Ontario is Expanding its Support of an Innovative Economy

Ontario's Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund renewed for four years

TORONTO - Ontario is continuing to support the growth of an innovative economy by renewing the Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund with a $12 million investment over the next four years. The announcement was made today by the Hon. Aileen Carroll, Minister of Culture, in a speech before the Economic Club of Canada.

The Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund was initially established in 2006 as a three-year $7.5 million fund to stimulate growth in Ontario's entertainment and creative industries by promoting capacity building, marketing, innovation and skills development. The Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) co-administers the Fund with the Ministry of Culture.

Two examples of creative business hubs supported through the Partnerships Fund include:

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival expanded its global reach in 2008 through Doc Shop. Doc Shop is a digital online marketplace which provides registered delegates with on-demand access to a library of more than 1,500 recent Canadian and international documentary films throughout the Hot Docs Festival (April 30 - May 10). During the festival, Doc Shop greatly enhances the capacity for buyers to screen and acquire new Ontario documentaries, and also functions as a year-round international online market for documentary buyers and distributors.

The Niagara Interactive Media Generator - or nGen for short - is a new media incubator in the Niagara region. Partners Brock University, Niagara College, Interactive Ontario, Silicon Knights, Niagara Enterprise Agency, Economic Development & Tourism Services - St. Catharines and the Niagara Economic Development Corporation have developed two projects: noiseinniagara, a website to promote the Niagara music scene, and an interactive educational game about the War of 1812. An investment attraction tool is also in development. Last year, Microsoft partnered with nGen to give local new media entrepreneurs free access to software worth tens of thousands of dollars. The next round of the Partnerships Fund will be launched at the end of May with information sessions being held in June and an application deadline of September 23. Details will be posted on the OMDC website www.omdc.on.ca

"Ontario's creative cluster not only contributes to the province's economy today, it also has the potential to grow exponentially and ensure the jobs of the future. By supporting innovation, development and research, we help Ontario compete and succeed in the lucrative global entertainment and media market." - The Honourable Aileen Carroll, Minister of Culture

"The Ontario Government understands the enormous competitive advantage that cultural industries give us in the global knowledge economy, where intellectual property is high stakes. The Partnerships Fund is a valuable resource that unites partners from industry, academia and government in the common goal of creating and promoting Ontario cultural products in world markets." - Kevin Shea, OMDC Chair

"We are delighted that this program will continue to encourage the type of innovative, cross-sector projects that enable Ontario companies to compete on the world stage. Since it was established three years ago, the Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund has supported 43 projects, involving 285 partners and leveraging $15.9 million dollars." - Karen Thorne-Stone, OMDC President & CEO

"We're thrilled to have made this great leap forward in the services we offer and to solidify our role as an essential marketplace for the international documentary industry. Telefilm Canada, the OMDC and all of our partners should be commended on their profound vision and their dedication to helping this groundbreaking project come to fruition." - Chris McDonald, Executive Director, Hot Docs

- Even in its early years, the Partnerships Fund has seen some significant project successes, including Magazines Canada Digital Discovery, a project to create and host digital versions of Canadian magazines online and Spotlight on China a project that brought 28 key Chinese music executives to Ontario to meet and explore business opportunities with Ontario companies during Canadian Music Week. More success stories can be found here (http://www.omdc.on.ca/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=5409).

- With employment of 276,000 in 2008, Ontario has the third-largest entertainment and creative sector in North America, after California and New York, and is the leading province in film and television production, book and magazine publishing, and sound recording.

- Ontario generates 40% of Canada's cultural GDP.

- Ontario's creative sector is estimated to contribute at least $7 billion from direct cultural industry contributions; when a broader range of culture contributions are included, that figure grows to $12.2 billion.

- Over the past decade, Ontario's entertainment and creative cluster created more than 80,000 new jobs in Ontario - an increase of 40 per cent compared to 17 per cent in the overall Ontario economy.

- The global entertainment and media market was estimated to be worth more than $1.5 trillion last year