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Working for Canadian Screenwriters

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) represents more than 2,500 professional English-language screenwriters in Canada — the creators of entertainment watched around the world. The WGC administers contracts and advises producers on how to engage professional screenwriters, and celebrates and promotes its members by hosting the annual WGC Screenwriting Awards, as well as events and panels on the craft and business of screenwriting. The WGC is the voice for Canadian screenwriters.

 

What We Do

Representation

The Guild negotiates, enforces, and administers collective agreements setting out the minimum terms and conditions of work in the Guild’s jurisdiction — independent English-language production in Canada. The central collective agreement, the Independent Production Agreement, is negotiated between the Guild and the associations representing independent producers — the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) and the Association Québécoise de la Production Médiatique (AQPM). Agreements have also been negotiated with the CBC, NFB, TVOntario, CTV, Global, and ACCESS (Alberta). The WGC provides industry standard writing contracts, ensures contracts comply with the collective agreements, pursues royalties, and resolves disputes on working conditions, payment, and writing credits.

Services

The WGC works to raise the profile of screenwriters through marketing and advocacy initiatives, actively promoting writers and their craft. The Guild publishes Canadian Screenwriter magazine three times a year, regularly hosts Writers Talking TV, a writer-focused live event, and the annual WGC Screenwriting Awards gala. As well, Guild members are profiled in the WGC members' directory, made available to registered producers interested in hiring professional screenwriters.

Guild members are entitled to free membership in the Canadian Screenwriters Collection Society (CSCS), an organization established by the WGC with a distinct mandate to claim, collect, administer and distribute, on a collective basis, foreign authors’ levies to which film and television writers are entitled under the national copyright legislation of certain countries.

Advocacy

The Guild is a dedicated advocate for the profession of screenwriting in Canada. Through appearances at the CRTC and through work with government and industry partners, the WGC advocates for policies and programs that support opportunities for Canadian screenwriters. 

The WGC is the vocal champion of Canadian drama, lobbying to ensure that Canadian writers have a place of primacy in the Canadian broadcasting system, and in film and digital media. Canadian audiences want to be able to choose Canadian programs, and only Canadian writers have the voice, vision, and experience to tell  those stories. 

WGC Writers' Forum

How We Work

The Guild is governed by a seven-member council of screenwriter members, who set policies and oversee Guild activities. Additional advice and input is received from a fifteen-member national forum, who meet annually with council and staff. Both bodies are composed of Guild members elected for two-year terms from Canada's four regions (Atlantic, Quebec, Central, and Pacific Western). The executive director and staff manage the Guild's day-to-day operations.

WGC COUNCIL
IAWG

Member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds

The Guild works with other writers' organizations around the world and is a member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG), an international body representing guilds of professional screenwriters. The IAWG works to further the cause of screenwriters worldwide by lobbying governments to adopt writer-friendly legislation and through collective action, mutual support, and common representation internationally.