Arts workers launch pressure campaign ahead of fall vote
Film and TV unions lead push for regulation of digital services to fund Canadian content
Toronto film and television director Warren P. Sonoda is busy cutting his latest movie, a thriller about brothers who steal a stash of money and face unintended consequences.
But despite looming production deadlines, he intends to make time to attend candidate meetings ahead of Canada’s federal election in October.
“This election is just too important,” says Sonoda in an interview. “As a filmmaker, I personally want to see Canadian creators continue to be able to tell stories in the digital age. The playing field is changing so quickly and so fast nothing is guaranteed and I want our elected officials to know that.”
Canada’s film and television industry is launching what it says is an unprecedented “first of its kind” campaign ahead of the election, asking party candidates whether they support Canadian content that is under threat from foreign digital platforms.
“It’s democracy at work, our members live and work across the country and we think it’s an important enough topic that our leaders should be considering this,” said Dave Forget, national executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada in an interview.
“This is a crucial intersection where culture meets economics. It’s about telling Canadian stories in a $9 billion annual industry with 180,000 jobs at stake.”
The political pressure campaign, launched Thursday with the websites justask.2019.ca and jeminplique2019.ca, is a coalition of cast, crew and creators including the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) The Directors Guild of Canada and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
“This is really a critical time for the industry,” says Forget. “If the government doesn’t act now and modernize the legislation, it puts the creation of Canadian content at risk. Most Canadians would agree that we should have the ability to tell stories to ourselves, and our stories to the world.”
The push by the unions is partly in reaction to foreign digital platforms such as Netflix and Amazon and other players who are not required under legislation to contribute to Canadian content.
The “Just Ask” campaign encourages film and television workers to pledge to attend one election-related event before the October election to ask at least one key industry-related question.
The top “suggested question” on the website is if candidates “Support both legislation and regulation requiring all players that benefit from the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications systems to invest in the creation of original Canadian programming.”
This is a contentious issue in the industry.
Currently, foreign digital streamers such as Netflix are not required to contribute to the Canadian Media Fund, which invests in local programming. However, domestic cable and satellite providers have to contribute 5 per cent of their revenues into Canadian programming.
Other suggested topics include funding and tax credits for arts and culture, copyright protection, support of public broadcasting and promoting diversity and protections for precarious workers.
Toronto director Sonoda, who has directed episodes of The Trailer Park Boys, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and Murdoch Mysteries, says Canadian stories make an impact not just domestically, but around the world.
“When I travel and tell people I’m Canadian, I’ve had people say I love the Trailer Park Boys without knowing I directed it,” says Sonoda. “That’s the power of having our own culture on the screen. You can’t make that show anywhere else but Nova Scotia.”
Other Canadian shows that are currently making a splash globally are Schitt’s Creek with four Emmy Award Nominations, and the critically acclaimed Anne With An E. and Letterkenny.
Sonoda is currently making heist caper Things I Do For Money, set in Hamilton about two Japanese-Canadian cello playing brothers.
“We can’t tell the stories we tell without the specificity and the regional voices we have in Canada,” said Sonoda.
Although his federal riding is SpadinaFort York, Sonoda says he intends to go to other ridings to question candidates about their position on Canadian culture and the digital economy.
“I think we need to have our voices heard in as many places as possible.”
A federal review panel is currently looking at ways to create new regulations, but their report won’t be available till January 2020, months after the election.
Netflix, meanwhile, has already said it would be unfair for Ottawa to force it to contribute to the fund.
“It would effectively force foreign online services to subsidize Canadian broadcasters,” they argued in a submission to the federal panel.
The Liberals have been criticized for not doing enough for Canadian culture after former heritage minister Melanie Jolie, unveiled a deal in 2017 that Netflix would spend $500 million on production, but with no obligation to contribute to the Canadian Media Fund.
“Whatever the results of the upcoming election, the federal government should understand and support the success of the industry,” said IATSE director of Canadian affairs John Lewis in a statement.
The political winds do seem to be shifting already as the major parties and regulatory players try to form a digital strategy on Canadian content in the era of big technology and online streaming.
“We have to come up with a model so that everyone who is deriving benefit from the system contributes,” Ian Scott, the influential chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission told the Star in an earlier interview.
And in an emailed statement to the Star on the issue of Canadian culture and content, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said he expects all players will eventually have to contribute.
“The end goal is clear: if you benefit, you contribute,” said Rodriguez. “We will take all appropriate measures to ensure that all players including the web giants offering meaningful levels of Canadian content in their catalogues, contribute to the creation of Canadian content, and promote Canadian content and make it easily accessible on platforms.”