Mar 19, 2024
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Front Page, Industry News

Alberta film industry poised to become North American production hub, but changes to incentives needed

Alberta is poised to become the next major hub for film and TV in North America, but will miss its chance if the province’s incentives aren’t quickly improved to compete with other jurisdictions.

That’s the underlying message of a campaign launched this week by various associations, unions and guilds within the Alberta film and TV industry.

While lobbying to improve incentives have been ongoing for years, industry insiders say Alberta needs to make changes quickly to take advantage of the fact that Canada’s current production centres, Toronto and Vancouver, are operating beyond capacity. There has been interest from major U.S. studios and networks such as HBO, NBC Universal and MGM to turn Alberta into Canada’s new production hub, but the province’s current incentives for film, TV and digital projects aren’t competitive compared to other jurisdictions, said Tom Cox, a Calgary producer and board member of the Alberta Media Production Industries.

“I’ve had very direct discussions with NBC Universal, with the Motion Picture Association, they view Alberta as really fertile ground if, and only if, we can address that one issue,” says Cox, whose Calgary-based Seven24 Films produces Heartland and Wynonna Earp. “The crew here are world class, the locations are great, infrastructure is growing. It’s all here.” 

At issue is a funding cap on the Alberta Media Fund’s production grant, which provides incentives for film and TV projects. The fund can contribute up to 30 per cent of all eligible Alberta expenses, but is capped at $5-million per project. In the past, there was flexibility in the fund for ongoing series that continued to employ workers and generate economic activity. In 2014, changes were made to the fund by the then Conservative government that prevents new television series from applying more than once, which is not favourable for higher-budget fare and ongoing television series.

Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures, which co-produced AMC’s Hell on Wheels and co-produces FX’s Fargo, set up production of its sci-fi series Van Helsing in Vancouver rather than Alberta in early 2016, at least in part because of the cap.

The awareness campaign is a joint effort by ACTRA, AMPIA, The Alberta Post Production Association, the Directors Guild of Canada’s Alberta District Council, IATSE Alberta and Teamsters Local 362. Dubbed #ABcreates, it is aimed at the government and the general public. It also urges those working in the 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs the industry currently produces to be more vocal about their contributions. It does not get into specifics about how to improve the incentives. A new video touts the industry’s track record and economic benefits. A news release calls for “real investment in Alberta’s Screen Industries.”

“In order for the Alberta Media Fund to be effective and to facilitate sustained growth it has to be competitive with other jurisdictions in North America. Period,” says Cox. “Raising the cap, eliminating the cap, creating a tax credit, maintaining a grant, all of that is worthy of discussion. But the bottom line for the production industry, both domestic and foreign, is it simply has to be competitive with other jurisdictions and currently, above a fairly low budget threshold, it is not.”

British Columbia, for instance, has a labour tax credit, a regional credit for productions outside of Vancouver, a post-production credit and a digital credit. The province also has no cap on production credits. The B.C. screen industry generates more than $2-billion in economic impact and hires 17,500 workers. In 2015, Alberta’s screen industries generated $250 million in economic activity, according to the Canada Media Producers Association.

While these concerns are nothing new, Cox says changes must be made quickly or Alberta will miss a “perfect storm” of opportunity.

“In the case of NBC Universal, they are not just looking at a project, they are looking at investing in infrastructure, investing in training, putting down significant long-term roots here,” Cox says. “That’s the kind of impact that is immediate, but it’s also fleeting. Because if it ain’t here, it’s going to be somewhere else.”

Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Culture and Tourism, was not available to talk to the Herald. His office sent a statement, which in part read “my department continues to explore ongoing support for the sector within the current fiscal environment.”

Source: Calgary Herald

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Front Page, Industry News

Alberta film industry poised to become North American production hub, but changes to incentives needed

Alberta is poised to become the next major hub for film and TV in North America, but will miss its chance if the province’s incentives aren’t quickly improved to compete with other jurisdictions.

That’s the underlying message of a campaign launched this week by various associations, unions and guilds within the Alberta film and TV industry.

While lobbying to improve incentives have been ongoing for years, industry insiders say Alberta needs to make changes quickly to take advantage of the fact that Canada’s current production centres, Toronto and Vancouver, are operating beyond capacity. There has been interest from major U.S. studios and networks such as HBO, NBC Universal and MGM to turn Alberta into Canada’s new production hub, but the province’s current incentives for film, TV and digital projects aren’t competitive compared to other jurisdictions, said Tom Cox, a Calgary producer and board member of the Alberta Media Production Industries.

“I’ve had very direct discussions with NBC Universal, with the Motion Picture Association, they view Alberta as really fertile ground if, and only if, we can address that one issue,” says Cox, whose Calgary-based Seven24 Films produces Heartland and Wynonna Earp. “The crew here are world class, the locations are great, infrastructure is growing. It’s all here.” 

At issue is a funding cap on the Alberta Media Fund’s production grant, which provides incentives for film and TV projects. The fund can contribute up to 30 per cent of all eligible Alberta expenses, but is capped at $5-million per project. In the past, there was flexibility in the fund for ongoing series that continued to employ workers and generate economic activity. In 2014, changes were made to the fund by the then Conservative government that prevents new television series from applying more than once, which is not favourable for higher-budget fare and ongoing television series.

Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures, which co-produced AMC’s Hell on Wheels and co-produces FX’s Fargo, set up production of its sci-fi series Van Helsing in Vancouver rather than Alberta in early 2016, at least in part because of the cap.

The awareness campaign is a joint effort by ACTRA, AMPIA, The Alberta Post Production Association, the Directors Guild of Canada’s Alberta District Council, IATSE Alberta and Teamsters Local 362. Dubbed #ABcreates, it is aimed at the government and the general public. It also urges those working in the 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs the industry currently produces to be more vocal about their contributions. It does not get into specifics about how to improve the incentives. A new video touts the industry’s track record and economic benefits. A news release calls for “real investment in Alberta’s Screen Industries.”

“In order for the Alberta Media Fund to be effective and to facilitate sustained growth it has to be competitive with other jurisdictions in North America. Period,” says Cox. “Raising the cap, eliminating the cap, creating a tax credit, maintaining a grant, all of that is worthy of discussion. But the bottom line for the production industry, both domestic and foreign, is it simply has to be competitive with other jurisdictions and currently, above a fairly low budget threshold, it is not.”

British Columbia, for instance, has a labour tax credit, a regional credit for productions outside of Vancouver, a post-production credit and a digital credit. The province also has no cap on production credits. The B.C. screen industry generates more than $2-billion in economic impact and hires 17,500 workers. In 2015, Alberta’s screen industries generated $250 million in economic activity, according to the Canada Media Producers Association.

While these concerns are nothing new, Cox says changes must be made quickly or Alberta will miss a “perfect storm” of opportunity.

“In the case of NBC Universal, they are not just looking at a project, they are looking at investing in infrastructure, investing in training, putting down significant long-term roots here,” Cox says. “That’s the kind of impact that is immediate, but it’s also fleeting. Because if it ain’t here, it’s going to be somewhere else.”

Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Culture and Tourism, was not available to talk to the Herald. His office sent a statement, which in part read “my department continues to explore ongoing support for the sector within the current fiscal environment.”

Source: Calgary Herald

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Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Front Page, Industry News

Alberta film industry poised to become North American production hub, but changes to incentives needed

Alberta is poised to become the next major hub for film and TV in North America, but will miss its chance if the province’s incentives aren’t quickly improved to compete with other jurisdictions.

That’s the underlying message of a campaign launched this week by various associations, unions and guilds within the Alberta film and TV industry.

While lobbying to improve incentives have been ongoing for years, industry insiders say Alberta needs to make changes quickly to take advantage of the fact that Canada’s current production centres, Toronto and Vancouver, are operating beyond capacity. There has been interest from major U.S. studios and networks such as HBO, NBC Universal and MGM to turn Alberta into Canada’s new production hub, but the province’s current incentives for film, TV and digital projects aren’t competitive compared to other jurisdictions, said Tom Cox, a Calgary producer and board member of the Alberta Media Production Industries.

“I’ve had very direct discussions with NBC Universal, with the Motion Picture Association, they view Alberta as really fertile ground if, and only if, we can address that one issue,” says Cox, whose Calgary-based Seven24 Films produces Heartland and Wynonna Earp. “The crew here are world class, the locations are great, infrastructure is growing. It’s all here.” 

At issue is a funding cap on the Alberta Media Fund’s production grant, which provides incentives for film and TV projects. The fund can contribute up to 30 per cent of all eligible Alberta expenses, but is capped at $5-million per project. In the past, there was flexibility in the fund for ongoing series that continued to employ workers and generate economic activity. In 2014, changes were made to the fund by the then Conservative government that prevents new television series from applying more than once, which is not favourable for higher-budget fare and ongoing television series.

Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures, which co-produced AMC’s Hell on Wheels and co-produces FX’s Fargo, set up production of its sci-fi series Van Helsing in Vancouver rather than Alberta in early 2016, at least in part because of the cap.

The awareness campaign is a joint effort by ACTRA, AMPIA, The Alberta Post Production Association, the Directors Guild of Canada’s Alberta District Council, IATSE Alberta and Teamsters Local 362. Dubbed #ABcreates, it is aimed at the government and the general public. It also urges those working in the 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs the industry currently produces to be more vocal about their contributions. It does not get into specifics about how to improve the incentives. A new video touts the industry’s track record and economic benefits. A news release calls for “real investment in Alberta’s Screen Industries.”

“In order for the Alberta Media Fund to be effective and to facilitate sustained growth it has to be competitive with other jurisdictions in North America. Period,” says Cox. “Raising the cap, eliminating the cap, creating a tax credit, maintaining a grant, all of that is worthy of discussion. But the bottom line for the production industry, both domestic and foreign, is it simply has to be competitive with other jurisdictions and currently, above a fairly low budget threshold, it is not.”

British Columbia, for instance, has a labour tax credit, a regional credit for productions outside of Vancouver, a post-production credit and a digital credit. The province also has no cap on production credits. The B.C. screen industry generates more than $2-billion in economic impact and hires 17,500 workers. In 2015, Alberta’s screen industries generated $250 million in economic activity, according to the Canada Media Producers Association.

While these concerns are nothing new, Cox says changes must be made quickly or Alberta will miss a “perfect storm” of opportunity.

“In the case of NBC Universal, they are not just looking at a project, they are looking at investing in infrastructure, investing in training, putting down significant long-term roots here,” Cox says. “That’s the kind of impact that is immediate, but it’s also fleeting. Because if it ain’t here, it’s going to be somewhere else.”

Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Culture and Tourism, was not available to talk to the Herald. His office sent a statement, which in part read “my department continues to explore ongoing support for the sector within the current fiscal environment.”

Source: Calgary Herald

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Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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