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SECTION II - ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BY STRATEGIC OUTCOME

Strategic Outcome

The NFB's strategic outcome is to produce and make available relevant, ambitious and innovative audiovisual works that give Canadians a deeper understanding of Canada and the world.

Program Activity 1: Production of audiovisual works

The National Film Board develops and produces socially and culturally relevant films which are distinctive and diverse, and help through their content, perspective, genre and process, Canadians better understand Canada and the world. The production activity includes the conceptualization, research, development, production and social marketing of documentaries, animation films, new media content, as well as other emerging forms.

The NFB plays, through this activity, a significant role in the identification, development and mentorship of talent and creative skills, making it an incubator of new talents. Furthermore, the Office delivers on its national and international mandate of "producing, distributing and promoting films designed to interpret Canada to Canadians and to other nations".

2006-2007 DPR (according to PAA)
Program Activity 1	Priorities
Production: Overall programming slate of distinctive, challenging and relevant audiovisual productions.	Maintain overall programming slate of distinctive, challenging and relevant audiovisual works. Strengthen feature documentary production and develop a consistent approach to making short films. Strengthen the NFB's ability to identify and to work with leading talent, championing emerging, culturally diverse and Aboriginal talent. Encourage partnerships through co-productions. Strengthen innovation in content, form and technology. Maintain the development of international co-productions.

Financial resources in thousands of dollars

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
47,103	50,890	45,847

Human Resources

Planned	Authority	Actual
275	275	221

Priorities

1. Maintain overall programming slate of distinctive, challenging and relevant audiovisual works.

Expected Outcome:
85% of programming involving social issues;

The NFB's primary mandate is to produce relevant and distinctive audiovisual works that reflect important social issues, both in Canada and internationally, as well as the wealth of diversity in Canada's communities, in order to benefit Canadians. The NFB produces documentaries, animation and works of fiction using innovative technology and a variety of production formats. These works serve to increase awareness and to educate; they are also vehicles for social innovation that promote the participation of the various communities that make up this country. In 2006-2007, more than 85% of programming consisted of works that touched on domestic and international social issues.

Indicators:

Diversity of genres and subject matter in NFB productions

2006-2007 Subjet matters

Aboriginal issues Anorexia Canadian economy Canadian identity Cultural diversity Elderly Environment Health Immigration Mental and physical illness Racism Sexual Abuse Smoking Sport Teenagers Violence

Throughout the strategic planning cycle, the NFB has marshalled its resources towards the production of films about the major issues of the day. The year 2006-2007 was no exception. During this period, the 127 productions and co-productions released by the NFB touched on a number of subjects of public interest, from a variety of points of view reflecting Canadian and international realities.

NFB films offer striking perspectives on our world: from highlighting the challenges facing people with reduced mobility, as illustrated by Sam Sullivan's campaign for mayor of Vancouver in Citizen Sam, to director Patricio Enriquez raising awareness of torture committed in Chile aboard the state-owned ship Esmeralda. The NFB's 2006-2007 Annual Report offers a complete list of works produced by the Film Board during the course of the year, as well as detailed descriptions of the issues these films address.

Genre	2006-2007	%
Animation	26	20%
Documentary	97	76%
Fiction	4	4%
Total	127	100%

The NFB works in a variety of cinematographic genres, allowing the issues highlighted to reach film-lovers through multiple avenues. This year's crop of 26 animation films allowed everyone - including very young viewers - to understand, for example, the tribulations of a young boy with asthma, the difficulties of having two cultural identities, and what it's like to be a part of an Aboriginal society. While the four works of fiction produced by the NFB during the year aim primarily to entertain, they also offer viewers transformative messages while broadening the Film Board's reach to a wider audience that may be less familiar with other genres. The NFB enjoys an international reputation for point-of-view documentary. As a result, it is natural that filmmakers working with the NFB would favour this genre - as proven by the 97 documentaries produced by the NFB last year - in their efforts to raise awareness of Canadian social and cultural realities while transmitting Canadian values.

Level of audience reach and interest in films (television and non-television audiences, and Web site traffic)

Audience	2006-2007	2005-2006
Television	6,781,000	5,948,000
Public screenings	145,941	154,563
Internet	3,693,571	4,733,366

The NFB reaches Canadians of all ages and every origin through a variety of distribution and broadcasting channels. Television remains the primary medium through which the NFB reaches the public, though the Web is becoming increasingly significant, particularly among young people. The public also views NFB films in film theatres, at festivals and public screenings, and through video-on-demand sales to consumers, schools, and cultural and social organizations.

Television audiences

In 2006-2007, 6,781,000 viewers saw NFB films on television, an increase of 14% over the previous year. This year, the NFB acquired new software to assess the increasing audiences for specialized channels.

Web site development and traffic

nfb.ca

This year again visits to the NFB Internet site increased spectacularly with 3,693,571 individual hits. The number of user sessions is up by more than 25%, making a total of 42,522,550 pages displayed, i.e. more than 522 000 up from the preceding year.

In total, 30 new microsites and Web productions were added to the NFB site during the year 2006-2007.

Citizenshift /Parole citoyenne

The NFB also undertook innovative Web initiatives that allow young people and the general public to debate social and political issues. This is especially the case with Parole Citoyenne and CitizenShift which are pioneering discussion forums that explore a multitude of Web possibilities for debating social issues. These sites are first and foremost public and technological spaces committed to giving citizens the opportunity to speak out.

Engagement of Canadians

Maintaining the NFB's presence in people's lives remains a constant challenge requiring renewed efforts. To rekindle and enhance our relationship with Canadians, the NFB continued its tradition of organising public screenings for its films in various communities from coast to coast.

The NFB visits various communities and groups directly concerned with topics raised in its films, and organizes screening tours on specific issues. Over the course of the last year, the Film Board's chief public screening project was a retrospective of classic films by Norman McLaren. It toured communities throughout Canada, including a number poorly served by the traditional commercial distribution network. The films also screened in major American and European cities. This tour was accompanied by introduction-to-animation workshops for children that were very well-received wherever they were offered.

2. Strengthen feature documentary production and develop a consistent approach to making short films.

Expected Outcome:
Programming with the focus on point-of-view documentaries, animation, alternative fiction and new media.

The NFB has always worked to create an environment in which Canadian films can flourish and fully explore their possibilities in a variety of genres and formats. During the course of discussions around the previous strategic plan, the NFB decided to focus its efforts on auteur animation and distinctive documentaries, while still making occasional forays into hybrid formats and alternative drama.

Indicators:

Feature documentary

Documentary format	2006-2007	%
Feature	18	19%
Medium length	20	20%
Short	59	61%
Total	97	100%

Inspired by the vision of NFB's first commissioner, John Grierson, and by the development of direct cinema in the 60s by its artisans, the NFB is a world leader in producing socially engaged cinema. The increasing popularity of theatrical feature-lenght documentaries reinforced the NFB resolve to explore the potential offered by this genre. In 2006-2007, the NFB produced 18 feature length documentaries (90 minutes or more), which represents 19% of all documentaries produced during the year.

As Canada's public producer and a long-time champion of theatrical documentaries, the National Film Board of Canada joined the Theatrical Documentary Pilot Program, with funds in excess of $2 million, for the production and completion of feature-length documentaries intended for Canadian theatrical release. The Pilot Program offered in Partnership wit Telefilm Canada, CBC and Rogers is an exciting way for the NFB to work with the private and public sector to strengthen the Canadian documentary industry and bring more signature docs to the screen. The programme addresses the needs of both English and French markets. Originally set up in 2005-2006 as a one-year pilot program, the Theatrical Documentary Pilot Program financed the development and production of seven English- and French-language documentaries, as well as the completion of six English- and French-language documentary projects from across Canada.

Short films

NFB's film formats (All genre)	2006-2007	%
Short	88	69%
Medium length	20	16%
Feature	19	15%
Total	127	100%

Over the last year, the NFB reviewed its various short film production, broadcast and distribution initiatives. In doing this, the Film Board recognizes the importance of short films - in particular for emerging filmmakers - and the growing interest in short films both in Canada and around the world.

In order to help fulfil its desire to increase the profile of shorts on the international scene, the NFB has established a partnership with the Short Film Corner - a part of the Cannes Film Festival's Film Market, to organize a massive international short film competition. This was the second year that the Film Board awarded the winner of the short film Palme d'Or the Norman McLaren Prize, which is endowed with a grant and an option of international distribution or co-production of the artist's next work. For its part, the 2006 Cannes Online Competition screened ten shorts from six countries, selected from almost 900 films entered at Short Film Corner. The film B is for Bomb by the South African documentary filmmaker Carey McKenzie won the audience vote. During the competition, there were almost 44,000 screenings, which represents an increase of over 308% from the previous edition. In addition, in 2006-2007 the NFB sponsored a study on short film, which will spearhead a more detailed strategy for 2007-2008.

3. Strengthen the NFB's ability to identify and to work with leading talent, championing emerging, culturally diverse and Aboriginal talent.

Expected Outcome:
Ongoing promotion and development of new talent.

The NFB has invested considerable energy in being more open to emerging filmmakers, since it provides a unique learning experience defined by an extremely rich film tradition. The NFB wanted to become a springboard for talented youth interested in getting involved in directing and producing documentary or animated films.

With a number of training programs, the NFB is discovering and encouraging new talent, developing Canadian film and promoting experimentation. The NFB's support for Canadian filmmakers is in evidence through an array of activities offered across the country, bringing distinctive voices to Canadians everywhere.

The Film Board offers a number of programs and projects to encourage emerging filmmakers, many of whom come from diverse cultural communities, official language minorities and Aboriginal communities. As a result, for the second consecutive year, more than half of the NFB's productions and co-productions are directed by emerging filmmakers. The NFB is proud of this achievement, and is committed to continuing in this direction. Here are some of the NFB initiatives that have encouraged diversity both on-screen and behind the scenes.

Indicator:

Diversity on screen and behind the screen

Initiatives for emerging talents:

Hothouse 3

In its third edition, Hothouse is a NFB project that encourages new talent, provides an A-Z experience in professional animation filmmaking and re-imagines ways of making animation: ways that are faster, more flexible and that celebrate the shortest of short forms while maintaining creative and technological excellence. The challenging and exciting order facing six emerging filmmakers is to spend twelve weeks at the NFB Animation studios in Montreal to create a 30-second film.

Momentum

A program for new talent that gives young filmmakers a chance to hone their research, writing, and directing expertise through a series of workshops combined with mentoring. They can thus explore innovative production methods to produce a film that meets industry standards. These films are broadcast on CBC Newsworld. For the third consecutive year, the Momentum documentary training workshops took place in January. In February, a consultant followed up with each participant on his or her project's development. The competition ended with the selection of a short film proposal to be produced by the NFB.

Yukon Vérité

Yukon Vérité is a documentary mentorship program for first-time filmmakers offered in partnership with the Yukon Film Society. The program has been structured as a series of participatory workshops intended for people with experience and strengths in related creative fields who are looking to enter into film and video production.

Eight filmmakers were selected to participate in a series of intensive hands-on workshops and received support and mentorship throughout the fall of 2006 as they produced their original short films.

Initiatives for Aboriginals:

Wapikoni Mobile

Wapikoni Mobile is a mobile film production studio, created by Manon Barbeau and supported by the NFB, that seeks out young Aboriginal people in their own communities; initiating them into the techniques of filmmaking and helping them produce their first films and sound clips. In 2006-2007, the Wapikoni Mobile Studio team visited eight Aboriginal communities. Since this project began, 445 Aboriginal youth in isolated regions of Quebec have received training in digital technology. These young people have produced 76 short films, 13 of which have won awards. There have been more than 49 screenings for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal audiences, and films produced through the project have been screened at 64 events since 2004, including festivals, conferences and other occasions. In January 2006, four young Aboriginals trained through the Wapikoni Mobile Studio set up a first permanent studio in Wemotaci. Two other permanent studios - in Kitcisasik and Mashteuiatsh - were launched in 2006-2007.

First Stories

This partnership with CBC is aimed at developing Aboriginal people's talents and expertise in the areas of film and television production. Through this initiative, young Aboriginal filmmakers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the North have an opportunity to attend a series of intensive seminars, at the end of which they are invited to submit proposals for short films on social issues. Launched in 2005, First Stories- Manitoba gave to 15 young Aboriginals the opportunity to share stories that important to them and their communities.

Nunavut Animation Lab

The Nunavut Animation Lab is a joint initiative between the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada in association with The Banff Centre, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), the National Screen Institute, Nunavut Film and the Government of Nunavut. The Nunavut Animation Lab opens doors. The creation of workshops, the sharing of skills and cutting-edge techniques, as well as the opportunity to create four animation films, adds volume to the voice of northern filmmakers. This program gives emerging artists from Nunavut an opportunity to share their stories with audiences around the world through various electronic media.

Phase One of the Nunavut Animation Lab (NAL) has successfully wrapped and four young animators from Iqaluit and Pangnirtung were chosen to proceed to the next phase of training and complete a short (under five minutes) animated film. The four were chosen from 38 Nunavut residents who participated in intensive animation workshops in February in Cape Dorset, Iqaluit and Pangnirtung. The workshops were designed to develop new skills among emerging and established artists to help them tell their stories using state-of-the-art animation equipment. The four winners then began a week in Winnipeg participating in story workshops coordinated by National Screen Institute - Canada to fully develop their proposals into finished film treatments. Following the story workshops, they'll travel to The Banff Centre to direct and animate their films. The films will be made available in Inuktitut, English and French. While at Banff, the emerging animators worked with skilled filmmakers and mentors to develop and produce their stories and then learn how to market them. Completed films will receive worldwide exposure through the NFB Web site, in festivals and on a national broadcaster - APTN.

Initiatives for Official-Language Minority Communities:

Mentorship program for Ontario-based francophone filmmakers

This pilote project offered in partnership with the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) was launched in 2006. As part of a long-term professional development process, four French Ontario filmmakers were mentored by an experienced professional in the fields of pre-production, production or post-production. The four selected directors also received training in editing, story structure, script writing and with the HD camera.

AnimAcadie

Important changes were made to the third edition of the AnimAcadie program, which came into being under the aegis of the Interdepartmental Partnership with the Official-Language Communities (IPOLC), which was designed to support minority official language communities. By focusing this year on screenwriting and inviting the winners to work with honorees from past years, we wanted to contribute not only to the creation of quality, profoundly original works, but also to strengthen links within the animation world.

PICLO 2006

This initiative offers writers, directors and producers working in French outside Quebec the opportunity to hone their skills in TV drama production. It is also aimed at expanding the pool of Francophone professionals and creators in provinces other than Quebec.

The eight writers of the selected projects for 2006 received financial assistance and the support of a script advisor provided by the Institut national de l'image et du son (INIS). They then completed and delivered the creative material and partnered with a producer working in French outside Quebec. The National Film Board is acting as associate producer, Telefilm Canada is participating as an investor while Radio-Canada is partnering by acquiring the regional and national broadcast rights to the programs.

Cinéaste recherché(e)

This competition is open to Canadian francophones who have already directed an animated film with soundtrack (either as independent craftspeople or as students). The winner is given the opportunity to direct a first professional short animated film at the NFB's studios in Montreal. The competition was initiated in 1980, by the French Program's Animation and Youth Studio, and has launched the careers of a number of animation filmmakers, including Michèle Cournoyer (La basse cour / A Feather Tale, 1992), Pierre M. Trudeau (Enfantillage / Kid Stuff, 1990) and Nicolas Brault (Antagonia, 2002). Films completed as part of the competition have won more than 30 international awards.

Cultural diversity Initiatives :

72 Hours Chrono

Organized by Taling Dialo, a group of Canadian cultural minority filmmakers, this competition allows young Africans to produce a short documentary while receiving training from Canadian cultural minority filmmakers. During the fourth edition of this project, around ten young people from Quebec worked with 18-to-25-year-olds from Burkina Faso. In the space of 72 hours, six teams shot six short films, each six minutes long, on the theme of "Youth and Cinema." The results included documentary, fiction and docu-drama. The experience of working together allowed the participants from Quebec and Burkina Faso to get to know themselves and each other, to express themselves through images, and to enjoy a unique intercultural experience.

Reel Diversity

The fifth edition of this annual competition, in partnership with the CBC, CBC Newsworld, and Vision TV, gave eight emerging filmmakers from visible minorities the chance to to attend a 3-day intensive training session and offered to three off them the opportunity to produce a documentary with the NFB that is subsequently televised nationally. Until now, 23 films have been produced through this program. They were presented in over 35 Canadian and international film festivals and many received numerous awards.

Projects for disabled people:

Open I
Open I, is an NFB digital video mentoring program for young people with a handicap to tell their stories. Over the last two years, filmmakers from the AccessNFB project and Pacific Cinematheque instructors and youth mentors — both with and without disabilities — have worked with five groups of youth from the Lower Mainland of BC to help them develop the skills needed to realize their creative visions and tell their own stories through digital video. In 2006-2007, the project saw the production of five high-quality short films covering a variety of styles, genres and subjects. A number of this year's young participants have said that they intend to pursue careers in the media. Three of them will be attending the Cinematheque's Summer Vision training program to learn more about film.

4. Encourage partnerships through co-productions.

Expected Outcome:
Number of national and international co-productions maintained.

In both its own original productions and its co-productions, the NFB aims to present audio-visual works rich in both artistic and social content. Over the last few years, the organization has focussed on developing domestic and international co-productions with partners in both the public and private sectors. This has allowed the NFB to make the best possible use of its financial, technical and creative resources, and to undertake major national and international projects. During the five years covered by the Strategic Plan, the number of co-productions with the private sector has risen significantly.

Indicator:

Number of national and international coprodutions

Productions	2006-2007	%	2005-2006	%
Productions 100% ONF	75	59%	51	50%
National and International	52	41%	51	50%
Total	127	100%	102	100%

In 2006-2007, the NFB maintained its level of co-production participation with domestic and international producers. It should be noted that many of these projects would never have seen the light of day without NFB involvement. The Film Board is an integrated production and distribution house, offering technical services for post-production, a conservation lab and a unique wealth of archival audio-visual material available to co-producers at very favourable rates. The NFB can bring financial, technical and creative resources to every project, depending on its requirements, thereby offering a number of benefits to independent co-producers.

Co-productions create opportunities to develop promotional strategies and marketing plans designed to ensure maximum visibility of each project in its target market. The NFB has a specialized team that works closely with partner producers to ensure that the critical launch phase of a project is successful.

NFB co-productions benefit from a distribution network that is well-established in the educational, institutional and consumer markets. On-line sales boutiques and toll free customer service in Canada and the U.S are also offered.

Point-of-view social documentaries and auteur animation produced in the private sector rarely receive the kind of national and international distribution that the NFB can provide.

The NFB is the most important Canadian distributor and sell directly over thousands of DVD annually. Co-producers can negotiate shared distribution rights with the NFB, tailored to the interests of the each project and co-producers' expertise with certain markets.

Finally, thanks to framework agreements and wide-ranging partnerships with key players in the global audiovisual industry, NFB productions and co-productions occupy an advantageous position on the international scene.

5. Strengthen innovation in content, form and technology.

The NFB has long had a strong international reputation for the content, style and technical innovation of its productions. It is committed to maintaining that reputation, in part by exploring new avenues such as HD, films for new platforms, and the use of new animation production technologies. The NFB is also committed to exploring innovative distribution strategies - such as the Internet and digital distribution - that promote access to its works.

The past year has been particularly rich in this regard. The NFB is actively engaged in production for new platforms, and is diversifying its distribution revenue streams through the use of new technologies. Through its efforts to promote production and distribution of innovative content for new distribution platforms, the NFB continues to stimulate creativity and once again confirm its position as an international leader in the field.

Number of innovative applications

Filmmakers in residence

The Filmmaker-in-Residence project was launched in 2006. It is an unprecedented partnership between the NFB and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto and has already produced concrete results.Thirty years after the Challenge for Change/Société nouvelle program that inspired it, and fuelled by the digital revolution, a unique collaboration between the two main partners gives filmmaker Katerina Cizek the chance to team up with frontline health care workers and their patients to create audiovisual works that become the agents of social change.

So far, two films were made. The first, The Bicycle, accompanies the St. Michael's doctors who began the Dignitas International project in Malawi. Here, she films the community workers as they fight AIDS at the grassroots. To make the second, The Interventionists: Chronicles of a Mental Health Crisis Team, Cizek spent dozens of hours with a special team comprising a nurse and a Toronto police officer who respond to emergency calls from people in psychiatric or emotional crisis.

Shorts in Motion

Shorts in Motion -The Art of Seduction is a sparkling anthology of 10 two-minute short films that premiered to universal acclaim at MIPCOM 2006. Presented by CHUM Television's Bravo!Fact, and co-produced by the NFB and marblemedia, this collection of films directed by well-known figures from the worlds of film and other arts, was launched online in mid-October. It won the Best Made for Mobile Video Service Award, given by the prestigious Groupe Spéciale Mobile Association (GSMA).

Innovative and socially engaged content

The NFB is interested in increasing the pool of creators able to take on the challenge of producing innovative content and applications for mobile and broadband technologies. To that end, on the international scene, the NFB agreed in 2006 to sponsor the Innovative New Forms of Socially Responsive Media category in the Content 360 competition. The contest was held as part of MIPTV for the first time. The winning entry, as selected by an international jury led by the NFB's Director General, English Program, received a co-production agreement to develop an animation film on youth creating street art, destined for new platforms. Following the success of this project, the NFB has decided to continue its involvement with the 2007 edition of the competition.

Recognition in the form of awards won at home and at foreign festivals

Film Festivals	2006-2007	2005-2006
Canadian awards	56	48
International awards	97	95
Total	153	143

Since its founding, the NFB has won more than 5,000 awards, including more than 90 Genie Awards. During 2006-2007, the NFB earned a number of awards which reinforce the Board's reputation for excellence in film. Internationally, the NFB earned more than 97 honours, including its 12th Oscar®, for The Danish Poet. Closer to home, 56 NFB productions won awards at festivals and other events held across Canada. Notably, two co-productions, The Danish Poet and Manufactured Landscapes, earned Genie Awards at the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's annual gala film awards presentation - for Best Animated Short and Best Documentary, respectively. In addition, the NFB co-production À force de rêves won the Jutra Award for Best Documentary. On the television side, eight NFB productions and co-productions were nominated for Gemini Awards in six different categories. House Calls, directed by Ian McLeod, won the prestigious Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program, while the NFB's Being Caribou won the Gemini for Best Science, Technology, Nature, Environment or Adventure Documentary Program. Meanwhile, cinematographer François Dagenais received the Gemini for Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Series, for his work on the NFB co-production No More Tears Sister. The NFB had nine nominations in eight categories at the 21st annual Prix Gémeaux - the French equivalent of the Geminis - winning three of the prestigious awards. It is also worth noting that in 2006-2007 the NFB film Wapos Bay: There's No "I" in Hockey won the Canada Award, given out each year for excellence in mainstream television programming that reflects the racial and cultural diversity of Canada. This marks the third consecutive year in which the NFB has been honoured with this prestigious award.

In addition to winning prizes for its new productions, the NFB continues to earn awards for classic audio-visual works as well. The NFB series The Champions was honoured at the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada's MasterWorks ceremony on October 26 in Toronto. The MasterWorks is their signature annual event that promotes both the achievements of Canadian creators and performers in film, television, music and radio, and the importance of preserving Canada's AV treasures.

6. Maintain the development of international co-productions.

Expected Outcome:
Number of national and international co-productions maintained.

The NFB continues to bring excellent Canadian films to the international stage through international co-productions, partnerships with the world's great festivals and markets, and innovative cooperation agreements with various governments and other organizations. Major partnership framework agreements with key international players in the audio-visual sector give the NFB's Canadian private sector co-production partners a privileged international position. Over the last several years, the NFB has worked to increase its international partnerships. It successfully continued these efforts in 2006-2007.

Indicators :

Number of International Co-productions

In order to capitalize on the globalization of markets and to increase its international reputation, the NFB is placing a focus on developing international co-productions. This year, five works produced by the NFB included one or more international public or private sector partners. The resulting films - including Killer's Paradise and La planète blanche - are the products of these fruitful partnerships. The number of international co-productions was down slightly this year, from seven to five. This decline is a reflection of current realities in the Canadian film industry, which has seen an overall decrease in international co-productions - due in large part to regulatory and political changes in Europe and the UK, which have made it harder to enter into official co-productions with Canada.⁵

International Partnership Agreements

As the agreement between the National Film Board and the Audio-Visual Secretariat of Brazil's Ministry of Culture begins to bear fruit, it is demonstrating the potential of cooperation agreements between institutions that share common goals. This year, representatives from the signatory parties met in Canada, during the Toronto International Film Festival. A documentary co-produced by the NFB, Discovery Canada and the Brazilian company GrifaMixer is currently in production, and four co-production projects have gone into development following a call for proposals that went out from the Development Fund created by both parties to the agreement. Finally, as part of the "Technological Development and Training" portion of the agreement, two young Brazilian animators came to Canada to participate in the Hothouse 4 2007 program - led this year by Torill Kove, director of The Danish Poet.

It is in this same spirit that the NFB signed a cooperation agreement with the Media Development Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Film Commission this year. The agreement covers co-productions, training and technological development.

 

Program Activity 2: Distribution of audiovisual works

The NFB's mandate includes distributing its products as widely as possible to Canadian and foreign audiences. Using the means of the marketplace to reach its audiences the NFB maximizes its revenues. This activity regroups the NFB's commercial distribution skills and capacity. The "distribution" activity includes: commercializing its audiovisual catalogues and well established stock shot library; developing and diversifying markets for NFB products in Canada and abroad; repackaging for specific markets; offering quality client service delivery; expanding its holdings through acquisitions or partnership agreements; and undertaking market research.

Through its distribution activities the NFB develops strategic cooperations with the public and private sectors in Canada and abroad to make its collection accessible to all Canadians and worldwide film viewers.

2006-2007 DPR (according to PAA)
Program Activity 2	Priorities
Distribution of audiovisual works.	Increase revenue from the NFB's collection and optimize pre-sales and sales. Offer expert knowledge and NFB distribution networks to private and public sectors.

Financial Resources (thousands of dollars)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
2,370	2,391	3,134

Human Resources

Planned	Authority	Actual
45	45	49

 

Priorities

1. Increase revenue from the NFB's collection and optimize pre-sales and sales.

Expected Outcome:
Higher sales and revenue for all NFB markets and territories.

NFB sales for 2006-2007 totalled $6.630 million, a significant drop from the sales of $8.882 million recorded during the previous fiscal year. While sales for this past year are slightly lower than projected at the start of the fiscal year, they are in line with results from the last five years. 2005-2006 was an exceptionally strong year for sales, driven by excellent results in the institutional and television markets - the result of several unique major sales and the signing of important agreements during the period.

It should be noted that distribution activities generated revenue of more than $5.338 million, and that nearly $1.18 million was redistributed to the NFB's commercial partners, most of whom are in the Canadian independent film sector.

Indicator:

Sales, pre-sales and distribution revenue

Distribution revenues	2006-2007	2005-2006
Television	$1,315,280	$2,005,950
Theatrical	$61,796	$292,636
Institutional et educational	$2,405,130	$2,780,251
Home video	$1,040,531	$1,179,053
Stockshots	$515,605	$681,946
Total	$5,338,342	$6,939,836

Consumer and Institutional Markets

The Canadian institutional sales team produced excellent results, with revenue of $1.832 million. This figure far surpasses average revenue from previous years. Results from the Canadian consumer market were also very good, thanks largely to the growing availability of NFB productions on DVD, as well as to well-targeted promotional campaigns. This market resulted in revenue totalling $686,000. The European consumer market saw similar positive results, with revenue totalling $154,717 - more than double that of the previous year.

Television Markets

Television markets have been in flux throughout North America. There is uncertainty over the arrival of High Definition technology, as well as the ongoing segmentation of the viewing audience. These factors had an effect on the NFB's Canadian television revenue, which was down 18%, to $421,000, from 2005-2006. Revenues from the United States and Latin American markets were also down, totalling $489,000 - a 19% decrease. In addition to the above-mentioned market factors, the decline in the NFB's television revenue is also due in part to a lower number of new titles available, and to the NFB's rights in those titles (NFB production vs co-production vs acquisition).

Stockshots

Revenues from NFB stockshot sales amounted to $515,605, a drop of 32% compared to the previous year. As in past years, this revenue came primarily from Canadian sources (89%). The drop can in part be attributed to the labour conflict between the Canadian Film and Television Producers Association (CFPTA) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), as well as to the Canadian Television Fund crisis. These events led to caution among many Canadian producers, with resulting decreases in production budgets and postponed productions. The digitization of the NFB's stockshot library may lead to increased sales in 2008-2009.

Theatrical Distribution

Revenues from theatrical distribution were also lower in 2006-2007, dropping to $63,000 from $293,000. It should be noted that this difference largely results from the correction of an error reported by one of the NFB's co-producers, which distorts revenue comparison for the two years. Revenues of $92,000 accounted for in 2005-2006 have been accordingly corrected downwards. This correction is reflected in the figures for 2006-2007.

 

2. Offer expert knowledge and NFB distribution networks to private and public sectors.

Expected Outcome:
Acquisition of more productions that complement the NFB catalogue.

The NFB's acquisition policy aims to acquire distribution rights for Canadian and foreign documentaries and animated films (single productions and series). In this way, the Film Board gives producers in the Canadian and foreign private sectors the opportunity to benefit from its know-how regarding distribution of social documentaries, experimental works and animated films.

Indicator:

Quarterly number of audiovisual production acquisitions and their economic benefits

Acquisitions	2006-2007	2005-2006
Acquisitions	24	55
Net Revenues	546 000$	556 000$

The year 2005-2006 was a record year for audio-visual acquisitions. The 2006-2007 fiscal year saw a return to numbers more in line with the average of the last five years. Acquisitions dropped by more than 50% in 2006-2007, largely because of a much lower number of multi-title series. Titles acquired by the NFB during the year generated net revenue of $546,000, after producer royalties had been remitted and distribution costs deducted.

Expected Outcome:

Stronger NFB branding in distribution.

The NFB mandate specified that the Office not only has the responsibility of producing but also distributing films designed to interpret Canada to Canadians and to other nations as well as promoting the production and distribution of such work. In order to fulfill its role of public distributor, it is important for the NFB to offer to the Canadian cinematographic industry members a strong NFB branding in distribution.

In the past, all the commercial distribution capabilities were grouped under one direction. The direction's first objective is to maximize the sales and revenues of the NFB and its partners. Several measures have been taken to strenghten the different components of the NFB's distribution network at home and internationally.

Indicator :

Progress in developing new online tools for clients in the consumer market

The NFB's primary online sales tool, the online NFB Store, was completely overhauled in 2006-2007 to serve consumers more effectively and efficiently by meeting their needs as well as possible. From now on, the NFB's collection will be accessible via just a few clicks. In addition, the introduction of customer relationship management software will allow the NFB to offer better targeted online promotions, in an effort to improve customer service.

 

Program Activity 3: Access to audiovisual works and outreach development

The "access and outreach" activities are undertaken to connect Canadians with relevant media resources to foster citizen engagement through lifelong learning. This is achieved by increasing the presence and use of primary and secondary materials from the extensive NFB collection in various learning channels and creating new networks where none exist; enabling media literacy for all Canadians; and encouraging Canadians to make full use of the collection.

Part of the Access and Outreach activity consists of ensuring the on-going access to the NFB collection through management of the collection- conservation, indexing, and cataloguing and restoration, and making it more accessible for future generations through innovative use of new technologies and partnerships, such as on-line film libraries, on-line learning centres for schools, digital consultation centres.

Outreach activities, which include consultation centres and cinemas in Montreal and in Toronto, collections in 49 partner library systems in all regions of Canada, regular public screenings from coast to coast , a membership program with over 10,000 active members, in Canada, on-line film libraries, workshops for the public young and old, as well as master classes and a comprehensive web site which integrate interactive productions, opportunities for dialogue and knowledge sharing serve to identify, establish, build and sustain deep and continuing relationships Canadians in communities across Canada, and secondarily, around the world. These activities serve to strengthen the NFB brand, and alternatively Canadian's knowledge and understanding of Canadians, and Canada's place in the world.

2006-2007 DPR (according to PAA)
Program Activity 3	Priorities
Access to audiovisual works and outreach development.	Enhance, promote and increase the conservation of and equitable access to the NFB collection, in new emerging digital formats. Achieve greater reach across Canada and into communities. Increase NFB visibility in communities, on television and in learning channels. Increase branding opportunities in Canada and abroad.

Financial Resources (thousands of dollars)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
11,726	14,284	12,608

Human Resources

Planned	Authority	Actual
110	110	122

Priorities

1. Enhance, promote and increase the conservation of and equitable access to the NFB collection, in new emerging digital formats.

Expected Outcome:
Improved access to the NFB collection through its various activities and offerings, particularly the mediatheques and other resources; continued digitization of the NFB collection.

To provide access to its films and videos in all provinces and territories, the NFB has established a wide distribution network including partners in both the public sector (public and school libraries) and private sector (distributors, cataloguers, movie theatre chains, video retail outlets, etc.). NFB films are often aired by conventional and specialty broadcasters alike, and Canadians can also purchase NFB products seven days a week from the virtual catalogue on the NFB Web site or by calling a toll-free number, 1-800-267-7710 (Monday to Saturday). The ultramodern mediatheques in Montreal and Toronto provide access to thousands of titles in the NFB collection.

Indicators:

Use of NFB titles by the organization's partners, particularly the number of films lent out by partner libraries

NFB Storefronts

NFB's showcases in Montreal and Toronto, the CineRobotheque and the Mediatheque together welcomed over 210,000 visitors this year and also organized and participated in many extra-mural activities.

In Montreal, 106,369 people visited the CineRobotheque, which confirmed its dynamic role at the heart of cultural life by its close association with large scale events such as the first World Out Games, the Fête des enfants and the Montreal Highlights Festival. Among the 378 new titles in its collection (now over 9,000 strong), The Danish Poet was by far the most popular, with 1,587 individual screenings. Weekend workshops and screenings for the celebrations of the animation studios' 65th birthday were all sold out. Staff added four new film workshops to the existing program, which attracted a record 22,326 participants.

Toronto's Mediatheque surpassed its objectives and welcomed 105,110 visitors. With its reputation for children's workshops it became a partner of the Canadian Opera Company as part of the project Animate the Opera. This was a video compilation of the productions of over 150 Toronto region students and teachers, presented at the opening evening of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in front of more than 1,000 people. The Mediatheque's partnerships with the Historica Foundation, the national video competition Racism. Stop it! and the Viewfinder's International Youth Film Festival also allowed it to give a series of children's and youth workshops all over the country and even in Denver, U.S., on the occasion of the McLaren film screenings at the Starz Denver Film Festival.

People living outside Montreal and Toronto have access to NFB services through the Office's website at www.nfb.ca and through the 1-800-267-7710.

Librairy Partnership program

One of the means by which NFB titles are distributed to Canadians is through public libraries. To facilitate access to NFB productions, the Film Board has contractual relationships with 49 library partners. Of these, 40 partners receive free copies or "allocations" of selected new productions. In many cases, library partners also purchase copies from the NFB's Distribution Branch to augment their collection. The library partners lend items in their audio-visual inventory to the public in much the same way as they lend books. In some cases, the library partners also organize screenings of NFB titles for the public.

A recent study revealed that Canadians are borrowing less and less of the NFB's audio-visual material housed with its library partners. For the year 2006, for example, 34 of the 49 partnerships reported a decline in borrowing of NFB titles from their inventory, relative to the previous year. Moreover, all these partnerships indicated that the change in 2006 formed part of a trend decline over several years. This drop is due to the fact that, in the past, the NFB provided VHS versions of its films. Now, the films are provided in DVD and a solution for replacing all VHS copies hold by librairy partners is being studied.

This said, the decline in the circulation of NFB titles should be placed in context. Several libraries said that this decline occurred also in non-NFB titles. This decline is attributable to the large inventory of VHS copies in many libraries, the on-going replacement of VHS players by DVD players, and the consequent reluctance of library users to borrow VHS copies.

Digitization

DIGITAL VAULT (digitalization, image processing and encoding audio, video and Web)	2006-2007	2005-2006
Digital film scanning in MPEG2	1,405	1,620
Digital film scanning in MPEG4	1,301	1,347
Digital stockshots scanning for the Web	926	517
Digital film scanning for the Web (Note 6)	1,027	271
Digital film scanning for iPods	59	12
Total images	4,718	3,767

The NFB has considerably improved accessibility to its collection by digitizing its films. The Canadian Memory Fund has assisted in the digitization of the collection as well as in the DVD replication process in order to increase the number of DVD titles available for sale. To this day, more than 4,718 film titles or extracts have been digitized. In the last year, a number of prestigious DVD compilations have been developed in order to make the Canadian cinematographic heritage more accessible to a larger public. The most popular one in 2006-2007 was the Norman McLaren compilation.

2. Achieve greater reach across Canada and into communities.

Expected Outcome:
Better citizen participation through public screenings and other appropriate means

Maintaining the NFB's presence in people's lives remains a constant challenge requiring renewed efforts. To rekindle and enhance our relationship with Canadians, the NFB focused on projects aimed at facilitating access to its collection and encouraging dialogue with citizens. New production and multimedia distribution technolgies are enabling the NFB to take up this challenge.

Indicators:

Audience indicators for NFB productions

Public Screenings

Public Screenings	2006-2007	2005-2006
Screenings (Commercial, Repertory and Community Theatres)	2,435	2,500
Viewers at Public Screenings	145,941	154,563

Public screenings of both French and English NFB films take place in a variety of communities across the country. Often, these screenings are followed by a question-and-answer period with the director, or a discussion involving community participants. Films may be shown in the context of a series organized by a partner group (for instance, the City of Montreal's network of Maisons de la culture), or as part of particular community events. This year, NFB films were seen by more than 145,941 people at 2,435 screenings organized by the NFB or its partners. From 2002 to 2006, 5,769 public screenings have been held, drawing a total audience of 782,335.

Throughout the summer and fall of 2006, a series of community screenings of NFB films depicting Inuit life was organized through a partnership with the Qikigtani Inuit Association and with the support of the Government of Nunavut's Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. The goal of the community screenings was to not only make the films known and accessible to the Inuit, but also to record community response and to identify some of the unnamed people on-screen with the help of the audience. Several of these films had never been seen in the region before and many elders recognized their parents or childhood friends. Hunting scenes and images of the people and ways of living on the land were the most popular with all age groups in the Nunavut communities of Iqaluit, Cape Dorset and Pond Inlet. Screenings in attracted a combined audience of over 300. Over 20 individual films were screened including both classic and new productions.

Last year, the NFB participated for the first time in the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, with 32 free screenings in 19 Canadian towns. This year the NFB organized 86 screenings in 33 towns in all the territories and provinces of Canada. Remarkably, 90% of the screenings (76) took place outside Quebec.

Television

TV Audience	2006-2007	2005-2006
Television Broadcasts	1,218	1,484
TV Viewers	6,781,000	5,948,000

In 2006-2007, 6,781,000 viewers saw one of the 1,218 television broadcasts of NFB films, an increase of 14% over the previous year. This year, the NFB acquired new software to assess the increasing audiences for specialized channels.

Institutional

The NFB is currently creating a methodology that will allow it to track the number of people who screen NFB films sold to the educational, cultural, community, hospital and other health-care, and home consumer markets. In 2006-2007, gross revenue from Canadian institutional sales grew by 2.4% compared to the previous year, totalling $2,073,429. Global home consumer sales amounted to $747,765, a drop of 2.5% compared to 2005-2006.

Expected Outcome:
Enhanced quality visibility for the NFB and its productions on television, in festivals and schools, during industry activities and with the federal government.

Festivals

Film festivals	2006-2007	2005-2006
Canadian festival participation	68	72
Films screened at Canadian festivals	380	336
International festival participation	282	364
Films screened at international festivals	463	519

The NFB has distinguished itself at numerous festivals both in Canada and abroad. Between 2002 and 2006, the NFB has received, on average, 150 awards and participated in 390 festivals per year, either in official competition or in non-competitive special events. Presenting NFB films at festivals gives visibility to local artists across Canada and throughout the world.

Educational sector

Through distribution and network expansion strategies, the NFB has become more firmly rooted in the education sector. The NFB offers its productions to educational publishers for inclusion in their catalogues. The NFB also offers two types of thematic and specialized workshops designed especially for students. The first are activities scheduled at the Mediatheque and CineRobotheque where visitors from the education sector or the general public explore aspects of the NFB's expertise, such as animation techniques. The second are activities offered by the NFB in conjunction with organized professional events, particularly educators' conferences. Furthermore, in the educational resources section of the NFB Web site, students, teachers, parents, and Internet users who want to explore the NFB world will find a veritable learning forum and have free access to a wealth of tools and resources.

Following the NFB/CBC co-production of The Weight of the World / Le poids du monde, which deals with the problem of obesity, the NFB and CBC again joined forces to organize the Weight of the World School Challenge. This encourages school discussion of this alarming phenomenon and provides young people between the ages of 9 and 14 with games and information about health and their diet. A Web site and resource kit gives students and teachers free access to relevant educational materials and the opportunity to participate in the Challenge. Over 4,500 teachers and some 500,000 students have responded to the program and taken part in this activity.

Other school-related projects also involved a network of partners: following the success of the Weight of the World Challenge (see Social Impact) and in partnership with CBC Montreal and Jewish Family Services, the NFB launched a new pilot project entitled Stand by Me, about violence and intimidation at school. Classes of around 800 primary and secondary students in six schools watched such films as Glasses by Brian Duchsherer and Bully Dance by Janet Perlman, after which, using the NFB's guides, teachers initiated discussions around the problem.

Social impact of NFB productions, case by case

Even though the NFB has not done any social impact study of NFB productions, several NFB initiatives and audiovisual works had notable repercussions on the communities targeted by the project or film.

Tales from Bridgeview

As part of a pilot project putting the power of media and storytelling at the service of building community, the National Film Board of Canada and Action for Neighbourhood Change brought a crew of filmmakers, computers and digital cameras to a neighbourhood in Surrey, BC, allowing seven kids from Bridgeview Elementary School to create their own digital shorts under the supervision of Nettie Wild.

Make the Pixels Dance

Thanks to support from the Canadian Memory Fund - the Norman McLaren Year offered an opportunity to reach out to up-and-coming artists with the launch of our Focus on Animation site. The Make the Pixels Dance contest, which was open to young people ages 9-20, introduced close to 1,000 young Canadians to the art of pixillation, and 170 of them submitted original works made in the spirit of McLaren (and shot over music he created), using digital cameras or cellphones.

I was here -Filmmakers in residence

Filmmaker in Residence, in addition to being an innovative community project, also generated the project I was here: seven young women, either pregnant or young mothers and who have all lived on the street, use digital cameras and a personal photo blog to document their everyday lives in Toronto. The remarkable results were turned into a photo exhibition launched in the Toronto town hall in the presence of the mayor.

3. Increase NFB visibility in communities, on television and in learning channels.

Expected Outcome :
Strong presence of NFB productions in Canada's community and educational distribution networks.

Indicators :

Attendance at NFB screenings and retrospective

The NFB has entered into a partnership with the City of Montreal to offer in 2006 a new season of 23 free film screenings, including 17 documentaries (many preceded by animated films) and 6 programs for children at the NFB cinema and the following Maisons de la culture: Ahuntsic, Côte-des-Neiges, Montréal-Nord, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau Mont-Royal, Pointe-aux-Trembles, Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, Saint-Laurent and Verdun-Ile-des-Sœurs. In most cases, filmmakers, artisans, and special guests will be on hand to talk with the audience after each screening. A partnership with YWCA Canada enabled the NFB collection to be promoted within all the member organizations: twelve of them held public and private screenings of NFB films on the occasion of the YWCA's Week Without Violence, which is held in October each year to prevent violence to women.

As part of the national video competition Racism. Stop it! organized by Canadian Heritage, introductory video-making seminars for teachers who wanted their students to participate in the competition were devised and delivered by the NFB. The seminars were met with immediate enthusiasm from the participating teachers. This year, the workshops were restructured to provide an additional focus on addressing racism. A total of 17 half-day workshops were given by three highly qualified facilitators to some 250 Grade 5 and 6 and high school teachers across the country (including three French workshops in Winnipeg, Montreal and Moncton). Some older students also attended the workshops and subsequently served as project leaders for their classes. Two documents produced by the NFB for use during the workshops - the Facilitator's Guide, which offers teachers suggestions for dealing with the subject in the classroom, and Resources for Educators and Students, a technical manual on video-making - are now available for free on the NFB Web site.

The number of films submitted this year (319), the quality of the ten winning videos (which will be shown throughout the year by CBC/Radio-Canada), and the numerous comments from participating teachers confirm the validity of this approach. The NFB Facilitator's Guide and the Resources manual are immensely popular with educators and are now used in other contexts, especially in media literacy courses.

Membership

The NFB Film Club membership program entitles NFB enthusiasts who join to receive Focus, a quarterly newsletter about NFB activities which in the future will only be available on the Web. Members also benefit from special discount offers on purchases of selected NFB titles, receive invitations to NFB-organized events (premieres, master classes, etc.), and have Internet access to CineRoute. In 2006-2007, the Film Club membership was at 35,000, an increase of 3,000 members in a year.

4. Increase branding opportunities in Canada and abroad.

In 2006-2007 Marketing and Communications took a new approach, which improved and enriched NFB relationships with its various partners, to the benefit of Canadians and audiences throughout the world.

The potential of this approach is illustrated by the remarkable success of the many events organized for the McLaren Year in Canada and elsewhere. Because of its excellent relations with the Cannes Film Festival, the Film Board was able to kick off these celebrations in May, with the screening of 13 remastered McLaren films as part of Cannes Classics - the first time it admitted animation film. The celebrated animator's entire work premiered in Montreal at the Festival du nouveau cinema. Six Canadian cities welcomed the McLaren retrospective and held several activities: Montreal, Halifax, Calgary, Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg. The international premiere was held at the Pompidou Centre in Paris. In the French capital alone, over 2,500 people attended the screenings and took part in the workshops organized over the event's three weeks. Benefiting from the cooperation of Canadian embassies and cultural centres all over Europe and welcomed by the cultural institutions of the host towns, the McLaren tour then visited London, Milan, Turin, Rome, Brussels and Berlin, giving rise to special events and impressive media coverage. While Canadians were seeing the works for the first time or anew, the Americans were welcoming them with enthusiasm from New York to Los Angeles via Washington, Chicago and Denver - where the Mediatheque specialists gave introductory workshops to children. By the time the tour ended, thousands of people had seen screenings or participated in workshops on the various aspects of the great filmmaker's work.

 

Program Activity 4: Research and advisory services

The NFB is mandated to "engage in research in film activity and to make the results available" and "to advise (...) in connection with film activities. The "Research and advise" activity applies to research connected to filmmaking and the film industry and conducting technical and development projects to advance the art and science of filmmaking. The NFB has maintained an environment dedicated to excellence and innovation that is conducive to incubating and prototyping new initiatives, industry collaboration, and nurturing new avenues for creativity in the audiovisual form.

2006-2007 DPR (according to PAA)
Program Activity 4	Priorities
Research and advisory services.	Maintain, promote and enhance R&D initiatives to reposition the NFB as a leader in the Canadian film industry, along with its partners. Conduct and participate in research and other projects. Collaborate further with the government and other organizations.

Financial Resources (thousands of dollars)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
3 640	3 656	6 847

Human Resources

Planned	Authority	Actual
70	70	95

Priorities

1. Maintain, promote and enhance R&D initiatives to reposition the NFB as a leader in the Canadian film industry, along with its partners.

Expected Outcome:
Appreciable research and development efforts on techniques and technology in the audiovisual field.

Since its earliest days, the NFB has been an incubator for technological and cinematographic innovation - both on a national and international scale. Today, the NFB remains faithful to this tradition, continuing to act as a pioneering organization pushing the boundaries of film. In addition to advising government and industry, the NFB also embraces technical development projects that help advance the art and science of filmmaking. It has created an environment dedicated to excellence and innovation.

Indicator:
Number of joint research projects and partnerships as a pilot site and incubator of research and development

The NFB is a member of the the E-Inclusion Research Network whose goal is to create powerful audio-video tools that will allow multi-media content producers to improve the richness of the multi-media experience for the blind, the deaf , the hard of hearing , and the hard of seeing, by automating key aspects of the multi-media production and post-production processes. Described video (DV) is an oral description of the key visual elements in a film, allowing people with visual impairments to create a mental image in line with the images appearing on screen. The NFB has held four interactive described video listening sessions. The purpose of these sessions was to assess the work underway in developing DV, as well as the impact of DV narration on the appreciation of NFB films. The NFB is currently undertaking a described video research project, which aims to determine what types of information are useful to people with visual impairments.

To create fruitful links with education, the NFB signed partnership agreements in June with UQÀM's École des médias de la Faculté de communication and the Institut national de l'image et du son (INIS). Now, students from both institutions can access the NFB's cutting edge technologies at its Montreal offices. The agreement includes a provision whereby the NFB, INIS and UQÀM will examine the possibility of the NFB offering skills upgrade programs such as master classes for INIS students or postproduction courses for UQÀM students.

2. Conduct and participate in research and other projects.

Expected Outcome:
The NFB as an enduring benchmark in filmmaking.

The NFB contributes to the development of new audiovisual technologies. The extensive knowledge of its technical staff is widely recognized, and is the envy of the organization's domestic and international partners. The NFB's level of technical excellence allows it to assist its many partners in their research efforts in the fields of production, distribution, and collection accessibility. In addition, this wealth of knowledge allows emerging talents to acquire the lasting expertise essential to the development of their careers. The NFB's 12th Oscar®, awarded last year for The Danish Poet, confirms the international reputation for excellence that the Board has forged.

Indicators:

Number of joint research projects and partnerships as a pilot site and incubator of research and development.

Launched in February 2007, the NFB Cross-Media Challenge is opened to Canadian independant producers. Inspired by the National Film Board's legendary Challenge for Change program of community filmmaking, the NFB Cross-Media Challenge is a co-production competition for innovative, interactive, socially engaged content with applications for mobile and broadband. The winning project is eligible for a development co-production deal with the NFB and will be announced at the Banff Television Festival in June 2007.

3. Collaborate further with the government and other organizations.

Expected Outcome:
The NFB as an enduring benchmark in filmmaking.

Partnerships play a key role in the NFB's successful fulfillment of its mandate, while also allowing the Film Board to broaden its field of activity. One of the NFB's strategic goals is to develop partnerships in production, distribution, broadcasting, and training.

Indicator:
Number of nature of joint ventures with the public sector, and their impact

In 2006-2007, the NFB has undertaken several initiatives in collaboration with various partners from the Canadian film industry such as the study The Case for Kids Programming produced in partnership with the Canadian Association of Films and Television Producers. The Board also reinforced its relationship with various federal organizations, such as Telefilm Canada and CBC through initiatives like the IPLOC competition and the Theatrical Documentary Pilot Program. Various partners are associated with the training programs. In the Atlantic provinces there are AnimAcadie (NFB, Connections Productions, the French-language television service of CBC Atlantic and Film New Brunswick), open to script writers, and Inspired (NFB, CTV, IFC Canada and the Atlantic Film Festival), offering training and production services to emerging documentary filmmakers and following a model similar to that of Ontario's NFB-TVO Documentary Calling Card. The success of First Stories in the Western provinces and of Quebec's Wapikoni Mobile (with Manon Barbeau's Productions les beaux jours) fuelled the creation of Yukon Vérité, an NFB/Yukon Film Society mentoring program, as well as the brand new Nunavut Animation Lab, which has six other partners as well as the NFB. Another first this year is Open I, an NFB digital video mentoring program for young people with a handicap to tell their stories. It is run by disabled filmmakers from the AccessNFB project, instructors from the Pacific Cinematheque and youth counsellors. The NFB also has a partnership with the CFTPA to offer the NFB MediaMakers Mentorship Program which offers on-the-job training opportunities in the film, television and interactive media industry to Canadians with disabilities.

Finally, the NFB was a key participant in the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum hosted by Canada in 2006, 30 years after the Film Board played an equally important role at the first Forum, held in 1976. Participation in the 2006 Forum was spearheaded by English Program, and consisted of seven initiatives, as well as the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding on future collaborations between the NFB and UN-Habitat. In terms of environmental protection, the NFB is an active participant in Greencode, which provides environmental guidelines for media industries. The project brings together a number of partners in the public and private sector, across Canada and internationally.

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