Cinema of Canada
Canadian cinema began in 1896 and evolved under U.S. influence.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Canada’s film history begins with the first known film screening in the country, held in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, on June 27, 1896. For decades, the U.S. film industry has heavily influenced Canadian cinema, using Canada as a filming location and as a way to get around British film quota laws. At the same time, Canadian filmmakers—both English- and French-speaking—have played a role in shaping cinema in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Early films in Canada came from Thomas A. Edison, Inc., and Edison Studios made some of the first movies shot in the country. Railways, especially the Canadian Pacific Railway, helped fund early filmmaking. James Freer, a Canadian, made *Ten Years in Manitoba*, the first known film by a Canadian. The earliest recorded Canadian feature film is *Evangeline*. In the 1920s and 1930s, key figures included George Brownridge and Ernest Shipman. Shipman produced the most expensive film made up to that time. Brownridge’s work led to *Carry on, Sergeant!*, and that film’s failure caused a downturn in the industry.
The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau was created in 1918, later adding sound and 16 mm film in the 1930s before merging into the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Under John Grierson, the NFB expanded. From 1948 to 1958, the Canadian Cooperation Project—an agreement between the government and the Motion Picture Association of America—hurt Canadian filmmaking. Tensions between English and French Canadians within the NFB, starting in the 1940s, eventually led to a separate branch for French-language productions by the 1960s. The government later supported the film industry through the Capital Cost Allowance and Telefilm Canada.
The first films in Canada were shown by Louis Minier and Louis Pupier using a cinematograph in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, on June 27, 1896. This showing was overlooked for years because English-language researchers didn’t search French sources; it was rediscovered by Germain Lacasse in 1984. Before that, the earliest known screening was thought to be Andrew M. Holland’s presentation of Edison films in Ottawa from July 21 to August 28, 1896. Léo-Ernest Ouimet claimed he attended the Saint-Laurent event, and his account was used as evidence until Lacasse found newspaper reports in *La Presse*.
Other early screenings happened in Winnipeg, where R.A. Hardie and F.H. Wall showed films from J
- field
- Film industry
- nationality
- Canadian
- known_for
- Early film displays, government film bureaus, and independent feature production
Lore & Background
Louis Minier and Louis Pupier showed the first films in Canada using a cinematograph in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, on 27 June 1896. Prior to the discovery of this showing by Germain Lacasse in 1984, it was believed that a showing of Thomas A. Edison, Inc. films conducted by Andrew M. Holland in Ottawa, from 21 July to 28 August 1896, was the first. The Saint-Laurent showing was overlooked as English researchers did not search through French sources. R.A. Hardie and F.H. Wall also presented films in Winnipeg from 18 to 25 July 1896. Marie Tréourret de Kerstrat and her son Henry de Grandsaignes d'Hauterives were some of the first French people to display films to French Canadians and projected hundreds during their tours from 1897 to 1906. They showed 8,000 feet of hand-coloured film done by Georges Méliès, which is the earliest known colour film shown in Canada.
James Freer is believed to have been the first Canadian to produce films. He started filming agriculture activities and Canadian Pacific Railway trains in 1897. He toured the United Kingdom with the sponsorship of the CPR in 1898, and a second less successful tour was sponsored by Clifford Sifton in 1901. The CPR enlisted Charles Urban and his company to travel and film Canada to promote settlement in the western areas. This group, the Bioscope Company of Canada, filmed from Quebec to Victoria from 1902 to 1903. The film, Living Canada, was premiered at the Palace Theatre in 1903. The first recorded feature film created in Canada was Evangeline. Ernest Shipman oversaw the production of the most expensive film up to that point. George Brownridge's career led to Carry on, Sergeant! and its failure caused a decline in the film industry.
Reader's Guide
The cinema of Canada is significant as one of the earliest sites of film exhibition in North America, with the first known display occurring in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, in 1896. The industry was shaped by the dominance of the United States, which used Canada as a shooting location and to bypass British film quota laws. Early filmmaking was supported by railways such as the Canadian Pacific Railway, which sponsored James Freer and Charles Urban to produce promotional films. The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, formed in 1918, expanded to sound and 16 mm film in the 1930s before merging into the National Film Board of Canada. The NFB expanded under John Grierson. The Canadian Cooperation Project from 1948 to 1958 negatively affected Canadian filmmaking. Internal divisions between English and French Canadians within the NFB led to an independent branch for French language productions by the 1960s. Government financial support came through the Capital Cost Allowance and Telefilm Canada. The legacy of early Canadian cinema includes the first known colour film shown in Canada, the first recorded Canadian feature film Evangeline, and the work of figures like Ernest Shipman and George Brownridge.
Did You Know?
- The first known film display in Canada was by Louis Minier and Louis Pupier in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, on 27 June 1896.
- Marie Tréourret de Kerstrat and her son showed 8,000 feet of hand-coloured film by Georges Méliès, the earliest known colour film shown in Canada.
- James Freer is believed to have been the first Canadian to produce films, starting in 1897.
- The first recorded Canadian feature film was Evangeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Canadian cinema begin?
The first known film screening in Canada took place in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, on June 27, 1896, marking the starting point of the country's film history.
How did the U.S. film industry shape Canadian cinema?
For decades, American studios used Canada as a filming location and as a way to sidestep British film quota regulations, which deeply influenced the development of the Canadian film scene.
What is Canadian cinema known for?
The industry is recognized for its early film displays, government-run film bureaus, and a lasting tradition of independent feature production.
Did Canadian filmmakers influence cinema outside Canada?
Yes—both English-speaking and French-speaking Canadian filmmakers have contributed to shaping the film industries in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Who made some of the first films shot in Canada?
Thomas A. Edison, Inc. and Edison Studios produced some of the earliest movies filmed in the country, with railways such as the Canadian Pacific serving as prominent visual subjects.
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