Ontario Government injects more funding into North Bay’s film, TV industry
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli says a though he had 20 years ago is a growing reality – a booming film industry right in our backyard continues to attract the biggest names in film today.
"Bryan Cranston, meeting him last week was pretty cool and Allison Janney,” said Fedeli.
“On this set we had Danica McKellar. She was absolutely thrilled."
Six-time Emmy Award winner Cranston along with Academy Award winner Janney have been in North Bay since April as part of filming ‘Everything’s Going to be Great.’
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
Friday morning, the Ontario government announced it is providing yet more money for the film and TV industry. Two million dollars is being evenly divided amongst four local film productions. The funding is being provided by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).
"Another almost $8 million from the industry and $10 million injected into the City of North Bay in the last few weeks,” said Fedeli.
The funding is for the following projects filmed in and around the North Bay area:
- KM Romance Swing Productions Inc. to produce the feature film ‘Swing Into Romance’
- Carpe Dee Yum Productions Inc. to produce the film ‘Seeds’
- JoBro Productions Inc. to produce the film ‘Boy In The Woods’
- Drive Back Home Productions Inc. to produce the feature film ‘Drive Back Home’
“I’m up here doing my fifth film. It's called ‘Seeds’. We're going to camera June 5th,” said Carpe Dee Yum Productions' Inc. producer Jennifer Jonas.
“We love shooting up here. Everything Vic is doing is working in terms of keeping employment active up here.”
Jonas said there are so many benefits to shooting in northern Ontario. Not only just the sweeping landscapes and picturesque background beauty, but in terms of the proximity from each shooting location.
“When you’re producing, every minute costs money. The more money you can reserve for shooting time and actors, the better it is,” she said.
The announcement was made in Powassan, Ont. on the set of KM Romance Swing Productions Inc.'s next feature film, ‘Swing Into Romance’ expected to be out this fall, which just finished shooting Thursday.
'Swing into Romance's' producer Kelly Martin said she sees further projects and rewards to come.
"What I see is opportunities for the rest of our local communities to take part in some way,” she said.
“Even if it isn’t directly involved in the show itself, they're still benefiting from what happens when films come to town."
There’s no way the province plans on slowing down this momentum, Fedeli said.
"I know of five films that are underway and we just approved through the heritage fund another half a dozen. They haven't been signed yet,” he said.
Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested $99 million in 561 projects in North Bay, leveraging $440 million in investment and creating or sustaining 1,190 jobs.
"Our secret sauce? The ecosystem we've built. But we can't do it without the talent,” Fedeli said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
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.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.