Rick Mischel of Sony Pictures Imageworks explains why Vancouver is an ideal location for digital media and film studios.

The interconnections are legion between the tech communities on North America’s west coast, from Vancouver to Seattle to Silicon Valley. These relationships are strengthened by proximity, and fostered through events that match startup companies from British Columbia with mentors and investors based in the United States. Following hot on the heels of the recent metabridge technology retreat in Kelowna, digital media startups from British Columbia are connecting with potential partners at the current edition of 48 hours in the Valley June 25-27, 2012.

48 hours is the flagship mentorship program put on by the C100, an organization made up of some of the most influential Canadians in Silicon Valley, in conjunction with the Canadian Consulate of San Francisco and Palo Alto. Twice a year, 48 hours provides promising startups with two days of mentorship, workshops, investor meetings, strategic partner visits and networking.

Our digital media sector’s track record of innovation, top talent and favourable business climate attracts international investors from the United States and beyond. In Vancouver, the centre of a convergence of content development, mobile technology, and film and television production, home-grown industry leaders like Hootsuite and EA rub shoulders with technology giants including Microsoft and Sony. More than 3,000 digital media students graduate from our post-secondary institutions each year, adding fresh new talent to the more than 22,000 multilingual and highly-skilled professionals already driving innovation in this sector.  Download our Creative Industries brochure to learn more about British Columbia’s digital media leadership.

Locating in British Columbia can also provide cost savings for investors. Software development companies located in Greater Vancouver benefit from lower operating costs, taxes and health care premiums than similar operations in Calgary, Toronto, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. Recognizing these advantages, top Japanese mobile game developer DeNA recently chose Vancouver as the site of its first Canadian office.

Which international investors have you spotted making connections with British Columbia’s digital media sector?