TORONTO, September 11, 2017—Canadian screenwriters and producers have agreed to extend the current agreement governing English-language screenwriting in Canada. The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM) announced today that all parties have ratified an eighteen-month extension to the Independent Production Agreement (IPA), which will come into effect Jan. 1, 2018. This agreement maintains the current terms of engagement, with an increase of minimum script fees, and now expires on June 30, 2019.

All parties agree that screenwriters and producers are best positioned to face a time of industry flux by continuing to work under the terms of the current IPA in order to focus on issues that impact the entire industry. The extension includes a one per cent script fee increase in 2018.

WGC President Jill Golick says, “From contentious CRTC decisions to the government’s Canadian Content in a Digital World policy review, there’s a lot of uncertainty in our industry, making it a less than ideal time for labour negotiations. For now, our top priority is ensuring a healthy future for Canadian screenwriters. We are hopeful that in 18 months the situation will have improved significantly.”

CMPA Senior Counsel and Vice-President of National Industrial Relations Warren Ross says, “Today’s announcement means Canada’s independent producers and the country’s talented writers can continue to focus on what they do best — bringing compelling stories to life on screen that entertain audiences here at home and around the world.”

AQPM President and CEO Hélène Messier says, “The AQPM is confident that the agreement reached by the associations and the Guild will allow for the continued success of Canadian writers and producers. Canadian writers, with their remarkable ideas and distinct sensibilities, are an integral part of the Quebec television and film industry and the AQPM is glad to count on their continued services for the foreseeable future.”

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ABOUT THE AQPM

The AQPM represents independent film, television and Web producers in Québec, including the vast majority of companies producing and co-producing content for all screens, in both French and English.

ABOUT THE CMPA

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) is the country’s leading member-based advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. The CMPA works to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and ensure a future for diverse content made by Canadians for both domestic and international audiences.  cmpa.ca

ABOUT THE WGC

The WGC represents more than 2,200 professional English-language screenwriters across Canada. These are the creators who write the Canadian entertainment enjoyed on all screens.