Ontario culturecrats have returned from a four-day trip to L.A. optimistic that recent tax law changes are already drawing Hollywood dollars back to Hollywood North.

Donna Zuchlinski and Len Pendergast, both of the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and Toronto film commissioner Rhonda Silverstone sat down with studio and network bosses in January to talk up the region and its newly improved tax breaks.

The outlook is rosy, says Zuchlinski. ‘We’re coming away with a number of new projects,’ that, in some cases, are now eyeing Ontario as a direct result of the new tax break, she says. ‘Several feature films, three or four pilots and a couple of TV movies.’

The unnamed projects are scouting locations for possible spring/summer shoots but have not yet committed to Ontario.

‘It’s pilot season so we met with many network execs,’ she adds. ‘The clients are very pleased about the increase.’

In December, Ontario’s Liberal government raised its tax break for foreign shoots to 18% from 11% in hopes of reviving the province’s ailing movie business. The domestic credit was also raised to 30% from 20%.

The province also recently landed an untitled Paramount project starring rapper 50 Cent, the Don Carmody-produced thriller Silent Hill and John Singleton’s Four Brothers, also for Paramount.

Ontario is still facing several hurdles, however, most notably the high loonie, still trading at more than $0.80 against the greenback, and Toronto’s lingering lack of real studio space. Hollywood is concerned about both, according to Zuchlinski.

‘They are mentioning the dollar, absolutely. The bottom line is very important. But it’s not just the bottom line, it’s the entire package they’re getting,’ such as experienced crews and a convenient time zone.

The changes in Ontario prompted boosts to the corresponding credits in Quebec and B.C., raising the possibility of greater interprovincial competition.

Zuchlinski sidesteps the question, commenting only that, ‘We’re all facing global competition. The OMDC welcomes any initiative that brings production and jobs to Canada.’

-www.omdc.on.ca