U.S. producers outnumbered Canadian producers by a wide margin at negotiations with ACTRA that ended without a deal on February 8, when the lead negotiator for the producers left to attend the Berlin Film Festival.”We are extremely concerned by the lack of direct involvement by Canadian producers in negotiations and we don’t believe a deal can be reached unless more of them get involved,” stated ACTRA’s Chief Negotiator Stephen Waddell. “The U.S. producers certainly don’t seem to be in any hurry to get a deal.” 

Issues on the negotiating table include new rates, fair compensation for use of performers’ work on the internet and an end to the legal actions against ACTRA by the producers’ associations.

Last week U.S. producers offered to pay $5.65 a year for unlimited internet use - a proposal that extended the current impasse.

A series of formal and informal phone discussions in recent days has so far not resulted in an agreement.

“The CFTPA clearly needs some help from its own stakeholders to get to a close,” Waddell said.