Joint Statement on CERB Extension
TORONTO, ONTARIO, JUNE 12, 2020 – The CMPA and MPA-Canada represent producers of made-in-Canada film and television projects, which generated more than 180,000 jobs and $9.32 billion in production spending in 2019 alone.
Canada’s world-class cast and crew are the backbone of our industry, and these workers have been hit extremely hard by the negative impact that COVID-19 has had on our sector.
Projections, based on historical economic data, show that a production shutdown that lasts until the end of June will put as much as $2.5 billion in domestic and foreign location production volume at risk, impacting up to 172,000 jobs across the country.
We are grateful for the Government of Canada’s swift support for film workers and freelance independent producers, both relying on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) in response to the shutdown of our sector as a result of the pandemic. The CERB, in particular, has provided vital economic relief. Under the CERB’s current maximum eligibility period, however, many of these workers will soon see their benefits dry up in the weeks ahead.
As advocates for global studios and Canadian independent production companies, and partners in Canada’s creative economy, we are joining with the unions and guilds representing creative workers and technical artists — from special effects technicians to make-up artists, cinematographers, lighting experts, carpenters and more in their request to extend the maximum eligibility period of the CERB beyond 16 weeks, along with an extension of the current program end date of October 3rd.
We are grateful for the ongoing efforts of the Government of Canada, which has been a critical support to entertainment workers in these challenging times.
Signed,
Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO, Canadian Media Producers Association
Wendy Noss, President, Motion Picture Association – Canada
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ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences.
ABOUT MPA-CANADA
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 Inc. (MPA). The motion picture studios we serve include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures & ABC (Disney|ABC Television); Netflix Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Universal City Studios LLC (NBCUniversal|Universal Cable Productions); and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.