Regional producers ready to fight back

Former Super Channel exec Nic Wry is rallying disgruntled regional producers behind a new national producers association.

Wry has launched SHERPA – the Small Regional Producers Association – to ensure that small producers get their voice heard at the national level.

‘National organizations aren’t looking after their smaller regional members and they are starting to revolt,’ says Wry, who has been based in Edmonton since 1974 and has been independent producing since leaving Super Channel.

Wry’s beef is that Canada-wide associations like the CFTPA are forced to cater to Toronto producers because they dominate the membership. SHERPA will allow the voice and concerns of smaller prodcos to be heard.

‘We are here to fight for small regional producers,’ says CEO Wry. ‘We need an organization to represent producers outside of the 514 and 416 area codes.’

SHERPA will be overseen by an advisory board made up of small producers from every province. It will serve only as a lobbying organization and doesn’t preclude producers from joining other national and regional associations. Membership in SHERPA is limited to film, TV and new media companies with up to five full-time or contract employees, and with a head office more than 150 kilometers from Toronto or Montreal.

Edmonton-based SHERPA’s first order of business will be to lobby for the inclusion of regional production incentives in the CMF.