Employees at Montreal's Festival des films du monde say they haven't been paid

A group of employees hired to work at Montreal's World Film Festival better known as theFestival des films du monde say they haven't been paid despite a number of promises made by festival founder Serge Losique.

"Behind the scenes ofFFM,thereare people. We aren't in the spotlight;we prefer to staybehind the camera.Today, however,we have decidedto come out of the shadows, to express ourconcern that many employeeshave not beenpaid(some,for severalweeks)and are worried that they ever will be paid.Promises ofpaymenthave not beenhonoured by the festival president, Mr.Serge Losique," said an emailsent by the groupto CBC/Radio-Canada.

• Is the Montreal World Film Festival doomed?

The employees said they decided to come forward after the Sept. 4paymentdeadline set by the festival came and went.

Quebec's department of labour standards, the Commission des normes du travail, confirmed this week that it has received complaints from FFM workers and that it will be conducting an investigation into the matter.

Henry Welsh, the festival's communications director, said the issue only involves a small minority of FFM's employees, and that it should be resolved in the next week.

Welsh told Radio-Canada that it's not uncommon for cultural organizations like the FFM to run into cash-flowproblems, especially if there are any snags with sponsorship or grant dollars.

Financial problems

However, it's not the first time the festival's financeshave caused concern.

Last year, theCity of Montreal, SODEC and Telefilm withdrew their fundingfrom the 2014 edition of the festival, and other groups haveexpressed reticence at continuing to support FFM.

Last month, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said he wanted to see the FFM live on, but that in order to do there needed to be major changes in the way that it is managed.

"I want to tell him, 'Listen, we're going to celebrate the 40th anniversary [in 2016] and everybody needs to be part of the solution,'" Coderre said.

As for the workers' compensation, Welsh said everyone should be paid shortly after the festival wraps up on Sept. 7.

"I'm convinced that this will work out," Welsh said.

The group of employees wrote that they have decided to stay on until the end of the festival to make sure it's a success.

"We do thisto supportyouthe public who have bought ticketsandthe artisansof the seventh artwho have travelledto our city(oftenat their own expense) to sharetheir film," they wrote.