Des groupes de consultation sont organisés à travers le pays afin de discuter des principaux enjeux liés aux politiques qui guideront l’élaboration des politiques et des programmes du Fonds des médias du Canada (FMC).

L’objectif de ces groupes de consultation est de recueillir les commentaires et l’expertise des intervenants de l’industrie, tels que vous-même. Les discussions des groupes de consultation seront axées sur les principaux enjeux relatifs aux politiques énoncés durant le forum virtuel du 6 août 2009.

Si vous souhaitez participer à un groupe de consultation, il est encore temps de vous inscrire !

Veuillez remplir le formulaire disponible en ligne au :
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=OW_2baW7TiutbR_2f_2fciviT1PQ_3d_3d

DOC Québec tiendra une réunion d’information pour ses membres en prévision de ces Consultations régionales du Fonds des Médias du Canada (FMC)
Lundi 19 octobre à 19 h à la Guilde Canadienne des réalisateurs
4200, Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Bureau 708

Venez connaître la position de DOC sur la question ! Comment se sont déroulées les consultations dans les autres provinces, ce qu’il faut savoir et éviter pour être préparé au mieux.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Focus Groups are being held across the country to discuss the key policy issues that will inform the policies and programs of the Canada Media Fund (CMF).

The purpose of these Focus Groups is to obtain the input and expertise of industry stakeholders, such as yourself. Discussions at the Focus Group will centre on the key policy issues that were outlined during a virtual town hall on August 6, 2009.

If you are interested in participating in a Focus Group session, please complete this form
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=OW_2baW7TiutbR_2f_2fciviT1PQ_3d_3d

DOC Québec will hold an information meeting for its members about the Focus group on the Canada Media Fund (CMF)
Monday, October 19th at 7 pm at the Director’s Guild of Canada (DGC)
4200, Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Suite 708

Come and know more about DOC’s position on this issue! How were the Focus groups in other provinces, what you should know and what you should avoid to be well prepared.

Informations : Roger Bourdeau
info@docquebec.ca

Think this doesn’t effect you? Think again.

Independent Canadian documentaries will be particularly affected by the new fund.

Please take the time to read and sign this petition to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

We the undersigned call on the Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage, to ensure the continued success of Canada’s independent documentary production industry by committing to the following:

1. Continued and sustained levels of funding for documentaries at the Canada Media Fund
2. Sustained funding for independent Canadian production at the Canada Media Fund, which will increase as the fund grows.
3. Full independence of the Board of the Canada Media Fund, by ensuring that directors are not appointed by beneficiaries of the Fund.

We believe these steps are necessary if the independent documentary industry in Canada is to survive and thrive. We thank you for taking the time to read this letter,

To sign the petition online click here

Toronto, January 27, 2009 - The Canadian Television Fund (CTF) today thanked the Government of Canada for its decision to renew the Fund at the current level for two years.
“The Government’s commitment to Canadian television ensures the continued viability of this growth industry,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the CTF. “It enables Canadian producers to continue innovating and creating shows that are successful both at home and abroad. It strengthens the Canadian economy by sustaining over 22,000 jobs generated by CTF-funded shows and by advancing the already expansive global sales of these productions. And it gives Canadians inspiring and entertaining television shows to watch.”
In its presentation at the CRTC’s Public Hearing into the future of the Fund in February 2008, the CTF demonstrated that it is a market-driven organization. Through its extensive experience in policy development and funding delivery, the CTF is an effective and efficient instrument to balance the varying cultural and commercial objectives of an extensive number of industry stakeholders. “We acknowledge the diligent work conducted by the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and Department officials in reaching this decision, and we are pleased that the Government recognizes the pivotal role of the CTF in the growth of the television industry,” added Paul Gratton, Chair of the Board of the CTF. “The CTF is committed to collaborating with its funders and the industry to build on the success of Canadian television production.”
Fostering the growth of television production in Canada through financial investment and industry research, the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) supports the development of Canadian talent, programs, and audiences. Since 1995, the CTF has contributed to the creation of over 27,000 hours of Canadian programming and has infused over $2.7 billion into the industry, triggering the production of over $9 billion of Canadian programming. CTFsupported productions have cultivated thousands of jobs in the Canadian television sector. For more information about the CTF, visit our website at www.ctf-fct.ca.

Media Inquiries:
Betsy Chaly
Director, Communications
Canadian Television Fund
bchaly@ctf-fct.ca
(416) 214-4441

The director of the documentary «Looking for Power», Nicolas Boisclair, was not allowed to film the questions being posed to the project’s promoter, Hydro-Québec, by the public despite BAPE giving access to other members of the press.

DOC Québec is puzzled by the distinction BAPE seems to be using when allowing complete access to the press while at the same time refusing access to a documentary crew. This refusal risks setting a dangerous precedent and DOC-Québec finds it astonishing that such a gesture is being made in 2008.  It suggests a significant extinguishing of the right to freedom of expression for Québec documentary filmmakers and begs the question – what were the reasons motivating this refusal?

With the documentary playing an essential role both in the media at large as well as in public debate, it would seem important to grant full media coverage which includes the deeper analysis that documentary films can offer.

We invite BAPE and the Minister of the Environment to reconsider their decision, thereby allowing Québec documentary filmmakers to do their work and to offer the public the opportunity to fully understand the present activities being examined by BAPE.

DOC Québec is concerned by the harmful consequences of this gesture.  The documentary «Looking For Power» is produced by Productions du Rapide-Blanc, a highly regarded Québec production company known for its films d’auteur as well as the positive contribution it has made in a number of public debates. It would be regrettable if this exclusion at these hearings amounts to a gagging of documentary filmmakers.

DOC is a non-profit organisation representing the concerns of independent filmmakers and videographers across Canada and comprises more than 850 members, 100 of whom work in Québec. DOC-Québec is a key player in Québec’s film production industry.

For informations: Roger Bourdeau – info@docquebec.ca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhgv85m852Q&feature=related

Note: To see the subtitles, you have to click on the arrow in the lower right corner and click the CC button.

All the details at http://www.ccarts.ca/en/advocacy/bulletins/
Bulletins number: 36/08, 37/08 and 38/08

Dear Mister Prime Minister,

It was with great pleasure that I read the Globe and Mail article revealing your interest for the arts. Like me, you studied piano and you must also know how important this is in the development of the individual. Playing piano is not only a meditative artistic experience but one that develops the brain of the child allowing her or him to deal better with complexity.

Like you, I did not become a pianist, even though I went through eight years of conservatory. I became a documentary filmmaker and producer.

With regards to the future of documentary filmmaking in Canada I would like to signal an important matter regarding some of your recent budget cuts. Your government handed a death call to a very important small program called the CIFVF, Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund. My film company has benefited several times from this fund. Without it certain films would not have even seen the day. These films have been used in universities, schools, parent organizations, NGOs, etc. plus viewed on television. It is a very important fund for creating valuable educational work – it is the only film and video fund that demands a strong commitment on the part of the producer assuring that the film will serve the public through community and educational screenings.

A film that I produced with the help of the FCFVI on the issue of teen violence and  drug addiction went on to do an important educational tour in youth reception centres across Quebec. We benefited from federal and provincial programs on the prevention of teen violence and drug use.

Like you I am very committed to proper spending. I run a small company that produces award winning films on very tight budgets. I am proud to say that we have never gone over a budget in our 24 years of experience.  We have also earned a strong reputation for our films. My associate, Serge Giguere, was just recently recognized in the 2008  Governor General Awards for media. I am sure that you understand what it is to work with a tight budget and this is certainly why your government made the recent cuts in the arts. I would like to insist however that this is a serious error on the part of your government.

I sincerely hope that you will reconsider this issue as soon as the elections are over. Education is highly important and now, more than ever, we need documentary filmmakers telling real human stories, allowing people to understand complex issues and help them find their bearings in these troubled chaotic times. It is also very important to deliver a message of hope to the public. This is what the films produced by my company do. If you had a chance to view the films funded by the CIFVF you would see that almost all their films do just that, allowing spectators to believe in the strength of the human soul.

I will end this letter with a quote from a famous French futurologist, Thierry Gaudin, who, with the help of strong scientific research, proves to us why education is so important.

“Et l’éducation peut faire évoluer l’espèce. En intervenant à l’âge où les comportements sont encore plastiques (l’homme fait preuve d’une plus grande néoténie que les animaux : ce phénomène se produit quand une espèce est placée dans des conditions de vie difficiles et s’apparente à ce que la psychanalyse appelle une régression : l’adulte conserve les caractères de l’enfant voire du fœtus, et parmi eux une grande plasticité), elle est en mesure d’inculquer des désirs nouveaux et mieux adaptés à son environnement.” (p.85)

I highly recommend his astounding book  2100, Odyssée de l’Espèce if you and your analysts have an interest in how to better prepare for the future.

SYLVIE VAN BRABANT
Director/producer
svb@rapideblanc.ca

Films du Rapide-Blanc
5768 Chabot
Montreal, Qc. H2G 2S7
Tel: 514-388-0482
Fax: 514-388-6845
www.rapideblanc.ca
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here is the text of a letter from playwright Wajdi Mouwad to Prime
Minister Stpehen Harper. The translation below is thanks to John van Burek, and was sent to us by Dorothy Hénaut. http://www.thewreckingball.ca/

Original french version in Le Devoir, mercredi 27 août 2008

http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/08/27/203004.html

An open letter to Prime Minister Harper:

Monsieur le premier ministre,

We are neighbours. We work across the street from one another. You are
Prime Minister of the Parliament of Canada and I, across the way, am a writer, theatre director and Artistic Director of the French Theatre at the National Arts Centre (NAC). So, like you, I am an employee of the state, working for the Federal Government; in other words, we are colleagues.

Let me take advantage of this unique position, as one functionary to another, to chat with you about the elimination of some federal grants in the field of culture, something that your government recently undertook. Indeed, having followed this matter closely, I have arrived at a few conclusions that I would like to publicly share with you since, as I’m sure you will agree, this debate has become one of public interest.

The Symbolism

Firstly, it seems that you might benefit by surrounding yourself with counsellors who will be attentive to the symbolic aspects of your Government’s actions. I am sure you know this but there is no harm in reminding ourselves that every public action denotes not only what it is but what it symbolises. For example, a Prime Minister who chooses not attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, claiming his schedule does not permit it, in no way reduces the symbolism which says that his absence might signify something else. This might signify that he wishes to denote that Canada supports the claims of Tibet. Or it might serve as a sign of protest over the way in which Beijing deals with human rights. If the Prime Minister insists that his absence is really just a matter of timing, whether he likes it or not, this will take on symbolic meaning that commits the entire country. The symbolism of a public gesture will always outweigh the technical explanations.

Declaration of war

Last week, your government reaffirmed its manner of governing unilaterally, this time on a domestic issue, in bringing about reductions in granting programs destined for the cultural sector. A mere matter of budgeting, you say, but one which sends shock waves throughout the cultural milieu –rightly or wrongly, as we shall see- for being seen as an expression of your contempt for that sector. The confusion with which your Ministers tried to justify those reductions and their refusal to make public the reports on the eliminated programs, only served to confirm the symbolic significance of that contempt. You have just declared war on the artists. Now, as one functionary to another, this is the second thing that I wanted to tell you: no government, in showing contempt for artists, has ever been able to survive. Not one. One can, of course, ignore them, corrupt them, seduce them, buy them, censor them, kill them, send them to camps, spy on them, but hold them in contempt, no. That is akin to rupturing the strange pact, made millennia ago, between art and politics.

Contempt

Art and politics both hate and envy one another; since time
immemorial, they detest each other and they are mutually attracted,
and it’s through this dynamic that many a political idea has been
born; it is in this dynamic that sometimes, great works of art see the
light of day. Your cultural politics, it must be said, provoke only a
profound consternation. Neither hate nor detestation, nor envy
nor attraction, nothing but numbness before the oppressive vacuum that
drives your policies.

This vacuum which lies between you and the artists of Canada, from a
symbolic point of view, signifies that your government, for however
long it lasts, will not witness either the birth of a political idea
or a masterwork, so firm is your apparent belief in the unworthiness
of that for which you show contempt.  Contempt is a subterranean
sentiment, being a mix of unassimilated jealousy and fear towards that
which we despise. Such governments have existed, but not lasted
because even the most detestable of governments cannot endure if it
hasn’t the courage to affirm what it actually is.

Why is this?
What are the reasons behind these reductions, which are cut from the
same cloth as those made last year on the majority of Canadian
embassies, who saw their cultural programming reduced, if not
eliminated?   The economies that you have made are ridiculously small
and the votes you might win with them have already been won. For what
reason, then, are you so bent on hurting the artists by denying them
some of their tools? What are you seeking to extinguish and to gain?

Your silence and your actions make one fear the worst for, in the end,
we are quite struck by the belief that this contempt, made eloquent by
your budget cuts, is very real and that you feel nothing but disgust
for these people, these artists, who spend their time by wasting it
and in spending the good taxpayers money, he who, rather than doing
uplifting work, can only toil.

And yet, I still cannot fathom your reasoning. Plenty of politicians,
for the past fifty years, have done all they could to depoliticise
art, to strip it of its symbolic import. They try the impossible, to
untie that knot which binds art to politics. And they almost
succeed! Whereas you, in the space of one week, have undone this work of
chloroforming, by awakening the cultural milieu, Francophone and
Anglophone, and from coast to coast. Even if politically speaking they
are marginal and negligible, one must never underestimate
intellectuals, never underestimate artists; don’t underestimate their
ability to do you harm.

A grain of sand is all-powerful I believe, my dear colleague, that you yourself have just planted the grain of sand that could derail the entire machine of your electoral campaign. Culture is, in fact, nothing but a grain of sand, but
therein lays its power, in its silent front. It operates in the dark.
That is its legitimate strength.

It is full of people who are incomprehensible but very adept with
words. They have voices. They know how to write, to paint, to dance,
to sculpt, to sing, and they won’t let up on you. Democratically
speaking, they seek to annihilate your policies. They will not give
up. How could they?

You must understand them: they have not had a clear and common purpose
for a very long time, for such a long time that they have no common
cause to defend. In one week, by not controlling the symbolic
importance of your actions, you have just given them passion, anger,
rage.

In the dark

The resistance that will begin today, and to which my letter is added,
is but a first manifestation of a movement that you yourself have set
in motion: an incalculable number of texts, speeches, acts,
assemblies, marches, will now be making themselves heard. They will
not be exhausted.

Some of these will, perhaps, following my letter, be weakened but
within each word, there will be a spark of rage, relit, and it is
precisely the addition of these tiny instances of fire that will shape
the grain of sand that you will never be able to
shake. This will not settle down, the pressure will not be diminished.
Monsieur le premier ministre, we are neighbours. We work across the
street from one another. There is nothing but the Cenotaph between our
offices, and this is as it should be because politics and art have
always mirrored one another, each on its own shore, each seeing itself
in the other, separated by that river where life and death are weighed
at every moment.

We have many things in common, but an artist, contrary to a
politician, has nothing to lose, because he or she does not make laws;
and if it is prime m inisters who change the world, it’s the artist
who will show this to the world. So do not attempt, through your
policies, to blind us, Monsieur le premier ministre; do not ignore
that reflection on the opposite shore, do not plunge us further into
the dark. Do not diminish us.

Wajdi Mouawad
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CFTPA/APFTQ REQUEST MEETING WITH HERITAGE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS

OTTAWA/MONTREAL – August 13, 2008 – The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) and the Association des producteurs de films et de television du Québec (APFTQ) are very concerned about the federal government’s recent decision to cancel several programs in support of Canadian artists, including the film and television industry.

Specifically, the Conservative Government announced quietly last Friday that the A-V Preservation Trust ($300,000), the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund ($1.5-million), the National Training Schools Program ($2.5-million), PromArt ($4.7-million) and Trade Routes ($9-million) will be eliminated as of March 31, 2009.
“These cuts risk diminishing Canada’s international reputation,” says Sandra Cunningham, Chair of the CFTPA. “Highlighting Canadian culture on the world stage not only benefits artists, it also helps generate tourism, immigration, business and investment back in Canada. Limiting international exposure of Canadian cultural excellence is a short-sighted move by the government.”

“While the government maintains that it wants to encourage trade and coproduction to attract foreign investment, we find it paradoxical that it has chosen to eliminate the Trade Routes program which has a specific mandate to help companies in our sector export,” said Claire
Samson, President and CEO of the APFTQ. “And, these cuts are in addition to the government’s refusal to respond to the needs of our community for increased support to feature films, theatrical
documentaries and co-production.”
The government has also not yet indicated whether it will continue to contribute to both the
Canadian Television Fund (CTF) and the Canada New Media Fund (CNMF) which technically wind-down at the end of March 2009. To date there has been no indication on what the government plans to do with these programs which are integral to the viability of the independent television and interactive media production sectors.
“We are concerned that cuts to Canadian cultural funds will harm the film and television industry at a time when many producers are looking at what impact the internet and other federal funding policies will have on them in years to come,” says Guy Mayson, President and CEO of the CFTPA. “We need to remind the government of this to make certain our industry isn’t slowly chipped away by successive cuts to the support programs that ensure its viability and success.”

The associations underscore that the cuts to the CIFVF and the National Training Schools Program will equally undermine the industry. The Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund supports a critical niche in our industry; one focused on lifelong learning in the non-theatrical sector, and most often supporting the early works of young, upcoming producers. Moreover, the National Training Schools Program helps support the professional development of the next generation of creators in our industry. Some of Canada’s most internationally renowned producers and creators have emerged from the national institutes supported by this program.

In response to these latest cuts, the CFTPA jointly with the APFTQ have written to the ministers of Canadian Heritage and Foreign Affairs to request an urgent meeting to discuss the future of the industry. Annually, the film and television sector generates about $5 billion in production activity, including $1.7 billion in exports, and sustains 127,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The CFTPA is a non-profit trade organization that works on behalf of almost 400 companies engaged in the production and distribution of English-language television programs, feature films, and interactive media products in all regions of Canada. More specifically, it promotes the general interests of its members provincially, federally, and internationally; negotiates and manages labour agreements with guilds and unions; administers copyright collectives; trains new industry entrants through 7 national internship programs; and undertakes a number of other specific initiatives that help increase awareness and enhance communication within the Canadian and international production communities.

The APFTQ represents the vast majority of film and independent production companies in Quebec. It represents and defends the interests of its members with governments and film- and television- related organizations, both federal and provincial; offers its  services on industrial relations, copyright, financing and taxation; negotiates collective agreements with Quebec-based artists’ associations and technicians’ unions; organizes an annual convention involving the industry’s key players; publishes an annual economic profile of the production sector; provides various training and professional development opportunities; and intervenes on international issues such as coproduction, copyright and cultural diversity.

-30-

For further information contact:
Anne Trueman, Director of Communications and Media, CFTPA
T: (613) 233-1444 x 227, C: (613) 851-4538, anne.trueman@cftpa.ca
Céline Pelletier, Director of Communications, APFTQ
T: (514) 397-8600 x 228, cpelletier@apftq.qc.ca

The CIFVF is very important to DOC members and DOC will be turning to you to help us mobilize attention on this matter.

Members interested in helping out with this effort are encouraged to reply offlist.

Merci,
–
Lisa Fitzgibbons, Interim Executive Director / Directrice générale intérimaire
lfitzgibbons@docorg.ca

Documentary Organization of Canada / Documentaristes du Canada
215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 126
Toronto, ON M5T 2C7

(416) 599-3844 ext. 1
1 877 467-4485

www.docorg.ca <http://www.docorg.ca>

Dear Mr. Harper and Ms. Verner  

The Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) represents more than 700 documentary 

independent producers who create hundreds of hours of programming every year and 

employ thousands of Canadian craftspeople. We are a vital part of the supply chain to 

broadcasters that help to present Canadian stories to Canadian audiences and amount to 

more than one-third of the independent production industry in Canada.  

DOC is categorically opposed to language in Bill C-10 that would lead to the creation of 

a new content review panel to determine eligibility for Canadian Film and Television 

Production tax credits, the “public interest” aspects to this bill, and specifically in regard 

to the creation of developing guidelines. This additional layer of intervention is not 

consistent with democratic principals and frighteningly sets a landscape for potential 

political abuse. 

With this letter, DOC wishes to express its strong sentiment that it immediately rescind 

any provisions of Bill C-10 that could allow the government to censor film and video 

production in Canada. Further, DOC wishes to express its concern that the government 

have in place objective and transparent guidelines that respect freedom of expression 

when delivering any programmes intended to support documentary production in Canada. 

Moral judgment is not a business our democratic government should be involved in.  The 

potential for bias to enter into decision-making will seriously harm the production of 

diverse and thought-provoking programming. It will also irrevocably harm many other 

aspects of the business.   

The tax credit system was instituted to encourage the growth of the Canadian Production 

industry and employ film and television craftspeople in both domestic and “foreign 

service” productions in Canada. A jury system will certainly drive away foreign 

investment – no other jurisdiction in the world offering tax incentives to Hollywood and 

foreign production companies has such a “morals jury system” in place – such an 

impediment would bring our “hundreds of millions” of dollars service production 

industry to a halt.   And to exempt Hollywood films shot on Canadian soil from a moral 

review panel while hobbling home grown productions would contradict the reasoning of 

this new proposed scheme.    

Our system already provides a number of carefully considered standards and procedures 

monitored by existing Government agencies. These safeguards — that have been 

developed over many years – are measures that ensure pornography, hate propaganda, 

excessive violence, etc. are not financed or broadcast. Every contract signed by every 

Canadian filmmaker receiving government funding already has such provisions.  

Aside from the political and social ramifications of the proposed bill, this proposal would 

throw the Canadian production industry into severe financial uncertainty.  Most Canadian 

projects rely on bank loans to free up the cash flow necessary to pay expenses during 

production.  The loans are repaid upon receipt of tax credits.  What bank would grant a 

loan in an atmosphere where a producer may or may not be approved for Canadian Tax 

Credits?  In addition, the cessation of these business loans would surely lead to a loss of 

income for many Canadian financial institutions. 

Canadian productions – especially documentaries – are revered around the world.    But 

under the proposed scheme, would Emmy Award Winning Peter Raymont’s “Shake 

Hands with the Devil” be denied because it deals with a subject containing excessive 

violence? Would an award-winning film like “The Corporation” be denied a tax credit 

because it is critical of corporations who may have donated generously to certain political 

parties?  Would the recent box office hit  “Up The Yangtze” be rejected because it might 

offend the government of China?

From a practical perspective, CAVCO certification is already a lengthy process, 

sometimes taking months.  In any given year, approx 3000–4000 hours of CAVCO 

certified productions are made. To see all 4000 hours, a panelist would have to watch 

more than 11 hours of programming a day, every single day of the year. This would cause 

a further delay in the certification of productions, which risks to further hamper Canadian 

production. 

There can be no compromise on this.  All language pertaining to this ill-conceived and 

ill-advised scheme must be removed completely from Bill C-10. 

Sincerely, 

Michael McNamara 

National Chair – Documentary Organization of Canada 

CC:  Mauril Bélanger, MP, Ottawa-Vanier 

 Bill Siksay, MP, Burnaby-Douglas 

 Maria Mourani, MP, Ahuntsic  

 Irene Mathyssen, MP, London-Fanshaw 

 Senator Jerry Grafstein 

 Senator David Angus 

 Charlie Angus, MP, Timmins-James Bay