Bucking the trend towards reducing film and TV tax credits, Manitoba’s provincial government has announced it is extending its film, TV and interactive digital media tax credit to 2019.

The Manitoba Film and Video Tax Credit and Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit are both renewed and extended to Dec. 31 of that year.

The credit was set to expire at the end of 2016; the 2015 renewal comes ahead of schedule.

“This early renewal is a great vote of confidence from the Government of Manitoba,” said Carole Vivier, CEO & film commissioner for Manitoba Film & Music, in a statement.

While B.C. has held firm on its credit, and even extended its credit to include post-production, the Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia provincial governments have all reduced their local tax credits under austerity-focused budgets.

Manitoba’s industry tax credit is available in two forms: a 45% refundable labour-based tax credit, which can be stacked with a 10% frequent filmer bonus, a 5% Manitoba-producer bonus and a 5% rural and northern Manitoba bonus. Or, producers can instead access a 30% all-spend tax credit for Manitoba-based expenses.

According to On Screen Manitoba, the province handled 13 feature films, two dramatic TV series, eight factual series and 29 documentaries in 2014. That included The Pinkertons, which, the industry association says, was created using 95% Manitoba crew and 96% Manitoba talent.

In its budget, the Manitoba government said the full-year spend on the industry tax credit is $15 million.

On Screen Manitoba says the credit in turn attracts $58 million in industry spend to the province.

Caramel Films and Mednick Productions are currently shooting their $10 million Devil’s Gate feature in Winnipeg.

– Image courtesy of Shutterstock