The movie biz in Nova Scotia is on the up, with record-breaking numbers of productions being shot here and the government doubling down on supporting the industry, giving a combined $23 million investment to the sector this past March. (The provincial government also raised the local film tax credit to $10 million, from a previous $4 million limit.)
In the latest bit of industry news, Screen Nova Scotia has announced who will lead its ambitious sound stage project, a $20 million dollar venture that will switch the film industry from a seasonal industry to a year-round one. Gordon Whittaker—a former executive director of FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and regional director for Telefilm Canada—will helm the project. A 50,000-square-foot facility that will be located within HRM, the sound stage “has the potential to create up to 500 jobs and increase production volumes by $100 million,” the CBC reports.
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Of the project’s $20 million price tag, $8 million has been footed by the province, from the $23 mill investment announced in March. Remaining financing is expected to come from several private investors.
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A strong ecosystem of local productions will benefit from the sound stage, which in turn is thought to lure in international flicks, creating a positive feedback loop of growth. The province and Screen Nova Scotia state that the film industry added $180.8 million to Nova Scotia’s economy in 2021-22, up from about $78 million in 2019-20 and $91.6 million in 2020-21.
This article appears in Jun 1-30, 2022.
