Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Manitoba film industry gets $2.5-million boost
WINNIPEG - Federal and provincial governments officially ponied up $2.5 million Friday morning in an effort to provide a boost to the beleaguered Manitoba film industry.
The recipient of the money was On Screen Manitoba, a membership-driven association representing the Manitoba motion picture industry.
Following the joint announcement by Treasury Board President Vic Toews and Manitoba Trade Minister Peter Bjornson at Midcanada Production Services, On Screen Manitoba’s executive director Tara Walker explained the money would be used to fund OSM’s ACCESS project, an economic development strategy to strengthen Manitoba’s film production companies.
The project is multi-faceted, Walker said, incorporating a number of different programs designed to help production companies adapt to changes in the industry.
Manitoba became Canada’s fourth largest film and television production industry after Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal in 2007-08. In the previous five years, Manitoba’s volume of production totaled $685 million and attracted $385 million of investment from outside the province.
But in the wake of a rising Canadian dollar, a worldwide recession and more aggressive tax incentives offered by other provinces and states, the Manitoba industry’s production dropped to $62 million in 2008-9 -– less than half of the prior year’s level of $133 million.
The ACCESS project is designed to strengthen individual production companies by "supporting their ability to adapt to new technology, improving their competitiveness and increasing their global market share," Walker said.
The project may be used to help fund a trip to a film festival, or it might be used to enable a production company to explore options in new digital media, Walker said.
"We need to encourage traditional media producers to work outside the Canadian film and broadcast industries, where the funds are limited, and think outside the traditional markets," Walker said.
Video feed provided by On Screen Manitoba.
History
Updated on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 12:44 PM CST:
Adds announcement details.
Updated on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 3:06 PM CST:
Updates with details, quotes
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