The trip comes after B.C. Premier David Eby promised to increase tax credits for movie and TV productions
Just days after being appointed to their new jobs, three members of the B.C. government are off to California to promote the province as a hot spot for film and television production.
Spencer Chandra Herbert, minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport, said in a statement that they want to bring the “biggest productions” to the province, allowing talent in B.C. to continue with work that comes “with a good pay cheque.”
The trip to Los Angeles will also include Finance Minister Brenda Bailey and Nina Krieger, the Parliamentary secretary for arts and film.
The B.C. government offers a 28 per cent production services credit to both domestic and foreign film and TV producers, and Premier David Eby pledged to increase the credits to 36 per cent during his election campaign.
“We’re not going to be able to outbid the lowest common-denominator bidders in the United State,” Eby said on Oct. 29. “But, if we’re competitive, combined with the amazing crews that we have here, in the teams that we have, we can deliver some of the biggest productions available, given what we offer here in the province.”
The premier’s statement came just a couple of days after California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed doubling the value of the state’s film tax credit program.
Eby reassured the film industry following his re-election last month, saying the government “is in your corner,” and it commits to ensuring that the B.C. film sector stays competitive.
A joint statement from the ministries of Finance Tourism says the timing of the government visit is crucial since it will offer studio decision-makers the information they need for production planning.
B.C. has been a hot spot for U.S. film and television production, such as Season 2 of the popular post-apocalyptic TV series “The Last of Us,” which was filmed in dozens of locations across the province.
The government says the film industry is supporting more than 47,500 jobs and brought $3.3 billion to B.C.’s total GDP in 2022.
With files from Postmedia News