Film and television production in British Columbia held strong in 2006, contributing more than $1.2 billion to the provincial economy, Tourism, Sport and the Arts Minister Stan Hagen announced today.

“B.C. continues to perform exceptionally well, despite the realities of a strong Canadian dollar and global competition,” said Hagen. “It’s been another outstanding year for our industry – a testament to the fact that B.C. is truly a world-class production centre.”

“We have become a global leader in the areas of digital animation, visual effects and post-production, which, combined with our spectacular locations, exceptional talent and significant infrastructure, makes us especially attractive to film and television production companies looking for a one-stop full-service production location,” added Hagen.

According to data released today by the BC Film Commission, domestic spending in 2006 grew to $278 million, up from $225 million in 2005, and foreign television series spending increased by more than 45 per cent in 2006 to $433 million. A total of 230 productions were completed in B.C. last year, including: 53 feature films, 39 television series, 63 movies-of-the-week, 33 documentaries, 18 animation projects, 13 television pilots and 11 short films. 

“We are very pleased with the results for 2006”, said Susan Croome, B.C.’s film commissioner. “Maintaining B.C.’s competitive position in the face of increasing global competition is solid evidence of the excellent customer service provided by the entire B.C. motion picture industry.”

B.C.’s film and television industry experienced a major turnaround in 2005, reaching $1.233 billion, up from $801 million in 2004. This year’s expenditures reached $1.228 billion, a decrease of half a per cent over last year. British Columbia is the third-largest film and television service production centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York.

A table showing a three-year summary of film and TV production in B.C. is available online at: www.mediaroom.gov.bc.ca//DisplayEventDetails.aspx?eventId=355