Next year, The Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation (NLFDC) heads into its 20th year as a vital source of financing, training, and advocacy for our province’s film, television, and digital media industry.

Since its inception, the NLFDC witnessed inspiring growth due to solid execution of its mandate and administration of both its Equity Investment Program and The Film and Video Industry Tax Credit, the latter co-administered with the Department of Finance.

“We realized very early in the game that to ensure the continued growth of this industry in the province, we had to focus on indigenous productions, inter-provincial co-productions, and/or international co-productions,” says Executive Director Chris Bonnell. “It has been a very collaborative effort between the provincial government, the Board of Directors and staff of the NLFDC, and our main client, the local producer.”

Committed to its mandate and in lock step with the provincial industry’s evolution, the NLFDC continues to grow and nurture industry professionals as they branch out across an international landscape dotted with traditional and emerging media consumption technologies.

When the NLFDC launched in 1997, most films were still shot on celluloid, the World Wide Web and the DVD market were just gaining momentum, and provincial film and television production activity was at $1 million.

In October 2015, the government announced The Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit – also co-administered with the Department of Finance – to support and retain the growing interactive digital media industry. The province’s current production activity is in excess of $43 million.

The times are indeed a-changin’.

“Our mandate is expanding to include screen industries as a whole and there is huge potential for growth in this province,” says Bonnell. “Since 1997, the total production activity in Newfoundland and Labrador is $313 million and has leveraged over $251 million to this province.”

Manager of Programs Dorian Rowe agrees and encourages emerging industry professionals to get in touch.

“Everyone’s projects and career paths are unique,” says Rowe. “Regardless of whether one of our programs is a fit at this stage of their careers, our job at the NLFDC is also to promote the industry in general. They are welcome to contact either Laura Churchill or me. Our contacts, and detailed program information, is all on our website.”

As Industry Analyst Laura Churchill points out, promotion and access to international markets is just as high on the NLFDC’s list of priorities as the administration of its various financing programs:

“With the help of ACOA and the Department of Business Tourism Culture and Recreation, we’ve been focusing on Business Development Missions, not only to Los Angeles, but to Berlin, London, New York and a few other international markets. Each year our clients are building on their connections through these missions, which helps give their projects legs. Connections are an integral part of this industry. Being able to help facilitate them is one of the best parts of the job.”

The NLFDC is a vital connection for any local film, television, or digital content producer to have.

Reach out to the NLFDC via their website: www.nlfdc.ca