The National Film Board of Canada will say goodbye to 13.6% of its permanent workforce in the 1994/95 fiscal year. Under the weight of 1993 federal cutbacks of $6.7 million – a five-year goal – the nfb has offered early retirement packages. So far, 101 employees have decided to go.

Resigning staff producers and directors tally at 11 (five producers and four directors for the English division; one producer and one director for the French division). The number of departing technicians in the service division is 22; distribution services will say adieu to nine.

In terms of how these departures will affect production output at the board, Michelle d’Auray, director of communications and corporate affairs, says: ‘I don’t think it should change our output.’ According to d’Auray, between 75% and 85% of nfb production over the last four to five years, was with the independents anyway. D’Auray says the pafps program – which provides post-production services for independent filmmakers – will require ‘a mid-year assessment’ to determine any impact the restructuring may have on it.

D’Auray sees ‘one of the main reasons for a restructuring as a way to reduce infrastructure. So, if we can work through contractual means and work more closely with our partners, we should be able to meet our objectives.’

The nfb has at least two other measures underway to deal with cutbacks. One is a return in budget revenue which began in 1992/93 with a reimbursement of $500,000 out of $5 million to the federal government. Each fiscal year, the amount to be returned will increase, until it reaches $1 million out of $5 million in 1996/97. The measure carries through to 1998 with a $1 million reimbursement closing that fiscal year. What this means for the nfb is less money to coproduce and invest.

The other cutback measure involves distribution and the closing of all regional offices without studios. In at least one instance, the local marketing officer will continue to work for the board, but the office itself will close. In other places, a film board employee will continue to work in the local public library. In addition to the Ottawa office, those offices with studios will remain open. This is all part of a continuation of a trend which started about seven years ago.

The budget for outreach programs continues to diminish, pushing the board further away from its reputation as a grassroots marketing and distribution operation. Yet video sales and access to productions on television continues to increase. According to the nfb, about 60,000 videos are sold each year in over 400 public libraries.