Two of the Ontario Film Development Corporation’s smaller funds have been chopped, and while there is nothing good about the loss, reading between the lines suggests there is hope for the future of the provincial agency.

As of April 11, the repertory cinema and domestic marketing funds were eliminated by the Mike Harris Conservative government as part of its overall business review of government agencies.

Industry sources argue if the Ontario government were planning to shut down the agency altogether, it would not bother to carefully trim the provincial funding agency in this manner.

ofdc ceo Alex Raffe concurs. ‘I do believe there is considerable interest by this government in the positive economic and employment benefits provided by the sector and a recognition of those benefits,’ she says. ‘I have no idea what it will result in, but I do know they are aware of us and they want to keep those cameras rolling.’

Since the freeze of the ofdc and its ofip program last summer, members of the industry have been worried that the institution would be closed with the announcement of the next provincial budget. While a date has not been officially announced, the budget is expected in early May. PC