Cinema Canada (Apr-May 1974)

SOCETY OF FILITIMAKERS The Society of Film Makers is most pleased to become part of the growing family in Cinema Canada, and looks forward to relating industry and Society news to its members and new and old friends on the pages of Cinema Canada. We would like to point out to our members that they shall now be automatically receiving Cinema Canada as part of their annual membership in the Society of Film Makers. From over three hundred briefs recently submitted to the CRTC on the application for licence renewal by the CBC, that of the SFM was considered of sufficient significance as to merit inclusion in the twenty-five selected for public hearing. Our brief was part of a sequence of active intervention in affairs of concern to Canada’s film makers since the Society’s inception ten years ago. Those people who question why the Society is not part of the Canadian Council of Film Makers are largely unaware that the very constitution of that organization was conceived and designed by the Society of Film Makers with the assistance of the Directors Guild of Canada. The constitution arose from our long interest in a Canadian Film Academy and before that, in our strong efforts to preserve the existence of the Canadian Council of Film Organizations. In 1965, when it appeared certain that the bill setting up the CFDC would be passed, a bill to which the Society of Film Makers had applied a great deal of effort, the SFM met in Toronto with DGC, APFQ, APC, CSC, FAAD, AMPPLC, and ACTRA to set up the Canadian Film Academy, an idea whose time had come, was nearly started after paper work, financing, and other details were finalised, but which by 1967 died, soon followed by the dissolution of the Canadian Council of Film Organizations in 1969. In 1969 the SFM surrendered its annual craft awards authority to the Canadian Film Awards in the hope that from the CFA’s ability to gather support from industry associations would eventually emerge the Canadian Film Academy needed then and even more needed today. It was in recognition of this type of need that the SFM in 1966 joined the Canadian Conference of the Arts. The Society’s concern in future developments led to its affiliation with the Canadian Broadcasting League in 1970. In continued lobby, the Society has funded its representatives to continuing parliamentary and committee hearings, authored significant briefs, and presented lectures and screenings on film and related interests. In 1969, interest was renewed in a Canadian Film Academy and a constitution was conceived by the SFM, DGC, NABET, ACTRA, Astral, Odeon, Famous Players, and the SFM but again the birth of a Canadian Film Academy was aborted, this time due to the refusal of the AFM to validate its prior interest. The SFM was formed in late 1963 out of a sincere interest for the progressive development of film production in Canada. Some members are em ployers, others employees. We number producers, directors, cameramen, actors, writers, all manner of film professionals in the membership of the SFM. Its distribution is national, from Vancouver to Halifax. The SFM has a constitution of aims distinctly separate from considerations normally associated with collective bargaining. The special interests of SFM members are looked after by the labour organization of their choice elsewhere. In this manner our members are able to look after their labour, selfinterest concerns within their union representation elsewhere and in the SFM feel free to ponder and assist in the greater all-embracing interest of the film industry as a whole, for the good of all. It is to these higher aims that the SFM applies itself, without the bias of any one special interest group, for the good of the entire film making community, and the frankness and honesty with which these views can be held are to be found in our reports and briefs. It is to these higher aims that we invite all professional filmmakers in Canada to join with us in serving by joining the SFM. Membership in the SFM is only $15 per year, with an initiation fee of $10 for people joining for the first time. We look forward to sharing with readers of Cinema Canada news of our Society’s activities in future issues, and in even greater communication with our membership in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Regina, and other centres represented by membership and executive posts in the Society of Film Makerse POTTERTON PRODUCTIONS INC. ANIMATED & LIVE ACTION FILMS PLACE BONAVENTURE, MONTREAL Cinema Canada 67