Production in the Prairies continues to thrive, with Alberta leading the way, Saskatchewan registering a very healthy spike and Manitoba making respectable gains in 2000.

Saskatchewan reports a total production volume of $60 million, more than twice 1999’s figure of $27 million and a slight improvement over 1998’s production volume of $58 million.

The numbers reflect an increase in dramatic production in the province. While Saskatchewan has not seen an increase in pure offshore service deals, coproductions proliferate.

‘Our producers have experienced considerable increases in coproduction activity which has been attracted to our province.’ says Valerie Creighton, CEO of SaskFilm.

Of a total of 88 productions that accessed the tax credit program between 1998 and 2000, 27 (with budgets totaling $88.3 million) were coproductions of one form or another. Seven of these were international coproductions, 11 were coproductions with other Canadian provinces, and nine were copros between two or more Saskatchewan producers.

Calendar 2000 saw 10 dramatic productions with total production budgets of $45.2 million shot in the province, compared with six dramatic productions with budgets of $18.7 million in ’99. Television production reached $19.3 million last year, compared to $8.7 million in ’99, while theatrical production more than doubled to $25.9 million from the previous year’s $10 million.

‘It is apparent that Saskatchewan producers are aggressively seeking coproduction activity with offshore producers in drama and are being recognized as good people with whom to do business.’ says Creighton.

Manitoba also improved on the year prior, with the majority of the gain coming in the service sector. At Manitoba Film and Sound, final tallies aren’t in for fiscal 2000/01 (ended March 31), but indications are total production spending for the year reached $52.4 million, quite a jump on the ’99/00 total of $32.4 million. Last year, foreign activity, which includes service production, came in at $24.8 million – a huge spike compared to the previous year’s total of $6.8 million.

Alexa Saborowski of Manitoba Film and Sound says, ‘We had a few U.S. cable movies this year, plus K-19: The Widowmaker [starring Harrison Ford] was here [shooting] for two days, so they prepped for two weeks.’

Domestic activity also improved, rising to $6.8 million for 2000/01 from $4.4 million a year earlier. Coproduction figures appeared to be holding more or less steady at $20.8 million compared to the ’99/00 total of $21.2 million.

Features accounted for $1.3 million of domestic activity, $12.3 million of coproductions and $17.9 million of foreign activity. MOWs accounted for $3.3 million of coprod activity and $6.2 million of foreign.

TV drama series came in at $205,000 of the total, all of which was classified as ‘foreign activity.’

However, ‘other’ TV series and programs were a gold mine for Manitobans, with $3.6 million of domestic money going to series other than drama (documentary, magazine shows and the like), and $1.9 million going to ‘other TV’ (one-off docs, etc.). Coproduction spending was $917,240 for TV series other than drama and $4.3 million for other TV. Other TV also accounted for $500,000 of foreign activity.

Alberta reports total production budgets of $141.2 million for calendar 2000, down sharply from the $254 million reported for ’99. Based on production budgets, the total for indigenous production was $84.5 million, a healthy increase from the ’99 tally of $47 million. ‘Guest’ budgets came in at $56.7 million from a total of 35 (indigenous and service) productions.

Telefilm Canada reports ’99/00 investments of $333,301 for Alberta $288,743 for Manitoba and $75,196 for Saskatchewan. *