Productions busy filming in Sudbury this week

Film crews have taken over a downtown business on Elgin Street in Sudbury this week.

City officials say it's just one of many projects being filmed here this year.

“The first show that we had shoot this year is a francophone film called Rêver en neon and that will be screening at Cinefest this year," said Clayton Drake, the city's film officer.

"Also, Lena Headey from Game of Thrones had a starring vehicle here this year as well for a production called Ballistic. We had a very big Apple TV+ show called Sanctuary filmed in town, with Alexander Skarsgard playing the lead. And then we've also got the Shoresy crew coming back doing multiple seasons.”

Officials said the film and television industry is an important economic driver in Sudbury, having contributed upwards of $250 million to the local economy in the last 15 years.

“In 2023, the total local spend was over $16.6 million," said Meredith Armstrong, Sudbury's director of economic development.

Officials said the film and television industry is an important economic driver in Sudbury, having contributed upwards of $250 million to the local economy in the last 15 years. (Photo from video)

"So that's a production actually purchasing services, goods, staying in hotels, using rental cars … right here in the city. We had 342 film days with productions and 233 local crew, jobs. So those are nothing to sniff at.”

Cultural Industries Ontario North's (CION) mandate is to stimulate and promote northern Ontario's film, television and music industries.

Executive director Patrick O’Hearn said he can see the industry thriving for many years to come, but added there is a need for more people to make that happen.

“We need crews," O’Hearn said.

"We need workers … That’s the primary thing we need to be able to sustain our role within the larger industry nationally."

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There is a lot of interest from production studios, he said, and he can see demand for visual effects expertise.

"Down the road, (those are the) areas where we are going to be expanding our role and we’re really excited about it.”

While exactly which project is being filmed downtown hasn't been made public, there was a filming notice sent out by Downtown Sudbury that said Spinner Productions Inc. would be filming a TV series on Elgin Street until early Wednesday morning.