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Okanagan Film Commission brings in close to $44M in 2021

Mar 24, 2022

The Okanagan film industry saw a massively successful year, bringing in $43,970,500 for the local economy in filming 32 projects throughout 2021.

The commission will be presenting to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen on Thursday for its annual request for funding, to continue their work facilitating requests from film, TV, and animation producers.

During 2021, location requests serviced by the commission hit a total of 63 projects

“The Okanagan, Boundary, and Similkameen Valleys have a proven track record for providing exceptional value for the producers’ dollar. We have the talent, energy, and heart to meet most production needs and the tools that will help bring it in on time and on budget,” Jon Summerland, Film Commissioner shared in his letter to council.

In the proposed budget, the RDOS is requested to contribute $45,000, while $140,000 ($10,000 in-kind) comes from the Central Okanagan, $44,000 from the North Okanagan Regional District, $1,500 from Enderby, $7,500 from Boundary EDC and $45,000 from the province, with their proposed budget totalling $283,000.

Work is done by the commission to attract film and video production to their area, utilizing hiring local crews and talent, renting local equipment, using hotel rooms, rental cars, catering services, or any number of goods and services supplied on location.

“While attracting business to their area, they also attract visitors. Film scenes at a particular location are in themselves ‘soft-sell’ vehicles that also promote that location as a desirable site for future tourism and industry,” Summerland explained.

A number of Movie of the Week projects, TV series and commercials were filmed throughout the valley in 2021.

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