B.C.’s film and television industry staged an economic comeback in 2005, as total spending increased by more than 50% to over $1.2 billion – up from $800 million in the lackluster 2004.

‘This is a major turnaround,’ said Olga Ilich, B.C.’s minister of tourism, sport and the arts, upon announcing the numbers in March. ‘This level of production activity has not been seen in the province since 2003, our strongest year ever.’

Based on stats prepared by the B.C. Film Commission, the province saw 211 productions last year: 63 features, 31 TV series, 37 movies-of-the-week, 15 pilots, five miniseries, 20 documentaries, 16 shorts and 24 animation projects.

The big surge came from foreign spending, where feature films spiked 200% to $580 million, thanks to shoots including X-Men 3, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, The Fog and Eight Below. American TV series including Battlestar Galactica and Supernatural spent 26% more, or $298 million, while animation climbed 121% to nearly $50 million.

Domestic spending was softer, however, rising just 5% to $225 million. Feature and TV spending were down, by 13% and 11%, respectively, but were buoyed by animation, which jumped 138% to $35 million.

‘We want to see the domestic side of the industry grow,’ said Ilich in a later interview with Playback, ‘so we are working with them even more to find a way to encourage and grow that sector.’

The province’s weak numbers in 2004 were partly blamed on a lack of Hollywood films and were used as a rallying cry for improved tax credits, which came through in January 2005.

Peter Leitch, chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia and president of Lionsgate Studios, attributes the ’05 rebound to factors including the tax credits, the more stable Canadian dollar, and increased co-operation between companies and unions, all of which helped lure shoots north from the U.S.

‘The increased tax credits played a significant part. It sent a message to L.A. that we want to be a part of the industry,’ he says.

www.bcfilmcommission.com