Foreign location shooting in B.C. bounced back last year as the province enjoyed a 30% increase in total movie production spending versus 2007.

According to recent data from the B.C. Film Commission, production spending, which includes film and television, rose to $1.2 billion in 2008, with the bulk of the gain in foreign feature film activity. The sector generated $442 million — an increase of 146% over 2007.

Notable feature shoots in B.C. last year include Warner Bros.’s Watchmen, the sci-fi remake The Day the Earth Stood Still, X-Files: I Want to Believe, Night at the Museum 2, and Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Overall foreign production spending in the province — which included 40 feature films, 34 television series or projects, and 12 animated series or projects — totaled $841 million, up from $535 million the previous year.

On the flip side, domestic spending dropped 10% to $366 million, due to a slight drop in drama spending compared to lower-budget lifestyle and documentary series, according to the commission. Meanwhile, domestic animation spending enjoyed a 79% growth to $96 million, for projects such as Escape from Planet Earth and The Nutty Professor.

‘Even in these challenging economic times, the work we’ve put into strengthening and diversifying B.C.’s economy means that motion picture production and many other industries will continue to grow and thrive,’ commented B.C. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Arts Bill Bennett in a release.

The B.C. government, in a push to grow its production industry, raised tax credits in the province in 2008, while its 2009 budget eliminated expiry dates and expanded eligibility criteria for domestic credits.