Written by new-contact on Mar 27, 2012. Posted in Incentive News

Saskatchewan prompts local uproar with cancellation of location filming incentive

Authorities in Saskatchewan, central Canada, have prompted uproar in the regional filming industries by cancelling the province's location filming incentive. The authorities argue the move will save the province nearly CAD10 million a year by 2014.

Local filming professionals are up in arms as they say the location filming programme has delivered some CAD600 million to Saskatchewan since 1998 from an overall spend of CAD100 million. The income tax credit has been equal to 45% of labour costs incurred in the province.

Anand Ramayya is with Karma Film in Saskatoon, central Saskatchewan, and spoke to regional outlet the Star Phoenix:

I can't stress enough how important (the credit) is; it's the lifeblood of the financing for every single project I do.

Bill Hutchinson, Minister for Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport in Saskatchewan, said that production levels throughout the province have fallen by some 60% over the past five years and by nearly 20% in 2011 alone. Competition from Vancouver and Toronto is partly to blame and it seems Saskatchewan has decided it cannot compete on the same level as these production centres.