Canadian Content at Risk Over COVID-19 Insurance Concerns

Over C$1 billion in Canadian film and TV production is at risk without “swift government action” over the lack of COVID-19 insurance coverage for producers, according to surveys conducted by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM).

The study identified 214 camera-ready film and TV projects that cannot move forward because insurance companies are not offering coverage against COVID-19. These productions would generate more than 19,500 jobs, the survey concludes.

The two production associations submitted a proposal for a government-backed insurance program in June, but nothing has been announced yet.

“We’ve met with government officials across multiple ministries to discuss our proposal, and although they acknowledge the urgency of this issue, months have passed without any action,” said Reynolds Mastin, the CMPA’s president and CEO. “While governments in the United Kingdom, Australia, France and elsewhere have addressed the insurance issue for their production sectors, producers in Canada are losing millions—and in some cases facing bankruptcy—because of the lack of a federal program.”

“The implementation of a federal government-backed insurance program is the missing piece that would allow hundreds of productions to come to life and create thousands of jobs for creators and crew members,” added Hélène Messier, the president and CEO of the AQPM. “Because of this unjustifiable delay, the federal government is not only jeopardizing the economic prosperity of an entire sector, but drastically reducing the number of Canadian productions on our screens in the coming months to the benefit of foreign productions.”

Meanwhile, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) has announced that C$19 million is being made available to the country’s film and television producers as part of the Phase 2 COVID-19 Emergency Support for the cultural, heritage and sport sectors. This includes C$12 million in emergency support funds announced in July 2020 and an additional C$7 million. The Audiovisual Allocation is administered by the CMF, in collaboration with Telefilm Canada. It is available to producers that did not receive Phase 1 funding.

“Canada’s audiovisual sector continues to be heavily impacted by the pandemic,” said Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of CMF. “This additional support by the Government of Canada is a most welcome lifeline to hundreds of production companies across the country. These businesses are the bedrock upon which our industry is built. Their preservation is both a cultural and economic imperative.”

“This additional emergency funding will continue to help maintain jobs and support Canadian film and television organizations,” added the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage. “Supporting Canadian content is more important than ever for our country’s cultural industry. We thank the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada for their great leadership during these challenging times.”