OTTAWA – Dismayed with recent government cuts to cultural programs, independent producers said Wednesday they fear federal support for the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada New Media Fund could also be axed.

The Conservative government has unveiled plans to stop its annual contributions of $300,000 to the A-V Preservation Trust, $1.5 million to the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, $2.5 million to the National Training Schools Program, $9 million to Trade Routes and $4.7 million to PromArt on March 31, 2009.

‘In my opinion it shows the true colors of this government. These latest cuts could be the thin edge of the wedge, and bigger programs such as the CTF could be next,’ said Ira Levy, executive producer and partner at Toronto-based Breakthrough Films and Television.

A note sent Tuesday by the CFTPA to its members expressed similar sentiments, saying it fears they are a prelude to ‘more significant cuts to our sector later this year.’

Government money for both the CTF and the CNMF has so far only been secured until March 2009.

The CFTPA and its Quebec counterpart, APFTQ, have requested a meeting with the ministers of heritage and foreign affairs so they can press the government to reconsider its decision and to get clarification on the future of the CTF and the CNMF.

The two associations also plan to raise the issue with all political parties in the hopes of pushing support for culture, including the film and TV industry, onto the government agenda when the House of Commons resumes in September.

The CFTPA note criticized the government for how it announced the cuts. Key stakeholder groups, including the CFTPA, were notified by the government by telephone last week. The government websites also contain notices stating the programs will be discontinued.

‘Officials have confirmed that a press release will not be issued by either the ministers of heritage or foreign affairs,’ stated the CFTPA memo. ‘We would offer that this communications strategy was specifically intended to minimize negative reaction from industry stakeholders.’

Achilles Media CEO Robert Montgomery is miffed the cuts were made without consultation or an evaluation of the programs.

His event management company has received $177,000 over the last four years from Heritage’s Trade Routes program, which is aimed at boosting the export of Canada’s cultural products, and another $143,000 from Foreign Affairs for its annual Banff World Television Festival.

None of that money will be available next year, putting in jeopardy initiatives aimed at celebrating Banff’s 30th anniversary.

The government money, said Montgomery, was used to subsidize the flights and accommodation of 275 key broadcast decision-makers over the past four years.

‘We got $320,000 from Trade Routes and Foreign Affairs between 2005 and 2008, but over $1 billion in deals were initiated or completed at Banff. That includes $185 million in co-productions, and 30% of all business deals by Canadian companies done at Banff were with foreign countries,’ stated Montgomery. ‘These programs are outstanding examples of how government money can be leveraged to create jobs and economic activity.’

Achilles Media also received funding under these programs for its other conferences, such as NextMedia.

Ottawa-based Amberwood Entertainment used $15,000 from Trade Routes last year to create a greater profile at MIPCOM, which led to its series, The Secret World of Benjamin Bear, getting sold in 110 other territories. The company has received another $15,000 this year, which it plans to use to market its YTV comedy RollBots overseas.

‘The Trade Routes program is extremely important because it enables us to generate substantial foreign sales,’ said Amberwood president and CEO Sheldon Wiseman.

Trade Routes got Decode Entertainment its foot in the door of Asian markets back in 2004. ‘Back then we couldn’t justify the expense and we used government money to attend the Asia TV forum in Singapore,’ said Decode sales director Josh Scherba.

‘We made two sales of our shows, and we’ve financed our own way to Asia ever since then,’ he says. Scherba estimates that 10% to 15% of Decode’s international sales now come from Asia.

The CFTPA received $30,000 and the APFTQ $22,000 from Trade Routes this year. Other recipients include the Atlantic Film Festival Association ($7,500), the

Canadian Film Institute, Ottawa ($20,000), the Documentary Organization of Canada, Toronto ($14,000), Hot Docs ($35,000), the Manitoba Motion Picture Industry Association Inc. ($15,000), the National Screen Institute, Winnipeg ($22,000), St. John’s International Women’s Film and Video Festival Inc. ($15,000) and the Toronto International Film Festival Group Inc. ($40,000).

No one at either Canadian Heritage or Foreign Affairs could be reached at press time.