news
National Film Board Announces Its Own Slate of Cuts
Local fallout from the federal budget keeps on coming.
Photo by Eugen Sakhnenko.
Earlier today, we learned that the CBC is planning on eliminating jobs and cutting service in order to make up for a loss of funding as a result of this year’s tight federal budget. Now, the National Film Board has announced that, because of a $6.68 million annual reduction in its federal subsidy, it will be shedding 73 jobs, and will also be closing down viewing stations and cinemas at both its Médiatheque in Toronto and its Cinérobothèque in Montreal as of September 1, among other cuts.
The viewing stations at the Médiatheque, located at 150 John Street, offer free access to more than 6,000 films in the NFB’s collection. The cinemas there sometimes host paid, ticketed events, but are often free to visit.
According to a press release, the NFB will also be ending its grants for festivals and events and scaling back assistance for independent filmmakers.