The announcement of heavily increased government funding for the film industry in Saskatchewan was welcomed by the film business.
The province increased its Creative Saskatchewan funding from $2 million to $10 million —a major boost to the industry.
Part of those funds will retrofit the sound stage in Regina to allow digital background shooting of film locations. That cuts filming costs greatly as any location in the world can be done in Regina.
Film makers should be attracted as there aren’t that many digital stages — yet. One $20 million film has already been booked.
The increased funding indicates recognition that ending the film tax credit 10 years ago was a mistake.
When that grant program ended the province’s growing film industry was dealt a deadly blow. An estimated 3,000 people lost their source of income.
Many like Moose Jaw filmmaker Jeff Beesley moved out of the province.
While it is nice to see more government interest and investment in the film industry just imagine what the industry would be like today if that tax credit program hadn’t been cancelled.
The government saw a $6 return to the economy for every dollar it invested in film tax credits. Only a simpleton would end investment with that great a return.
The government brags about $6 return for every $1 on investment in agriculture as well as boasting it wants to diversify the economy.
Killing the film industry did nothing to diversify the provincial economy.
The digital background capability on the renamed Gordon Hopkins Sound Stage will attract film industry investment, but the province likely loses the opportunity to showcase Saskatchewan landscapes and buildings in film as digital movies use screen backgrounds from around the world.
Just imagine how many times Saskatchewan would have been showcased in movies during the past 10 years if the film tax credit had stayed.
The Creative Saskatchewan program replacing the film tax credit pitted the music industry against the film industry.
And it placed the government in the position of choosing winners, something Saskatchewan Party leaders have promised over and over that a Saskatchewan Party government would never do.
Instead of granting musicians enough funds to get started with a record and letting the market pick winners the Creative Saskatchewan program chose seven to 10 musicians each year and funded them substantially more.
This process ignored the fact that making records no longer brings artists much money.
The province would have done better for the musicians by granting local fairs and festivals money to hire Saskatchewan artists. Alberta helped build its music industry with a program incentivizing local hiring of talent.
The best thing to say about the revived film industry investment is: better late than never.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net.
