Dear Wayne,

Having formally asked Telefilm to reconsider its aberrant two-year limit on the inaugural documentary performance envelope awarded to Big Picture Media Corporation and rethink imposing a $1m cap on envelopes earned by documentaries, I was surprised by your dismissive response. I’m replying publicly because this is not a private matter between my company and Telefilm; it severely affects documentary filmmaking across the country.

Lisa Fitzgibbons, interim Executive Director of DOC (membership 850) framed it precisely in her letter of support: “What is of deep concern to DOC and indeed, all Canadian documentary filmmakers, is the apparent undervaluing of theatrical documentaries despite their success at the box office and the application of more favourable conditions to fiction films. In the case of The Corporation’s ‘performance envelope,’ Telefilm has the opportunity to enhance feature documentary filmmaking in Canada and yet has chosen to limit that support.”

On October 16, 2008, Telefilm announced its new and improved “Customer Service Charter,” promising “fairness and timeliness” and affirming a “continued commitment to providing excellent standards of service and to building mutually beneficial relationships with our private sector partners.”