British filmmakers handed boost by new film agreement with Canada

14 Sep 2026 12:28 PM

At the Toronto International Film Festival, Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray signs new treaty with his Canadian counterpart

British filmmakers are set to benefit from a new agreement between the UK and Canadian governments that will boost cooperation in the film and TV industries.

Collaboration between the screen sectors in both countries will be boosted by this modernised treaty, which allows companies to co-produce films and TV shows while being able to enjoy the same treatment as solely British or Canadian films.

British and Canadian companies will benefit from greater access to domestic funding and tax incentives, more flexibility, clearer rules on sharing copyright and revenue and stronger guarantees around distribution and broadcast when collaborating on a production.

Similar international agreements have brought significant cultural and economic benefits to the sector already, through films such as UK-France co-productions The Father and Atonement, or UK-Ireland film The Miracle Club.

The Co-Production Treaty was signed by Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray, alongside his counterpart Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, during a visit to the Toronto International Film Festival.

Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray said:

The cultural, historical and economic bonds between Britain and Canada are already incredibly strong and thanks to this new agreement, we will be able to forge even deeper ties.

Both Britain and Canada have world-class film and TV industries and I look forward to seeing what we create together following this landmark deal.

The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, said:

Around the world, Canada’s audiovisual sector is known for its world-class talent, innovation and stories that showcase our values and diversity and resonate with millions of people. We’re proud to see this shine at the Toronto International Film Festival. As we build a more resilient sector at home, ensuring it remains competitive in an increasingly digital world is key. These modernized coproduction agreements will make it easier for our filmmakers to collaborate with partners around the world, bring Canadian stories to new audiences, and strengthen our audiovisual industry as a pillar of our cultural and economic sovereignty.

Harriet Finney, Deputy Chief Executive of the BFI, said: 

The UK has a fantastic track record in partnering with Canada, and we are thrilled to see our co-production treaty updated which will enable more collaboration between our two territories. The treaty is more user-friendly and recognises the major shifts we’ve seen in our sector, where building finance for new film and television projects now regularly requires numerous partners and territories. Providing greater flexibility and covering both film and television, there is now more scope for UK producers to look to Canada for their next creative partner.

By updating this treaty to ensure it better aligns with the realities of international screen production in the modern day, we build on the success of UK-Canadian collaboration that has brought us content like Brooklyn, and & Sons.

To promote the British film sector during his trip to the film festival, Minister Murray spoke at a reception hosted by the BFI, British Film Commission, Bafta, BBC Film4 and Screen Scotland. He also met key figures at Telefilm Canada and visited Pinewood Toronto Studios.

This follows a visit last week to the Lumiere Summit, an event hosted by France and South Korea to discuss the future of cinema. Minister Murray met key international partners to discuss the future of the sector.