Vancouver: b.c. continued its double-digit volume growth trends in 1998 when it posted another record year.

Total monies spent in the b.c. economy by domestic and international film and television production were $808 million, up 28% from the previous year and about $60 million greater than the volumes tallied in Ontario.

In all, 171 productions were shot in b.c., including 117 Canadian productions (worth $363 million in spending) and 54 foreign productions (worth $445 million).

According to Ian Waddell, the b.c. cabinet minister responsible for film, Canadian-owned and controlled production soared 67% in 1998. Sparking the increased growth is the year-old Film Incentive b.c. tax credit which has triggered $116 million in b.c.-controlled production

Waddell has also formed a working group to oversee the b.c. industry’s response to Ottawa’s feature film report and provide guidance about how to sustain a domestic industry.