This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

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Author: Diane Burgess, Lecturer, University of British Columbia

For 10 days this September, the Toronto International Film Festival B次元官网网址� or TIFF B次元官网网址� will be the epicentre of the cinematic world.

The festival shines a spotlight on the latest trends with celebrity-studded red carpets and buzz-worthy premieres. But for makers of the many excellent Canadian feature films, life after the festival means facing new movie-streaming reality checks. In this Netflix era, they will inevitably struggle with significant challenges to reach domestic audiences.

Recently, the programming decisions of major film festivals have sparked global debate about the future of cinema. For the second year in a row, TIFFB次元官网网址檚 opening film comes from an over-the-top streaming service. Subscription video on-demand services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime, operate independently of delivery networks like cable; they are literally B次元官网网址渙ver-the-top.B次元官网网址� They bypass traditional programming as they deliver content via high-speed internet. They also are exempt from the rules that govern Canadian broadcasters.

Netflix is a source of controversy on the international festival circuit.

Their films have been absent from the Cannes Film Festival lineup for two years due to an impasse over theatrical release requirements in France. European exhibitors have also pushed back against the Venice Film Festival for programming films that will get only limited exposure in theatres, and then will be available exclusively for Netflix subscribers.

This yearB次元官网网址檚 TIFFB次元官网网址檚 selection of the feature Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band marks the first time a Canadian documentary has nabbed the prestigious opening slot. The film is also a Crave Original, co-produced by a Canadian over-the-top service.

But TIFFB次元官网网址檚 opening night programming has yet to trigger an exploration of how Canadian-owned over-the-top services differ from transnational ones. As audiences cope with an increasing array of content choices, how will Canadian filmmakers gain access to audiences?

Attention and access

The ability of viewers to find content relies on both awareness and access. Content awareness has some potential to push viewers to different platforms.

But while Netflix can raise the international popularity of Canadian film, that doesnB次元官网网址檛 improve access for their Canadian subscribers. For example, in 2017, Netflix acquired global distribution rights for Les Affam茅s (Ravenous), winner of the Best Canadian Feature Film prize at TIFF that year.

When Netflix acquired Les Affam茅s, it said the film would be available for subscribers in Canada in 2019 (likely once exclusive domestic licences expire). The acquisition was touted as proof that the controversial Netflix deal would indeed include support for French-language films. Scott Stuber, head of NetflixB次元官网网址檚 film group, said: B次元官网网址淭his is another exciting example of the investment the company is making in Canadian culture and bringing its stories and artists to the world.B次元官网网址�

Currently in Canada, this film is only available through transactional video on-demand platforms like YouTube or Google Play.

Another TIFF 2017 selection, Meditation Park by Canadian filmmaker Mina Shum, was theatrically launched in Canada at the same time Netflix streamed its release in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. A social media buzz spread via Twitter, especially from Sandra Oh fans (Killing Eve).

Even more than a year later, when a fan was advised to add Meditation Park to his movie-streaming playlist on Netflix, Shum chimed in and said her film is B次元官网网址渟treaming on CBC in CanadaB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� meaning that it can be found on the Canadian over-the-top service, Gem.

Canadian content for Canadians

A search of NetflixB次元官网网址檚 Canadian catalogue shows itB次元官网网址檚 not picked up many Canadian features. The tag B次元官网网址渃ritically-acclaimed Canadian moviesB次元官网网址� leads to 15 titles. This list includes Academy Award-winners (Room), nominees (Monsieur Lahzar), box-office hits (Bon Cop, Bad Cop), internationally recognized stars (Ellen Page, Christopher Plummer) and directors (Atom Egoyan, Patricia Rozema). The broader category of B次元官网网址淐anadian moviesB次元官网网址� (42 titles) adds in a few Christmas movies, which are also tagged as B次元官网网址淢ade-for-TV,B次元官网网址� and some genre films (thrillers, sports, family).

Ironically, the American Netflix catalogue likely has a richer selection of Canadian feature films. The dearth of Canadian content for Canadian Netflix subscribers is further evidence of the myth of B次元官网网址渆ndless choiceB次元官网网址� for online audiences.

Content discoverability is about making sure that Canadian content will B次元官网网址渟tand outB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渂e easily foundB次元官网网址�.

Policy and research tend to focus on how the content captures attention or reaches global markets through promotion, and on how platforms organize and present that content. But audience access is affected by much more than marketing and algorithms.

The Canadian federal regulatory framework for feature film financing and distribution contributes to the absence of these films from the Canadian Netflix catalogue. To ensure Canadian stories reach Canadian audiences, Telefilm requires a commitment from a Canadian distributor for projects with a budget of $2.5 million or more that seek support from its feature film fund. The pre-sale of broadcast rights is another source of production financing.

Canadian over-the-top streaming services like Crave and Gem have a strong Canadian content presence in their catalogues because their parent companies B次元官网网址� Bell Media and the CBC B次元官网网址� can exploit broadcast rights across all of their platforms. The broadcasters are further tied into this arrangement by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications CommissionB次元官网网址檚 requirements that they participate in Canadian content production.

The future of Canadian streaming

Like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Crave is venturing into original content that will be shown in movie theatres. Their focus is on documentaries. Two previous Crave Originals B次元官网网址� Anthropocene: The Human Epoch and Sharkwater Extinction B次元官网网址攕creened at TIFF 2018. After being released in theatres, both documentaries were launched on Crave and CTV as part of Earth Week programming.

The documentary genre has strong roots in Canadian film and television history. The common ground shared by nonfiction storytelling and broadcasting points to the Bell Media production of Crave Original documentaries as more of a synergistic business decision than a disruption of content delivery patterns.

Every year, TIFF is a catalyst for media attention about the health of the Canadian feature film industry. With a Netflix opener in 2018, coverage looked at the streamerB次元官网网址檚 dominant presence in a growing subscription video on-demand (SVOD) marketplace and efforts B次元官网网址渢o strengthen its image as a home to prestige films.B次元官网网址�

Now that Crave is in the coveted gala spot, itB次元官网网址檚 time to take a closer look at the Canadian presence in over-the-top streaming offerings. How can Canadian filmmakers navigate the complex trade-offs between attention and access while trying to be discovered by audiences at home?

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Diane Burgess, Lecturer, University of British Columbia , The Canadian Press