Cinema Canada (Mar 1977)

“T was tough on them.” — John Roberts Wecceecece ceeccececees % ? 939292 3323322232333339922, ; THE WEATHER A bin 323 333393993333 39332235 evee Thawing | slowly EESSEE CECE CEES EEE CECEEE € i‘ Seecececee cceccecececs CF He eae : John Roberts explaining policy in Montreal photo: Alain Renaud Federal Policy in Three Months Mr. John Roberts, Secretary of State, declared in an interview with Jean-Pierre Tadros and Michel Roy of Le Devoir in early March that time was getting short and that he would formulate a new cinema policy within the next few months. Roberts stated that Hugh Faulkner had left him, as heritage, a project for legislation which would simply have re 8 /Cinema Canada quired Roberts’ signature. The new Secretary of State felt, however, that he could not defend that legislation without becoming better acquainted with the cinema dossier. Now that he has begun his study, Roberts has become convinced that the draft film policy failed to deal with a most important aspect of the situation: film distribution in Canada. Roberts has met with the members of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors’ Association. “I was a little tough on them when I met them, but they must understand that we don’t have much time left, that the file has been around a long time and that we must make decisions now,’”’ he commented. “For those who have spent a lifetime in the industry and who have invested in it, that’s difficult,’’ he continued. According to Roberts, the solution which the CMPDA proposes is simply to import the American method to Canada. The American majors are ready to help create a film industry here — ready with their money and their expertise — if only the Canadians will accept such a solution. The CMPDA