Chances are good that if the Canadian dollar continues to languish at 64 cents compared to the u.s. greenback and the tight Vancouver production center becomes even more jammed, Victoria will become b.c.’s new production frontier faster than its lobbyists expected.

Kate Petersen, who heads up the Greater Victoria Film Commission, confirms that there are at least three series and nine features currently scouting Victoria. Many are u.s.-based and many are budgeting Victoria as an alternative locale to Vancouver. On top of the prospective long-form work, there are eight commercials considering Victoria.

‘There’s definitely a buzz out there,’ says Petersen. ‘But we’re still building. This is not just a one-year process. We hope that 1999 or 2000 will be the breakthrough year.’

Petersen was named commissioner a year ago when the marketing office was officially launched with the assistance of the B.C. Film Commission in Vancouver. Since then, Petersen has been conducting producer tours and attending trade shows and now, as she says, ‘We’re having a hard time responding to all the requests.’

In 1997/98, the Victoria Commission has tallied 178 projects, an increase of nearly 1,400% since official records were last kept in 1994/95. In the most recent year, direct spending by the industry in Victoria was $1.8 million, compared to the rest of Vancouver Island where direct spending was $35 million (almost entirely attributed to the $150-million production of The 13th Warrior aka Eaters of the Dead in Campbell River, north of Victoria).

But now, in addition to the Canadian dollar and overflowing work from Vancouver, Victoria offers an added bonus. On top of the production services tax rebate of 11% offered to non-Canadian shows throughout b.c., Victoria and other locals outside Greater Vancouver can provide b.c. producers with a regional incentive of 12.5% on top of the 20% domestic tax credit.

That alone has attracted low-budget Canadian features such as The Duke (Gone Fishing Productions), which will be distributed by International Keystone Entertainment, and Sedona Entertainment’s Christina’s House, which begins about Nov. 1 with Gavin Wilding as director.

Ian Fodie, producer of The Duke, says the 27 days of shooting that ended Sept. 10 comprised a ‘good experience.’ While he gives a nod to the tax credit, the storyline, which is set in England, benefited from Victoria’s English-themed settings. Most shooting was done in and around Royal Rhodes University.

‘Victoria has a lot of potential,’ Fodie observes. ‘It’s probably much like what Vancouver was 10 to 15 years ago. But there is great access and the weather is better. It was tough, however, to find experienced crews.’

Among the standout production companies in Victoria is May Street Group, which is in post-production with 13 episodes of Best Places to Kiss in the Pacific Northwest, a Vision tv documentary called Virtue and a wtn documentary called Big Dance, and is in production with a documentary called Marker of Change for Global and Vision.

Hilary Jones-Farrow, who was recently awarded the u.s.-based Humanitas Prize for humanitarian programming because of her television special called Smudge, says the benefits of an increased industry in Victoria will be hard to define.

‘There will probably be all sorts of hidden bonuses for local producers,’ she speculates, including increased training, increased use of peripheral enterprises such as May Street’s edit suites and an enhanced profile for Victoria as a place where production takes place.

Other Victoria producers include Gemini-nominated Asterisk Productions, which is post with a Nature of Things episode called ‘Good Wood,’ corporate video maker Across Borders Media and video producer Colsut Pictures.