Thursday, June 19, 2008

'The elephant in the room' -- Bill C10

U.S. filmmakers, artists of ANY description, listen up.

It's not only Mark Steyn who's at risk of being silenced by evil nannies. He's print, a medium arguably easier to weasel into toeing the party line.

But now they're after film-making.

People, this is getting serious. Time to roll up your sleeves and start bombarding your lawmakers with your objections. I know, it's time-consuming. But -- and not to sound too apocalyptic -- civilization depends on it.

(via instapundit)

1 comment:

Blazingcatfur said...

The issue here is bit clouded. Bill C-10 is not actually censorsing filmakers or other artists. It does provide the government funding agencies with the ability to deny monies to productions whose content is found objectionable. Denying them money is not the same as saying you can't make the film, it just says go ahead and make the film just not on our nickel.

Unfortunately in Canada much of the arts community relies directly on government handouts as it is not self-sustaining. There is a very limited market for the "product" being produced. By and large it simply doesn't speak to the values and or tastes of the typical Canuck. This is due in part to the fact that being governmnet funded also means it is not what you but who you know that gets you funding in the 1st place. Consequently Canada produces a lot of really 3rd and 4th rate stuff that gets foisted on the public at taxpayer expense. Canada is very much a "Banana Republic" like example of rank cronyism when it comes to the "arts".

Virtually our entire film industry is financed by direct government handouts and or tax breaks whether domestic or "runaway" Hollywood productions.

Very little sympathy is extended to the arts as they, who consider themselves "radicals" & "societies conscience" etc have been crying about money and have paid scant attention to the real battle going on for Free Speech. It is regarded as an example of the arts communities self-centred narcisism, and irrelevance.

With the exception of PEN Canada the writers union, few in the arts community have spoken up for free speech as members tend to be left wing and the free speech fight is seen as a right wing battle. Don't ask me why.