It’s down to business for the revamped Alberta Film Advisory Council, which has recently undergone a membership shuffle and mandate review.

The 16-member AFAC, formerly called the Film Commission Advisory Council, is tasked with guiding Alberta’s $165-million film and television industry by developing long-term strategies and advising the provincial government on ways to strengthen the industry.

Damian Petti, president of IATSE Local 212 in Calgary, was appointed new industry co-chair last week, serving alongside Conservative MLA Gary Mar (Calgary-Mackay) for a term of three years. One of their focuses will be to increase TV series production in the province.

‘TV series generate more training opportunities and year-round employment. The government sees value in growing the industry through expanding production activity, which seems to be limited to warmer summer months,’ Petti says, noting business has continued to pick up despite the high loonie.

Alberta has played host to major Hollywood features in the last two years including the Brad Pitt-starrer The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which will have its premiere at this year’s TIFF. Meanwhile, Paul Gross is currently directing the $20-million feature Passchendaele in his Calgary hometown, while Lionsgate Entertainment secured $8.9 million in provincial and municipal investment to shoot an as-of-yet-unnamed TV series in Edmonton.

Though business is steady, a lack of purpose-built studio space still plagues the local industry. A new studio is slated to open in Calgary in 2009.

Petti says the AFAC’s ‘new set of players,’ including new media specialist Ken Bautista, also reflects a concerted effort by the government to capture and exploit the burgeoning interactive market.

Other industry members include Seven24 Films producer Tom Cox (Heartland), Jennifer Blaney of ACTRA Calgary, and newly appointed Calgary film commissioner Luke Azevedo, who replaces Beth Thompson.