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“I’ve had very direct discussions with NBC Universal, with the Motion Picture Association, they view Alberta as really fertile ground if, and only if, we can address that one issue,” says Cox, whose Calgary-based Seven24 Films produces Heartland and Wynonna Earp. “The crew here are world class, the locations are great, infrastructure is growing. It’s all here.”

At issue is a funding cap on the Alberta Media Fund’s production grant, which provides incentives for film and TV projects. The fund can contribute up to 30 per cent of all eligible Alberta expenses, but is capped at $5-million per project. In the past, there was flexibility in the fund for ongoing series that continued to employ workers and generate economic activity. In 2014, changes were made to the fund by the then Conservative government that prevents new television series from applying more than once, which is not favourable for higher-budget fare and ongoing television series.

Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures, which co-produced AMC’s Hell on Wheels and co-produces FX’s Fargo, set up production of its sci-fi series Van Helsing in Vancouver rather than Alberta in early 2016, at least in part because of the cap.

The awareness campaign is a joint effort by ACTRA, AMPIA, The Alberta Post Production Association, the Directors Guild of Canada’s Alberta District Council, IATSE Alberta and Teamsters Local 362. Dubbed #ABcreates, it is aimed at the government and the general public. It also urges those working in the 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs the industry currently produces to be more vocal about their contributions. It does not get into specifics about how to improve the incentives. A new video touts the industry’s track record and economic benefits. A news release calls for “real investment in Alberta’s Screen Industries.”