Film & TV Production in Vancouver - Film crew working on a TV project in the forest

Film in Vancouver

Known worldwide for the quality of its crews, locations, and competitive production environment, Vancouver is the third largest Film & TV production centre in North America

Aside from our outstanding natural beauty and diversity of locations, Vancouver’s main advantage is the deep experience of its crews – a skilled workforce recognized globally for its ability to deliver top-notch productions on time and on budget. The Vancouver film industry’s success also stems from its educational infrastructure, which offers dozens of programs for film and television development, production, marketing and distribution, and more.

Those who film in Vancouver benefit from the city’s close proximity to Los Angeles and the West Coast time zone, stable and competitive tax incentives and government support, and a skilled talent base and connected community.
 

Key Stats

Film in Vancouver: Sector Highlights

  • Vancouver productions access world-class film and television studios located in the region, including Mammoth, Vancouver Film Studios, North Shore Studios, Ironwood Studios, Canadian Motion Picture Park, Eagle Creek Studios, Bridge Studios, and Martini Film Studios
  • On average the city is home to approximately 65+ movies and 55+ TV series annually, as well as hundreds of other filming days for commercials, TV pilots and other features
  • Direct spending on film and television production in British Columbia (BC) totalled more than $4.1 billion in 2019; the impact of paused productions during the pandemic, however, saw this fall to $3.4 billion in 2020
  • Many studio developments are underway: the Metro Vancouver region could add as much as a million square feet of sound stages and production support space in the next two or three years, bringing the total studio infrastructure footprint in the region from the approximately 2 million square feet to an estimated 3 million square feet in 2025
  • The industry has a strong balance of international and domestic production activity, with foreign productions accounting for three-quarters of total production dollars spent in BC
  • Many home-grown studios work with international partners on strategic co-productions to produce quality, commercially viable feature films and TV shows for the global marketplace
  • Access to experienced post-production facilities that serve the industry by providing colour correction, composing, sound and other services

Working in film and television means being part of a supportive industry culture that includes a network of government agencies, industry associations, festivals and awards and professional organizations. The industry also enjoys strongly private sector support, which has contributed billions in industry infrastructure to date.

The film industry is a crucial employer for Vancouver

  • The film and television, post-production and animation industries have collectively invested $26.1 billion in the provincial economy. Of this $14.4 billion has been paid to British Columbians as salaries and wages.
  • According to Creative BC’s 2020 Impact Report, the sector employs 65,000 gig and freelance workers.
  • VEC estimates more than 80 percent of provincial film production activity to take place in the Metro Vancouver region.
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Vancouver Film Commission

 
If you are looking for more information about our tailored services for investment intelligence and business development in Vancouver’s film & TV production industry, contact the Vancouver Film Commission for further details.
 
Learn more

Recent Film Productions

  • BFG
  • Deadpool 1 & 2
  • Game Over, Man
  • The Mountain Between Us
  • Okja
  • Overboard
  • The Predator
  • Star Trek Beyond
  • Superman: Man of Steel
  • Tron 3
  • Twilight Saga
  • War of the Planet of the Apes
  • World of Warcraft

Recent TV Productions

  • Altered Carbon
  • Arrow
  • Batwoman
  • Charmed
  • DC Legends of Tomorrow
  • The Flash
  • The Good Doctor
  • Lost in Space
  • Man in the High Castle
  • Motive
  • Once Upon a Time
  • Riverdale
  • Series of Unfortunate Events
  • Supernatural
  • X-Files

Incentives

Film & TV productions can take advantage of government tax credit incentives

  • British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit – which offers Canadian, or international film and TV production companies with a permanent establishment in BC, a 28 per cent refundable tax credit on eligible labour costs.
  • Film Incentive BC Tax Credit – a labour-based tax incentive offering a refundable tax credit of 35 per cent to Canadian-controlled production companies
  • Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit – Provided by the Government of Canada, it offers a credit of 25 per cent of qualified labour to Canadian-controlled production companies, with a credit of 16 per cent of qualified labour costs to Canadian controlled production companies and those with a permanent establishment in Canada.
  • BC Digital Animation or Visual Effects (DAVE) provides a tax credit of 16% on qualifying labour costs to production companies employing BC talent for post-production and sound.

PwC provides a comprehensive guide to Canada’s tax incentives for film, video, digital media and animation projects.

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