News
February 20, 2015
Weekly Update from Film Ontario, February 20, 2015
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Happy Friday! Business is certainly booming! This week, the City of Toronto's Council approved re-instating the Toronto Film Board - responding to our work with Mayor Tory and his team. This is good news! Still no date set for Ontario budget day, though rumours now suggest that it will fall mid-April, after the Federal budget. This, too, is good news for us, as we continue our meetings with senior bureaucrats, political staffers, and Ministers, working to protect stability and competitiveness for Ontario's screen-based industry. Reminder: The Banff World Media Festival has once again entered into a “Community Partnership” with FilmOntario. This means significant discounts on registration for our Members. For the Banff World Media Festival, click on the logo on the left, or click here, Content Industry Connect TO, click on the logo on the left, or click here and Content Industry Connect LA event (click here). Offer is valid for a limited time, don’t miss out! Sarah Ker-Hornell ______________________________________________________________________________ Weekly Update from Kelly Graham-Scherer, Los Angeles Representative Happy Friday everyone, The low Canadian dollar made headlines this week. A story in the Hollywood Reporter below detailed the exchange rate's effect on Ontario production and helps put our jurisdiction firmly on the radar of Los Angeles-based producers and production executives. As the Oscars approach, the L.A. trades have been filled with stories covering every aspect of the nominees. The Los Angeles Times this week had a particularly interesting article on the ground-breaking animation software that was developed for use on Disney's best animated feature nominee Big Hero Six (which was directed by Sheridan College graduate Chris Williams). Youtube this week announced a new family-friendly destination, promising a clean, well-lit environment that excludes any of the weird and uncensored stuff on the regular site. As reported in Variety below, the free YouTube Kids app, launching Feb. 23, will include videos from Jim Henson Co., Mother Goose Club, DreamWorks Animation, National Geographic Kids, Hit Entertainment and shows including Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Thomas the Tank Engine, Reading Rainbow and Talking Tom and Friends. British Columbia has sweetened the pot for service producers. As detailed in Kelowna Now below, the province is expanding the Digital Animation or Visual Effects tax credit to include post-production activities, and extending the Interactive Digital Media tax credit to 2018. The Canadian TV series Orphan Black is about to get increased exposure. As detailed in Variety below, AMC Networks announced this week that the season three opener will run simultaneously across AMC, SundanceTV, IFC and We TV, in addition to BBC America, which could provide a crucial boost and turn it into a broader hit that reaches beyond its hard-core cadre of sci-fi fans. And finally this week, I was so pleased to be able to attend the Canada Stars in Awards Season last night in Beverly Hills. As reported in the Toronto Star below, it was an evening honouring not only Canadians nominated for Oscars, but celebrating an array of talent in Canada’s film and TV industries, including many nominees for next week's Canadian Screen Awards. |