WINNIPEG and TORONTO — With the Manitoba government allowing film and television production to begin reopening today in the province, the Directors Guild of Canada welcomed the release of the Manitoba Media Production Industry Covid-19 Health and Safety Guide to ensure the safety of the industry’s workers.
“We’d like to thank On Screen Manitoba for their quick, thoughtful leadership, working with us and partners across the industry, to put together this guide,” said Cathie Edgar, chair of the Manitoba District Council for Directors Guild of Canada, in the news release, “and we’d like to congratulate those producers who’ve shown the wisdom to sign-on to abide by these guidelines when production restarts.”
Calling the guide a good first step, Edgar said there is still work to be done before production can reopen.
“Now, we have to ensure that all productions follow these protocols and see to it that key details, like the responsibility for infection prevention, are worked out. We need to be mindful that these new and necessary responsibilities are not represented within Directors Guild job descriptions and will require individuals with the appropriate skills to perform this important work,” Edgar added.
Dave Forget, national executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada, based in Toronto, added the way production restarts in Manitoba could have impacts outside the province.
“All eyes across the country, and even internationally, are going to be watching how production reopens in Manitoba,” Forget said in the release. “The first productions to start back up in Winnipeg will have a tremendous responsibility to uphold the highest standards of health and safety and not jeopardize the return to work for the entire industry.”
The Manitoba Media Production Industry Covid-19 Health and Safety Guide is available at On Screen Manitoba’s website here.
