Promoting Creative Arts and Protecting Intellectual Property
“The benefits of strong copyright law extend from artists, directors, grips and makeup artists to the consumer who will ultimately be afforded more choice in film if quality movies are able to recover their investments. Filmmakers around the world depend on copyright laws to protect their works and allow them to create movies that will entertain millions around the globe. Like any other industry, we cannot endure the theft of our works and still provide what consumers want; good, quality movies. Canada must have updated copyright laws in line with other countries around the world in order for creators to be protected in the face of widespread piracy over the Internet”
~ Norman Jewison, Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award recipient, Academy Award ® Nominated Filmmaker, and Founder of the Canadian Film Centre

Promoting Creative Arts

When the film industry succeeds, everyone benefits. It allows movie studios to take a chance on the more risky movies, the emerging screenwriters, and the unknown actors. It enables them to bring big budget productions to cities around the world, pour money into local economies and create good jobs in our communities. Last year alone, the total volume of film and television production in this country reached $5.2 billion and, in turn, generated over 130,000 full-time equivalent jobs. The impact is clear: more jobs, more entertainment choices, and more opportunities for the creative professions.

Protecting Content

The ability of the motion picture and television industry to continue to deliver content to consumers in new and innovative ways is dependent upon our ability to protect our content. We believe in protecting the rights of the creative artists who write, direct, produce and star in the entertainment that billions of people across the globe have come to enjoy. To that end, we support new technologies and innovative approaches that create greater consumer choice for how, when and where content can be accessed legally at a variety of price points consumers want.

The REEL Challenge Contest Winners

The Reel Challenge is a contest for aspiring filmmakers to make a short compelling film about the importance of creators' rights and copyright protection for their work, from a creator's perspective. For contemporary artists, including filmmakers, the digital age brings extraordinary opportunities, yet at the same time, unprecedented challenges with respect to an artist's ability to control the distribution, use and reproduction of his or her work.

In this year's contest, all categories and genres of short film were accepted, including drama, comedy, animation, horror, sci-fi, documentary, experimental and music videos. Prizes were awarded by the adjudicating committee to the top three films that best promoted creators' rights and addressed the importance of content protection, from a creator's perspective, in the most compelling way, provoked the most thought and feeling in the viewer, and were considered the most engaging, imaginative and the most innovative in content and delivery.

The winning entries were:
It's My Right (written and directed by Denis Seguin)
Respect the C (written and directed by Nick Kalish)
Respect the Original (written and directed by Spencer Maybee)