VANCOUVER — It’s been a challenging year for B.C.’s film and television production industry. But despite the fallout of the writers walkout, the threat of a Screen Actors Guild strike, the high loonie and aggressive competition from locations like New Mexico, Michigan and Louisiana, Peter Leitch can see the bright side.

Leitch, chair of the province’s Motion Picture Production Industry Association, says B.C. has ‘had more success than other jurisdictions because of the steps we’ve been taking over the past few years to build a sustainable industry.’

So when industry reps and stakeholders kicked off Motion Picture Industry Week in B.C. on Monday, there was sense of optimism and celebration in the air — and it wasn’t just because of the loonie’s drop to 80 cents.

‘Sure, our 80-cent dollar is great news, and we’ve become the ‘go-to’ place again, especially for clients like 20th Century Fox who’ve done a lot up here. But it’s not just about the dollar,’ says Leitch. ‘Key to this week is bringing together all stakeholders, including competitors and government to strategize, to make sure we’re all rowing in the same direction, to maximize opportunities.’

Leitch explains that the goal of the week is not only to celebrate the industry’s growth and success but to give back to the community, by donating to the local food bank, and to focus on competitiveness and sustainability issues.

A packed house of more than 100 turned out at the B.C. Film Commission’s Environmental Forum to hear Kevin Eck of Ernst & Young talk about the importance of sustainability reporting and, in an unusual but environmentally correct twist, to hear and see execs from L.A. such as Warner Bros. enviro VP Shelley Billick, who appeared on a huge screen to save the airline carbon emissions of traveling to Vancouver.

On Thursday night, Shauna Hardy Mishaw, co-founder of the Whistler Film Festival, will announce that this year’s fest (Dec. 4-7) will present a lifetime tribute in honor of William Vince, founder of Vancouver’s Infinity Features.

Moderated by director and actor Charles Martin Smith — director of Infinity’s Stone of Destiny — it will include clips from classic Vince moments and on-stage reminiscences from celebrities and friends about the people and projects that he helped. The Vancouver-born producer died of cancer in June.

Proceeds from the memorial will go towards B.C. Film’s William Vince Scholarship Fund, a new program to support the professional development of aspiring filmmakers.