Film tax credit earns all-party support
A private member’s motion by the Wildrose party urging the government to restore a competitive film tax credit to promote the film industry in the province received all-party support Tuesday in the legislature, and a round of applause from an Alberta filmmaker.
The proposal, to replace the current system of awarding grants to film companies through the Alberta Multimedia Development Fund with a tax credit that would allow all companies to recoup a portion of their production costs, was put forward by culture critic Blake Pedersen.
He said a tax credit system would provide the same competitive advantages and opportunities for the entire film industry and make Alberta more attractive and competitive.
Pedersen wants to see the same system here that’s now in place in B.C. and Ontario, which allows producers to claim up to 35 per cent of qualified labour costs within the province.
Edmonton filmmaker Tim McKort, who shot all four instalments of the Sure Shot Dombrowski hockey movie franchise entirely in Alberta, welcomed the news.
“Right now, we can claim 29 per cent, so a six-per-cent boost is a huge boost,” McKort says. “That means a lot more money back to the production companies. And being on par with B.C. and Ontario means Alberta could get a cut of the pie if companies come to Canada with their projects.”