September 4, 2007 -- TORONTO - Canada's film and television performers condemn the latest attempt by Hollywood to stop productions from being made in Canada. "We will fight this attack on Canada's film industry and insist on the right to provide support to our industry," said Richard Hardacre, ACTRA National President.

The Film and Television Action Committee (FTAC), a single-issue Hollywood organization, has filed a 301a petition against Canada with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). FTAC says Canadian subsidies are unfairly luring productions away from Hollywood.

"The bitter irony in this dispute is that we are drowning in U.S. product on TV and in the movie theatres," said Hardacre. "Canadian broadcasters spend hundreds of millions of dollars on U.S. TV shows, limiting our own creative talent from being able to work and build our own Canadian industry," said Hardacre. "It's difficult to find a Canadian film in a Canadian theatre with all the U.S. blockbusters dominating our screens. Yet this upstart organization has the nerve to insist we stop filming in Canada," he added.

Studies in Canada have shown that the total direct and indirect impact of U.S. film production in Canada was only a fraction of the amount claimed in U.S. studies. According to a 2004 Canadian report, a leading U.S. private sector study about "runaway productions," called The Monitor Report, is fraught with flaws and questionable data.

"This complaint is without merit or substance and won't succeed under any trade agreement. What's more, if a U.S. complaint were ever successful at the World Trade Organization, which seems to be FTAC's target, the paradox is that Canada would have an even stronger case that U.S. films and television shows are being dumped into Canada and we could retaliate," said Stephen Waddell, National Executive Director of ACTRA.

FTAC claims it has the support of some in Hollywood. However, AFTRA (American Federation of Radio Television Artists) and the Motion Picture Association of America do not support FTAC.

ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national organization of professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of 21,000 members across Canada - the foundation of Canada's highly acclaimed professional performing community.

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For info: Susan Ponting, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA National
Direct line:  416-644-1519 sponting@actra.ca