Hi Eli, Thanks for the note.
Despite the vague, non helpful response you received from the CCA’s public relations department, festivals that are funded through their “arts festivals and presenters” program are 100% required to pay screening fees in accordance with IMAA or CARFAC rate cards. This has absolutely been the case from when I started as ED of a film organization in 2006. I was upset that our organization was required to pay screening fees (and a ton of them), but yet as a filmmaker I was not receiving screening fees from some organization that were in the very same funding pool. I provided this feedback to the head of section at the Canada Council at the time, and they did speak to the festivals in question. Things did improve, though I would not be surprised to learn if some operating clients are lying about paying artists. Though I would be very surprised if those folks constitute anything but the slim minority. The nuance with the Canada Council is that not all org activities might be covered by a grant an organization might have. So if an organization does multiple activities, one of which is a festival, it’s possible the Canada Council funding doesn’t cover the festival. For example, I am not sure that TIFF’s festival activities are funded by the Canada Council, but I do think their year-round presentation might be. Certainly, I received an artist fee from TIFF when I screened at a TIFF Wavelengths curated program several years ago. So in some cases, there may be nuance about the what the Canada Council funding covers. But if a festival receives funding specifically from the Canada Council’s “arts festivals and presenters” program, they must pay for artist fees for their festival activities. If the film festival is on this list and they have not paid you, I definitely recommend providing that information to their Canada Council officer. If you don’t know who to email, contact me off list and I will research that for you. https://canadacouncil.ca/about/public-accountability/proactive-disclosure/grant-recipients/recipients-2017-present?form=submitted&page=1&year=20243&discipline=Arts+Across+Canada&program=Arts+Festivals+and+Presenters&recipient=&province=all&city=&area=all&riding=all&Sort1=Province&Sort2=City&Sort3=Recipient&firstfiscalyear=2017&lastfiscalyear=2147483647 About five years ago, I also provided a provincial arts funding body with information about a non compliant festival in another province. After asking other filmmakers screening at that festival, I discovered what that festivals was doing was only paying filmmakers whose submission were made by distributors (for example, the CFMDC). But if you submitted to those festivals as a self-distributed artist, they would not pay you. I am pretty certain that information went up the chain to the peer jury at their operating assessment, just based on changes I saw in that org after that. If the presenter or org is a member of IMAA, you can also report the org to IMAA. Here is IMAA’s member directory: https://imaa.ca/imaa-member-directory/ And here is IMAA’s rate card for 2025: https://imaa.ca/asset/imaa-fee-schedule-2025/ In the past several years, the following Canadian film festivals have paid me for screening at their festivals (that I am aware of) — Vancouver Latin American Film Festival — Antimatter — RIDM — FIFA (also provided me with a travel subsidy) — Dawson City — I have a screening upcoming at Ottawa International Animation Festival, and they are paying me As for others on the operating funding list — I either haven’t submitted to them, or been accepted by them. (I will note that WNDX does also pay fees, including to international filmmakers, as I am one of its programmers and I authorize those payments directly myself - the org has paid these fees since inception in 2005) I have also received screening fee payments for non-festival screenings in recent years from the Winnipeg Film Group, GIV, TIFF Wavelengths (non festival), Dandelion Film Collective, and re:assemblage collective. Take care, Cecilia Cecilia Araneda >> ceciliaaraneda.ca > On Aug 29, 2025, at 1:04 PM, Eli Horwatt <[email protected]> wrote: > > I've come to a different conclusion on the "nor have ever qualified" part > Cecilia, though I've heard some festivals have changed in the past few years. > I pursued the question of Arts Council funding for film festivals and the (on > paper) requirement that IMAA or (in the past) CARFAC fee requirements be paid > to filmmakers back in 2021. While festivals make these promises in order to > receive funding, they often don't fulfill them. Furthermore, this only seems > to apply to Canadian filmmakers who are selected - a nationalist project at > the end of the day. According to the Arts Council (in 2021 at least), they > have neither the authority or the means to monitor whether IMAA fees are > being paid. > > Below I've attached the result of a lengthy inquiry that left me with a > strategically unsigned and brief response from the Canada Council: > > <image.png> > > Best, > Eli > > On Thu, Aug 28, 2025 at 4:03 PM Cecilia Araneda <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> Just as an FYI - Canadian film festivals do not nor have ever qualified for >> arts funding if they do not pay artist screening fees. That labour was put >> forward by IMAA: the Independent Media Arts Alliance decades ago to make >> that a standard. >> >> I just want to make sure that due credit is given correctly. >> >> I cannot speak to who has done labour for American or other festivals to pay >> artist fees >> >> Take care, >> >> Cecilia Araneda >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >> >>> On Aug 28, 2025, at 2:44 PM, Anna Kipervaser <[email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> I know this is neither here nor there, but while we're airing our >>> grievances, hopes, and dreams.... here are mine: >>> >>> In my experiences, discussions like these have served to alienate >>> programmers and organizers, because - as Cecilia has stated - solidarity is >>> what matters, and is grossly (both meanings) lacking between filmmakers and >>> programmers although there's quite a bit of overlap, all of which is >>> visible in this discussion. >>> >>> + money is evil, capitalism should finally be put out of its misery, AND >>> until then, yes, everyone should get paid fairly - EVERYONE! I hope we all >>> agree on this. >>> >>> + while there are a lot of festivals in this wide world - more and more >>> every day, it doesn't mean we should be submitting our films to all of >>> them. This is one of the biggest reasons there's more submissions than ever >>> at many festivals. That and predatory advertising via email by FilmFreeway, >>> making filmmakers think some random festival is a fit because of some >>> algorithm. >>> >>> + Filmmakers need to do a better job discerning where our/their films might >>> fit. All it takes is researching previous editions of festivals and >>> learning to objectively see if the film to be submitted would be a fit at >>> said festival. >>> >>> + Thanks to the hard and radical [volunteer] efforts of a number of artists >>> and programmers - most memorably [to me personally] Scott Fitzpatrick and >>> Aaron Zeghers (each of whom are both artists and programmers) - more and >>> more festivals are now paying screening fees. And this work is the work we >>> should ALL be engaging in. Making sure EVERYONE of US (artists and >>> programmers and arts administrators and arts bookkeepers and grant writers, >>> and more) gets paid, period. We are all in this together. >>> >>> = in conclusion - and apologies for the utter directness here - if any >>> filmmaker, at any point, experiences a large number of rejections (perhaps >>> for one film in relation to previous films acceptance/rejection rates, or >>> perhaps not), then it is on the filmmaker to consider whether each >>> festival/screening being submitted to is the right fit for said film (or >>> films), and perhaps seek counsel from colleagues, peers, mentors, >>> programmers, etc, if outside opinion might be helpful, and persons are >>> willing and available. AND. we need to fight for fair pay for all of us in >>> this cultural sector. If we stand together, stand strong, and figure out >>> where it makes sense to submit each film (not just to the usual suspects >>> for every film), things will change. Not overnight, of course. But they >>> will change every single day. We just have to be consistent and together. >>> Solidarity is the only answer. >>> >>> Additionally, there is no way that every film is a good fit for Ann Arbor >>> or for Celluloid Now or for Film Fest Knox (just to name some of what has >>> already been mentioned). And even if a film is a fit conceptually and the >>> selection committee votes favorably, the question of fit becomes even more >>> specific when the specific programs for the specific festival edition start >>> to take shape, and this is a variable that is unpredictable (and VERY >>> exciting). We all have to become more resilient and not take things >>> personally, but to keep sharing our work. Yes, it becomes financially >>> burdensome, especially for those of us not making $60k USD (or CAD, for >>> that matter) through employment or grants or a combo, which is why it is >>> important to make informed decisions about where to submit each film we >>> make, year after year. >>> >>> >>> ---- end of transmission of my grievances, hopes, and dreams ---- >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> --- >>> anna kipervaser >>> annakipervaser.com <http://annakipervaser.com/> >>> >>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2025 at 3:11 PM Dominic Angerame >>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>> Also need to take into account that the salary I made also represented >>>> myself doing the fundraising, book keeping, publishing, public >>>> presentations, travel, advertising and such, eliminating the need for >>>> hiring people with these skills. In this day and age I guess u would hire >>>> a book keeper, grant writer and fundraiser, and such. >>>> >>>> D >>>> >>>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2025 at 12:03 PM Cecilia Araneda >>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> It’s good to know the baseline! Thank you for sharing. >>>>> >>>>> $61k in 2012 dollars translates to $86k in 2025 dollars. Which is around >>>>> $120k in >>>>> Canadian dollars. >>>>> >>>>> So I guess I should revise my baseline guess that a film festival ED >>>>> should likely paid $60k, and up it by quite a bit. >>>>> >>>>> Cecilia Araneda >>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> On Aug 28, 2025, at 1:55 PM, Dominic Angerame >>>>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Hi Cecilia, I realize that I am talking about pre historic times. When I >>>>>> started working at Canyon 1980 salary was $3.65 per hour for 20 hours. >>>>>> In the interim of course salaries increased. The most I made at Canyon >>>>>> was $61,000 and that was in 2012 the year of my termination. My average >>>>>> salary was about $45-50k. The one person staff, Linda Scobie, was paid >>>>>> $20-$25 per hour plus benefits. I have written a book of my time and >>>>>> experiences at Canyon from 1980-2012 and currently seeking a publisher. >>>>>> 85% of the income at Canyon Cinema was earned income and not from grants >>>>>> or donations. All those who worked at Canyon were committed to the >>>>>> "cause" and certainly not the money. The believed, and still do, in the >>>>>> organization and the filmmakers. >>>>>> >>>>>> Dominic >>>>>> >>>>>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM Cecilia Araneda >>>>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>>> Hi Dominic, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Out of curiosity, how much were you paid during your tenure as ED of >>>>>>> Canyon Cinema? I’m always interested in comparing wages in the past vs. >>>>>>> current wages. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> For better or worse, a film festival is not the same as a year-round >>>>>>> org. It might theoretically be easier to run a film festival if it is >>>>>>> already part of a year-round org that can cover off many of the admin >>>>>>> expenses. But the problem is that year-round orgs and festivals >>>>>>> function in such fundamentally different ways, that I cannot imagine >>>>>>> that a festival run by a year-round org is just a festival in name, and >>>>>>> not in functionality. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> As well, Dominic, the reality is the sector cannot bank on there being >>>>>>> a bunch of arts admin starts like you. It can only be sustainable if it >>>>>>> structures its systems for average folks. My baseline is: if the >>>>>>> context is not feasible for a single mother, then it is being >>>>>>> subsidized by some kind of privilege that is not accessible to all. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> And I guess my question to Paul is: what happens to The Public Cinema >>>>>>> when you are not able to take on the bulk of the labour as a volunteer? >>>>>>> I imagine it shuts down, no? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> More generally, a lot of the small to mid-sized festivals are being >>>>>>> carried by individuals or very small groups of individuals who have >>>>>>> been looking after them for many years. But when these people have to >>>>>>> move on or are no longer able to carry the festivals on, I imagine they >>>>>>> will shut down. I know several festivals that are, yes, handled by a >>>>>>> group of volunteers or paid staffers, but where one or two people are >>>>>>> so fundamentally central to their administrative existence, that if >>>>>>> those key folks leave, the festivals are certain to shut down - if not >>>>>>> immediately, then within 2-3 years. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> That’s more the true reality of the sector. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Cecilia Araneda >>>>>>> >> ceciliaaraneda.ca <http://ceciliaaraneda.ca/> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Aug 28, 2025, at 1:00 PM, Dominic Angerame >>>>>>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> It is easy to look up tax returns of any non profit Film Festival by >>>>>>>> just googling it. I will not name any festivals here for fear of being >>>>>>>> hanged. I notice that some have very high wages for the top >>>>>>>> administrative jobs. When I ran Canyon Cinema not only was I the >>>>>>>> Executive Director, but also the grant writer, the book keeper, >>>>>>>> advertising, publisher of catalogs and supplements, dealing with >>>>>>>> filmmakers and renters and public presentations just to name some. In >>>>>>>> many non profits these positions are filled with extra employees, one >>>>>>>> for the bookkeeping, one for advertising, one for fundraising. It was >>>>>>>> a necessity at Canyon Cinema because we just could not afford to hire >>>>>>>> extra staff to do such duties. I doubt many non profits operate this >>>>>>>> way, and the staff at Canyon was paid decently with benefits and >>>>>>>> Canyon almost always made a profit. Go figure. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> D >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2025 at 10:45 AM Darren Hughes <[email protected] >>>>>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>>>>> From the perspective of someone who recently co-founded and now art >>>>>>>>> directs a relatively small fest (4 days, 2 screens) that has been >>>>>>>>> fairly well received ... >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Ten years ago, Paul Harrill and I bought a projector, reached out to >>>>>>>>> some local event spaces, and launched The Public Cinema. We both >>>>>>>>> considered it then, and still do today, a kind of volunteer service >>>>>>>>> to our arts community. We'd raise just enough money to cover >>>>>>>>> screening fees and then show two or three free movies per month. Our >>>>>>>>> guiding programming principle was "the best cinema that wouldn't >>>>>>>>> screen in Knoxville otherwise." >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> We called it The Public Cinema because we wanted to start a >>>>>>>>> conversation here about film exhibition drifting toward a new phase >>>>>>>>> that would require public and private support. Our talking point is: >>>>>>>>> "We have a great museum with free admission. We have a symphony >>>>>>>>> orchestra and two opera companies and public sculptures. We have >>>>>>>>> dance companies and theaters. And none of that would exist without >>>>>>>>> philanthropy and budget lines at the local and state level. What >>>>>>>>> would it look like if we approached film from the same perspective?" >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> A decade later, our festival is being supported by Visit Knoxville, >>>>>>>>> which, among other things, has allowed us to avoid submission fees. >>>>>>>>> Our top priority, with both The Public Cinema and Film Fest Knox, has >>>>>>>>> always been paying the artists, either directly or via their >>>>>>>>> distributors. Years ago, when we came up $100 short for a screening, >>>>>>>>> I wrote a check. We offer good prizes in our competitions and a >>>>>>>>> generous travel package. I'm really proud of what we're building >>>>>>>>> here, but it took eight years. I sometimes daydream about starting a >>>>>>>>> non-profit that would subsidize start-up costs and provide guidance >>>>>>>>> to others who want to build something similar in other American >>>>>>>>> cities. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> If you haven't already guessed, the problematic part of our model is >>>>>>>>> that I'm essentially volunteering my expertise and labor, which I'm >>>>>>>>> happy to do because it's great fun and an important service to our >>>>>>>>> community and to cinema. I'm also able to volunteer because I have a >>>>>>>>> career that is totally unrelated to film. (I spend many lunch hours >>>>>>>>> and most evenings working on the fest, especially right now, in the >>>>>>>>> final weeks of programming.) >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> All of which is to say ... I can't imagine a world where ad and >>>>>>>>> ticket revenues will ever cover the costs of putting on a festival. >>>>>>>>> I've spent a lot of time digging through 990 tax forms of >>>>>>>>> long-standing non-profit film organizations in America, and their >>>>>>>>> income generally breaks down evenly into three sources: revenue, >>>>>>>>> philanthropy/memberships/endowment earnings, and state >>>>>>>>> support/grants. I think every fest should aspire to that model. If >>>>>>>>> you're charging filmmakers to not screen their work, and not paying >>>>>>>>> artists to screen their work, then maybe you take some time off and >>>>>>>>> rethink your approach? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Gotta get back to my day job, >>>>>>>>> Darren >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2025 at 12:59 PM Fred Camper <[email protected] >>>>>>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>>>>>> Film festivals often do seem like a scam to me, as they did a long >>>>>>>>>> ago too. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> I was once offered a co-judgeship, with no pay, in something called >>>>>>>>>> the Onion City Film Festival, in Chicago. This was in 1987, give or >>>>>>>>>> take a year or two. I declined. I stated to them my two objection to >>>>>>>>>> film festivals: (1) The entry fees and (2) that the judges had to >>>>>>>>>> agree among themselves about prizes, thereby producing all kinds of >>>>>>>>>> compromises. In this festival, there was to be one other judge, and >>>>>>>>>> they had $2,000 in prize money. I suggested that each judge should >>>>>>>>>> be able to allocate $1,000 to entries in whatever manner they saw >>>>>>>>>> fit. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> To my shock, I got called back a week later, agreeing to the plan >>>>>>>>>> for prize money and stating that they had reduced the entry fee to >>>>>>>>>> return postage. I was charmed, and felt I could not refuse. Even >>>>>>>>>> better, my co-judge turned out to be Gunvor Nelson. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Weirdly, there were two entries to this festival that should not >>>>>>>>>> have happened. One was a film by Sharon Couzin, who actually ran the >>>>>>>>>> organization putting on the film festival. Even more weirdly, she >>>>>>>>>> was away when I was offered a judgeship, and when she returned she >>>>>>>>>> was angry to hear it, saying that I would figure out how to give all >>>>>>>>>> the money to one of my own films — yet she herself had entered, and >>>>>>>>>> I certainly had not. She apparently didn't realize that we could >>>>>>>>>> have created maximum trouble for her by awarding her all the prize >>>>>>>>>> money, and jokingly proposed that to Gunvor, but of course we >>>>>>>>>> didn't. The other problematic entry was a film by Gunner's daughter >>>>>>>>>> Oona. We wrote a letter to the organization suggesting that people >>>>>>>>>> who worked on the organization and their close relatives, and also >>>>>>>>>> the close relatives of judges, should not be permitted to enter. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Since I lately have been making films again myself, I looked into >>>>>>>>>> festivals via "Film Freeway." I'm not sure I would recommend this >>>>>>>>>> site, but have used it to enter a few. I certainly know all the >>>>>>>>>> stories — the judges look at only the first three minutes to see if >>>>>>>>>> their attention is caught; there is a pre-selection committee of >>>>>>>>>> teenagers. I wonder if some AI engine will be "trained" to judge >>>>>>>>>> films? I would feed the engine Brakhage's Arabics , Kenji >>>>>>>>>> Mizoguchi's Genroku Chushingura, and Samuel Fuller's Shock Corridor >>>>>>>>>> as its training in recognizing advanced cinema art. Anyway, I did >>>>>>>>>> enter some, to the tune of a few hundred dollars, but entered >>>>>>>>>> expecting nothing. I was surprised to see that hardly any give >>>>>>>>>> financial prizes. I guess they think that being shown in their >>>>>>>>>> super-fabulous festival is prize enough. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Fred Camper >>>>>>>>>> Chicago >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>>>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>>>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>>> -- >>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>> -- >>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>> -- >>> Frameworks mailing list >>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >> -- >> Frameworks mailing list >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org
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