Edwards Creative Law, in association with Manitoba Film & Music and On Screen Manitoba, will be providing a series of three free media production industry-focused legal information seminars over the next four months aimed at emerging to mid-level producers. These sessions are intended to provide participants with an understanding of basic legal considerations for their productions from development through delivery.
Participants will have the option to participate in-person with opportunity to network with industry legal experts or virtually via a livestream.
Session One - Legal Considerations in Film Production: Development to Pre-Production
Overview: This session will focus on concepts including the role of legal counsel for productions, setting up a production company, copyright ownership & chain of title, working with other producers, production insurance and union/guild agreements.
Speakers: Mark Edwards, Managing Partner, Entertainment Lawyer and Michael Duboff, Entertainment Lawyer, Edwards Creative Law
Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Time: 12:30pm-2:45pm
Presentation: 12:30-2:00pm
Break: 2:00pm-2:10pm
Q&A and Informal Meet and Greet: 2:10pm-2:45pm
Location: Creative Manitoba classroom, 4th floor, 300-245 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg
A light lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants.
Please register here for in-person or virtual attendance.
Subsequent sessions will be announced soon and are expected to take place in mid-January and at the end of February in 2024. Session Two will focus on legal considerations for Production Financing with Session Three covering the period from Post-Production through Delivery.
Edwards Creative Law—Canada's Entertainment Law Boutique™
We’re entertainment lawyers who understand the business of creative industries. We guide creators and business professionals as they navigate the legal complexities of working with others—purchasing, financing, creating, licensing, and protecting creative properties, buying and selling creative services.
We act for clients from across Canada and around the world—working in Canada with Canadians. We advise on and structure their commercial transactions, their employment and independent contractor relationships. We incorporate and administer their corporations. And, if necessary, we resolve their disputes.
Mark Edwards, Managing Partner, Entertainment Lawyer
Mark Edwards is the founder and managing partner of Edwards Creative Law, LLP, an entertainment law boutique with offices in Ottawa and Toronto and a practice that extends to every common law province in Canada. Mark’s personal focus is live-action and animated films and series, video games, and digital media.
Mark acts for Canadian producers and studios and for US and foreign buyers of Canadian entertainment products and services. He brings nearly 25 years of experience structuring, funding, financing, producing and exploiting linear and interactive media—to ensure that his clients minimize their risks while maximizing the benefits of Canada’s favourable production environment, low dollar and generous production tax credits.
In addition to his legal practice, Mark has developed, financed and delivered hundreds of episodes of children’s animation—most often as international co-productions under one of Canada’s many bi-lateral audio-visual production treaties; launched CrowdWave, a proprietary, mass-interactive game platform for professional and collegiate sports; and managed the development and production of state-of-the-art branded content and destination web sites for major US advertisers.
Michael Duboff, Entertainment Lawyer
Michael Duboff is a seasoned Canadian entertainment attorney, deeply embedded in the music, film, and TV spheres.
Hailing from Winnipeg, his expertise extends throughout Manitoba and Ontario, bridging artistic and corporate worlds.
With roots as a musician and film industry professional in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver, he's not just a lawyer but a passionate advocate for artists. His diverse background and dedication make him an invaluable ally for the dynamic arts community.
Manitoba Film & Music
Manitoba Film & Music supports the Manitoba film, music and sound recording industries by creating, stimulating, employing and investing in Manitoba by developing and promoting Manitoba companies producing and marketing film, television, video and music recording projects as well as promoting Manitoba as a film location for offshore production companies.
Our film commission office provides support during the various stages of production, assistance with preliminary on-the-ground location scouting and general information on what the Manitoba film industry has to offer. Our film financing and tax credits department helps with navigating the Manitoba tax credit—one of the best in North America—and film funding programs. Manitoba Film & Music is your best production resource.
On Screen Manitoba
As a non-profit provincial industry association, On Screen Manitoba is supported by a membership that includes individuals, producers, writers, directors, filmmakers, industry professionals, labour organizations (ACTRA, DGC, IATSE Local 856), production companies, service suppliers, training organizations, film festivals and other stakeholders, representing over 2,000 industry professionals. Our members produce all types of content in English, French and Indigenous languages, and they have access to some of the best production incentives in Canada.