TORONTO — Reacting to last week’s news Bell Media is winding down Le Fonds Harold Greenberg and committing to maintaining its English-language equivalent for only one more year, the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) today called on Bell to protect the Harold Greenberg Fund and maintain its investments in Canadian feature film.
“Over nearly 35 years, the Harold Greenberg Fund has become an indispensable source of investment in Canadian feature film,” said DGC national executive director Dave Forget, in the guild’s press release. “Private sector investment is essential to the health of the domestic film business and we’re calling on Bell not to abandon its commitment to this vital sector.”
On August 31, Bell Media announced it will close Le Fonds Harold Greenberg by February 28, 2021. Bell also said it would continue the Harold Greenberg Fund for at least the next 12 months, and it is seeking additional investment partners to continue the English-language program.
“This decision will be a serious blow to Canadian feature production as a whole, but it will be devastating for French-language film,” added Forget. “If Bell truly wants to be Canada’s leading content creation company, that has to mean investing in and serving francophone communities.”
Quebecor also took the opportunity over the weekend to criticize Bell for announcing it was shuttering Le Fonds Harold Greenberg, as we reported here.
