About Éléphant: The memory of Québec cinema
Éléphant: The memory of Québec cinema, launched by Quebecor on November 18, 2008, is a large-scale project dedicated to restoring and digitizing in HD Québec's heritage of feature films, and making it available as it is digitized. To date, more than 200 films have been restored and digitized.
Once they have been digitized in HD and restored, the movies can be accessed 24/7 via video on demand on Videotron's illico platforms: illico TV, illico mobile and illico.tv. The films are also being gradually added, in the original version with subtitles, to iTunes in Canada, the U.S., France and all other European and African countries where French or English is one of the official languages. To date, the Québec films in the Éléphant catalogue have been downloaded more than 250,000 times on Videotron’s platforms.
The Éléphant website at www.elephant.canoe.ca contains the largest existing database and bank of information on Québec cinema. Also produced under the aegis of Éléphant, the book Les images que nous sommes, 60 ans de cinéma québécois by anthropologist Serge Bouchard (Éditions de l’Homme) provides an original and incisive history of 60 years of Québec cinema.It is available in bookstores and in digital format. The digital version, available on iTunes, includes 73 movie excerpts.
On October 10, 2014, Éléphant: The memory of Québec cinema launched Éléphant ClassiQ, the first edition of a film festival devoted to restored and digitized movies from the world’s cinematic heritage. Éléphant ClassiQ is the first festival of its type in Québec and Canada.
Éléphant: The memory of Québec cinema is a philanthropic project that is fully funded by Quebecor and from which it derives no financial benefit. Aside from a small amount to cover a portion of the platform’s operating costs, all revenues from distribution of the movies on illico goes to the rights holders and filmmakers.
About Quebecor
Quebecor, a Canadian leader in telecommunications, news media, entertainment and culture, is one of the best-performing integrated communications companies in the industry. Driven by their determination to deliver the best possible customer experience, all of Quebecor’s subsidiaries and brands are differentiated by their high-quality, multiplatform, convergent products and services.
Quebecor (TSX: QBR.A, QBR.B) is headquartered in Québec. It holds a 75.36% interest in Quebecor Media, which employs nearly 14,000 people in Canada.
A family business founded in 1950, Quebecor is strongly committed to the community. Every year, it actively supports people working with more than 400 organizations in the vital fields of culture, health, education, the environment and entrepreneurship.
