The Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission is reaching out to the City of Victoria for an increase in funding, after seeing its annual grant drop by $25,000 in the past three years.
The City has offered grant and fee-for-service funding to the Film Commission for over 15 years, and up until 2004 provided $50,000 per year to help cover its annual $200,000 budget.
That funding dropped to $45,000 in 2005, was reduced to $35,000 in 2017 and fell further to $20,000 for 2018.
B次元官网网址淭he funding represents a huge part of our budget,B次元官网网址� says film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e asked the City to please reconsider it, in light of the economic development and jobs we bring on a yearly basis, which has changed quite a lot.B次元官网网址�
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She notes that in 2010 alone local productions added $20 million to the economy, with the average yearB次元官网网址檚 injection between $12 million and $15 million per year from 22 to 28 visiting film productions.
B次元官网网址淭his is the most amazing time to invest in the film industry,B次元官网网址� Gilbert says. B次元官网网址淰ancouver is overcrowded and the industry is looking to expand outside the Lower Mainland. But, weB次元官网网址檝e had to cut back on staff and things we had planned to do, mainly around marketing B次元官网网址� or basically anything beyond our rent, insurance and wages.B次元官网网址�
Coun. Jeremy Loveday calls the reduction in funding a B次元官网网址渕istakeB次元官网网址� and has drafted a motion with Coun. Marianne Alto to add $25,000 to this yearB次元官网网址檚 City contribution.
B次元官网网址淭he film industry brings in around $15 million every year and that brings families jobs,B次元官网网址� Loveday says. B次元官网网址淔or that, $45,000 is a good investment.B次元官网网址�
The motion, to be discussed at next ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 (Aug. 2) committee of the whole meeting, calls for the money to come from the CityB次元官网网址檚 corporate contingency fund.
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Also a challenge for the Film Commission is the work involved in requesting funding from 13 municipalities as well as the province.
B次元官网网址淲e have to do funding applications for all of those, and defend them all at meetings, and at the end of the year do a report,B次元官网网址� Gilbert says. B次元官网网址淚t takes up a huge amount of our time and staffing.B次元官网网址�
Loveday acknowledged the need for a change in that process.
B次元官网网址淗opefully in the future, we can create a different funding stream so that the amount from the City could be predictable, and less time could be spent on securing grants and more time could be spent on marketing,B次元官网网址� he said.
The Film Commission received $25,000 from Saanich and $10,000 from Oak Bay for 2018.
Gilbert is hopeful the motion will be passed by Victoria councillors, but says if not, there are other options.
B次元官网网址淭he province has said theyB次元官网网址檒l increase our funding, but we donB次元官网网址檛 know by how much, or when, B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not going to close our doors if the City doesnB次元官网网址檛 support us, but it really would stunt our growth.B次元官网网址�
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