Ontario hears from its biz
Thousands rally
Dec 2, 2004
TORONTO -- Thousands of Ontario film and TV production workers descended Wednesday on the steps of the Ontario provincial Legislature to lobby for an increase in tax breaks for Hollywood producers shooting here.
A coalition of Toronto-based film and TV workers and business owners urged Ontario's tax authorities to help a struggling local film industry that finds itself increasingly unable to compete with rival Canadian provinces, or such foreign locales as Prague, Sydney and Louisiana, which offer more generous film incentive packages.
"Surely this government doesn't want to be down on the dock waving goodbye as this industry sails off, perhaps never to return," Oscar-winning producer Don Carmody ("Chicago") told about 4,500 local film technicians, actors, equipment suppliers and others dependent on U.S. runaway shoots for their livelihoods.
"A business that puts hundreds of millions of dollars into Ontario's economy is dying because the government has failed to keep step with the realities of global competition," said Ron Haney, executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada Ontario branch.
Rally speakers urged the provincial government to increase Ontario's tax credit for foreign producers from 11% to 16% to keep them coming here.
"We're hurting here. We're hurting bad," said Ken Girotti, who recently directed episodes of Fox's "24" and has worked in the Canadian industry since 1979. "In the global marketplace, we are no longer competitive. We are just asking to be competitive again."
Said Brian Topp, executive director of the Toronto branch of performers' union ACTRA: "Don't throw it away. That's our message. Let's hope they hear it."
The current struggle for film workers stands in contrast to the 1990s, when the low Canadian dollar and pioneering tax credits drew L.A. producers in record numbers.
Foreign location shooting in and around Toronto has since fallen in dollar value by about 50%, according to Ontario government figures. Foreign producers spent about $472 million shooting in Toronto in 2002. That figure fell to $281 million last year and is expected to fall by another 25% this year.
Other factors such as the events of Sept. 11 and the aftermath of the 2003 SARS crisis also have discouraged film producers from shooting here, and there are fewer subsidies for homegrown production.
Ontario finance minister Greg Sorbara insisted last month that his government was in no mood to sweeten the pot for foreign producers shooting here. That brought Ontario opposition leader John Tory out to Wednesday's rally to urge Sorbara to reconsider and boost tax incentives to save jobs.
Toronto Mayor David Miller secured approval Tuesday at City Hall for a new film board to be established to revive the ailing local production sector. Meanwhile, rival Quebec and British Columbia industry leaders also are meeting in the coming week to discuss the issue and are expected also to request more taxpayer dollars for incentives.
A coalition of Toronto-based film and TV workers and business owners urged Ontario's tax authorities to help a struggling local film industry that finds itself increasingly unable to compete with rival Canadian provinces, or such foreign locales as Prague, Sydney and Louisiana, which offer more generous film incentive packages.
"Surely this government doesn't want to be down on the dock waving goodbye as this industry sails off, perhaps never to return," Oscar-winning producer Don Carmody ("Chicago") told about 4,500 local film technicians, actors, equipment suppliers and others dependent on U.S. runaway shoots for their livelihoods.
"A business that puts hundreds of millions of dollars into Ontario's economy is dying because the government has failed to keep step with the realities of global competition," said Ron Haney, executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada Ontario branch.
Rally speakers urged the provincial government to increase Ontario's tax credit for foreign producers from 11% to 16% to keep them coming here.
"We're hurting here. We're hurting bad," said Ken Girotti, who recently directed episodes of Fox's "24" and has worked in the Canadian industry since 1979. "In the global marketplace, we are no longer competitive. We are just asking to be competitive again."
Said Brian Topp, executive director of the Toronto branch of performers' union ACTRA: "Don't throw it away. That's our message. Let's hope they hear it."
The current struggle for film workers stands in contrast to the 1990s, when the low Canadian dollar and pioneering tax credits drew L.A. producers in record numbers.
Foreign location shooting in and around Toronto has since fallen in dollar value by about 50%, according to Ontario government figures. Foreign producers spent about $472 million shooting in Toronto in 2002. That figure fell to $281 million last year and is expected to fall by another 25% this year.
Other factors such as the events of Sept. 11 and the aftermath of the 2003 SARS crisis also have discouraged film producers from shooting here, and there are fewer subsidies for homegrown production.
Ontario finance minister Greg Sorbara insisted last month that his government was in no mood to sweeten the pot for foreign producers shooting here. That brought Ontario opposition leader John Tory out to Wednesday's rally to urge Sorbara to reconsider and boost tax incentives to save jobs.
Toronto Mayor David Miller secured approval Tuesday at City Hall for a new film board to be established to revive the ailing local production sector. Meanwhile, rival Quebec and British Columbia industry leaders also are meeting in the coming week to discuss the issue and are expected also to request more taxpayer dollars for incentives.
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