Australia Trade Mission a Success

---

Business is good down under.

Just months after a trade mission to Australia, led by the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation, deals have been signed resulting in new business for several participating companies.

"During our trip to Australia we completed a deal to finance a new eight-part ocean technology series called Go Deep with History Television and National Geographic," said John Wesley Chisholm of Arcadia Entertainment. "This new series builds on our past ocean work and further confirms Nova Scotia as a world leader in ocean related documentary programming."

Arcadia Entertainment estimates that $4.5 million in deals were completed in Australia. In addition to Go Deep, Arcadia also completed a deal for another new series, Vintage Adventures that will be filmed this summer.

Ocean Entertainment sold 26 episodes of their popular series Chef at Home and their two new series, French Food at Home to XYZ in Australia and The Living Channel in New Zealand.

"These are just the highlights," said Johanna Eliot of Ocean Entertainment. "The information I received and the relationships I am building as a result of this trade mission will be invaluable for future business opportunities."

A delegation of 16 producers participated in a trade mission to Australia in February 2006. Participating companies included Arcadia Entertainment, Collideascope Digital Productions, Copernicus Studios Inc., Creative Atlantic Communications, Ocean Entertainment Limited, PAL Science Media Inc., Picture Plant Ltd., Playmaker Films, Straightedge Films Inc., The Halifax Film Company Ltd., Trailer Park Productions Ltd, and ZIJI Film & Television Ltd.

"Australia and New Zealand are great markets of opportunity for Nova Scotia-produced film and television productions," said Ann MacKenzie, chief executive officer of the corporation. "Given the similarities between our countries' cultures, sensibilities, and public support programs for the film and television industry, these countries' are a good outlet for Nova Scotia made product."

Panels, business to business meetings, and networking events rounded out the packed itinerary that included stops in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Auckland. Members of the Nova Scotia delegation were profiled in the Australia International Documentary Conference and participated in conference sessions.

The trade mission was a partnership between the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation and the South West Shore Development Authority with funding provided through the Trade Routes program of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation is a provincial Crown corporation reporting to the minister of Economic Development. The corporation provides a wide range of programs and services to build the capacity and competitiveness of the province's film, television and new media industries. The provincial film industry is the fourth largest in Canada, regularly exceeding $100 million in economic activity annually.

---

FOR BROADCAST USE:

     A trade mission to Australia has resulted in new business

for several participating Nova Scotia film and TV producers.

     Arcadia Entertainment estimates the trip was worth four-

point-five million dollars in deals, while Ocean Entertainment

sold 26 episodes of its popular cooking and food shows.

     A delegation of 16 producers participated in the trade

mission last February led by the Nova Scotia Film Development

Corporation.

     Panels, business to business meetings, and networking events

rounded out the trip which included stops in Sydney, Adelaide,

Melbourne, and Auckland.

-30-

Media Contact: Ann MacKenzie
              Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation
              902-424-7177
              E-mail: mackenam@gov.ns.ca