The Racial Equity Media Collective (REMC) engaged Nordicity to conduct a funding analysis for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) creators in Canada’s film and television industry. Supported by Inspirit Foundation, this study aimed to answer the following questions:
- How do various funding and gatekeeping organizations account for funding provided to projects greenlit for BIPOC screen-based creators in Canada?
- How does the amount of discretionary screen-based funding support differ for BIPOC screen-based creators as compared to the average funding dispensation?
- To what extent are BIPOC people represented within Canada screen-based funding and policy-level organizations?
A scan was conducted of the Canadian film and television sector with interviews of over 50 key stakeholders from 29 Canadian institutions, including national funders, provincial funders, independent production funds, broadcasters, unions and guilds, and leaders in government.
The study outlines some key findings and recommendations, including:
- Harmful data collection practices, the omission of tax credits, and underrepresentation in leadership are major barriers to BIPOC participation in the screen industry
- The federal government has an important role to play in system-wide change and equity in the screen sector, which starts with shaping legislation and policies that guide data collection and tax incentives
- Funders and broadcasters should set targets, incentives, or standards in relation to the participation of BIPOC Canadians in their content, as well as the representation of creatives and on-screen talent
- A single data system to store and manage data is preferable, and the data needs to be readily available to, and easily accessible by, BIPOC communities
The final report has been released. You can read it here.
REMC’s report on racial equity in Canada’s screen sector has been covered by media, including Variety, Playback Online, and C21 Media.
