Written by new-contact on Mar 29, 2012. Posted in Incentive News

Saskatchewan filming incentive outcry results in application deadline extension

Authorities in Saskatchewan, central Canada, have extended the deadline by which productions can apply for the province’s final filming incentive. The move seems to be a response to the massive outcry that was triggered by the cancellation announcement last week.

Producers now have an extra three months – until the end of June this year – to apply for the Saskatchewan filming incentive before the phase-out begins. The wave of protest against the cancellation has spread to Hollywood, although Saskatchewan authorities stand by the decision to cancel.

Part of what we did too was we made the case that the film industry is a business where a dollar spent in that industry can spin off anywhere from five to ten dollars.

Tony Whalen, Producer

The situation is similar to what happened recently in New Brunswick on Canada’s east coast. Last year the provincial Government cancelled the regional tax credit, but responded to uproar by launching a different set of incentives only a few months ago.

Tony Whalen, a Producer and New Brunswick native, commented to local outlet cjme.com about how the local tide was turned: “[The incentive programme] did bring jobs to people and they stayed in hotels and bought equipment and bought materials. Part of what we did too was we made the case that the film industry is a business where a dollar spent in that industry can spin off anywhere from five to ten dollars.”

It remains to be seen whether something similar will happen in Saskatchewan, but local industry professionals are likely to be buoyed by the deadline extension.

(Main page image copyright: Jay Van Doornum)