Vancouver film office plan courts controversy
Money has been approved to set up a dedicated film office in Vancouver, but the plan has been criticised by some who feel the expenditure is unnecessary.
By Nick Goundry 30 Jun 2016
Money has been approved to set up a dedicated film office in Vancouver, but the plan has been criticised by some who feel the added expenditure is unnecessary.
Annual funding of C$200,000 has been set aside for the new film office, which will focus on bringing more movies to the City of Vancouver, according to a report.
However, the need for an additional film body is being questioned by some. Creative BC already plays a role in bringing movies and TV shows to Vancouver, as part of a broader effort to promote the creative industries throughout the whole of British Columbia.
It’s also been suggested that the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) should be able to take on the same responsibilities as a city film office, but at a lower cost.
Ian McKay, head of the VEC, advocated the creation of a Vancouver film office. He told local outlet 24 Hours Vancouver that other cities in British Columbia already have their own local film offices and that extra resources are needed to help Vancouver attract more productions.
“Who is speaking on behalf of Vancouver, if not us?” McKay told the outlet. “With the greatest respect to all the other entities in our broader ecosystem, we’re the only ones that have exclusive mandate to work on behalf of the City of Vancouver.”
There has been a production surge in Vancouver over the past year with location filming led by the superhero hit Deadpool (pictured). However, McKay claimed the movie filmed in the city “almost by luck” and that more needed to be done to sustain Vancouver’s profile.
The city's movie and TV sector is second in Canada only to Toronto, which is among the largest production hubs in the whole of North America.
For more on filming in British Columbia see our production guide.
Image: Joe Lederer/Twentieth Century Fox
However, the need for an additional film body is being questioned by some. Creative BC already plays a role in bringing movies and TV shows to Vancouver, as part of a broader effort to promote the creative industries throughout the whole of British Columbia.
It’s also been suggested that the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) should be able to take on the same responsibilities as a city film office, but at a lower cost.
Ian McKay, head of the VEC, advocated the creation of a Vancouver film office. He told local outlet 24 Hours Vancouver that other cities in British Columbia already have their own local film offices and that extra resources are needed to help Vancouver attract more productions.
“Who is speaking on behalf of Vancouver, if not us?” McKay told the outlet. “With the greatest respect to all the other entities in our broader ecosystem, we’re the only ones that have exclusive mandate to work on behalf of the City of Vancouver.”
There has been a production surge in Vancouver over the past year with location filming led by the superhero hit Deadpool (pictured). However, McKay claimed the movie filmed in the city “almost by luck” and that more needed to be done to sustain Vancouver’s profile.
The city's movie and TV sector is second in Canada only to Toronto, which is among the largest production hubs in the whole of North America.
For more on filming in British Columbia see our production guide.
Image: Joe Lederer/Twentieth Century Fox
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