B.C. producers looking to shoot in the province’s southern interior may find assistance from the new Arrowleaf Fund, which aims to boost business in the area.

The $2.5-million fund was created and launched Thursday in Kelowna by business partners Sara Shaak, the former film commissioner for the Okanagan region, and Brent Bolleman of corporate finance firm Axel Partners. They will serve as directors of the fund, along with actor and B.C. native Jason Priestley, who is also an investor.

Shaak says the private equity fund — in which investors would own a percentage of the film’s proceeds — is the first of its kind in the region.

‘We had a lot of the attributes to build a stronger industry, but we didn’t have any kind of private equity programs to add an incentive beyond traditional tax credits in the region,’ she explains, adding that Arrowleaf would put up additional cash for producers who still find themselves short after presales, tax credits, and their own investment.

The fund looks to support between three to five feature film and television projects per year, according to Shaak, who says they’re still ironing out the details.

‘We need the commitment from the investment community in order to maximize the amount of projects we get involved in,’ she adds.