A coalition of screen sector organizations is asking the federal government to uphold a requirement that streamers contribute financially to Canadian content.
The open letter is in response to the government’s June 3 announcement that it was directing the CRTC to revisit a decision that increased foreign streamers’ obligations to CanCon, would provide the CRTC with new policy directions, and would inject $600 million into the system. The government, through the attorney general, later clarified that it intended to target the five-per-cent base contribution in the directions.
“While we recognize the government’s stated commitment to Canadian storytelling, the June 3 announcement has introduced significant uncertainty into the production sector,” reads the letter. “The government’s $600 million per year pledge, though appreciated and welcome, is not a substitute for durable, legally enforceable contribution obligations.
“Discretionary funding is subject to budget and external political pressures; a regulated contribution framework is not,” it continues, adding the coalition wishes the government to maintain language in the new policy directions that allow for “meaningful, predictable and enforceable contributions.”
The coalition notes that the CRTC’s latest decision – to contribute 15 per cent as an expenditure requirement – “remains an appropriate benchmark for the resulting regulatory framework and should not be diminished through the replacement of the base contribution mechanism.”
“If Canada does not require that a meaningful share of these contributions be directed to the production and promotion of original Canadian programming in both official languages, in culturally significant genres, we risk weakening Canada’s position as a cultural exporter and diminishing both the domestic and global reach of Canadian stories,” the letter adds.
“Instead of building and sharing our own stories with the world, we would be left watching from the sidelines as foreign content increasingly defines what Canadians see on their screens. At a time when Canada is reaffirming its economic and cultural sovereignty, ensuring that those who benefit from the Canadian market also contribute to Canadian storytelling is not only reasonable but necessary.”
List of undersigned
Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA)
Kelly Fox, Executive Director
Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada (APFC)
Carol Ann Pilon, Directrice générale
Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)
Marie Kelly, National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator
Anchor Motion Picture Alliance
Jenna MacMillan , Executive Director
Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ)
Mylène Cyr, Directrice générale
Association of Canadian Film Craftspeople, Local 2020 Unifor
Daryl Litke, Business Manager
Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM)
Helene Messier, Présidente-directrice
Atlantic International Film Festival
Martha Cooley, Executive Director
BIPOC TV & Film
Nathalie Younglai
Founder
Black Screen Office (BSO)
Joan Jenkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder
Black Screen Office Fund (BSOF)
Joan Jenkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder
Broadcasting Accessibility Fund (BAF)
Richard Cavanagh, CEO/Funding Officer
Calgary International Film Festival
Katherine Penhale, Executive Director
Canadian Film Fest
Bern Euler
Founder, Executive Director
The Canadian Film Institute
Tom McSorley, Executive Director
Canadian Independent Screen Fund
Lalita Krishna, Board Chairperson
Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO
Coalition MÉDIA
Marina Mathieu, Directrice générale
Community Radio Fund of Canada
Alex Freedman, Executive Director
Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)
Alistair Hepburn, National Executive Director
Disability Screen Office (DSO)
Winnie Luk, Executive Director
Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC)
Julian Carrington, Executive Director
Fascinasian Film Festival
Alan Wong, President
Festival du nouveau cinéma
Zoé Protat, Co-Executive Director and Artistic Director
Ariane Bélanger, Co-Executive Director and Administrative Director
Friends of Canadian Media
Raj Shoan, Executive Director
Future of Film Showcase
Eric Bizzarri, Co-Founder and CEO
Gimli Film Festival
Teya Zuzek, Executive Director
Hot Docs
Diana Sanchez, Executive Director
IMPACT
Samantha Kaine, CEO
L’Union des artistes (UDA)
Alexandre Curzi, Directeur général
Media NB
Steve Foster, President
Meridian Artists
Glenn Cockburn, President
NABET Unifor 700M
Jayson Mosek, Business Agent
Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors (NICE)
Sonya Yokota William, Founder and Director
On Screen Manitoba
Lindsay Somers, Executive Director
Quebec English Language Production Council (QEPC)
Kirwan Cox, Executive Director & Head of Policy
Racial Equity Media Collective (REMC)
Tamara Mariam Dawit, Board Member
Gavin Seal, Board Member
Racial Equity Screen Office
Barbara Lee, Founder & Board Chair
Reel Asian International Film Festival
Deanna Wong, Executive Director
Reel Canada
Jack Blum, Executive Director
Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC)
John Rowley, President
Screen Nova Scotia
Laura Mackenzie, Executive Director
ScreenSask
Robert Hardy, Executive Director
Société des auteur.e.trice.s de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC)
Laurent Dubois, Directeur général
St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival
Jenn Brown, Executive Director
UNIFOR
Lana Payne, President
Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF)
Kyle Fostner, Executive Director
Whistler Film Festival
Josh Epstein, Executive Director
Writers Guild of Canada (WGC)
Victoria Shen, Executive Director
Youth Media Alliance
France A. Martin, Executive Director
