Alberta's film industry has more wiggle room following recent changes to the Alberta Film Development Program that raise its per-production funding cap to $1.5 million from $750,000.

The Alberta Foundation of the Arts announced the hike in May. The funding is accessible to Albertan producers and to outside shoots, provided they partner with a production company from within the province. The changes take effect April 1, 2006.

Producers will also now be rebated 50% of salaries paid to Alberta-based creative talent, an increase of 30%. However, the program's annual budget of $13.5 million has not been increased.

Jane Bisbee, a consultant for the AFDP, says the changes were made to level the playing field between provinces.

"When the tax credits in Ontario are improved, then we have to make sure the Alberta producers have the same sort of ammunition to work with," she says.

Ontario, B.C. and other provinces have boosted their tax credits in recent months. Alberta uses a system of grants instead of tax credits.

To some, the changes will make the difference between shooting in Alberta or going elsewhere. Wendy Hill-Tout, president of Calgary-based Voice Pictures, says she has 10 features in development, none of which could have shot in Alberta because of costs. Under the new system, as many as half could now be shot there.

"For features, [the funding] is a long time in coming, and it needs to be higher still. But it certainly will help some of the low- to mid-range features," she says.

The push for change was led by the Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association after a conference last year that identified better funding as the number-one priority among filmmakers. AMPIA represents 270 companies in the province, including producers, distributors and exhibitors.

Alan Brooks, executive producer of AMPIA, says the government was very receptive. And while he's happy with the deal, he wants to see the $13.5 million increased.

"Our next mission would be to increase the overall amount of the fund. We're in conversation [with the government]," he says.

-www.albertafilm.ca