Québec, September 14, 2023. – After a decline in 2020-2021, the value of production in the audiovisual industry in Québec recovered in 2021-2022 and reached a new all-time high of $2.8 billion. This represents a 25% increase from the previous year. This result is largely attributable to the resumption of foreign productions. This was revealed in the 2023 edition of Profil de l’industrie audiovisuelle au Québec published today by the Observatoire de la culture et des communications of the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Film and TV production, Québec, 2017-2018 to 2021-2022
1. Québec share of the value of the budgets for productions that benefited from the refundable tax credit for film and television production services. This tax credit applies to the filming of foreign productions and to technical services such as animation and special effects in Québec.
Sources
Société de développement des entreprises culturelles and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Compilation
Institut de la statistique du Québec, Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec.
Large increase in foreign production and production services
After a decline in 2020-2021, the value of the segment that combines participation in foreign production and production services (e.g., special effects, animation for foreign works) rose to $1.4 billion in 2021-2022, up by $462 million from the previous year. This represents a 48% increase from 2020-2021 and a 16% increase from 2019-2020. As in 2019-2020, this segment remained the most important component of Québec’s film and television production, accounting for 51% of the overall value of production in 2021-2022.
Québec independent production: TV production and production for the web up, film production stable
In 2021-2022, the value of Québec independent television production increased by 4% to $848 million, its highest level in the past 10 years. This was mostly due to a 26% increase (+$33 million) in documentary production for TV and a 22% increase (+$29 million) in variety programs.
The value of Québec film production stood at $146 million in 2021-2022, the same level as in 2020-2021, despite an increase in the number of productions (78 in 2021-2022 vs. 54 in 2020-2021). Of that amount, $121 million came from French-language fiction feature films, which is above the average of the past 10 years.
The value of productions intended for online distribution grew significantly and reached $67 million in 2021-2022, up 92% from 2020-2021.
Profile of the audiovisual industry in Québec in 2021
These data come from the 2023 edition of the publication Profil de l’industrie audiovisuelle au Québec, which was prepared with the contribution of the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM), the Association québécoise des techniciens et techniciennes de l’image et du son, local union 514 IATSE (AQTIS 514 IATSE), the Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ), the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), the Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC), the Table de concertation de l’industrie du cinéma et de la télévision de la Capitale-Nationale, and the Union des artistes (UDA).
With the exception of data on the theatrical release of films in 2022, this edition of the Profil de l’industrie audiovisuelle au Québec covers the 2021-2022 fiscal year, which ended on March 31. As a result, the statistics in this edition reflect the activities of Québec’s audiovisual industry at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Institut de la statistique du Québec produces, analyzes and disseminates official, objective and quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and all those wishing to learn more about Québec.