Film P.E.I. hopes to build membership with studio improvements

Heritage Canada is helping out Film P.E.I. with renovations to its studio space, which the group hopes will prompt more people to want to use it.

Heritage Canada is putting up half the cost of the $40,000 project.

Some of the work will improve the shipping and receiving space, making moving material in and out of the building more efficient. The other major component is upgrading the electrical system.

"It allows our clients to not be limited by the number of plugs in the wall, so to speak. By upgrading the service it allows our clientele to fully take advantage of the space in terms of the lighting," said Film P.E.I. executive director Rob Riselli.

"It helps us to build our membership, by having a facility that can serve better their needs."

The studio is used by photographers in addition to filmmakers, Riselli said.

P.E.I.'s film industry is still recovering from the shock of the pandemic.

In the decade leading up to 2020, the gross domestic product for film and video on P.E.I. regularly exceeded $3.5 million. That fell below $1.5 million in 2020, and it has not recovered much since.