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There are many reasons why it is difficult to make films in Canada. Funding is one of them, and filmmakers are often scrambling to find the dollars they need or waiting anxiously to hear about grants.

Ask students how films are funded. (For instance, they are funded by revenue from advertising, admission fees, and public contributions.) Ask students to speculate why the government has provided funding for Canadian films.

Students will research government’s involvement in Canadian film: in terms of training, development, production, distribution, and marketing. They will then debate in small groups whether the Canadian government should have a greater or lesser role in developing Canadian films. They should consider to what degree taxpayers should support Canadian films.

As a class, discuss the findings of the groups and their opinions. Have students write a persuasive essay answering the questions raised by their debates; for example, How should the government allocate its spending on Canadian films? Should the government increase its involvement and legislate the exhibition of Canadian films in Canadian theatres?