The National Film Board
One of the 2012–13 Budget’s main disappointments for the cultural sector were the cuts imposed on the audiovisual sector. “Efficiencies” or not, the repercussions from the cuts to CBC, Telefilm and the National Film Board will have important consequences for the production food chain of this important sector of cultural expression.
Let’s look at the case of the National Film Board which will lose 10% of its budget ($6.7 million) on top of having to absorb inflation on goods, services and salaries.
It seems that because it has been pro-active over the past several years by embracing new approaches and distribution systems, the NFB is reasonably well positioned to manage the challenge: over the past five years, the NFB has managed to reinvest $11 million in its activities. It could have done more if there had been no cuts, but it can still do well.
The comments from the Heritage Minister, The Honourable James Moore, reflect this shift, “Telefilm and the NFB for example have embraced digital technologies in ways that were never foreseen and they’ve had a phenomenal success as a consequence of that and they can actually do with a little less and they’ll be fine.”
A mere 5 days after the Flaherty budget, the NFB announced, on April 4th details of the impacts of the cuts and some measures being taken to deal with them through a press release. The bad news first: some 73 loyal employees will lose their jobs; the Festivals and events support will be ending immediately; the mediathèque and the cinéRobothèque will be closed; and the scope of support to independent filmmakers will be reduced (reduction to the Filmmaker Assistance and the Aide au cinéma indépendant du Canada programs.)
However, the NFB is resolved and remaining positive. Despite the job cuts it will also be creating 12 new positions; shifting its business plan; and will be developing new revenue streams with web and mobile content. Production funds will be reduced by only 1% of its global budget for the short term. Predicated on being “distinctive and innovative”, the NFB’s business plan, launched late last year, projects revenue growth of between 15 and 20% over the next three years. All of the revenue will be plowed back into production and accessibility. For example, over the next four years the NFB intends to increase the number of productions available on the range of on-line platforms from two thousand to over five thousand (out of the thirteen thousands works in the vaults).
The reaction from the public and artists has been less positive however. A sit-in was organized in Montréal on April 10th to protest the “ideological” cuts to Telefilm, the NFB and CBC in front of the Cinérobothèque which is now scheduled to be closed down in September. The NDP Heritage critic, Tyrone Benskin, attended the protest and was quoted as saying “All these Canadian institutions contribute to who we are and culture is a pillar of society. When you think of great civilizations, you don’t look at their economic plan.”
In a press release published on April 21, the Front des réalisateurs indépendants du Canada (FRIC) felt that the Francophone community had more questions than answers: “What are the forecasts of the NFB on human and financial resources devoted to OLMCs in the coming years? How do they intend to maintain the production volume of Ontario and West Studio without any directors, producers, and only one assistant to serve eight provinces?” In short,the FRIC wonders how the NFB will comply with Article 41 of the Official Languages Act.