The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has released early insights from the first phase of its #CanConDef research initiative at Banff World Media Festival (BANFF), which got underway Sunday.

Reflecting a combination of online surveys and in-depth ethnographic interviews, the research involved the participation of over 2,500 Canadians from both the audiovisual industry and general public.

Among its preliminary findings, a BANFF panel – moderated by CMF President and CEO Valerie Creighton – heard that for the public, instilling a sense of national pride and social cohesion is the most important objective in the redefinition of Canadian content.

While industry respondents tended to agree that Canadian content is defined by its creators living in Canada, employing Canadians, and being owned by a Canadian production company, members of the public are more likely to consider geographical content elements like characters living in Canada, a location set primarily in Canada, and filming in Canada.

For the industry, CMF says IP ownership was consistently underscored as a critical element for competitiveness and economic benefit. All respondents agreed that using Canadian talent, on and off screen, was key to increasing competitiveness and fostering a strong representation of Canadian diversity and culture on screen.

“The CMF is a trusted industry ally. We have always consulted with the industry to support our work and the work of others, and the #CanConDef research initiative is part of this process,” said Creighton, in a CMF release. “Although the full report comes out in the fall, we know the industry has been paying close attention and we wanted to share some preliminary data at one of the most important industry festivals of the year.”

The “What You Said” final report, including the ongoing co-creation phase involving a series of virtual and in-person foresight workshops, is slated for release this fall.

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