MEET THE MPAA
The Motion Picture Association – Canada (MPA-Canada) serves as the voice and advocate of the major international producers and distributors of movies, home entertainment and television programming in Canada and is an affiliate of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA). The motion picture studios we serve are:
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Paramount Pictures Corporation
- Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- Universal City Studios LLC
- Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
On behalf of these studios and their Canadian distribution affiliates, MPA-Canada supports initiatives to strengthen the film and television industry and foster an environment of respect for creative industries in Canada. A strong and vibrant film and television industry acts as an economic engine, with benefits to national and local economies across the country:
- The economic contribution of Canada’s film and television sector begins with production taking place across the country. The volume of the Foreign Location Service (FLS) production sector alone was valued at $3.76 billion in Canada in 2016/17, and supported the employment for 77,000 Canadians on a FTE basis. Significantly, three-quarters of all FLS projects in Canada originates from a U.S.-based producer.
- In 2016/17 the total volume of film and television production in Canada was $8.38 billion, with a total of approximately 171,700 FTE jobs supported, generating $12 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Investment and creative collaboration with U.S.-based producers is a critical component of the production sector in Canada. FLS productions include a growing list of big-budget films, including The Revenant, X-Men Apocalypse, and Suicide Squad, and popular television series like 12 Monkeys, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. FLS production provides direct benefits in the form of jobs for local performers, crews, and other dependent businesses, economic activity through spending, to production-related vendors and general suppliers, and direct and indirect tax revenues. The economic benefits go well beyond production alone, with numerous related industries benefiting through film and television distribution, theatrical exhibition, broadcasting, film festivals, and a growing number of sites and services available to watch your favorite TV show or movie online. The film and television industry is a creative and innovative community, fueled by the constant development of technologies embraced by producers (to offer high quality entertainment) and distributors (to provide more ways to deliver content to the consumer). The major producers of movies and television that we represent are focused on developing more ways for audiences to enjoy content on a variety of legitimate sites, services, and platforms. Entertainment studios are working with inventive technologies and a multitude of partners, retailers, cable providers, social networking sites, gaming systems, and websites devoted to online distribution to bring more choice to Canadians wanting to access movies and television programs online. Source: Profile 2016: Economic Report on the Screen-based Media production Industry in Canada.
Charles H. Rivkin
Chief Executive Officer
Charles H. Rivkin joined the Motion Picture Association of America as CEO on September 5, 2017. He leads the MPAA’s global mission to advance and support one of the country’s strongest and most vibrant industries – the American motion picture, home video, and television sector.
Previously, Rivkin served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs from February 2014 to January 2017. Rivkin led the bureau at the U.S. State Department responsible for managing trade negotiations, investment treaties, economic sanctions, transportation affairs, telecommunications policy, international finance, and development related issues, as well as intellectual property rights protection. The Bureau is also the State Department’s primary link to the private sector through its Office of Commercial and Business Affairs, which supports U.S. business interests overseas and works to create American jobs at home by facilitating foreign investment. In addition, Rivkin provided guidance to the Department’s 1,600 economic officers around the world and to the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Prior to his appointment, Rivkin served for more than four years as the United States Ambassador to France and Monaco, leading a diplomatic mission that contained six constituent posts throughout France and represents more than 50 U.S. government agencies.
Prior to his government service, Rivkin worked in the media sector for more than 20 years where he served as President and CEO of award-winning entertainment companies such as The Jim Henson Company and Wildbrain. Rivkin helped engineer the sale of The Jim Henson Company in 2000 for nearly $1 billion and his contribution to the television landscape has influenced generations of viewers. Before joining the State Department, Rivkin was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company.
Ambassador Rivkin received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1984, graduating with distinction in political science and international relations. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1988. He was personally awarded the Légion d’honneur with the rank of Commander by French President François Hollande (2013). He received the city of Paris’ highest honor – la Grande Médaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris – from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (2015), and was presented with the US Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award by Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus (2017).