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By rdnewsNOW Staff

chapters of Alberta’s stories

Alberta invests $8 million in Alberta Media Fund for publishing and entertainment industries

Apr 26, 2024 | 3:58 PM

The Alberta government is aiming to help the publishing and entertainment industries in the province thrive with an $8-million investment in the Alberta Media Fund.

Through the Fund, book and magazine publishers, sound recording agencies, and film producers can access grants for projects in art production, training, career development, marketing and research.

The province said their government supports organizations to carry out initiatives like export marketing and investment attraction for Alberta’s content creators, as well as programs that showcase and celebrate excellence within cultural industries.

In 2021, Alberta’s publishing and entertainment industries, including film and television, magazine and book publishing, music, heritage sites and more, contributed $2.7 billion to the provincial economy and sustained more than 19,000 jobs.

“Publishing and entertainment industries put Alberta’s stories into the movies that we see and the songs that we hear. The publishing sector preserves and celebrates Alberta’s cultural heritage and provides a wealth of education and entertainment. By providing stable and ongoing support to our books, magazines, movies and music, we’re creating a stronger economy and putting Alberta’s culture on local and international stages and screens,” said Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women.

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Government officials say operating and project grants through the Alberta Media Fund play a critical role in the province’s publishing and entertainment industries. For example, they say their support for book publishing helped the Book Publishers Association of Alberta create a curriculum-based catalog of made-in-Alberta books. It also helped the association compile a digital collection of accessible Alberta published eBooks, the largest of its kind in Canada.

“We’re grateful for the support of Alberta’s government for our industry, and for the additional funding increment that we received this year. We have seen the impacts of significant, sustained funding for the film industry, and how that industry has grown and succeeded as a direct result,” said Matt Bowes, President of Book Publishers Association of Alberta.

The Alberta government reiterated that Budget 2024 maintains funding in cultural industries, with more than $2.5 million to support music, books and magazines and close to $5.5 million to support producers in the province in creating Alberta content for smaller budget film and television productions.

“We were pleased to see the continued $8-million investment in the Alberta cultural industries, Alberta Media Fund and the post-production grant (PPG). The funding will help foster the growth and success of screen-based productions. The post-production grant is a game changer and unique to Alberta. No other province offers a grant like the post-production grant,” said Mark Wood, president and GM of Studio Post and chair of Alberta Post-Production Association.