Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 17, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Chris White can give 30 good reasons why the territorial government should invest in filmmaking.

White, of Western Arctic Moving Pictures (WAMP), organized Film NWT's September campaign for more funding. He has posted a different reason on the group's web-page every day this month and will continue to do so until October.

Kelvin Redvers is a filmmaker from Hay River who has won numerous awards for his work. - photo courtesy of WAMP

The group wants to get $1.2 million over the span of two years.

"The big thing that we're stressing is that this isn't going to be grants - this is an investment," said White.

Putting money into the film industry, he said, will benefit more than just filmmakers.

"For every direct job that's created in the film industry, there are 1.6 secondary jobs that are supported," he said, referencing the Canadian Film and Television Production Association.

Some of the secondary jobs film production creates include catering and charter companies. White said that's why the campaign is receiving support from more than those in the film business.

"It's very broad and what we want to show is that this industry has a tremendous impact across different disciplines and fields," he said.

Marnie Hilash, executive director of the Great Northern Arts Festival, is a visual artist but expects she could benefit from a bigger film industry.

"It would give me equivalent access that artists down South enjoy to the film industry," she said.

She said such an industry is important to Northern artists in particular.

"I think it really suits the narrative tradition of aboriginal artists," she said. "The mobility of the medium lends itself to communicating our point of view to the world outside the North ... or even within the North."

White said every other province and territory in the country has a comprehensive plan for a film industry, and that the return on government investment has been significant.

"In Manitoba in the 1998-1999 season alone ... 1,200 direct jobs plus 2,000 indirect jobs were created," he said.

He went on to cite BC Film, stating that the Slate Development Fund gave $3.5 million to a group of 27 film companies over the span of three years, and these companies went on to make $431 million in productions.

"Because it's an investment, they're going to see returns both for their dollar, as well as cultural," he said. "You're going to see healthier communities as people are able to represent themselves...you're going to see people's self esteem and sense of self worth and culture increase."

White said there are three areas of filmmaking in which to use the money. The largest, he said, which would take up about 80 per cent of the funds, would be cash investments for productions. Other areas which need funding include training, such as workshops and finding willing customers.

Film NWT is putting the finishing touches on its proposal for the Government of Northwest Territories.