BRITISH COLUMBIA – BC creators and producers will receive help to get projects off the ground, with new government funding targeted for the motion picture industry as it restarts.
Prem Gill is CEO of Creative BC
“We are thrilled that the BC government is investing in local producers and production companies, placing them in a more competitive position within the rest of Canada through the Domestic Motion Picture Fund. This program will help our local creators seize the opportunity to supply an increasingly demanding marketplace with made-in-BC content,” said Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC.
As part of the COVID-19 Action Plan relief funding, the Province is investing $2 million to launch the new Domestic Motion Picture Fund. This is the first dedicated funding since 2003 to support the production phase of content creation in B.C.’s domestic motion picture sector.
BC production companies can apply for support to turn their ideas into finished products, such as feature films, TV shows, series, documentaries and animated content. The fund will help local production companies attract investment and leverage federal funding.
The Domestic Motion Picture Fund will support:
· development – activities, such as research, concept development and scriptwriting; and
· production – production costs, such as hiring crew, renting equipment and securing locations.
“We want to see more made-in-BC content on our screens,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “This fund will create local jobs, support a more resilient motion picture industry and allow local producers to better compete with national and international productions.”
Creative BC will administer the fund as part of Reel Focus BC, a suite of supports available to the domestic production sector. This is the third new program, after Access 2020 and the Rogers partnership, the provincial government has rolled out as part of Reel Focus BC in less than a year.
“The announcement of the Domestic Motion Picture Fund is a testament to Creative BC’s unwavering commitment to supporting B.C. born-and-bred production. As a regionally based entrepreneur in Kelowna, a fund like this will go a long way to giving B.C. producers across the province a leg up in our efforts to bring our stories to screen,” said Ashley Ramsay, founder and CEO of Yeti Farm Creative in Kelowna.
