ACTRA Toronto

The Future of Film Showcase (FOFS) returns on July 23rd and ACTRA Toronto is excited to be a sponsor! There's some incredible events happening during the four-day festival, including:

• Rising Star Award: Closing Keynote Conversation with in Toronto winner Nina Kiri
• In the Casting Room: BIPOC Actors Workshop
• Reel Concerns: Protecting Performers in the Age of AI
• More Than a Game: Q***r Storytelling in Slo Pitch and Beyond

And much more! Plus, ACTRA Toronto Members can save 50% on the Rising Star, Reel Concerns and More Than a Game events! See you recent Member email for the promotion code.

Learn more and get your tickets: https://www.fofs.ca

The FOFS presents works from emerging Canadian Filmmakers and elevates work by women, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, and other emerging creatives from traditionally marginalized communities.

🔥 Air quality alert! Wildfire smoke is affecting Ontario, and your health comes first.

If you're working in areas affected by wildfire smoke, remember:

• The IPA requires appropriate measures when performers work in areas where the air is affected by wildfire smoke (Appendix 30).
• Under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers must take reasonable precautions to protect you from workplace hazards, including poor air quality.
• You have the right to refuse unsafe work. If you have questions or concerns about your workplace, contact your ACTRA Toronto Business Representative.

ACTRA Toronto has been advised that several productions are proactively adapting to today's conditions. ACTRA Toronto appreciates the productions that are taking proactive steps to protect the health and safety of performers and all crew during these wildfire events.

Check the Air Quality Health Index and speak up if conditions aren't safe. For more on protecting yourself, see WSPS's guide to wildfire smoke safety: https://www.wsps.ca/resource-hub/articles/6-ways-to-protect-employees-from-wildfire-smoke

Stay safe, stay informed, and know your rights. The law is on your side.

UPDATE: Meta has announced a pause of this AI generation tool. ACTRA Toronto Members and many others in the creative community spoke up loudly in solidarity against this policy, and our voices were heard. Thank you to all our Members who shared the message.

You may have already heard about Meta's Muse Image model rollout, which allows anyone to use your Instagram photos (if you have a public profile) in AI Images - unless you manually opt-out.

We are alarmed if unsurprised by this predatory and overreaching change to their terms of service and we want you to be informed and able to take action to protect yourself and your families.

While this new feature is concerning for all Instagram users, it's especially disheartening for performers who have been increasingly reliant on social media as a tool for growing our careers. Our awareness and advocacy are heightened, especially on behalf of our parent and guardian community and our members who are minors, and know that ACTRA is committed to ensuring you are protected.

Here's how to block AI generations of your content (source: Wired.com):

1. Open Instagram and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap the hamburger menu (three lines) in the top-right corner (Settings and activity).
3. Scroll down and tap Sharing and reuse.
4. Toggle off Posts and Reels under the Allow people to use your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta section.
5. Toggle off Original audio on Meta AI if you do not want your voice or sounds used.

ACTRA Toronto is taking a stand against this policy on behalf of all our members. We are calling on the Provincial and Federal government to take immediate action and implement AI regulations in our jurisdiction and across Canada.

This week was the Vaughan International Film Festival, and we were thrilled that two ACTRA Toronto productions were nominated at their closing night awards!

GOOD VIBES ONLY was nominated for Best Canadian Film, and HEIRLOOMS was nominated for Best Performance (Chloe Van Landschoot) and won for Best Cinematography (Ian Macmillan)!

Congratulations to all the performers and filmmakers! Learn more about the VFF: https://www.vaughanfilmfestival.com

The World Cup has brought so much joy and spectacle to Canadian cities.

It has also brought a massive national BMO Financial Group campaign, with a media spend upwards of 10 million dollars. Which means - no matter where you go across our cities, you are surrounded by a larger-than-life reminder that BMO and TBWA\Canada actually CAN afford to pay for talent, they are choosing not to engage Canadian performers.

"This isn't about one performer. It's about a Canadian bank choosing an advertising agency that has locked out Canadian performers for more than four years. The solution is simple: require TBWA\Canada to return to the National Commercial Agreement, or choose an agency that supports Canadian performers and the jobs they deserve.” - Kate Ziegler, President, ACTRA Toronto

ACTRA Toronto is encouraging Canadians to “Give BMO a Red Card” by contacting the bank directly and voicing their concerns publicly on social media, urging BMO to require its advertising agency to return to the National Commercial Agreement or hire an agency that will keep good Canadian jobs in the country BMO claims to support.

Read ACTRA National's full statement and find out ways to contact BMO and make your voice heard: https://www.actra.ca/give-BMO-the-red-card/

AI was an important topic at our recent AGM, and Gail Haupert, ACTRA Toronto's Director of Contracts and Production kept this critical conversation going at the recent VRTO Spatial Media World Conference & Expo.

Gail was a panelist in Beyond The Prompt: Rights, Royalties and Recognition, which explored the urgent questions around consent, copyright, compensation and creative ownership in the face of generative AI, and how policy, labour frameworks and emerging legislation can futureproof Canada’s screen industry while ensuring human creators remain visible, protected and fairly compensated.

The panel also featured Samuel Bischoff (DGC),Neal McDougall (WGC), Lisa Broadfoot (CMPA) and Margaret McGuffin (Music Publishers Canada), and was moderated by Miriam Kramer (OCAD University). Thank you to VRTO for having us!

We are thrilled to celebrate the ACTRA Toronto winners at this week's Dora Mavor Moore Awards! The Dora Awards, Canada’s largest and oldest awards program, celebrates the incredible talent within Toronto’s professional theatre, dance, and opera communities.

Congratulations to these ACTRA Toronto Members for their winning performances and the wonderful recognition by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA):

General Theatre Division
• Outstanding performance by an individual: Sophia Walker for “Slave Play”
• Outstanding performance by an ensemble: Liz Der, Philippa Domville, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, Sofía Rodríguez, Emerjade Simms for “Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs”

Independent Theatre Division
• Outstanding performance by an individual: Nick Eddie for “Bug”
• Outstanding performance by an ensemble: Mariya Khomutova, Alon Nashman, Karl Ang for “The Division”

Musical Theatre Division
• Outstanding performance by an individual: Kaylee Harwood for “Bright Star”
• Outstanding performance by an ensemble: Damien Atkins, Alicia Ault, Andrew Broderick, Ben Carlson, Hailey Gillis, Zorana Sadiq, Jacqueline Thair, Giles Tomkins for “Octet”

Theatre for Young Audiences Division
• Outstanding performance by an individual: Morgan St. Onge for “Morgan’s Journey”

Dance Division
• Outstanding performance by an individual: Rose-Mary Harbans for “ZAYO”

Meet all the winners: https://tapa.ca

🇨🇦 Happy Canada Day from ACTRA Toronto! 🇨🇦⁠
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Across the country, professional Canadian performers bring our incredible stories to life. Today, let's celebrate Canada: stream, binge, watch, and enjoy! 🎬️🍁⁠
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Reminder to ACTRA Toronto Members: Our offices will be closed on Wednesday, July 1st for Canada Day. We will reopen on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026.

🇨🇦 Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦