Film Nova Scotia Celebrates 20 Years

Film Nova Scotia is celebrating 20 years of helping stories come to life by hosting a screening of Thom Fitzgerald's The Hanging Garden at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 23, at Empire Park Lane in Halifax.

Created in 1990, Film Nova Scotia is a provincial Crown corporation reporting to the Minister of Economic and Rural Development with the mandate to grow Nova Scotia's film, television and new media industry.

Since its inception, there have been more than 500 productions in the province generating over $1.5 billion and employing more than 3,000 Nova Scotians annually.

The Hanging Garden is one of many home-grown productions to showcase the province on the international stage. The 1997 film was shot in Halifax and Cape Breton and went on to receive awards and accolades from festivals around the globe.

The screening is being held in conjunction with the Atlantic Film Festival's Festival Darlings series, which features five Atlantic and Canadian films.

Tickets are available at the Atlantic Film Festival Box Office and online at http://atlantic.bside.com/2010 .

The celebration of Film Nova Scotia's 20th anniversary has come in the midst of busy year for the local industry. Recently there have seen six local feature films -- The Corridor, Whirligig, Hobo With A Shotgun, Afghan Luke and the Burgundy of Hash, Cloudburst, and Rollertown, and three guest films -- Jumping the Broom, November Christmas and Take This Waltz, in the province.

In addition, locally produced television series Haven and Call Me Fitz both premiered to national and international audiences. Call Me Fitz is preparing to shoot its second season in New Minas. Many other recurring productions, such as TV with TV'S Jonathan Torrens, Family Renovation and Animal Mechanicals have entered second and third seasons.

The Nova Scotia film industry is the fourth largest in Canada.