Alberta is to sweeten its 20% tax rebate for film and TV producers, looking to compete with Quebec and Ontario after those provinces decided to allow Hollywood producers to write off all production expenses. Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett says that his province’s film and TV tax rebate, part of the Alberta Film Development Program, will raise its cap from $3 million to $5 million.

‘We need to make Alberta more welcoming for the larger motion pictures and TV series to become more competitive,’ he said.

Alberta raised the program funding cap from $1.5 million to $3 million in October, but felt compelled to move again after June announcements by Ontario and Quebec that Hollywood producers would be allowed to claim a tax rebate for 25% of total production expenses beyond labor costs, including equipment and studio rentals.

Blackett said Los Angeles producers at the recent Banff television festival requested a hike in Alberta’s film and TV tax rebate, which remains contingent on a project’s use of local crews and locations.

Alberta is also considering two formal proposals for a studio complex in Calgary to end a lack of soundstages caused by the recent closure of CFB Studio Centre, a decommissioned military base that had four retrofitted soundstages and which housed indigenous and foreign productions. Blackett said Alberta ideally requires two soundstages of 30,000 square feet and 20,000 square feet in size, plus office space.

He added the province would like to see a site and a studio consortium selected by the end of the year, but that Alberta was moving cautiously to ensure success.