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.

Calgary Film Commissioner Stepping Down

Beth Thompson is stepping down from her post as Calgary Film Commissioner at the end of March according to Playback Daily:

"There is a combination of things that made me decide," Thompson tells Playback Daily. "There is certainly a frustration that the industry hasn't changed a great deal since I started, and I think we need to take a stronger position."

She says changing the limits on the Alberta Film Development Fund -- currently at $14 million per year and $1.5 million per project -- would be a good start, as would tax incentives like those offered in other provinces.

Projects that shot in her city had a combined budget of $110 million to $130 million she says. "The numbers here haven't changed in six or seven years. We can see in other provinces there is considerable growth. We're in a market that should be doing really well.... but for some reason we're not."

You can read the full article at the above link. The Alberta Movie Guide wishes Beth the best of luck in her future endeavours.