As the Northern Ontario film industry continues its slow recovery from the impact of COVID-19, the province has announced $5.5 million in support funding for future productions.
Announced on Sept. 11, the money is being flowed through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. to five projects being produced in the North Bay area.
"Our government is proud to support the region's film and television industry," said Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing, in a news release.
“As we continue to navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, we remain committed to supporting Northern production and post-production projects – developing skilled, local talent and creating good jobs for our next generation.”
The NOHFC investments include:
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$3 million for Hideaway Pictures Inc. to produce, in and around Powassan, season two of the television series “When Hope Calls.”
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$1.5 million for Hideaway Pictures Inc. to produce, in and around North Bay, the television movies “Crossword Mysteries 3,” “Crossword Mysteries 4” and “Crossword Mysteries 5.”
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$500,000 for HP Christmas D Productions Inc. to produce, in and around North Bay, the television movie “Too Close For Christmas.”
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$462,628 for Mythic Trips Entertainment Corp. to produce, in and around North Bay, the feature film “Flee The Light.”
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$122,457 for Post Production North in North Bay to expand its current service offerings to include digital descriptive video. Digital descriptive video is the vocal description of the action and visuals taking place in between dialogue in a movie or television show.
NOHFC introduced incentives for TV and film productions shot in Northern Ontario in the late 2000s.
To qualify, productions are weighed against a range of criteria, including job creation and training opportunities, the financial impact to Northern Ontario, and projected expenditures in the region.
Eligible productions can receive a conditional grant of up to 50 per cent of eligible costs to a maximum of $500,000, with funding based on the project’s level of spending in Northern Ontario.
Since June 2018, the NOHFC said, it has invested more than $193 million in 1,386 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $748 million in investment and creating or sustaining 3,912 jobs.
