The Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence (Lab) congratulates colleagues working in film and TV for the important CRTC news announced this week.

On June 5, 2024, the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators (CISF) announced the Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRTC) decision to mandate funding for Black and racialized creators from online streaming services. Specifically, CISF has been named as one of the independent funds that will receive and distribute these targeted funds to support production of Canadian content from BPOC creators.

We don’t usually do a lot of work in film/TV, but in 2022, the Lab worked closely with leadership at Seneca Polytechnic to outline the case for accelerating new immigrants, refugees and international students with film/tv know-how to join the screen-based industry in Ontario. The resulting Accelerating Pathways into Film/TV report connects survey data, labour gaps, immigration policy, and stakeholder interviews to present the case for investment in targeted, applied, career-bridging training. The report was written specifically for Seneca Polytechnic as they considered developing a specialized microcredential program for newcomers to help facilitate and accelerate entry into the local screen-based sector.

Seneca Polytechnic was inspired to commission this report by the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence because of the Lab’s innovative newcomers project, which was rooted in original field and survey research, and resulted in remarkable improvements in settlement outcomes for the newcomers that participated. The Lab had previously published a series of recommendations to modernize Canada’s immigration system.

While the Accelerating Pathways into Film/TV report looks expansively at ‘below the line’ labour needs, the Lab sees CRTC’s support of Black and racialized talent as equally important elements of the need to diversify the screen-based workforce – from creative to production to post-production.

“‘Below the line’ labour needs refer to production jobs ranging from bookkeeping to key grips to hair and make-up,” explains Chief Artistic Officer Helen Yung. “Typically, these roles are considered ‘less sexy’ than creative ones like writer, director, or actor, but film and tv cannot be made without these essential workers. Deep structural change needs to be reflected throughout the list of credits – from those at the top to the ones at the bottom.”

The Lab sends our heartfelt congratulations to the CISF and to all involved in bringing about this historic decision. May equity and inclusion continue to make headway in Canada’s screen-based sector.