Government Investment Will Assist Manitoba’s Film Industry

November 27, 2009

Winnipeg, Manitoba - Manitoba’s film industry will be able to strengthen its position in national and international markets, thanks to an investment of more than $2.5 million to On Screen Manitoba from the Governments of Canada and Manitoba.

“Our Government recognizes the importance of Manitoba’s film industry and we are proud to support their continued development,” said the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, Member of Parliament for Provencher, on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification. “This funding will help On Screen Manitoba expand the Manitoba film industry and create jobs, while showcasing our province as a premier film production destination.”

“Film and video production is a rapidly evolving sector that requires significant training and development opportunities for people working in the industry," said Peter Bjornson, Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade. “On Screen Manitoba ensures our province continues to enjoy a national and international reputation of being a great place to produce films.”

This funding will enable On Screen Manitoba to undertake the ACCESS project, an economic development strategy to strengthen Manitoba’s film production companies by supporting their ability to adapt to new technology, address emerging skill requirements, improve their competitiveness and increase their global market share. This strategy will also aim to develop the Aboriginal and Francophone film communities in Manitoba into recognized hubs of Aboriginal production, and Francophone film production outside of Quebec.

“This project comes at a crucial time for the screen-based media industry.  To remain competitive internationally and grow our sector we needed to become more aggressive with our business development strategies and marketing”, said Tara Walker, Executive Director of On Screen Manitoba.  “ACCESS will provide us with the resources and the leveraging power needed to address the sustainability needs of the industry so that we can continue to make significant contributions to Manitoba’s economy.”

On Screen Manitoba is an innovative, membership-driven association that leads, builds and represents Manitoba’s motion picture industry.

The investment by the Governments of Canada and Manitoba is made through the Canada-Manitoba Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA).  Both Canada and Manitoba are contributing $25 million each, over four years, to strengthen economic activity and improve quality of life in western Canadian communities.