Manitoba's film industry sees a bump after loonie slide

Film productions from the United States and overseas are taking advantage of a low Canadian dollar and making movies in Manitoba, says Nicole Matiation, executive director of OnScreen Manitoba. It's a local non-profit association for media professionals.

"Compared to last year, we're strong out of the gate," said Matiation.

"Producers are always looking to stretch their dollar."

The loonie's slump along with Manitoba's tax credits, makes the province extra attractive to film-makers, she said, that coupled with locations available in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba seal the deal.

"Nobody's come here and said 'We're coming to shoot because it's a low dollar,' They're coming to shoot for a variety of different reasons," she said.

"They're here because first of all, it's the right location, it's a world class crew."

So far in 2016, an international feature film is prepping to shoot in Manitoba as well as a U.S. feature film and an American television series, she said.

While Matiation cannot reveal any more details about the productions, she hinted Canadians will have probably heard of the TV show. 100 people will be employed to work on it for six months, she added.

"We're obviously thrilled ... keeping the crew busy and engaging producers early in the season is always a good thing," said Matiation.