MONTREAL - The National Film Board will be celebrating its 73rd anniversary by laying off that same number of employees, a result of cuts that see its budget reduced by about 10 percent, or $6.68 million.
About 25 of those 37 the jobs lost in Montreal will be at the Cinerobotheque, which had been readying to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.
The NFB says to save money and reach a wider audience it plans to showcase its productions on-line.
"With the internet and our new screening rooms nfb.ca we are able to screen a lot of NFB films on-line. Not just for Montrealers but for people in all over Quebec all over Canada," said NFB representative Lily Robert.
The NFB will also reduce funding to independent filmmakers.
News local documentary producer John Christou says the cuts will hurt budding artists.
"The biggest impact it will have will be on emerging filmmakers. They're the ones specifically that access those NFB programs," said Chirstou, a documentary producer.
On the positive side Montreal will get six of the 12 new jobs created across Canada for education programs
