Canada’s national interactive media association puzzled by cuts to export program, urges federal government to reconsider

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, August 15, 2008 – The Canadian Interactive Alliance / l’Alliance interactive canadienne (CIAIC) is shocked by the Conservative government’s recent decision to discontinue the Trade Routes export program at the end of the current fiscal year.
Since August 8, the federal government has announced cuts to $18 million worth of programs sponsored by the Department of Canadian Heritage that provide assistance for producers working with film, video and Interactive Media. Among those funds to be eliminated as of March 31, 2009 are Trade Routes ($9 million), the A-V Preservation Trust ($300,000 in funding), the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund ($1.5 million), the National Training Schools Program ($2.5 million) and PromArt ($4.7 million).
Of these program cuts, the CIAIC is most concerned by the dismantling of Trade Routes, since it was one of the few export development tools available to Interactive Media producers and trade bodies. The National Training Schools Program also benefited educational institutions featuring Interactive Media as part of their curricula, including the Banff Centre for the Arts, Institute National d’Image et du Son, and the Canadian Film Centre.
“Trade Routes is a vital component of many of the activities the CIAIC participates in,” says CIAIC president Ian Kelso. “Without it, the ability to get Canadian talent and expertise in front of foreign buyers is in jeopardy.”
Additionally, Canada’s Interactive Media industry is facing the expiration of the $14-million Telefilm Canada New Media Fund on March 31, 2009. The Telefilm Canada New Media Fund is the only federal product development fund which has spurred the growth and emergence of many of Canada’s internationally successful Interactive Media firms.
“It’s puzzling to see this uncertainty and lack of concrete commitment from the Conservative government at a time when Interactive Media is poised to enjoy 20 or 30 per cent global revenue growth over the next five years – Canada needs to secure its share of that growth, and Trade Routes is instrumental in achieving that goal,” continues Kelso. “Interactive Media truly is the future of job creation in the knowledge economy spanning a wide spectrum of media, entertainment, educational and informational applications.”
“It is still an emerging industry with much potential to create success in the global marketplace through a unique combination of creativity and innovation. As such, more investment in training, capacity-building and export development is needed, not less.”
About CIAIC
Formed in June 2005, the Canadian Interactive Alliance/l’Alliance Interactive Canadienne is a not-for-profit association and the authoritative voice for Canada’s interactive digital media industry on the national stage. Its membership is composed of seven provincial interactive media associations: Alliance Numérique, Digital Alberta, Interactive Media Alliance of PEI, Interactive Ontario, Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Association, New Media BC, and SaskInteractive.
For more on the alliance, visit the CIAIC’s website at http://www.ciaic.ca.
Information: contact James Lewis, executive director, (613) 878-7604 or james@ciaic.ca