Montreal: Filmmakers in Quebec are up in arms over a National Film Board French Program decision to eliminate its annual $600,000 Aid to Independent Cinema program. Many prominent names in the industry here turned out for an April 6 rally denouncing the move, which filmmakers say will have a devastating effect on the fate of low-budget productions not normally financed by agencies like Telefilm Canada.

According to a committee set up to fight the nfb decision, fully one-third of the productions screened at this year’s Rendez-vous du cinema quebecois received funding from the nfb program.

The committee says the funds have been transferred to other studios at the board, but adds projects from non-nfb filmmakers will be given low priority.

The filmmakers want the board to recognize the program’s importance, and reinstate it with additional funding.