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
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.