OTTAWA – The CRTC approved via letters Wednesday separate applications from the Indigenous Screen Office and the Black Screen Office’s fund, The Black Screen Fund, for certification as independent production funds.
Both newly certified funds are subject to the fulfilment of specific conditions of approval, some of which require amendments to the by-laws of the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) and the Black Screen Fund, to ensure the funds operate in accordance with the commission’s policy framework for certified independent production funds (the CIPF Policy).
In the letter to the ISO, the CRTC says it “recognizes the importance such a fund could have in helping to foster Indigenous production and Indigenous narrative storytelling within the screen industry.”
The commission is requiring the ISO to amend its by-laws so that at least two thirds of its board members will be independent, as defined in the CIPF Policy. In addition, these independent board members will need to cast no fewer than two thirds of the votes in a meeting. The director of funding and the CEO of the ISO must also be independent, and the CEO must be a resident Canadian “given that the position has delegated authority over the decision-making process” as per the ISO’s existing by-laws, the CRTC notes in its letter.
The CRTC also requires the ISO to amend its constituting documents to stipulate that, in the event of a dissolution, the fund would be transferred to a Canadian production fund as defined in the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations or to another eligible independent production fund as defined in the regulations.
One final condition of approval for certification of the ISO fund is that the ISO must confirm by letter to the CRTC its staff member responsible for official language minority communities outreach and initiatives will be part of the funding team and/or peer assessment committee.
The CRTC writes in its letter to the Black Screen Office it recognizes the importance the Black Screen Fund could have “in helping to support the production and broadcast of original programs by and for equity-deserving groups, specifically Black Canadians within the screen industry.”
The required amendments to the Black Screen Fund’s by-laws include stipulating at least two thirds of its board members will be independent from contributors, such as broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs). The commission notes that employees, officers, directors or immediate family members of an officer or a director of a non-governmental contributor or its affiliates are not considered independent. In addition, the independent board members of the Black Screen Fund will cast no fewer than two thirds of the votes in a meeting.
Another condition of approval is the Black Screen Fund will need to file with the CRTC a copy of the certificate of incorporation showing the Black Screen Fund has been incorporated.
The commission also says in its letter it approves the Black Screen Fund’s proposal to allocate no more than 10 per cent of the funding it receives from BDUs’ contributions or tangible benefits contributions to training.
“The Commission recognizes the necessity for investments made for capacity building and training, specifically for Canadian creatives who have been systemically underrepresented in the industry. These investments may help address certain gaps of knowledge that have been perpetuated by systemic barriers within the audiovisual industry,” the CRTC’s letter says, adding the Black Screen Fund’s annual report to the commission is required to include information on how the funds directed to training have been used and the amount expended.
Once all of the conditions of approval have been met, the Indigenous Screen Office and the Black Screen Fund will be added to the list of eligible certified independent production funds found on the CRTC’s website.
