Canadian Film Online (http://film.athabascau.ca) is an interactive database detailing the history of full-length feature filmmaking in Canada.
The website, which launched in April 2012, was developed by Athabasca University and made possible by a grant from Heritage Canada’s Interactive Fund. With a database of over 1500 films made since 1960, it promises to be a valuable and growing resource for film buffs and academics alike.
Like the popular website, Internet Movie Database (http://imdb.com), CFO is a repository for film credits, synopses, and film trivia. But while the IMDb focuses on the who and when of cinema, CFO encourages a deeper, more academic analysis of how and why films were made possible.
Visitors can browse timelines, maps, and charts to better understand where films are made in Canada, and how location is affected by policy-making.
“Our goal is to illuminate the connections between government policies and programs, and the actual financing, production, and distribution of films,” said [NAME], [TITLE].
The website offers detailed information about the dozens of funding agencies and policies that have influenced Canadian filmmaking, like the Massey Report, the Canadian Feature Film Fund, and a broad range of provincial tax incentives.