By Christian Cotroneo
The federal government is funding an independence movement – within its own borders.
And Centretown filmmakers are getting in on the act.
When Sheila Copps announced new funding for the film industry in early October, many makers of small, low-budget films saw it as a day of independence.
“It’s great to hear that the unique needs of low budget independent filmmakers are being considered since many federal programs focus on commercial filmmaking,” says Centretown filmmaker Cristina Usubiaga.
The $50-million Canadian Feature Film Fund distinguishes independent films from their commercial brethren. By doing so, it recognizes the niche the growing industry is carving for itself.
Usubiaga, who is currently working on her third film, Buscando Sentido (Searching for Meaning), says finding money can be frustrating.
As a member of the Independent Filmmakers Co-operative (IFCO), she depends on an extensive network of peer support to get her films made.
“People volunteer to work on each other’s films, which is very important when you don’t have the budget to pay for it,” she says.
IFCO is an Ottawa-based agency that supports local filmmakers with financing, equipment and distribution. The co-op also offers training in 16-mm filmmaking — an important function, since, according to Usubiaga, skilled technicians attract filmmakers.
Some of that money from the Canadian Feature Film Fund will likely find its way to IFCO.
The new funding guarantees about $2.9 million for early-career filmmakers through co-operatives.
“We’re not sure exactly how much,” says Dino Koutras, IFCO’s tech-nical co-ordinator, “but we’ll get a piece of that pie.”
Currently, the co-op receives money from government agencies such as the Canadian Council for the Arts.
The latest funding will continue to capitalize on the momentum that small, smart film projects from such local directors as Derek Diorio, Cristina Usubiaga and Dan Gainsford have created.
“It’s building,” Koutras says, “mostly because there are a lot more venues for the stuff – more screens, more content.”
And more money.
While the new fund is aimed chiefly at commercial films, about $10 million of it is earmarked for smaller projects and training programs.
Canadian Heritage will also target director-driven projects specifically with its new Independent Filmmakers Assistance Program. That envelope contains an annual $1.8 million for filmmakers.
But Valerie Truong of the Canadian Council for the Arts says funding has yet to catch up with demand.
“There’s never enough money for independent films,” she says.
Usubiaga agrees, saying commercial films get a bigger piece of the pie.
Commercial films also happen to cost a lot more money to produce.
The average feature film costs about $1.5 million. Promoting it costs another $150, 000.
By contrast, the average independent film costs about $150,000. It receives considerably less exposure and earns much less money.
The result? Less funding.
Independent filmmakers, however, maintain that less is more.
“Commercial is just not in our language here,” says Koutras.
But with more and more funding, it looks like the government is finally starting to speak their language.