Kingston: the new Hollywood North?
You may have watched your favourite tv show or movie lately and thought that the background looked familiar. Chances are you might be right, given the growth in Kingston’s film industry over the past few years. With amazing locations, and now, a growing group of trained crew members, Kingston is quickly becoming a hotspot for both local and major international productions.
“Film and television production in Ontario and Canada is at an all-time high,” says Alex Jansen, the Film Commissioner for the Kingston Film Office. “In 2019, the province hosted 343 major film and television productions, with more than $2.16 billion spent and over 44,000 jobs created. Following a brief decline during COVID, it has already returned to record levels of production and the provincial government is targeting over $5 billion annually by 2025.”
Kingston has had a role in contributing to this growth, with shows such as Murdoch Mysteries, the Mayor of Kingstown and Star Trek: Discovery all taking advantage of our amazing locations and welcoming small-city environment. “We have worked hard to make it easy for production companies to film here,” says Jansen. Along with facilitating logistics such as locations and permits, the Film Office helps companies connect with local suppliers, crew and background performers.
Film productions bring huge financial benefits to a number of industries, such as local hotels and restaurants. Jansen estimates that film productions brought $5 million in direct economic spend to the city in 2021, including revenue for local industries such as rental, trades, and transportation companies, as well as employment for film-related duties such as junior crew, security and support personnel. Upgrades to meet filming conditions also add value to properties, with companies often installing new lighting, windows or electrical to locations.
Jansen notes that on-set training opportunities are resulting in new careers that will help attract and keep new talent in Kingston. “We’ve worked with Queen’s University to develop an accredited practicum program for Film & Media students and are looking to expand this with St. Lawrence College and three secondary school partners in 2022,” says Jansen. “We hope to foster a next generation of producers, creators and technicians who will be able to stay and work after graduation, rather than having to move to a larger city.”
Jansen says they are seeing more ‘end to end’ productions, with entire films being shot in Kingston as opposed to just partial location shoots. He is part of working group lobbying a proposed new $25million South Eastern Ontario Production Accelerator Fund to support a new regional ‘cluster’ for film production that would combine 10 counties and 12 ridings in Eastern Ontario, with Kingston as a main hub. “This is an excellent opportunity to accelerate development of a year-round sustainable industry, with a skilled workforce that can live and work right here in our region. It is an exciting time for creative industries.”