Saturday, March 29, 2008

Earth Hour

I would write an entry tonight but I am conserving power.

Meanwhile it turns out the Jesus section of Zeitgeist is flimsy.

They actually misreported key story points on which they hun their arguments.

Well, The Fashion of the Christ is now a solid 19 pages, down from 25, with a more
focused story. Eager to get shooting.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Easter

Free Tibet

Boycott the Beijing Olympics.

China won't allow LIVE footage of Tiennamine Square during the games ????

Gee, how will they give people those fond rememberances years from now when they hear the name of that square? "Uh, yes, that's the place where they had some terrific events!"

Anyway, try to have a Happy Easter, and remember J.C. actually did have a following before the Council of Nicea so whether he existed or not he wasn't invented there, with all due respect to the charming Zeitgeist.

(And according the Fog of War, they were wrong about the torpedo incident that supposedly started Viet Nam too. But that's another story)

Monday, March 17, 2008

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I have decided to celebrate St. Paddy's Day by chasing some snakes and protesting Bill C-10 which threatens to bring down what's left of the Canadian film industry:

Senate Commerce, Banking and Trade Committee

banking_banques@sen.parl.gc.ca

Standing Committee Members

Angus, W. David Chair - C - (Alma - Quebec)Goldstein, Yoine Deputy Chair - Lib. - (Rigaud - Quebec)Biron, Michel - Lib. - (Mille Isles - Quebec)Eyton, John Trevor - C - (Ontario)Harb, Mac - Lib. - (Ontario)Jaffer, Mobina S.B. - Lib. - (British Columbia)Massicotte, Paul J. - Lib. - (De Lanaudière - Quebec)Meighen, Michael A. - C - (St. Marys - Ontario)Moore, Wilfred P. - Lib. - (Stanhope St. / South Shore - Nova Scotia)Ringuette, Pierrette - Lib. - (New Brunswick)Tkachuk, David - C - (Saskatchewan)


re: Bill C-10 and the Canadian Film Industry

I must protest the provision that would allow the Heritage Minister to withhold tax credits if a production was considered 'contrary to public policy'.

This is expected to spook the banks. They will have one more reason to shrink from a proposed project, wondering: will this final film meet the approval of the Heritage Minister and whatever panel is to be named later?

It is difficult enough to finance a film in Canada without having to be humbled and handicapped by completely unnecessary new legislation.

Far from whatever it means to uphold “public policy,” most movies are about some form of dissent or mischief, as is the case in theatre and literature. Any objection an individual or lobby group angling to include such a provision might have to successful films like Bob Clark’s comedy “Porky’s” or Ivan Reitman’s summer camp flick “Meatballs” or Sarah Polly’s “Away From Her,” that opinion has no relation to the marketability of the product nor its presumed ill effects upon the population or the reputation of Canada, which to date still remains cutting edge.

I am a filmmaker and I have benefited from some support from the Ontario Arts Council
and from student grants as have many of my peers. This has been for the sole purpose of
contributing to the Canadian film industry, and the reasonable fear of Bill C-10 is that it will prevent a return on that investment in human resources. Film and Television is just one industry among others that receive tax credits. It’s nothing fancy about arts funding.

Please stop Bill C-10. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Pope Will

Monday, March 3, 2008

threat to film tax credits

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/28/film-tax-credits.html?ref=rsss

Suppose you have a humorless bunch sitting around deciding who gets the blessing of credits, no matter whether a project is far along and the anticipated money is already spent or not.

This is a roll of the dice - get some government funding even from Telefilm, but there is no guarantee that the credit you budgeted for will be honored.

Just one more reason for someone on your team to say "Gee, maybe we'd better not go there."
Even if "there" is where you live and eek out a career in film: Canada.

In short it's a way for veryy conservative people who have nothing to do with the film industry to give their more liberal neighbors a kick in the shin and get away with it.