The federal and Manitoba governments are putting $2.5 million into the province’s film industry in a bid to bolster its competitiveness.

The funding will go to the association On Screen Manitoba and its Access project, an economic development effort aimed at the province’s film production companies.

‘This funding will help On Screen Manitoba expand the Manitoba film industry and create jobs, while showcasing our province as a premier film production destination,’ said Vic Toews, MP for the southern Manitoba-area riding of Provencher, in a statement.

The Access project is to help companies adapt to new technology and increase global market share — while also helping to develop the aboriginal and francophone film communities in Manitoba.

‘This project comes at a crucial time for the screen-based media industry. To remain competitive internationally and grow our sector we needed to become more aggressive with our business development strategies and marketing,’ said Tara Walker, executive director of On Screen Manitoba.