Calgary named 10th best place to live and work in North American movie business
There's lights, cameras and plenty of action in Calgary's film production industry as the city has been named among the Top 10 in MovieMaker's annual list of the 25 best cities to live and work in North America.
It was one of four Canadian cities to earn a nod, as Toronto was in the No. 2 spot, followed by Montreal in No. 4 and Vancouver in No. 6.
Albuquerque, N.M. was the top of the list and Atlanta was No. 3.
This marks the second year in a row the Calgary was named to the list, which looks at things like survey results, production spending, tax incentives, recent productions and personal visits.
"Alberta had a banner year in the film and television industry last year, with multiple locations highlighting the beauty and diversity of our province,” said Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer in a release.
“Now, we see our reputation further solidified as Calgary claims its second Top 10 spot for moviemakers to live and work. This recognition means even more companies and productions will turn their eyes Alberta’s way, which signals an even brighter future for this industry in our province.”
More than $520 million in production spending was recorded in the Calgary region last year with Calgary Economic Development facilitating 123 projects and more than 500 filming permits.
“With the increasing demand for digital content globally, there is significant growth potential for Calgary’s film and television industry,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek in a release.
“Every day we need to promote that our city is a film and TV-friendly location with award-winning talent and crews who can support local and foreign productions alike.”
Jason Reitman, right, along with his father Ivan Reitman, left, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard in this photo posted on Jason Reitman's Twitter page on Friday, July 12, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / HO, Twitter, @JasonReitman)
There are more than 24,000 people employed by 4,400 businesses in the creative industries sector with a talent pipeline fed by more than 3,200 creative industries post-secondary graduates annually, including from Mount Royal University, SAIT, the University of Calgary and Bow Valley College.
“Calgary is a globally competitive film jurisdiction with the momentum to expand beyond its spot as the fourth-largest location in Canada,” said Brad Parry, interim president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development.
“Growing a skilled and diverse workforce that can meet the opportunity in the new economy, including in the creative industries, is a major focus of our organization.”
In 2021, the government of Alberta announced the removal of a $10 million Film and Television Tax Credit per-project cap to attract larger film productions to the province.
“Our amazing crews and talent, our infrastructure and vistas, and our government support at the municipal and provincial levels continue to help us showcase Calgary as a global destination of choice for the screen industries,” said film commissioner Luke Azevedo.
Calgary has more than 500,000 sq. ft. of purpose-built and retrofit studio space to accommodate large-scale productions. The city served as filming location for several recent high-profile productions, including The Last of Us, Under the Banner of Heaven, Joe Pickett, Guilty Party, Fraggle Rock, Billy The Kid, Wynonna Earp, Tribal andHeartland.
Other major productions filmed in Alberta include Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Interstellar, Brokeback Mountain, Inception andThe Revenant.
Top 25 places to live and work in the North American movie business in 2022 according to MovieMaker:
- 1. Albuquerque
- 2. Toronto
- 3. Atlanta
- 4. Montreal
- 5. Boston
- 6. Vancouver
- 7. Chicago
- 8. Austin
- 9. Philadelphia
- 10. Calgary
- 11. Cincinnati
- 12. Cleveland
- 13. Oklahoma City
- 14. Baltimore
- 15. Dallas
- 16. San Francisco
- 17. San Diego
- 18. Miami
- 19. Kansas City
- 20. Memphis
- 21. Portland
- 22. San Antonio
- 23. Washington, D.C.
- 24. St. Petersburg
- 25. Forth Worth
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.