EzraWinton.com | Media arts and politics

OK, I’m going to try and not make this bitter, despite how utterly bitter and negative I feel at the moment. I just received word from the Canada Council that they have indeed denied support for Cinema Politica, for a second time in a row. This time, I painstakingly applied to a different envelope - a new section at the Council that had less competition - with the hopes that that would increase our odds.

Nope.

Cinema Politica is massive and shows only signs of expansion. There are 30 locals with ten waiting in the wings to join the network of free political film exhibition sites across the country. Since our focus is documentary and Canadian independent works, and since our focus is on youth (most CP locals are located on Canadian campuses) and building new audiences for independent cinema in the country, we thought that we had a pretty damn fine chance at some funding. Everyone has been telling us at least. If only the people who have sat on the last two review committees saw it that way.

With this rejection letter, I am left with two possible conclusions regarding this country’s most important arts funding agency:

1. Cinema Politica does not fit in the Council’s mandate because documentary is not seen as an art by so many in the arts community and has historically faced discrimination;
2. Cinema Politica was not an attractive project to fund for the ten (two committees of five) independent artists who reviewed all the applicants because they a) do not value documentary as a media art, b) think the project is doing fine - based on our swanky website and expansive scope across the country - and is not in need of cash (which is so far from the truth it hurts), or c) are artists who have no understanding of the crucial need to fund initiatives in this country that aim to disseminate (READ: distribution!) independent cinema to new, young audiences at alternative exhibition sites.

Alas, with this incredibly depressing news, we may be forced to terminate the project. We desperately need to hire someone to run the sprawling network, to send films across the country, to secure screening rights, to offer support to new startups in the network, etc, etc.

This cannot happen with the network being so big. So, while the Canada Council is not in the business of supporting Cinema Politica, maybe you are? Drop me a line if know where we can find cash or would like to support our work. I’m going for a long, cold walk.

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