Ottawa: Taking their cue from the success of FilmOntario, a who’s who of industry stakeholders from across the country gathered Jan. 28, prior to the Prime Time in Ottawa opening reception. Their mandate was to plan and create a new national lobby group representing the entire production sector.

The gathering, initiated by Dufferin Gate president Patrick Whitley, is the first stage in the creation of a coalition that can go to Ottawa to speak on the industry’s behalf on national issues.

Government officials often lament the mixed messages coming from varied and often divergent factions lobbying on behalf of the film and TV industry on Parliament Hill. According to Whitley, this new as-yet-unnamed association should address that.

‘Every other major industry in this country has a trade association. We don’t. And it’s time to start treating our industry, whether it is indigenous or service production, as an industry, because that’s what we are,’ he says.

The 18 attendees at the inaugural meeting included executives from ACTRA, the Directors Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Canada, CFTPA, APFTQ and the full complement of provincial film and TV associations. Discussions included the possibility of adding other stakeholders from outside the production sector, including broadcasters.

Frantic Films executive producer Jamie Brown attended the meeting as co-chair of the Manitoba Motion Picture Industry Association. He says the need for such an organization became clear last year when the federal contribution to the CTF was cut. Despite unanimous objections across the industry, there was no one group empowered to speak out for all concerned. (See story, below)

‘So what we’re trying to do is on occasion, when we can, talk in a single voice to the government – signed by labor, management, producers, broadcasters, everybody we can get under the sun to come into this,’ he says

A similar pan-industry effort helped reverse a Revenue Canada move in 1999 that would have forced foreign actors to file tax returns on work completed in Canada.

‘On very short notice, you can pull together, from coast to coast, major stakeholders in the industry: unions, producers, facilities, post-production houses and film commissioners,’ Whitley says.

‘We stopped a decision in its tracks within about a three-week period.’

Last year, Whitley helped launch FilmOntario, initially mandated to help promote and market Ontario as a production center. It has since evolved into a lobby group that has taken the lead in spurring Queen’s Park to boost its production tax credit.

‘This [new group] takes FilmOntario and kicks it up to the national level,’ Whitley says.

A follow-up meeting will likely be held during the Banff Television Festival in June where a name and details on how the association will be funded will be finalized.