Canadian, B.C. film/TV industry braces for impact of Hollywood actors strike

Canada’s film and television community is bracing for more job uncertainty amid a Hollywood actors’ strike.

Observers say the news regarding actors represented by the U.S. union SAG-AFTRA will throw more Canadian talent and crews out of work and may dim the star-wattage of celebrity-driven events like TIFF.

SAG-AFTRA says it is joining already striking Writers Guild of America members, who walked off the job in May.

Related Article: Hollywood actors join screenwriters on strike as contract talks collapse

The CEO of Langley-based Martini Film Studios, Gemma Martini, says she’s eager for “all of this to be over … so we can resurrect what is an unbelievable contributor to our economy, and great work for our crew.”

Speaking to CityNews, Martini says the current situation makes her worried, and she’s hopeful that negotiations go well so production can get up and running quickly after a deal is reached.

More than half of Canadian-set film and TV shoots are U.S.-based productions, which collectively employ tens of thousands of local talent and crew.

Martini notes for B.C., approximately 15 per cent of the work is domestic-based productions.

“But, without the American actors, who generally were also on a lot of sets here in B.C., we won’t have access to them,” she explained. ” And as time goes on, the previously written scripts have also dwindled.”

“We’re coming to a point in time now where there’ll be more of a screeching halt to production. We’re down to less than a quarter of what we typically have this time of year.”

Martini says the length of the strike is also worrying, as people may choose to leave the industry in order to find permanent income.

“Part of what we are involved in a lot is training and engaging young people to bring them into our industry, and they may have come in the over the boom of the last five years, and assuming that that’s what the industry is like.

“Traditionally we have ebbed and flowed. And here we are in our first ebb, and unfortunately, I think we will lose some of those newer people that are newer to industry.”

With rising costs and interest rate hikes, Martini says she’s concerned that “there will come a time” when people will “decide that they need to choose a career perhaps that’s less of a gig economy.”

“That’s a fear of mine.”

Martini says her heart goes out to the crews and everyone working in the industry during this time.

“It’s a very hard time but I am confident. I’m confident and hopeful that it’s going to come back just as quickly as we came back after COVID.”

–With files from Martin MacMahon