Second Canadian Film Commission Summit whets appetite for stronger communication & collaboration across Canada, teasing formation of nation-wide coalition
June 11th, 2019 – (Vancouver, B.C.) – On May 31, film commissioners representing multiple levels of government across Canada gathered in Vancouver to assess the feasibility of a nationwide film commission network. Hosted by the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) in partnership with the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC), the summit underscored the widespread demand by Canadian film offices to build and strengthen a supportive network for film commissions across the country.
15 attendees travelling from Alberta, Ontario, Northwest Territories, Quebec, Yukon and other regions of British Columbia probed at a wide variety of industry needs while identifying potential initiatives to take the field forward. They called for more inclusive, consistent communication and collaboration to pool knowledge and the best practices.
“Film commissioners do highly specialized work in a highly specialized field,” said Chanelle Routhier, Film & TV Commissioner of the Quebec Film & Television Council. “Although many film commissions are set up differently, we have many objectives and challenges in common. One of our shared goals is to ensure the quest to generate more stories – and IP – is well-supported by strong film infrastructure ranging from experienced crews, ample studio space, and high-impact investments.”
Recent years saw a global increase in filming activity, driven by the rise of new content distribution channels and audience demand. As home to some of the world’s most prominent film locations, Canada has been well-positioned to capture widespread benefits from elevated production levels. Today, the Canadian film and TV production industry is a major contributor to the national economy, generating an estimated $9 billion in industry spend and supporting approximately 200,000 full-time equivalent jobs – numbers widely suspected to be conservative. Last year, VEC used audited insurance datasets to calculate $3.8 billion in industry spending in B.C. alone. The desire to share a new, reliable research method – easily replicable across other provinces – motivated VEC and QFTC to reach out to other film commissions across the country.
“It’s obviously difficult to build consensus on what an inclusive network could accomplish, and how to do so, because we need to respect a massive range of needs across jurisdictions,” said David Shepheard, Director of the Vancouver Film Commission at VEC. “There are things we can’t achieve on our own that we can work on collectively, including standardized research methods across jurisdictions, asset libraries to market Canadian film destinations abroad, and voicing industry needs and concerns to policymakers.”
This recent summit was the second of three gatherings made possible by a grant from Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes. The first meeting took place in Gatineau, Quebec, on January 29, and the third is scheduled to coincide with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September. During the final summit, delegates will review the slate of initiatives proposed since January and deliberate on formalizing the network and models of governance.
Film Commissions and Offices present on May 31, 2019:
- Josh Miller, Edmonton Screen Industries Office, Alberta
- Raj Nigam, Edmonton Screen Industries Office, Alberta
- Luke Azevedo, Film, TV & Creative Industries, Calgary Economic Development, Alberta
- Marnie Orr, Creative BC, British Columbia
- Tanya Price, Island North Film Commission, British Columbia
- Joan Miller, Island North Film Commission, British Columbia
- Victoria Weller, Thompson-Nicola Film Commission, British Columbia
- Geoff Teoli, City of Vancouver, British Columbia
- David Shepheard, Vancouver Film Commission, British Columbia
- Kathleen Gilbert, Vancouver Island Film Commission, British Columbia
- Marguerite Pigott, City of Toronto, Ontario
- Lynn Blouin, Destination Sherbrooke / BCTS, Québec
- Chanelle Routhier, Québec Film and Television Council, Québec
- Camilla MacEachern, Northwest Territories Film Commission, Northwest Territories
- Iris Merritt, Yukon Media Development, Yukon
About the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) | vancouvereconomic.com
VEC is the economic development agency for the city’s businesses, investors and citizens. It works to strengthen Vancouver’s economic future by supporting local companies, attracting high-impact investment and promoting international trade in the world’s fastest-growing, low-carbon economy. VEC works collaboratively to position Vancouver as a global destination for innovative, creative, diverse and sustainable development.
VEC supports high-growth economic sectors, including digital entertainment, film & TV, and technology, providing investment intelligence and business development services. These include delivering proactive investment attraction initiatives for the media & entertainment sector; assisting companies, studios and associations in navigating Vancouver; supporting talent and businesses with international recruitment initiatives and local career fairs; and publishing original research about media & entertainment.
Located in the heart of downtown, the Vancouver Economic Commission respectfully acknowledges that it is located on the unceded ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish nations.
About the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) | qftc.ca
Created in 2006, the QFTC is a non-profit organization that contributes to the development and competitiveness of Québec, as a world-class centre for multi-screen production. As an economic development agency, its mission is to generate investment within the Québec region, with the support of competitive fiscal incentive programs, the expertise of network members, architectural diversity, high-quality infrastructure, and the industry’s capacity to export products to foreign markets.
The QFTC receives support from its partners: Air Canada, National Bank, BFL Canada, Corporate Stays, Demers Beaulne, Difuze Inc., EP Canada, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Front Row Insurance Brokers, Hôtel Gault/Monville, MELS, Miller Thomson, MTL Grande, Price WaterHouse Coopers, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Rodeo FX, Hôtel William Gray, Studios Vox Populi and YPR in addition to support from different levels of government: federal, provincial, and municipal.
Media Contacts:
Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC)
Frédéric Bourgeois-LeBlanc
Account Manager | YPR Canada
+1 (514) 318-7071
frederic@yprcanada.com
Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC)
Ingrid Valou
Communications Specialist | Vancouver Economic Commission
+1 (604) 868-1990
ivalou@vancouvereconomic.com
