Mar 29, 2024
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Critics decry Canada tax credit

The Canadian government is prepping new legislation that would allow it to pull tax credits from film and TV projects that have too much sex and/or violence.

Critics say the proposed law, which has already been approved by all three parties in the House of Commons and is seeking final approval in the Senate, amounts to censorship that might have nixed David Cronenberg’s “Eastern Promises” and Showtime’s Canadian-Irish TV series “The Tudors.”

“I see the potential for backdoor censorship,” said Toronto entertainment lawyer David Zitzerman, a partner at Goodmans. “I do believe there are people in the government who feel it’s inappropriate to put public money into controversial productions, like (the recent Canuck indie pic) ‘Young People Fucking.’ It will have a chilling effect on the production of controversial films and TV shows.”

A panel will decide whether a project is for the public good and eligible for tax breaks. But it will only rule on Canadian projects; American films shooting in Canada, which also are eligible to receive federal tax credits, will be not be bound by the same rules.

Many fear that the law will make it difficult to finance films or TV shows with controversial content.

Under the current system, producers go to the bank and use the promises of future tax credits to borrow money to make the film or TV show. They then re-pay the loan using the tax credits, which they receive after shooting wraps. But the producers fear the banks won’t loan the money if they think there’s a chance the government will pull the tax credits due to controversial content.

“We’re trying to create a transparent set of criteria to assess products,” said a spokesman from Heritage Canada. “It’s certainly not to take a dramatically different approach from what we’ve taken in the past.”

Source: Variety

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Headline, Industry News

Critics decry Canada tax credit

The Canadian government is prepping new legislation that would allow it to pull tax credits from film and TV projects that have too much sex and/or violence.

Critics say the proposed law, which has already been approved by all three parties in the House of Commons and is seeking final approval in the Senate, amounts to censorship that might have nixed David Cronenberg’s “Eastern Promises” and Showtime’s Canadian-Irish TV series “The Tudors.”

“I see the potential for backdoor censorship,” said Toronto entertainment lawyer David Zitzerman, a partner at Goodmans. “I do believe there are people in the government who feel it’s inappropriate to put public money into controversial productions, like (the recent Canuck indie pic) ‘Young People Fucking.’ It will have a chilling effect on the production of controversial films and TV shows.”

A panel will decide whether a project is for the public good and eligible for tax breaks. But it will only rule on Canadian projects; American films shooting in Canada, which also are eligible to receive federal tax credits, will be not be bound by the same rules.

Many fear that the law will make it difficult to finance films or TV shows with controversial content.

Under the current system, producers go to the bank and use the promises of future tax credits to borrow money to make the film or TV show. They then re-pay the loan using the tax credits, which they receive after shooting wraps. But the producers fear the banks won’t loan the money if they think there’s a chance the government will pull the tax credits due to controversial content.

“We’re trying to create a transparent set of criteria to assess products,” said a spokesman from Heritage Canada. “It’s certainly not to take a dramatically different approach from what we’ve taken in the past.”

Source: Variety

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Headline, Industry News

Critics decry Canada tax credit

The Canadian government is prepping new legislation that would allow it to pull tax credits from film and TV projects that have too much sex and/or violence.

Critics say the proposed law, which has already been approved by all three parties in the House of Commons and is seeking final approval in the Senate, amounts to censorship that might have nixed David Cronenberg’s “Eastern Promises” and Showtime’s Canadian-Irish TV series “The Tudors.”

“I see the potential for backdoor censorship,” said Toronto entertainment lawyer David Zitzerman, a partner at Goodmans. “I do believe there are people in the government who feel it’s inappropriate to put public money into controversial productions, like (the recent Canuck indie pic) ‘Young People Fucking.’ It will have a chilling effect on the production of controversial films and TV shows.”

A panel will decide whether a project is for the public good and eligible for tax breaks. But it will only rule on Canadian projects; American films shooting in Canada, which also are eligible to receive federal tax credits, will be not be bound by the same rules.

Many fear that the law will make it difficult to finance films or TV shows with controversial content.

Under the current system, producers go to the bank and use the promises of future tax credits to borrow money to make the film or TV show. They then re-pay the loan using the tax credits, which they receive after shooting wraps. But the producers fear the banks won’t loan the money if they think there’s a chance the government will pull the tax credits due to controversial content.

“We’re trying to create a transparent set of criteria to assess products,” said a spokesman from Heritage Canada. “It’s certainly not to take a dramatically different approach from what we’ve taken in the past.”

Source: Variety

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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