Research & Resources
How do screen stories find, build, and sustain audiences in a media landscape that no longer behaves the way we built our systems for?
The resources below bring together major research reports, policy-facing analysis, practical case studies, and resources for institutions, funders, producers, distributors, and media organizations working to understand the reality of today’s audiences.
Featured Reports
Cultivating the Canadian Creator Economy
Canadian Heritage, 2026
A policy-focused research report examining the structural gaps facing Canadian digital-first creators, including the “missing middle” between cultural funding, traditional screen programs, and small business supports.
Key themes: Audience ownership, creator enterprises, export potential, platform dependency, cultural policy, digital-first storytelling.
This report is not yet available for public release.
Navigating the Shifting Screen: Connecting Canadian Films to Audiences in 2025 and Beyond
Canadian Heritage, 2025
A global scan of film distribution models, audience behaviour, and emerging opportunities for Canadian feature films in a fragmented release environment.
Key themes: Film distribution, audience access, international models, non-traditional release, community screenings, data, discoverability.
Futureproofing Canadian Film: Working Towards a Sustainable Feature Film Ecosystem
Telefilm Canada, 2022
A research report on the structural pressures reshaping Canadian feature film, from streamer consolidation and rising costs to changing audience behaviour and the need for more flexible pathways to success.
Key themes: Audience development, IP ownership, community-building, data transparency, theatrical change, digital distribution.
Thanks COVID! 15 Lessons for Film Distribution from the First Wave
Telefilm Canada, 2021
A rapid-response research report documenting what the first wave of pandemic-era virtual cinema experiments revealed about partnerships, marketing, audience engagement, impact, revenue, and resilience.
Key themes: Virtual cinema, eventizing, audience targeting, partnerships, VOD, impact campaigns, distribution innovation.