Kamloops has been named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the best places to live and work as a moviemaker in North America, 2023.
The film industry magazine placed Kamloops eighth out of 10 “best places” in the “Smaller Cities and Towns” category. It was the only Canadian location to make the list, alongside such places as Santa Fe, New Mexico; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Palm Springs, California; and the Hudson Valley, New York.
MovieMaker wrote that “Kamloops is the hub of the quietly astonishing Thompson-Nicola region about 200 miles inland from Vancouver, which offers locations from badlands to desert to grasslands to snowy mountains to waterfalls to forests and ski resorts. But the biggest draw may be the 53.5 per cent tax credit. It’s no surprise the region has attracted projects like Jurassic World Dominion.
“Recent Canadian productions include Bones of Crows, about a Cree woman who survives the Indian residential school system to become a code talker for the Canadian Air Force in World War II. Permitting is fairly easy, and the crew base is understandably growing fast. Terri Hadwin, the new Thompson-Nicola Film Commissioner, also points out another benefit of the area’s swift ascent as a movie hub: ‘No film fatigue. People are excited to work with the film industry.’”
It’s the first time that Kamloops — and by extension the Thompson-Nicola Regional District — has been recognized on this list, but hopefully marks the first of many appearances.
“It’s really exciting,” says Hadwin, who explains that the application came about because of a film producer who lives in the Lower Mainland but absolutely loves working in the region.
“He was blown away by what we had in the Interior. He knew about the MovieMaker list, and told me ‘I have this email, I really think you should put forward this application.’
“I had passed the deadline and was a day late with the application, but I guess they thought we were so compelling they accepted it.”
Hadwin says that she initially put forward the application for the region as a whole, but found that only cities can qualify for the list.
“I was speaking to all the elements the TNRD offers as regards to film, but they said regretfully that they only select cities, so I put forward the City of Kamloops as one of the major hubs within the TNRD. I think it’s very much appreciated and capitalized on [by filmmakers] that they can get get deserts and forests central to one location, and within a short drive of each other and with the amenities they need.”
The film commission is hoping to capitalize on the region’s appeal to filmmakers by promoting the construction of a large, purpose-built film studio in or near Kamloops. Hadwin notes that the city already has one film studio — Mastermind — which can accommodate some productions, but notes that many of the studios elsewhere are triple the size.
“Mastermind can can do one interior room, but larger studios can create an entire home. And Mastermind would be more utilized if we had a purpose-built studio for larger productions. Getting bigger movies, or TV series, would be phenomenal for our region. A large studio could really be a flagship; it would provide ongoing training and employment opportunities, and it’s sustainable. People would know what’s happening on an ongoing basis. I’d love to see that happen here eventually.”
Hadwin adds that while studios provide an opportunity for indoor shooting, they can also be used out of season to craft and create outdoor scenes: “If they’re filming in summer they can create winter outdoor scenes in a studio.”
She notes that the lack of a large studio space can cost the region in terms of what does, and does not, film here. “We lost a production, because although they loved what we had for outdoor product, Calgary provided what they needed for an indoor studio. Having that infrastructure here would move mountains.”
A business case study for a new film studio was presented to the TNRD board last year, and on Feb. 24 Hadwin will be presenting a site feasibility study to the board. It is supplementary to the business case study and is intended to show how a new film studio could happen, where it might be located, and how much it would cost depending on the site involved.
Hadwin notes that while the TNRD is not proposing to invest any funds directly into a studio, she can be a support to an investor who wants to come to Kamloops and invest in a studio.
“The TNRD would not be directly investing in infrastructure unless substantial grant opportunities were available and there was direction from the board. But I understand that there are already investors who are interested in reviewing these documents, and I’m looking forward to putting them in front of eager eyes. I have people I want to reach out to, and Venture Kamloops has already had interest, and will support us in getting these documents into the right people’s hands.”
Hadwin says that inquiries from filmmakers interested in shooting in the area have been steady. “We have seven active inquiries on our radar and another one came in today. They run the gamut of what they would entail, and they’re all over the regional district, which is exciting.
“There are lots of good opportunities on the radar and I’m hoping to see some things happen.”
editorial@accjournal.ca
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