Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, led a successful trade mission to Los Angeles last week to increase investment in British Columbia’s media production industries.

The trade mission encouraged partnerships with B.C.’s key U.S. industry clients, and opened dialogue on issues affecting B.C.’s competitive position in the global market.

Generating over $2.6 billion of economic activity in 2016, the film and television industry creates more than 40,000 sustainable, well-paying jobs in British Columbia each year – many of them due to investment from Hollywood studios.

Over the past two years alone, Warner Bros.’ Riverdale TV series provided more than 1,000 jobs in British Columbia. Last week’s trade mission fostered new relationships and strengthened existing ones with British Columbia’s major investment partners in film, television and digital media production.

“I spoke with senior film and television executives at Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Netflix and many other main studios to boost B.C. as a production location,” said Beare. “The competition to attract motion picture business is increasing globally, and it’s important for us to promote the province as a world-leading production and post-production location.”

“We are proud to be participants in this annual trade mission,” said Prem Gill, chief executive officer of Creative BC. “Collaboration between Creative BC, government and industry continues to be the cornerstone of true success for B.C.'s motion picture industry.”

Peter Leitch, chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC (MPPIA), said, "MPPIA's annual team mission to Los Angeles on behalf of British Columbia's film and television industry is the culmination of our ongoing commitment to a productive and responsive bilateral working relationship with our U.S. clients.

"Participation from our provincial government partners emphasizes B.C.'s public-private strategy for success and customer satisfaction. Having Minister Beare in Los Angeles to champion the industry was as huge asset in our conversations with dozens of key senior executives,” Leitch said.

British Columbia has a vibrant creative sector that makes a significant contribution to our economy. The Los Angeles mission was geared to increase the economic vitality of B.C.’s creative industry, create jobs and generate continued investment throughout the province. In 2016, the sector provided approximately 44,330 total direct and spinoff full-time equivalent jobs for British Columbians.

B.C. is Canada’s largest screen-production centre, and the third-largest centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York. With over 60 VFX and animation studios, and more than 230,000 square metres (2.5 million square feet) of physical production stage space, B.C.’s motion picture industry can service over 50 productions simultaneously and accommodates all sizes and types of production.

Quick Facts:

• British Columbia has growing economic ties with California, particularly in the film and television sector.
• Budgeted motion picture production expenditures in B.C. reached an estimated $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2016-17, an all-time high for the industry; U.S.-based production was responsible for more than 85% ($2.3 billion) of this total.
• The major film studios — including Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Netflix, Universal City Studios (NBC Universal), and Warner Bros. Entertainment — invest significantly in B.C.’s economy.

Learn More:

Creative BC: https://www.creativebc.com/