A Mustel Group poll financed by B.C.’s film industry has found strong support for government incentives to encourage film industry growth in B.C.

“It was an honest attempt to get the public’s temperature given that we’ve been in the media spotlight with a lot of discussion about a business development tool such as a tax credit,” said Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. spokesperson Leslie Wootton.

Some key findings were that:

·       85% of B.C. residents polled support encouraging growth of the film industry, which is stronger than support for most other industries measured;

·       92% of B.C. residents polled believe the film industry is at least somewhat important to the province’s economy, with 60% considering the industry “very” or “extremely” important; and

·       83% of B.C. residents polled who support providing government incentives to keep and encourage film production in B.C. and help it be competitive with Ontario and Quebec.

The poll comes after much lobbying from the industry for the B.C. government to match tax credits in other parts of Canada.

Lower tax credits in B.C. have fuelled mass unemployment, according to Crawford Hawkins, who is executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada, B.C. District Council.

He told Business in Vancouver that just 100 of his union's 800 members are currently working. He added that B.C.'s uncompetitive film incentives are killing local jobs and driving down wages for B.C.'s directors, assistant directors and production managers.

Mustel conducted online interviews between January 17 and 22 with 800 adults who live in B.C.

The margin of error at the 95% confidence level on the total sample is plus or minus 3.5%, according to the Mustel Group.

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