Now, as the ACTRA Toronto Council election approaches on November 11, one candidate is challenging the union to adapt to a rapidly changing world.

Performer and filmmaker Brennan Martin, an ACTRA member for 11 years, is running on a platform of transparency, collaboration, and modernization. He believes the union’s current structure—designed for a pre-digital era—hasn’t kept pace with how performers actually work today, especially in an industry reshaped by streaming, artificial intelligence, and the decline of traditional funding models.

“I decided to run because I’m an ACTRA member and a filmmaker, and I’ve seen that ACTRA has not been protecting its members like it should be,” Martin says. “If we need to survive, we need to make agreements with other unions to compete with films from the U.S. and the emerging threat from AI.”

A Union Built for Another Era

ACTRA—the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists—represents more than 30,000 professional performers across film, TV, radio, and digital media. The Toronto branch is the largest, electing a 24-member council to set policy, budgets, and strategy for the region.

Martin says many of the union’s policies were written for a time when filmmaking was slower and far more expensive.

“A lot of these rules were created decades ago, when you had to buy film stock to make something,” he explains. “ACTRA needs to update itself for the 21st century.”

He points to the Co-op Agreement, which governs small productions, as a major barrier for emerging creators. Under the current rules, only actors and one producer/director/writer can hold ownership in a co-op film—meaning cinematographers, editors, and other crew are excluded from owning their work.

“It was meant to protect actors, and that makes sense,” Martin says. “But what it does is separate us from other creatives in the industry, so crews and outside directors avoid working with ACTRA members whenever they can.”

He argues that this separation keeps independent filmmakers and performers from collaborating freely, pushing many to operate entirely outside the union.

The Commercial Lockout and Lost Livelihoods

Martin also wants to address the ongoing commercial lockout, a three-year-long dispute between ACTRA and ad agencies that has drastically reduced union members’ access to commercial work.

“It’s been devastating,” he says. “People have lost their homes, had to quit acting. It’s been really rough.”

He believes the lockout persisted partly because non-union talent filled the gap and because joining ACTRA remains unnecessarily difficult.

“It’s really difficult to join the union as an actor, and extremely painful,” Martin explains. “You need three union parts to become a full member, and in that period you’re prevented from doing non-union work. You still pay dues, but you don’t get voting rights or benefits. It’s an archaic system.”

Martin supports a “one-and-done” path to membership to welcome new performers back into the fold. He also believes the union should create its own creative campaigns to raise public awareness about the dispute:

“We’re creatives—so we should be creating content to shame those companies, entertain and educate the public, and win people to our side.”

“Fauxditions” and the Fight for Fair Casting

Martin is equally vocal about what actors call fauxditions—auditions held to satisfy “best efforts” rules requiring producers to audition Canadian performers, even when roles are already earmarked for foreign talent.

“We take time out of our days to learn lines, film an audition, edit it, and send it off just so they can say they tried,” he says. “Canadian actors are doing free work so millionaire American actors can come up and work on a set funded by generous Canadian tax credits.”

Under the current Preference of Engagement system, foreign-backed productions only have to make a “best effort” to hire Canadians. Martin believes that’s not enough.

“Producers come up to Canada because of our great tax credits and our cheap dollar,” he says. “We could be pushing for more representation in front of the camera. That’s what unions are for.”

Building a Modern, Transparent ACTRA

If elected, Martin says he’ll push for a new low-budget collective agreement that would let union actors and crews work together on independent films, sharing ownership based on their contributions.

“Everyone who works on a film would get paid the same rate and ownership would be shared with cast and crew depending on how many days they work,” he explains. “If the film does well, everyone makes money off that film forever.”

He also wants to see a dual-track system that keeps the traditional protections for large studio productions while introducing flexible rules for independent creators, as well as financial transparency within the union itself.

“ACTRA after the strikes, COVID, and the commercial lockout is hemorrhaging money,” he says. “If we speak to the membership about these challenges more openly, we can find real solutions together.”

A Vision for Canadian Film

For Martin, the stakes go beyond one union. He sees ACTRA’s reform as part of a larger cultural shift that could revive Canadian film’s global identity.

“Canadians simply aren’t watching Canadian shows and movies,” he says. “But indie filmmakers here are doing amazing things—like Skinamarink or Dream Eater—and they’re doing it outside the system.”

He points to filmmaker Matt Johnson (BlackBerry, Nirvanna the Band the Show) as an example of a Canadian artist proving audiences will show up for homegrown stories.

“We need to see ourselves as more than a service industry,” Martin says. “Keep taking those foreign productions, sure, but let’s also make kick-ass entertaining movies set right here in Canada.”

Election Details

The ACTRA Toronto Council election runs from October 31 to November 11, 2025. The 24-member council governs the largest branch of ACTRA, representing thousands of performers across the Greater Toronto Area.

Members in good standing can view candidate statements and vote at actratoronto.com.

The post From Fauxditions to Lockouts: Brennan Martin’s Mission to Make ACTRA Work for Artists Again appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

1. He’s a master procrastinator.

Jamie started his career in print journalism, as an editor at the UofT daily Paper, and then, at 19, as the music critic for the Toronto Sun. Not only does a tight deadline not faze him, but he can never quite get down to serious work before that deadline is looming. Case in point – his favourite place to write interview questions? In the car on the way to the shoot.

2. He is a brilliant strategist.

In another life, Jamie could have been a world-class litigator. As a documentary director, access to subjects is key, and I never cease to be impressed by Jamie’s ability to think 5 steps ahead when thinking about how to approach a story.

3. He has the biggest heart.

It takes heaps of skill and creativity to make films like Jamie does, but in equal measure, it requires clear ideals. Jamie has remarkable conviction about the political and social justice issues he believes in, which not only inform every aspect of how he approaches filmmaking but truly his day-to-day life.

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Which ‘hood are you in?

We live about 5 minutes from Danforth and Main, sandwiched between Crescent Town and Woodbine Heights, in an old convenience store building that we converted into our home/ production office. Luckily, we moved in just before the pandemic hit. We love our neighborhood because of our friendly neighbours, and proximity to downtown while still being just around the corner from the amazing Taylor Creek Ravine park system.

What do you do?

I’m a director, writer and producer. For the last 20 years, I’ve worked primarily on documentaries, but now I’m turning to narrative work with a feature film in pre-production.

What are you currently working on?

Aside from working on the release of CHARLOTTE’S CASTLE, we have another feature documentary called NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT JACOB APPELBAUM, about a controversial story in the internet and intelligence communities, that we are planning to release in the coming months, and a third documentary in post-production, about the restitution of Nazi-looted art, that will be released next year.

The nature of independent filmmaking, though, is that we always need to keep multiple balls in the air. So, we have a slate of projects we are developing, including some documentaries, some series, and a few feature narrative film projects as well.

Where can we find your work?

My new feature documentary CHARLOTTE’S CASTLE, as well as my 2019 documentary THERE ARE NO FAKES (which is credited by police as prompting a recent investigation into the production of fake Norval Morrisseau paintings) are both streaming in Canada on tvo.org. My 2016 film THE SKYJACKER’S TALE is available on CBC Gem.

The post “A Day in the Life” with Toronto Director, Writer and Producer Jamie Kastner appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

-Written By Clara Altimas, writer and director

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Which ’hood are you in?

Riverdale in Toronto’s east end.

What do you do?

I’m a director, actor, writer, and mom.

What are you currently working on?

I directed the CBC Gem series, How To Fail As a Pop Star which launches on October 13th on CBC Gem. I’m also promoting my debut feature, Midnight At The Paradise which will be available on Paramount + as of October 6.

Where can we find your work?

Ghost BFF is a series about two best friends but one is dead. My first feature, Midnight At The Paradise can be found on Paramount + and rented on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube or wherever you rent your movies! Also, How To Fail As A Pop Star and Son of a Critch Season 2 are available on CBC Gem.

How to Fail as a Popstar is available on CBC Gem now, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival on November 16, image+nation. Festival film LGBT2SQueer Montréal on November 25, and Regent Park Film Festival on November 26.

The post “A Day in the Life” with Toronto Director, Actor and Writer Vanessa Matsui appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

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Which ’hood are you in?

I live in the Kensington Market neighbourhood in Toronto and in close proximity to the retirement residence I visit frequently. The residence is near and dear to my heart – as it is also a block away from the hospice where my father was before he was before he passed away.

What do you do?

Oy. What do I not do? I try every day to respect all those who are a part of me, both deceased and living. I am an actor, singer, director, writer, and multimedia artist; I also visit elderly people, providing companionship and connection through music. I can be found with 35mm point-and-shoot, taking selfies that reflect my colourful outfits! I recently graduated with my Master’s Degree and intersect my many roles through art: to support expression and individuality, I use bright, kitschy set pieces to emphasize that humans hold onto moments and objects. I use light as a tool to underscore that one ultimately “goes into the light” at the end of life.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently wrapping my thesis film: Goodbye, Dolly. Goodbye, Dolly references the acclaimed Hello, Dolly! – a 1969 American musical. The original Hello, Dolly! avails punctuation: it uses an exclamation mark. Fittingly, Goodbye, Dolly exclaims via nuance, inflection and visuals. As a stylized script, it references tropes of the 1964 Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! It hybridizes theatrical elements within the context of everyday life, based on my growing up as, and growing into, a Jewish woman. Goodbye, Dolly is an autobiographical work, dealing with themes of grief.

My biggest goal this year is to focus on acting roles that push my boundaries. I seek directors with whom I can commit to a role that sheds light on difficult social topics; I aspire to be a conduit for stories that are emotionally challenging.

Where can we find your work?

I directed a web series, We Three Queens, which is now streaming on OUTTv, and am in post-production for my feature film shot in Florida; the documentary about me, It’s What Each Person Needs, directed by Sophy Romvari, was recently featured in The New Yorker. Moreover, my short film about queerness will be premiering at a festival later this fall!

The post “A Day in the Life” with Toronto-based Multidisciplinary Artist Becca Willow Moss appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Margaret is naturally talented, there is no doubt – her voice, her movements, her instincts! But more than her genetics, more than what she was given by the stardust, is everything that she chooses to do with it.

She is an extremely hardworking artist who is committed to her practice and expanding the definition of what that is for her; she is always pushing her own boundaries and understanding of this life. Through her art, she helps everyone around her to do the same.

And she can do it in the most subtle ways. I can still picture Margaret holding a mug, one hand cupped underneath it, the other steadying it from the handle, blowing gently to cool it just a smidge more… I may have never seen the mug that was never there but even I still feel the weight of it in my own hands.

-Written by Fallon Barry,  friend and collaborator

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Which ‘hood are you in?

I’m currently living in The Village. I’ve lived all over Toronto as I often sublet in between moves back and forth to Halifax and most recently, Edmonton. Right now I’m in the middle of it- surrounded by tall buildings. I like the energy. I’d like to find a permanent place sometime, but I also feel I’ve gotten to know this city in a special and unique way by living all over and moving so frequently.

What do you do?

I’m a performance artist, a writer, and a director. I did my MFA in directing. I like to say I’m a ‘project-based’ artist because what I do varies so greatly from piece to piece. As a director, I tend toward facilitating the creation of new work. I often work with individuals who are creating pieces of work from their personal experience. My own work is physical and poetic, and often centres around whatever issue is most present in my experience of this world.

What are you working on?

My most currently completed project Quietly, A Digital Diary, A Theatrical Film, is a digital theatrical hybrid, created during the lockdowns of 2020/2021, mostly in isolation. It’s about my experience with day-to-day misogyny. I’ve got two upcoming projects, one called You’re Fine about my journey with Endometriosis, and another called Here Comes Betty Grable /or/ Fawn about grief and mentorship.

Where can we find your work?

My Instagram account is where you can find my work/access it. Quietly is available there through the link in my bio, and the creation of the project (and the beginning of Betty Grable) is chronicled through highlights and posts.

The post “A Day in the Life” with Performance Artist and Writer Margaret Muriel Legere appeared first on Toronto Guardian.