Formal Complaints from the Public and Reporting Mechanism
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry. The Corporation acts as one of the Canadian government’s principal instruments for providing strategic leverage to the private sector, supplying the film, television and new media industries with financial and strategic support. Telefilm’s role is to foster the production of films, television programs and cultural products that reflect Canadian society, with its linguistic duality and cultural diversity, and to encourage their dissemination at home and abroad.
Complaints Regarding Telefilm Canada’s Services
In carrying out its mandate, Telefilm Canada constantly strives to provide excellent standards of service and build mutually beneficial relationships with its partners in the Canadian audiovisual industry. To this end, Telefilm Canada has adopted a Service Charter. This document contains information on the service standards, the complaint process after a decision is rendered by Telefilm Canada, and the appeal process that Telefilm Canada offers to its clients. We therefore invite you to consult this document to familiarize yourself with these mechanisms.
If you are dissatisfied with Telefilm Canada’s service even after having used a mechanism provided in the Service Charter, you can direct your complaint to legal@telefilm.ca and include your full name, email address, a detailed description of the situation and any supporting documents relating to your claim.
Telefilm’s Vice-President – Legal Services and Access to Information will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five (5) business days, review your complaint and refer it to the appropriate department for a response or for appropriate action to be taken by Telefilm Canada as soon as possible – generally within twenty (20) business days. If additional time is required to gather all the information necessary to process your complaint, we will keep you informed of the progress in your file.
Please note that Telefilm Canada does not respond to anonymous complaints. Further, all the information submitted to Telefilm Canada is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
Important: The mechanism for considering formal complaints from the public described below is not a substitute for nor an additional recourse to the appeal procedure for a de cision rendered by Telefilm Canada as set out in the Service Charter.
Reports of Unsafe or Unethical Workplace Practices
As an investor in Canada’s creative industries, Telefilm is committed to supporting a healthy ecosystem that thrives in a culture of mutual respect, dignity and inclusivity that is free from any form of harassment, discrimination, and violence. Telefilm recognizes that the responsibility of creating and preserving a safe environment is a collective one.
Reports of Unsafe or Unethical Workplace Practices Within Organizations Receiving Funding from Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada will only address and respond to complaints of unsafe or unethical workplace practices within organizations receiving funding from Telefilm Canada, as its capacity to act on complaints is directly linked to the respect of the terms and conditions of the funding it provides.
Telefilm is not a tribunal and does not have the means to perform investigations in external companies on workplace matters. Further, Telefilm does not intervene in contractual litigations or labor relation disputes to which it is not a party.
If you wish to report a situation to Telefilm, you can send an email to legal@telefilm.ca and include your full name, email address, a detailed description of the situation and any supporting documents relating to your claim.
Upon receipt of the report, Telefilm will:
- acknowledge receipt within five (5) business days
- encourage the complainant to address the issue directly with the concerned organization’s leadership
- encourage the complainant to seek support and guidance from their lawyer or professional association
- evaluate if the reported situation breaches its guidelines, policies or contractual terms and conditions
Please note that Telefilm Canada does not respond to anonymous complaints. Further, all the information submitted to Telefilm Canada is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
Reports of Non-Compliance with Telefilm Canada’ s Code of Conduct for Business Partners
In their dealings with Telefilm Canada, business partners are expected to act with respect, dignity and integrity and abstain from any form of harassment, violence or discrimination. To learn more about Telefilm’s expectations towards its business partners, please consult the Telefilm Canada’s Code of Conduct.