National Film Board Studio One cancelled

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On March 31, the National Film Board cancelled funding for its

Aboriginal film making body, Studio One.

Studio One was headquartered in Edmonton, and had been set up to enable

Aboriginal film makers to tell their own stories. It helped train film

makers and funded the production of some films.

Gravdon McRae, Executive Producer for the film board's North West

Centre, explained that the program was cancelled as part of a rethinking

of how the National Film Board could best serve Aboriginal film makers.

"The first few years of Studio One," said McRae, " have provided an

opportunity to evaluate its success in addressing its original goal--to

offer the greatest possible access to the National Film Board by

Aboriginal film makers. This evaluation was conducted by a consultant

over the past winter. Our consultant surveyed Aboriginal people who had

worked with Studio One on their reactions to the experience. This

assessment led us to recognize that the studio had not been as

successful in meeting the needs of First Nations film making across the

country as we's have liked.

"In particular, it is difficult to reach a national group from one

centre. The First nations film community across Canada clearly wanted

Studio One restructured in a way that would be less centralized."

McRae noted that the re-evaluation of Studio One came at the same time

as the entire National Film Board was being recognized. The new system

does away with the studio structure of the NFB and replaces it with a

structure organized around programming rather than geography or

constituency.

"There will be a new decentralized First Peoples' program that very

clearly addresses the concern expressed by Aboriginal film makers in our

review," said McRae. "This program will include a special allocation

for First Nations film makers that will provide ear-marked funds for

their use.

"The National Film Board has several regions across the country, and

each regional centre within the Film Board will submit proposals to a

national program committee. Aboriginal film makers to make films about

and in their own communities when they want. It does not block them

from access to mainstream NFB programs, but it guarantees there will be

designated funds."