TORONTO — Canadian producers expressed hope and skepticism as they weighed Netflix’s promise Thursday to spend $500 million over five years on homegrown content.
The announcement to support Canadian-made film and TV series was enthusiastically unveiled by Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, part of the first major overhaul of the cultural funding platform in a quarter century.
But it left many unanswered questions.
Netflix let Joly do the talking as representatives for the streaming service didn’t respond to requests for more details. That left filmmakers to draw their own conclusions.
“There are all kinds of really interesting opportunities, but of course, it’s really short on specifics,” Annelise Larson, a producer on the web series “Spiral,” said after reviewing Netflix’s plans.
“I’ve certainly been in conversations with my producer friends who — some of them — were cautiously optimistic. Others seemed to feel it wasn’t the revolutionary shake up they were hoping for.”
Larson is struggling to understand more precisely how Canadian producers will benefit. For example, while Netflix plans to open a production house in Canada, there were no details provided on the size, location or number of jobs it would create.
Questions also linger over how much of Netflix’s cash injection will be recognized by audiences.
Already the streaming company invests in Canadian programming through co-productions on CBC’s “Anne” and “Alias Grace,” in trade for holding the international streaming rights. But what’s unclear is whether Netflix will distance itself from those cross-border agreements to favour owning more of its own shows outright.
Such a decision could deal a blow to Canadian broadcasters who rely on flashier co-productions with sizable budgets to generate buzz.
Kari Skogland, a Toronto director who worked on Netflix’s upcoming series “The Punisher,” sees the streaming company’s move as an opportunity to talk about Canadian culture.
Some viewers took to social media Thursday to express concerns that Netflix would fall short on telling definitively Canadian stories in favour of more commercial ventures. Others saw an opportunity since Netflix isn’t required to adhere to the same Canadian content points system that applies to TV broadcasters.
“If they do care, it’s an important conversation to continue,” Skogland suggested. “And very quickly because the floodgates are opening and it’s a tremendous opportunity.”
Skogland is currently preparing to shoot episodes for the second season of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” an Emmy-winning series based on Margaret Atwood’s book that’s being produced by U.S. streaming service Hulu. The director said in recent years she’s noticed more interest in Canadian writers and directors from outside the country.
“I’m seeing some tremendous interest in local stories. As a result, it’s an open slate,” she said.
“As a creator, it’s hopefully very exciting times.”
But even investment from Netflix in Canadian series doesn’t hold any guarantees.
Attracting viewers to Canadian shows will still be a challenge, unless they’re also pledging to throw a hefty marketing budget behind each series.
Many critics of the streaming company have pointed out that some of its TV series — and particularly the movies it acquires at film festivals — go practically unnoticed when they debut.
Recent titles like Angelina Jolie’s “First They Killed My Father” debuted to much fanfare at the Toronto International Film Festival before a quiet debut on Netflix a week later. Comedies like Marlon Wayans’ “Naked” and “.RealityHigh” landed on the service with a similar publicity thud.
“It doesn’t really matter what platform your content is streaming on if no one knows it’s there,” Larson said. “(Audiences) have to be able to find it, and often Netflix doesn’t do that.”
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