Alberta Group Looks To Boost TV Production

Playback features a story on the Alberta Film Advisory Council and the new mandate of developing long-term strategies for film, television, and interactive media in Alberta:

The 16-member AFAC, formerly called the Film Commission Advisory Council, is tasked with guiding Alberta's $165-million film and television industry by developing long-term strategies and advising the provincial government on ways to strengthen the industry.

Damian Petti, president of IATSE Local 212 in Calgary, was appointed new industry co-chair last week, serving alongside Conservative MLA Gary Mar (Calgary-Mackay) for a term of three years. One of their focuses will be to increase TV series production in the province.

"TV series generate more training opportunities and year-round employment. The government sees value in growing the industry through expanding production activity, which seems to be limited to warmer summer months," Petti says, noting business has continued to pick up despite the high loonie.

You can read the rest of the article at the link above.

Congratulations also go out to my good friend Ken Bautista, who was appointed to the Council, and to Luke Azevedo, who I've worked with at The Banff Centre, as he becomes the new Calgary Film Commissioner.

A good movie is a good investment

Todd Babiak (The Edmonton Journal) discusses the effects of the decline and subsequent reviving of the Alberta film industry. From the article:

Once, not long ago, Alberta was a leader in film and television. The province had momentum, a formula for success. Under Peter Lougheed and Don Getty, Alberta had a well-funded, well-regarded and well-watched provincial television station in ACCESS. From 1981 to 1996, the Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation (AMPDC) built a thriving film and television industry here. Crews, producers, writers, editors and directors lived in Edmonton and Calgary. They told Alberta stories for locals as well as for national and international audiences.

Then, in 1996, just as the Canadian film industry was expanding, Premier Ralph Klein shut down the AMPDC. The government sold ACCESS for $1 to some Ontarians, who relaunched it as one of the cheapest, most measly television stations in the developed world.

For the most part, the crews, producers, writers and directors left Alberta. Hewing of wood ensued. Of course, this was hardly an election issue. For Klein and the province, it was a financial and social error. But all in all, it was probably a good political move. A few thousand fewer Liberals, give or take, can only refine the Alberta advantage.

Good move or bad, Klein is remembered as the man who destroyed film in Alberta. Many of those who didn't leave are only now, post-Klein, rebuilding their careers here. Again, this is not controversial material. No one is crying for the movie producers. A lot of publicly funded institutions were smashed by the Klein government in the 1990s, so the public at large could enjoy the various pleasures of debt freedom today.

"At the time, when the AMPDC was cut, some people had no choice but to leave the province," says Alan Brooks, executive director of AMPIA. "But we understand it was necessary at the time, to get the province out of debt. And remember, Ralph Klein also brought in the Alberta Film Development Fund."

Be sure to read the full article at this link.

Alberta Film Industry Grant Increase

In a move to be applauded, and following the recommendations of the Alberta Film Commission Advisory Council, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts has increased grant amounts available to the Alberta film industry. The move was implemented to help make Alberta even more attractive to movie-makers from around the world.

"These changes will help make it affordable for Alberta producers to stay in the province and make our artists more attractive to co-producing partners from around the world," said Gary Mar, Minister of Community Development.

You can get an idea of the numbers involved by reading the press release available on the Government of Alberta Website.