Élaine Dumont: "We have a very strong industry, both in film and television"

SODEC is the Quebec government’s arm that supports cultural enterprises, including the book sector, music, arts and crafts, art galleries, and the audiovisual industry. “We help producers export their projects; we make sure they are known throughout the world,” said Élaine Dumont, Executive Director of International Affairs, Export and Marketing Distribution at SODEC, in an exclusive interview with Señal News. She also emphasized that Quebec has a very strong industry in both film and television, and that SODEC’s main role is to promote and give visibility to Quebec producers.

She further explained that the Quebec television industry is quite unique: “In some ways, it's insular because we’re the only French-speaking province in Canada. We’re not entirely French, or American, or Canadian, nor British — we are a mix of everything. That’s why the Quebec population has always needed to see and recognize themselves in their television,” she noted.

A NEW WORLD
Dumont stressed that in today’s world, with the rise of digital platforms, foreign languages are no longer a barrier. “There are no more boundaries,” she said, highlighting that younger generations are now accustomed to reading subtitles. “They actually want to watch a South Korean series with subtitles because they want to hear the rhythm, the language. They see the difference — they’re becoming much more selective and sophisticated than we were when we were young. Their image literacy is remarkable, and that’s very encouraging,” she said. However, she also warned about the importance of preserving national identity in the midst of global content consumption. “The world is changing so fast, and we need to be more grounded in our own identity. That’s one of the reasons our series are performing so well. You feel like you’re traveling, but at the same time, the stories resonate universally — that’s the key,” she emphasized.

To illustrate the point, she mentioned the series “Empathy”, the first Quebec production to enter the International Competition at Series Mania. “We’re really excited. We got a standing ovation at the Festival — it was very well received. It wasn’t even subtitled in English, but the French audience understood it completely,” she said. “We offer something specific and personal — a point of view on the world that’s different from Canada, France, Britain, or the U.S., yet somehow a mix of all of them,” she added.

MARKET PRESENCE
Last month, SODEC attended Series Mania with the primary goal of helping producers export their projects. “We’ve been attending Series Mania for ten years,” Dumont said. This year, SODEC brought a delegation of 86 creators and professionals from Quebec — “a record,” she noted — including 43 Quebec companies across production and distribution, as well as four broadcasters. “Series Mania is truly the place to be for us. So many European companies attend the event, and we’ve always aimed to strengthen ties with Europe — now more than ever,” she affirmed.

As part of this goal, SODEC will also participate in Conecta Fiction & Entertainment this June, where France and Canada will be the Focus Countries. “We’ve been attending Conecta Fiction for three years, and this year, with Canada as the guest of honor, of course Quebec will be part of it. That’s great, because our producers are already very familiar with the event,” she explained.

Dumont also noted that several Quebec producers are originally from — or have family roots in — South America, which has led to the development of Spanish-speaking projects with strong potential for both South American and Spanish markets. “We are supporting them very strongly,” she concluded.