Federal government supports for screen-based content production

Toronto and Ontario are home to the leading firms in Canada's English-language creative industries. Supported by a range of public policies, Ontario producers have harnessed Ontario's artistic talents and skills to build a dynamic screen-based content industry (films, television programs, games, and interactive media). Creative industries are founded on intellectual property and are central to the digital economy of the 21st Century. Ontario-produced content is successful both financially and creatively, providing substantial and high-value employment and increasing worldwide exposure. When the industry brings Canadian stories to audiences, the cultural impact is profound. Some federal government public policy mechanisms provide incentives for "regional" screen-based content productions. There is a legitimate public policy rationale for incentives to support Canadian producers to bring local stories to local and national audiences. Yet in reality, the public policy underpinning of regional incentives is about promoting a diversity of production locations, rather than a diversity of stories.