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La Cinémathèque québécoise

Legal Deposit

Legal deposit of films entered into effect on January 31, 2006. The Quebec government gave the Cinémathèque québécoise a mandate to preserve these productions pursuant to the Act respecting Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). An agreement with BAnQ determines the conditions of management, preservation and consultation of the documents deposited. The Cinémathèque is responsible for cataloguing, inspecting and storing the deposited films in its storage facilities.

Section 20.9.1 of the Act respecting Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec stipulates that the producer a Quebec film produced with the assistance of the Quebec government shall deposit a copy of the film with BAnQ within six months of its first public exhibition in its final version.

Film is defined in section 2 of the Cinema Act as a work produced by a technical means that results in a cinematographic production. A Quebec film is a film produced by a person domiciled in Quebec or whose principal establishment is situated in Quebec. The producer is the person responsible for decision making throughout production of the film; in addition, in the case of a coproduction, the producer must also be the main investor in the film. (section 20.9.2. of the Act respecting Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec).

The act establishing BAnQ gives the Cinémathèque québécoise the mandate of coordinating the legal deposit of films and preserving the films deposited. Legal deposit of copies of Quebec films and television programs must therefore be done directly through the Cinémathèque québécoise.

Affiche du film Liberty Street Blues (André Gladu)

Liberty Street Blues (André Gladu) | photographer: Jean Gladu ©Cinémathèque québécoise (1988.0388Z.AF)

Directive for the legal deposit of digital movies
Who is subject to legal deposit?
Les portes tournantes (Francis Mankiewicz)

How to deposit your work

  • Download and fill out the form that applies to your work (form A or B).
  • Download and fill out the optional Copyright Licence form, if applicable (form C).
  • Include the forms with the elements being deposited and send to: Cinémathèque québécoise
    Dépôt légal
    335, boulevard de Maisonneuve Est
    Montréal (Québec) H2X 1K1
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