Axed tax credit has film industry nervous

This may be the last big year for the Silver Wave Film Festival in Fredericton because the provincial government has cancelled the New Brunswick film tax credit.

More than 90 New Brunswick films are hitting the screens in Fredericton at the 11th annual festival that began Thursday night.

But industry veteran, Doug Sutherland, who is both assistant director and co-producer of the opening feature Letha Acidents, said the killed tax credit is troubling.

"As far as the New Brunswick film industry is concerned, we're very much in a position where we're under threat with the cancellation of the tax credit," he said Thursday.

"I think it will be [the last big year] if we maintain status quo. Unfortunately."

Sutherland also plays a hit man who turns over the family firm to his daughter in the closing gala film, a New Brunswick-Quebec co-production.

It's a film by Nicholas Kinsey, of Quebec City, who said now that the film tax credit has been killed, he may go elsewhere for the next co-production. "For us, Ontario or New Brunswick is quite close. So it might involve us moving to another shoot location," he said.

Nonetheless, New Brunswick Filmmakers' Co-Op director Tony Merzetti said the province's film community will still be in the business of making films. 

"They found ways to make films with little or no money. So we're still going to get productions happening, a lot of short films, short dramas and documentaries," he said.

"But I think from the industry standpoint, it's going to become very challenging for producers to do TV shows, feature films, that do require a budget."

The festival will be screening movies all weekend throughout Fredericton, ending with an awards gala on Sunday that includes the awarding of a $30,000 prize from CBC and Telefilm Canada.