LANGLEY, B.C. — The government of British Columbia announced today a $2-million motion picture fund to help B.C. film and TV producers and creators to get projects off the ground as the industry restarts in the province.
“The past few months have shown us how quickly the motion picture industry can change,” said B.C. Premier John Horgan, in the government’s news release. “This new fund will help B.C.’s domestic film industry create new content so it can recover faster and get thousands of skilled workers involved in film and TV production back on set.”
Part of the province’s Covid-19 relief funding, the new Domestic Motion Picture Fund will support film and TV development activities, such as research, concept development and scriptwriting, and production costs, such as hiring crew, renting equipment and securing locations.
Creative BC will administer the fund as part of Reel Focus BC, a suite of supports available to the province’s domestic production sector. This is the third new program, after Access 2020 and a partnership with Rogers, the B.C. government has rolled out as part of Reel Focus BC in less than a year.
“We are thrilled that the B.C. 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-B.C. content,” said Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC, in the release.
Tracey Friesen, managing vice-president of the B.C. branch of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), added: “CMPA-BC Branch applauds the provincial government for seeding this important new production fund within Creative BC. Our talented and resilient producers will once again have local support to better leverage national and international investment.”
“With productions steadily getting back to work, the announcement of the new Domestic Motion Picture Fund could not have come at a better time. This type of fund creates opportunities for producers to develop intellectual property, attract and retain talent in B.C., as well as leverage investment from national and international partners for our local productions, where projects like Family Law can become a reality,” said Erin Haskett, president and executive producer of Lark Productions, in the government release.
For more information about the Domestic Motion Picture Fund, please click here.
Pictured in the handout photo are B.C. Premier John Horgan (seated in centre of photo) and Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Lisa Beare (seated on right) visiting the set of B.C.-based series Family Law, being produced by Lark Productions and Seven24 Films for Global TV.
