurement 2007-08 and 2008-09

Access	2008-2009	2007-2008
TV	11,889,000	12,245,000
NFB.ca (visits)	4,602,466	2,989,258
Institutional and Education (non-theatrical)	14,473,684	13,178,623
Home Video	32,477	36,461
Mediatheques	212,569	205,182
Public Screen	179,295	166,433
Theatrical Screen	89,300	n/a
Partner loans/libraries	138,367	146,112
GRAND TOTAL	31,617,158	28,967,069

 

The NFB increased its audience base in 2008-2009, with over 31 million views reached through its education, institutional, television, theatrical, community and online distribution channels, an increase of 9 percent over the previous year. Television and non-theatrical (educational and institutional) channels account for 83 percent of audiences. While television audiences had a slight decrease (3 percent), non-theatrical and online audience increased significantly (10 percent and 54 percent respectively).

Since the launch of the Online Screening Room (Jan – March 2009), Canadian visits totalled over 1 million, more than doubling the number of visits during the same period in 2007-2008. The total number of Canadian visits for fiscal year 2008-2009 exceeded 4,6 million. The takeup has been significant, increasing the average time being spent on the site. Online Canadians have expressed their affection and gratitude in surprising numbers.

Comments include:

• “What a treasure, thank you for making it available to us!”
• “Upon reading this my first thought is that Christmas has come early for all Canadians...three cheers for the NFB our true Canadian treasure.”
• “Awesome. These are moments that make me feel proud of my country.”

Viewership for the NFB’s online offerings is expected to continue to grow as new productions are added each month.

As part of the flagship events for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City discussed in section 2.1.1, the NFB produced a three-DVD box set containing nine films on the history of this unique city, distributed free of charge to over 26,000 schools and public libraries across Canada, in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage, resulting in an estimated viewership of more than 1,7 million views and increasing the overall non theatrical audience by 10 percent.

The e-cinema network pilot project, in its 2nd year, continues to provide an applied forum for testing the technology and delivery mechanism. The NFB continued to provide highly sought after programming to its existing network, more than doubling its audience over the previous year.

Collections Management

Digitized units per format

Digitization Formats	Units digitized in 2008-2009	Units digitized as of March 31, 2009
Films in MPEG 2 format for distribution on DVD	975	5277
Films in MPEG 4 format for use in NFB theatres in Montreal and Toronto	598	5121
Film excerpts for the Web	926	1449
Complete films for the Web	1467	1836
Films for mobile devices	385	436
Films for e-cinema	117	141
Stock shots for SD Format for NFB Images	6550	16199
Stock shots for HD Format for NFB Images	1167	1167

 

The NFB creates value for Canadians through the careful management of assets, including the digitization of its vast collection of historically and culturally significant films and associated materials, created over its 70-year history. These efforts provide increased accessibility to NFB productions by Canadians, and assure distinctively Canadian alternatives in the digital space.

Revenues

	2008-2009	2007-2008	% Change
Market
Television (including presales)	$1,360,721	$1,830,456	-26 %
Institutional and educational	$1,958,436	$2,324,371	-16 %
Home video	$871,712	$1,117,655	-22 %
Theatrical	$170,921	$128,989	33 %
Stockshots	$554,071	$490,808	13 %
Total	$4,915,861	$5,892,279	-17 %

 

Revenues overall fell significantly over the previous year, particularly in television. International sales were lower, showing a 21-percent drop, while Canadian sales suffered a 14-percent reduction. This decrease is mostly due to the current marketplace for new programming rather than the market conditions for the overall collection.

Other factors such as the NFB’s increase in coproduction activity contributed to the recent drop in revenues.

A key challenge for the NFB is to translate increased visibility of the collection into revenues, using innovative business models associated with access to digital content on the web.

Lessons Learned

In the current climate where Canada’s broadcasting and distribution industries are facing instability and enormous financial pressures – coupled with the challenges inherent in making the digital shift – the NFB’s role as producer and distributor is more critical than ever. The NFB and its private and public-sector partners provide filmmakers from every region of the country with the means to bring their visions to life and to reach a wide Canadian and global audience. The NFB’s commitment to supplying the education sector with Canadian content for the classrooms is the foundation for building a stronger, more cooperative federation for the future.

The great popularity of the online Screening Room indicates that Canadians want to see more films by the NFB and will do so when these are readily accessible in ways that Canadians have come to expect. The global digital transformation provides tremendous opportunities for the NFB to better serve Canadians by:

• Reaching audiences across Canada and in particular underserved communities, such as isolated rural communities and official language minority communities.
• Reaching Canadian youth in a media that they consume and ensuring that they have access to Canadian stories and values.

During the last fiscal year, the NFB identified new opportunities aimed at market development and the expansion of the NFB audience, and is making the shift to online distribution. These opportunities will result in:

• Increasing Audience – Consultations with stakeholders confirm that by increasing access to our programming, we will increase our audiences. In addition to access, we need to increase awareness of our products and services - our audiences need to be aware of our productions, must want to see them, must know how to access them and must know that they are seeing an NFB production. We need to ensure that we leverage the world-class reputation and strength of the NFB brand in order to support the marketing of our products and services.
• Increasing Audience Engagement – The consumer is more demanding than ever and needs to feel engaged with product and services. The NFB will encourage return users to our points of service, maintaining a “conversation” with our audience, survey satisfaction of our users and, where appropriate, monetizing products and services.
• Lowering the Cost of Delivery – By maximizing digital technology (web based, on-line transactions, secured sites for buyers, mobile applications, etc.), we will increasingly lower our cost of marketing and delivery.

In order to ensure the highest value of service to Canadians, the Distribution, accessibility and outreach program activity strives to increase revenues and create new areas of revenue generation, with a strong focus on online media. These revenues allow the NFB to expand its reach into underserved communities and provide additional programming to the country.

2.1.3. Program Activity 3: Revolving Fund

          Program Activity: Revolving Fund     

2008-09 Financial Resources ($ millions)			2008-09 Human Resources (FTEs)
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending	Planned	Actual	Difference
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status	Performance Summary
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

 

Program Activity Summary

Operations are funded through a permanent authority from Parliament (Revolving Fund) and Parliamentary appropriations voted annually. The Revolving Fund allows the Board to make payments out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for working capital, interim financing of operating costs and capital assets acquisitions.

Benefits for Canadians

The Revolving Fund allows the NFB to provide uninterrupted services to Canadians.

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