CALL TO ACTION NOTICE
VAFF needs supporters to write to funders and government to show support for the work VAFF and our advocacy arm Elimin8Hate does for the community throughout the year. Please view the below template letter, contact us at supportvaff@vaff.org for further call to action instructions and any questions. Thank you!
Over the past year, VAFF released the Diversity on Screen Equity Report on 5 Canadian Broadcasters showing that Asian are only represented less than 9% across all these broadcasters that receive public funding, much less then our population.
Template Letter: Support for Vancouver Asian Film Festival Funding from Canada Council for the Arts and Canadian Heritage
I am a [filmmaker and content creator based in region] and am writing to you in support of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF), Canada’s oldest Asian film festival and largest racialized film festival in Western Canada. VAFF provides immensely important opportunities for underrepresented and underfunded Asian Canadian media artists to be presented, promoted, and highlighted to the general public.
VAFF has played a vital part in developing the ecosystem for Asian Canadian media artists and I am appalled that over the years so little funding has been provided to VAFF for its festival presentation by CCA and Canadian Heritage and no funding has been awarded to VAFF for its 2022 Festival. This is different than the one-time Digital Transformation funding. VAFF fundamentally understands the unique needs of its racialized community as it is led by a racialized Board and has built much needed cultural infrastructures through its programs and projects that not only showcases Asian Canadian stories, but also provides mentorship and professional development opportunities.
The fact that VAFF is unable to secure funding from CCA and Canadian Heritage grants has little to do with the contributions and value VAFF brings to Canada’s arts and culture and is more of an indication that the Government of Canada has failed in its commitment to reform its funding processes to avoid systemically racist outcomes and is ultimately continuing its decades long underfunding of racialized arts organizations.
It seems that both CCA and Canadian Heritage continues to reward grant writing rather than the actual valuable work an organization is providing to its racialized community members. This needs to end.
As a racialized filmmaker, it is vital for organizations that support my career receive funding and operational funding from CCA and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Please reconsider and find a way to reverse its systemically racist and unfair assessment of VAFF’s funding application and provide funding to this culturally important festival and arts organization. VAFF deserves to be funded by public funds as it represents a large percentage of Canada’s tax paying demographic.
I hope Canadian government will do what is right and equitable.
Sincerely,