B.C.'s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey Wednesday (Nov. 20) said British Columbia is "very interested in remaining competitive" when it comes to hosting film productions.
Bailey made these comments following meetings with executives from Warner Bros Entertainment Inc and Netflix and before meetings with Hallmark. Bailey is part of a B.C. delegation that includes industry figures represented by Screen BC speaking for the provincial motion picture industry, as well as relevant political leaders. Joining Bailey is B.C.'s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Spencer Chandra Herbert (Vancouver-West End) and Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film Nina Krieger (Victoria-Swan Lake) -- all of them sworn in Monday.
Bailey said the trip to California is not so much an elevator pitch to Hollywood executives about the benefits of filming in British Columbia, but ensuring that B.C.'s strong relationship with established partners continues.
It comes as the provincial film industry is trying to recover from labour disputes in the film industry and a general pull-back in productions for economic reasons.
The B.C. NDP campaigned on increasing the production services tax credit to 36 per cent from 28 per cent that B.C. offers to global film and TV production to help support an increasingly important industry. Premier David Eby reiterated that promise in late October after California had announced changes to its financial support for the film industry centred in Los Angeles, but long globalized.
California Governor Gavin Newsom specifically proposed expanding that state's film and television credit program to US$750 million from US$330. Responding to Newsom's announcement, Eby said his government would work with the provincial film industry.
"We know that if you are competitive, we can bring in the big productions," he said. "(We) are not going to be able to outbid the lowest common denominator bidders in the United States, but if we are competitive, combined with the amazing crews that we have, we can deliver some of the biggest productions available."
Bailey, who has had a history of working with the film industry in her previous role as Minister for Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, acknowledged California's financial commitment. But money night not be everything, she added.
"It's important to note that it is not a strict competition on tax credits," she said. "There are many factors that go into placing a product (in a specific location)."
Other jurisdictions outside of California have also recognized the economic potential of the film industry in courting productions of various sorts. They include Ireland, whose government has extended its low-tax approach in fields such as high technology and finance to film.
So how much does this aspect concern Bailey?
"We're really down here talking to studio heads about what the opportunities are to work together," she said. "We know that a decision to place a major project in British Columbia has just such incredibly positive outcomes for us and we are taking these meetings to have discussions about those future opportunities," she said.
One such future opportunity could be developing tourism around film locations, she added, pointing to the community of fans that has sprung up around the show The Last of Us, which has filmed in British Columbia including Nanaimo as well as Alberta.
Bailey's visit comes as a new U.S. administration said to be generally hostile toward international ties and trade prepares to take office. In other words, the political interests of California — historically a 'blue state' — and those of incoming U.S. president Donald Trump may find themselves in alignment, with B.C.'s film industry thus facing strong political headwinds.
"It's interesting, that particular topic (protectionism) hasn't come up in the meetings that we have taken today," Bailey said. "The topics have been more around competitiveness and talent and opportunities in the future."
Bailey's trip to California has not gone unnoticed. Vancouver-based journalist Bob Mackin called it the "(first) junket of the new" Eby cabinet on social media. So what's Bailey's reaction?
"I think the point of this trip is to really communicate to (Hollywood) executives that British Columbia is very interested in their business....we are talking about 47,500 jobs," she said. "So yes, I'm very interested in defending these jobs and keeping these jobs in British Columbia."
Bailey said the delegation arrived late Tuesday evening and is scheduled to return Thursday morning.
"So it's a fast and important trip."
