Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 8, 1949)

Page 8 Canadian FILM WEEKLY June 8, 1949 Canadian-Made Films Boost Exports about it but the drive of Canada for representation in the markets of the world has its film support. That support is the National Film Board, now in its tenth year. In fact, many of the buyers here for the Fair had their first look at Canadian products in their own country through films. The average Canadian thinks of the NFB in terms of its domestic service, which consists mainly of producing and exhibiting educational films bearing on democratic concepts, the varied life in our country, national unity, explanation of national problems and international relations, and direct guidance in phases of agriculture, etc. This domestic service is rendered to millions of Canadians annually. Parliamentary critics of the National Film Board and its defenders have limited their argwments to its expenditures and the question of internal value. But the man most responsible for the NFB as it is today, John Grierson, knew its potential value in the sphere of trade, for he was making films for the Empire Marketing Board of Britain before he came to Canada in 1939. In relation to the trade picture the NFB’s budget, so often argued in the House of Commons by a limited group of members, is a small amount indeed. For the current year it is $1,989,910. But the place of the NFB among Canadian trade boosters is not lost on the Department of Trade & Commerce, nor the London Times, That newspaper ran a story from that angle a while ago written by F. B. Strong from material supplied by the NFB for the Department of Trade & Commerce. The article, headed ‘Trade Follows Films’ and _ sub-headed “Presenting Canada to _ the World,” follows: Kleig lights blaze, “prop men” make final background adjustments, the movie camera is moved into position, the star—a brand new Diesel locomotive—gets its make-up retouched. With the shooting of this scene another of Canada’s enterprises will tell its story to the Egyptians, the Latin Americans, the Belgians, the Chinese, and others interested in modern transportation equipment. This celluloid salesman will join the swelling ranks of others, already seasoned globe travellers, in the quest for export markets. Films about Canada, her industries, and her people are already shown annually in some 60 countries to an estimated international audience of more than 70m. people, all potential pur (Continued from Page 1) chasers of Canadian goods and services. Canadian manufacturers, however, are conscious of the tremendous selling job which can be accomplished by industrial films abroad in introducing and selling products. Demonstration films convey to foreign buyers and consumers a clear picture of a company’s commodities and their specific advantages over competing lines. In this connexion more and more firms are taking advantage of the specialized services offered by thé National Film Board and the 45 Canadian Government trade commissioners in 37 countries. Selling Value Commercial films for foreign markets are destined to play an increasingly important role in the future. British industry realizes their selling value and appreciates that a good motion picture can provide buyers with a tour of a plant and leave a lasting impression. A recently published list of Canadian industrial films indicates that Canadian manufacturers are also aware of their value. The use of films at the world trade marts, and particularly the. Trade Fair, in Toronto, last year, is still further evidence of the trend. In these days of import and exchange restrictions films offer an inexpensive method of institutional advertising in countries where the sale of Canadian goods is limited or prohibited. Foreign consumers are kept “Canada conscious” and the potential of restricted markets is maintained. Under present conditions of travel difficulties, shortages of exchange and so on, films assist in originating and maintaining sales contacts. A recent example was the case of an English dress manufacturing firm, which immediately placed an order after officials had seen the Canadian film Fashions by Canada. Canalian trade commissioners have at their disposal 16mm. projection equipment and up-to-date film libraries, which help them in their efforts to create interest in Canada as a supplier and buyer of goods and services of all kinds. These modern aids to promotional work supplement the wealth of data on trade and other subjects with which trade commissioners are supplied, such as samples, catalogues, price lists, &c., provided by individual firms seeking outlets for their goods or sources of supply abroad. Some time ago, aided by the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association, Canadian firms were requested to lend suitable industrial films for distribution to appropriate offices of the Canadian Government Trade Commissioner Service. In many cases sound tracks were available in’ Spanish, Portuguese, and French, in addition to English. Prints were distributed to offices in the various language areas. Trade commissioners have reported a keen interest in these specialized films, dealing with specific industries or processes. The National Film Board, through its distribution Section, has placed a steady and ever-increasing flow~of films on the international circuit. The value of films abroad was recognized some years ago by the Department of Trade and Commerce. As a result, such films as Bluebloods from Canada, Certified for Seed, &c., were produced specifically for use abroad to promote the sale of Canada’s livestock, certified seed potatoes, and other products. The WNational Film Board’s Certified for Seed has had an encouraging response. It did much in Italy, for example, to interest Italians in Canadian methods of seed certification. In Argentina, Uruguay, and other Latin American countries, as well as the United States, it has stimulated sales. Manufacturers in many other countries have been impressed by the fact that Canada is the fourth largest industrial power among the allied nations. This information was graphically illustrated in the film Canada World Trader, which also shows how and what manufactured goods can be produced in this country. Again, Britons were told where they were obtaining most of their bacon through the film Bacon for Britain. Before extensive showing they were largely unaware of the fact that Canada was their main source of supply. The British Ministry of Food as well as a number of retail and wholesale grouwps~ held screenings of the picture, which told the story of how Canada was cooperating in Supplying food to Britain. Canada’s tourist industry is being stimulated abroad, a number of films sponsored by the Canadian National Ralways and the Canadian Government Travel Bureau being shown in the United States and other countries. They depict the beauties of Canada, from fishing in the Maritimes to mountain-climbing in the Rockies, The latest production, Bluebloods from Canada, is devoted to livestock, and is being distributed to many countries around the globe. The film indicates the high calibre of Canadian breeds and is designed to increase foreign interest in purchasing Canadian breeding stock. Another film planned by the department is Stuff for Stuff, which is being distributed in the interests of bettering world trade. As such it is documentary, but should do much from a prestige point of view. The United Kingdom furnishes a good example of the extent to which Canadian films are distributed. There are at least 29 major industrial firms that maintain film libraries and are regular borrowers of Canadian films. Major distribution, however, is made through the Central Office of Information, which maintains 10 regional offices and has 140 circuits, and which also distributes to 125 film societies. It has distributed 171 National Film Board subjects, and its average monthly circulation of Canadian films is approximately 1,200 screenings. Total yearly audience is estimated at about 5m. From October, 1947, to January 15, 1948, 134 bookings were made in the United States for four Canadian Government Travel Bureau films by the National Film Board. This amounted to approximately one showing a day. The estimated attendance at each showing is a minimum of 300. Therefore in three months a total of 40,000 people have viewed these films. There has been increasing interest in Canadian films in Latin America. Distribution non-theatrically in this area consisted of 2,500 screenings to an audience of about 500,000 for the last nine months of 1947. These figures comprise screenings and audiences in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru, *from which countries detailed reports were obtained. Reports from other countries do not enumerate specific screenings. An overall figure of screenings in Latin America for the year, allowing for countries for which detailed reports were not received, could be conservatively estimated at 4,000 and the audience at 700,000. About 30 films in Spanish and Portuguese have been distributed theatrically in Latin America through Clasa Films Mundiales, in Mexico, and Peliculas Mexicanas and its subsidiaries, in Central and South America. Countries in which Peliculas Mexicanas distributes are Argen (Continued on Page 10)