COCHRANE— The provincial government's $50 million boost to the film and television tax credit and elimination of the per-production cap on productions is proving to be a boon for the entertainment sector in Alberta.
Keep Alberta Rolling head of advocacy Brock Skretting said the province is on track for a record year of film and television productions.
“Because of the new tax credit big companies like HBO, Disney and others are really looking at Alberta at the place to set up shop and make their shows,” Skretting said. “It’s fairly competitive with other provinces, and we still have the dollar currency exchange as well ... That really gives a lot of reason for productions to come and shoot here.”
The change from a $19.5 million tax credit to $50 million are bringing in a new calibre of production to the province.
Recent and upcoming productions of note in the region include Skulls, Under the Banner of Heaven, Fraggle Rock, Last of Us and Ghostbusters.
These productions serve as a critical injection into the economy for a multitude of reasons— A show can take on anywhere from 100 to 300 workers during production who in turn are visiting local businesses and hotels.
“It’s really active money. It’s money that’s not sitting in a bank account. It’s being spent on goods to make the show. That puts cash into the hand of small businesses,” Skretting said.
It is a time of growth in the province, and each release markets the province as a place to film while also encouraging tourism through people wanting to come to see where their favourite new film or show was shot.
Moving forward Skretting expects the industry to experience considerable growth for the foreseeable future.
“As we move towards re-opening and a post-pandemic world, we have a lot of leverage with the amount of productions that are being made. We would love to work hand-in-hand with the tourism sector and the tech sector and live events that have struggled to utilize film skills and get the word out about how we can rebound together and succeed in the future,” Skretting said. “It’s so busy right now.”
Town of Cochrane community events administrator Natalie Germann said she expects the film and television industry to pick up steam in the area in the coming years— Including bigger productions coming to Cochrane.
“I think things are going to start hopping for us pretty soon,” Germann said. “It’s going to be really exciting going forward.”
Smaller productions have taken place in Cochrane in private spaces and areas, but production requests to the Town have been active and growing.
For productions looking to shoot in Cochrane the first step is often viewing the town and exploring the area to learn about local businesses and potential areas to shoot.
“Even before we know what their plans are, they’re here scoping out what's going to happen,” Germann said.
The town then works with productions providing a regular permit process to begin filming. As part of this process the town will close any necessary roads, notify adjacent landowners about filming, check insurance and ensure there is no liability for the Town.
“We just try to be as film-friendly as possible— We want to be known as a film-friendly,” Germann said.
The Town has been working to foster positive word-of-mouth between production crews to help boost Cochrane’s reputation and share the positive amenities in the community.
Germann cited the old metal bridge near the Jim Uffelman Dog Park as an example of a space that has been popular for productions. The bridge was featured in Tin Star, and during filming the production spent more than $500,000 in town.
Productions have lingering positive effects, helping potentially boost tourism to areas with fans of popular television shows and movies looking to explore where their favourite stories take place.
“People will travel from around the world to see the place where their favourite film was filmed,” Germann said. “That’s another big benefit we can look at in the future.”
As the industry grows, Germann suspects there will be more of a regional approach to supporting film in the Cochrane area.
The Calgary Film Commission has been pushing to create a regional plan where productions can go to different municipalities and experience the same level of services and fees.
“We’re going to keep ramping up. We’re going to look at some policies. We’re going to take a regional view on how we’re attracting the film industry and hopefully, that will make a difference in the future,” Germann said.
Cochrane Tourism executive director Jo-Anne Oucharek said film-based tourism in Cochrane is growing, and there is an active push to celebrate the town appearing on the silver screen.
When people connect and love a story on screen it can draw people to where the film was physically produced, because the productions can help highlight what makes a place special.
In other cases, word-of-mouth can help build the hype for both the town and a movie when locals appear as stand-ins.
Other perks to the industry include highlighting local businesses. Oucharek cited Saffron Collective Studios making pots used in the film The Revenant as an example.
“If you go to Saffron they have the pot there and you can see what it looked like,” she said. “It’s kind of cool those pieces tie into Cochrane."
Oucharek said they can build on these experiences to help put a spotlight on film production in Cochrane.
She praised the Town's collaborations with the film industry and the steps that are being taken to grow the industry.
“When ... people know that’s where those shows are shot it’s a way to promote Cochrane as a destination,” Oucharek said
A special website has been launched by the Town of Cochrane to showcase films and television produced in town. Visit cochrane.ca/2082/Watch to learn more.
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