Major filmmaking in Calgary continues to boom while Edmonton’s indie scene grows

It can be exciting seeing your hometown on the big screen — an occurrence becoming common for Calgarians as more and more big productions pick Alberta for their projects.

The city was ranked the fourth best North American city for filmmakers to live and work by MovieMaker Magazine — and it wasn’t the only Alberta community to make the list of 25 places.

MovieMaker said it was thrilled to welcome the Canadian cities of Edmonton and Quebec City to this year’s list.

The outlet said Canada and many countries overseas are creating serious competition for American filming spots, in part because of high production costs in the U.S., and because of Hollywood’s uncertainty about where and how to invest.

Calgary ranked higher than Vancouver (6th place) but lower than Toronto, which was ranked first place.

MovieMaker said Calgary’s thriving film scene has helped drive growth north of the border for years, and recently enjoyed a major upswing in location-scouting requests.

“The city has plenty to offer: Its varied, affordable locations range from downtown cityscapes to stunning prairies, badlands and the Rockies,” the ranking said.

Filmmaking in Calgary continues to boom. It’s no wonder why, considering the generous tax return for TV and movie productions.

“It’s a beautiful place, especially when you need snow, and it also makes financial sense: The Alberta Film and Television Tax Credit provides a rolling 22 -30 per cent refund for all expenses in film and television projects,” the magazine said, noting the credits can also be stacked with a Canadian federal tax credit and combined with Alberta’s lack of provincial sales tax, makes it a financially attractive destination.

While the film and television scene in Calgary is much more established and robust, Edmonton was recognized for its commitment to boosting filmmakers on the rise and was ranked 22nd on the list.

“One of the best representatives of Edmonton’s scrappy indie film scene — and DIY filmmaking in general — is Kyle Edward Ball, whose $15,000 experimental film Skinamarink earned $2 million and scored him a deal with A24 for his next film, the upcoming Land of Nod,” the magazine said.

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MovieMaker said Alberta offers a base tax credit of 22% per cent on qualifying production and labor costs, and the Alberta Made Production Grant, focused on smaller budget, locally owned productions to support emerging talent, covers 25 per cent of eligible Alberta production costs of up to $125,000.

“Additionally, Edmonton Screen’s Elevation Program provides direct investment into film and TV projects produced in Edmonton. And local crews have worked on everything from small productions to HBO’s The Last of Us,” MovieMaker said.

Tanya Fir, Alberta’s Minister for Arts, Culture & Status of Women, said the government hopes to build on the success of last year’s $8-million investment in the industry.

However, it’s not just film the government says it wants to back — $5.4 million has been pumped into a grant program to support post-production, visual effects, digital animation and script development.

Popular filming destinations in Calgary include Heritage Park, where dozens of period pieces and Westerns have been filmed. Though the park has been a hot spot for filming since the 70s, in recent years its attracted productions from heavyweights like HBO and Disney.

MovieMaker said it create its list by asking cities about factors like their industry spend, tax incentives, crews, sound stages, local film scenes, and recent productions. They also factored in the cost of living and general livability into account.

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