ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists)

Overview

ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the Canadian labor union representing approximately 28,000 professional performers working in English-language recorded media -- film, television, radio, and digital content -- across Canada. Founded in 1943, ACTRA is the primary union for on-screen English-language talent in Canada, performing a role broadly equivalent to SAG-AFTRA in the United States. The union negotiates collective agreements with producers and broadcasters establishing minimum rates, working conditions, and residual structures for covered performers.

ACTRA's jurisdiction covers English-language productions. French-language productions in Quebec operate under separate agreements administered by the Union des artistes (UDA), reflecting Quebec's distinct cultural and linguistic context within Canadian production. For bilingual or co-official productions, both union agreements may apply depending on the language of performance and the province of production.

Independent Production Agreement

ACTRA's primary agreement for theatrical features and independent productions is the Independent Production Agreement (IPA), negotiated with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec (APFTQ). The IPA establishes minimum rates by performance category, residual structures for television and streaming reuse, and working condition protections for ACTRA performers.

For low-budget independent films, ACTRA offers a New Media Agreement and Low Budget Agreement with modified minimum rates that make signatory status financially feasible on modest budgets. These tiered agreements recognize the economic realities of independent Canadian filmmaking while maintaining minimum protections for performers.

Canadian Content Requirements

ACTRA membership intersects directly with Canadian content (CanCon) requirements. Productions seeking Telefilm Canada financing, Canada Media Fund support, or Canadian federal and provincial tax credits must typically cast a required proportion of Canadian performers in principal roles -- which in practice means ACTRA members or performers eligible for ACTRA coverage. Understanding these content requirements and how ACTRA membership interacts with them is essential for Canadian co-productions.

For international co-productions with Canada, the proportion of ACTRA-covered Canadian performers required in key roles varies by treaty and funding program. Working with a Canadian entertainment lawyer before casting decisions are finalized is essential for productions seeking to maximize Canadian tax credit benefits.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Canadian producers casting on ACTRA productions must pay at least ACTRA IPA minimums for each performer category and must make pension and health contributions on covered engagements. Taft-Hartley provisions similar to those in the US allow non-ACTRA performers to work on ACTRA productions for a limited period before being required to join.

For performers building Canadian careers, ACTRA membership provides rate protection, health and retirement benefits, residual tracking and collection, and the professional credibility that signals to Canadian producers that a performer is a working professional.

See Also

For the Canadian directors union operating alongside ACTRA, see Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) in this directory. For the French-language Quebec performers union, see Union des artistes (UDA) in this directory.