The presence of Sarah McLachlan and Brent Butt at an unprecedented creative-industries event here Tuesday night was the 鈥渋cing on the cake,鈥� said Liz Shorten.
She was reminiscing about a stellar soir茅e at the Union Club where the sa国际传媒 government rolled out the red carpet to celebrate the accomplishments of the province鈥檚 dynamic creative-industries sector.
鈥淵ou could really feel the momentum in the room,鈥� said Shorten, managing vice-president, operations and member services, for the sa国际传媒 producers branch of the Canadian Media Production Association.
鈥淭o have a world-class musician who is such a great ambassador for the province, not just because of her talent but the work she does with her music school [Sarah McLachlan School of Music] was amazing,鈥� Shorten said. 鈥淎nd Brent has had many offers to move to L.A. but he鈥檚 so committed to sa国际传媒鈥�
A who鈥檚 who of sa国际传媒鈥檚 film, television, music, digital media, technology and book and magazine publishing industries attended the private function emceed by Butt, the actor, writer and comedian of Corner Gas fame. The event, held on the eve of Canadian Film Day, celebrated the launch of sa国际传媒 Creates, a collaborative communications initiative designed to spread the word about the industries鈥� economic, social and cultural contributions. It also marked the official proclamation of Creative Industries Week (April 27-May 4).
鈥淚t exceeded our expectations, not just in terms of the positive energy you could feel in the room but because it was such a unique coming-together of industries,鈥� said Shorten.
There was plenty of networking during a rare opportunity for more than 200 busy actors, producers, studio heads, politicians, musicians, authors, publishers and other industry stakeholders to take a social breather. The highlight was musical entertainment by McLachlan, including the Grammy Award-winning musician鈥檚 stirring renditions of Adia and Angel, and the big laughs Brett coaxed during his routine tailored for the industry audience, including some jovial jabs at Shirley Bond, sa国际传媒鈥檚 minister of jobs, tourism and skills training, about her passion for rock 鈥榥鈥� roll, especially AC/DC.
Guests included Creative sa国际传媒 CEO Richard Brownsey, Peter Leitch, Motion Picture Production Industry Association Chair and Mammoth Studios head, former NHL-er and philanthropist Geoff Courtnall, and actors Aliyah O鈥橞rien, Crystal Balint, Nick Lea, Ellie Harvie and Jackson Davies. Other notables included Music sa国际传媒 executive director Bob D鈥橢ith, MPPIA鈥檚 Leslie Wootton, Paul Rayman, the Victoria film producer and operator of The Pedaller bicycle touring company, filmmaker Arwen Hunter, Victoria film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert and Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission president Annie Wong-Harrison.
鈥渟a国际传媒 has become a hub for creation and innovation and we are truly proud of the talented workforce B.C鈥檚 creative industries generate,鈥� said Bond. 鈥淲e are very supportive of the sa国际传媒 Creates initiative that will see the creative industries working together to share the story of the talent, innovation and economic benefits that contribute to our province鈥檚 economy.鈥�
Colleen Rennison, the Vancouver-based lead singer for No Sinner and actor (Down River), also earned plaudits for entertaining guests while they schmoozed at what Gilbert termed a 鈥渦niquely intimate鈥� affair.
It was much more than just an industry love-in, however. It gave partners a chance to convey the economic impact of their green industries.
鈥淲e punch above our weight,鈥� said Shorten. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just creative and cultural. We鈥檙e a true economic contributor.鈥�
Since The X-Files began filming in sa国际传媒 in 1993, marking an important milestone in the industry鈥檚 development, a creative economy representing $4聽billion in annual GDP and 85,000 jobs has been created, Leitch recently noted. Maybe that鈥檚 why news that the Fox network鈥檚 hit supernatural series would return to sa国际传媒 for a six-episode reboot this summer was a hot topic Tuesday night.
