There was little to celebrate for Nova Scotia’s film and television industry in Tuesday’s provincial budget, with the province opting to keep its controversial Film & Television Production Incentive Fund as-is.

Last year, the province cut its previously 100% refundable tax credit program to 25% to the dismay of the province’s industry. The new fund, which came into effect in July 2015, has two streams: one for indigenous and coproductions, which offsets 26% of all eligible provincial costs; and one for foreign and service productions, which has a base funding for 25% of all eligible Nova Scotia costs.

Screen Nova Scotia was unavailable for comment at press time.

This was, however, what Nova Scotia’s production industry had predicted.

“We were expecting status quo, and this is what happened,” Geoff Deon, founder of Nova Scotia producer Pilot Light Productions told Playback Daily of the unchanged incentive fund.

“Producers in Nova Scotia will work hard to put those funds to good use. We still have skills and smarts here, the production community wants nothing more than to get the crews busy again,” added Deon.

Last week a report commissioned by Screen Nova Scotia and the CMPA drilled down on the film and television industry’s value to the province. The PwC report indicated  the $23.5 million provided by the province in labour-based tax credits in 2014 contributed approximately $180 million to Nova Scotia’s GDP.

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