Quebec on Our Screens: Political Parties Must Commit to Continuing the Quebec Audiovisual Strategy

Quebec’s audiovisual unions are calling on all political parties to make a formal election commitment to the future of the industry and guarantee the continuation of the Strategy beyond the upcoming election.

Montreal, September 8, 2026 – With the Quebec election approaching and a debate on culture set to take place tomorrow, the audiovisual industry remains in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that is shaking the sector to its core and placing French-language production at particular risk. Quebec’s audiovisual unions are calling on all political parties to commit to implementing the initiatives set out in the Quebec Audiovisual Strategy 2026–2031 and to clearly include that commitment in their election platforms.

Launched this year following extensive consultations with the industry, the Strategy is Quebec’s first comprehensive plan for the audiovisual sector in 30 years. It comes at a critical time for our cultural ecosystem, as foreign platforms increasingly dominate our screens and Quebec’s legislation on the discoverability of French-language content has been directly targeted by U.S. trade negotiators. The Strategy must now extend beyond the election cycle, backed by a long-term vision and clear commitments.

Audiovisual production is a strategic industry

When strategic sectors of Quebec’s economy face upheaval that threatens jobs, businesses and production capacity, the Quebec government steps in. The audiovisual industry deserves the same consideration.

The comparison with the steel industry is telling: Canada’s steel industry generates approximately $4.2 billion in direct GDP and supports some 23,000 direct jobs nationwide. According to data compiled by the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture–CSN (FNCC-CSN), Quebec’s audiovisual industry alone generates $3.9 billion in GDP and supports approximately 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. Every dollar invested in the sector also generates $1.86 in added value for Quebec’s economy.

When the steel industry was hit by U.S. tariffs, governments recognized that protecting Canada’s industrial capacity and the thousands of jobs that depend on it was in the country’s economic interest.
Yet government support for the audiovisual sector is still too often viewed as cultural spending rather than a strategic investment. That view fails to recognize the industry’s true economic and cultural value. Supporting audiovisual production means protecting Quebec’s production capacity, tens of thousands of specialized jobs, a network of businesses and an essential pillar of our cultural identity.

French-language production is particularly vulnerable

Quebec production is not simply going through a period of adjustment. It is in crisis.

French-language productions operate with significantly smaller budgets than their English-language counterparts. In television drama, for example, the average production budget is $2.47 million per hour in English, compared with just $595,000 in French.

This vulnerability is all the more concerning because the decline began well before the current cutbacks. For several years, Quebec’s independent film and television production sector has been losing ground, gradually weakening the entire ecosystem. The latest data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec confirm this trend: in 2024–2025, the value of independent Quebec film and television production fell by 2%, while independent television production alone declined by 8%. Chronic underfunding of French-language production means that the industry is being asked to produce more quickly with increasingly limited resources and under ever more precarious working conditions. Over time, this threatens the quality and competitiveness of Quebec productions while shifting part of the financial pressure onto artists and crews. If our productions are to thrive at home and reach audiences internationally, they need investment that matches their ambitions. Without action, jobs, businesses and Quebec’s very ability to produce its own French-language content are at risk.

 

Making the Strategy a commitment that transcends party lines

The Quebec Audiovisual Strategy 2026–2031 marked a long-awaited shift for the industry, but a five-year strategy cannot deliver lasting results if its future depends on the outcome of a single election.
Quebec’s audiovisual unions are therefore calling on all political parties to formally commit in their election platforms to maintaining, advancing and strengthening the Strategy, while providing the investment required for its full implementation. The next government must continue working with the industry to adapt these measures to the needs of a rapidly changing sector and ensure that the Strategy evolves along with it.

Quebec has chosen to support an industry that both creates economic value and tells our stories. With the election only weeks away – and a debate on culture taking place tomorrow – political parties must now make it clear whether they intend to protect our cultural identity. So that tomorrow, Quebec will still have a place on our screens.

 

About Quebec’s audiovisual unions

AQTIS 514 IATSE

AQTIS 514 IATSE, the Alliance québécoise des techniciennes et techniciens de l’image et du son (AQTIS), IATSE Local 514, represents 8,000 freelance professionals working in more than 200 occupations involved in the design, planning, preparation, production and postproduction of audiovisual content. Its mission is to support the professional growth of technicians and the development of Quebec’s audiovisual industry, both at home and abroad. AQTIS 514 IATSE champions the passion and talent of its members while contributing to the strength and visibility of the audiovisual industry.

Association des réalisateurs et des réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ)

The ARRQ is a recognized professional association representing nearly 1,000 members across Quebec working in film, television, web and animation, among other fields. The association advocates for the professional, economic, cultural, social and moral rights and interests of Quebec directors. Its work includes negotiating collective agreements, preparing and contributing to briefs, and participating in numerous studies, all with the goal of protecting directors’ rights and creative working conditions.

Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture–CSN (FNCC-CSN)

The FNCC-CSN represents 6,000 members across 88 autonomous unions in three sectors: media, communications and culture. It also represents contract workers in the arts, performing arts, video and journalism. Its mission is to defend the economic, social, political and professional interests of its members. Human dignity and social development are central to its work, which focuses on securing decent working conditions, appropriate professional recognition, and healthy and rewarding work environments for its members.

Directors Guild of Canada – Quebec District Council (DGC Quebec)

The Directors Guild of Canada – Quebec District Council represents nearly 900 members working across a range of departments, including directing, art, locations, production management and accounting. The Directors Guild of Canada represents more than 7,000 members nationwide. The Guild negotiates collective agreements, promotes employment opportunities for its members and advocates for their interests on issues affecting both their current workplaces and their long-term future as a workforce.

Guilde des musiciens et musiciennes du Québec (GMMQ)

The GMMQ is a recognized professional union representing 3,200 members. Its mission is to promote recognition of the value of music and the essential contribution professional musicians make to society by representing and defending their artistic, social and economic interests. It negotiates collective agreements, establishes minimum working conditions for musicians and takes collective action on behalf of its members when their interests are at stake. The GMMQ also advocates for music and musicians with governments and communities at the local, national and international levels.

Société des auteur.e.trice.s de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC)

SARTEC’s mission is to defend the economic, artistic and professional rights and interests of French-language writers in Quebec and Canada, while promoting their profession and the fundamental role they play in the cultural industry and society. Since October 1989, SARTEC has been recognized as the association representing French-language writers in the film sector by the Commission de reconnaissance des associations d'artistes et des associations de producteurs (CRAAAP). SARTEC is also certified by the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal as the exclusive bargaining agent for French-language writers working in radio, television, film and audiovisual production.

Union des artistes (UDA)

UDA is a professional union representing more than 13,000 artists across four main areas of artistic practice: acting, singing, hosting and dancing, with members working in a wide range of disciplines. Its mission is to defend the social, economic and moral interests of its members, most of whom are self-employed, while promoting the growth and vitality of French-language culture. At the heart of its work are the negotiation of minimum working conditions, artist compensation and the enforcement of collective agreements.

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