Members of the Atlantic Film Partners – comprised of Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation, the Newfoundland Labrador Film Development Corporation, Film nb and PEI Business Development – banded together in Halifax in early May and successfully negotiated a means to access new funds through the federal government’s Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

The acoa says the new money, totaling $500,000 ($375,000 from acoa, with the balance being made up by the provinces) will help the Atlantic provinces to better promote the region’s film and television initiatives and locations, as well as coproduction opportunities nationally, internationally and among the Maritime provinces.

Says nsfdc executive director Ann MacKenzie: ‘These funds are going to be able to take producers to markets and things like that, let us do some market readiness, professional development training and some industry intelligence research. It is new money and it is available for us to use over the next year. It is a pilot [program] so we are hoping to renew it for a second year.’

MacKenzie represented the nsfdc at the Halifax meeting. Leo Furey represented the nlfdc, Ray Wilson, Film nb, and Berni Wood, PEI Business Development.