Two filmmakers running for office in the upcoming federal election have a tough row to hoe in the weeks ahead.

As the NDP candidate for Toronto’s Don Valley West riding, actor, writer and producer David Sparrow (Serendipity, Corner Gas) joins the party’s sizeable roster of celebrity candidates, which includes writer/broadcaster Thomas King (NDP candidate in Guelph, ON), former CBC broadcaster Anne Lagace Dawson (Westmount-Ville-Marie, QC) and musician Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, ON).

Although his chances of getting elected are slim — Don Valley has been solidly Liberal since 1993 and Conservative before that — Sparrow decided to enter politics because he wants to help the weaker members of his community. While the average family income in the riding hovers at $200,000, Sparrow says there’s a significant slice of the population who are struggling, particularly new immigrants.

‘These people need good jobs and opportunities,’ Sparrow tells Playback Daily.

The thought of the Harper government winning a majority ‘keeps me awake at night,’ he says, particularly when it comes to issues around culture. ‘I want to fight to defend the arts in Canada. We need to go farther than ever.’

The NDP candidate believes residents of his riding are behind the notion that the arts need to be subsidized. ‘Obviously people are concerned about having a roof over their heads. But all Canadians are proud of Canadian culture. And it’s what attracts investors and immigrants here.’

But Don Valley West, which is one of the wealthiest ridings in Canada, is hardly left-leaning. Liberal John Godfrey has held the riding since 1993. Before that PC John Bosley held it for four terms, beginning in 1979.

Green Party candidate and producer Mihkel Harilaid (Phil the Alien, Ham and Cheese) in Ajax-Pickering, ON is also unlikely to pick up many votes. He faces Liberal incumbent Mark Holland, who has been the area’s MP for two terms. In the last election, the Green Party picked up 4% of the vote, compared to nearly 50% for the Liberals and 32% for the Conservatives.

Harilaid entered politics because he’s frustrated with suburban sprawl and car-centered development. He also believes that the collapse of an oil-based economy offers the ‘greatest economic opportunity of our time.’

For Harilaid, culture is an integral part of a green economy. ‘Cultural industries are part of the future. We need to figure out how we can expand the knowledge we have in that area.’