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Headline, Industry News
Film scene is looking bright for Toronto
Tuesday March 17th 2009Filmport Studios, the newest and largest film and television production space in Toronto, is booked nearly to capacity, a sign that 2009 will be a much better year for the battered industry in the city.
Ken Ferguson, president of Toronto Film Studios, said six of the studio’s seven state-of-the-art sound stages are booked, with only the site’s 4,270-square-metre “mega-stage” lying fallow.
“Right now, all of our stages, other than the mega-stage, are occupied. There’s no place to park. So this is good news for us,” he said.
Filmport opened last year at a truly dismal time, with the Canadian dollar relatively close to par with the U.S. dollar and producers there taking advantage of enhanced tax credits being offered by many U.S. jurisdictions, particularly New York.
But in 2009, New York’s tax credit program has run out of cash and the Canadian dollar has dipped significantly against its U.S. counterpart, making Toronto and other Canadian locales good value.
More than 35,000 Torontonians are estimated to work in the local film industry.
Filmport has attracted a number of pilots being produced for the major U.S. television networks – work that went to New York in 2008 – as well as a couple of feature films, including Atom Egoyan’s Chloe, starring Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson, and Love Child, starring Donald Sutherland.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, starring Brampton native Michael Cera, is expected to start filming next month.
Pilots include Happy Town for ABC/Disney, Battle of Maggie Hill for Fox and two CBS/Paramount pilots, Back and U.S. Attorney.
Ferguson is also hopeful the major U.S. studios will be green-lighting some big-money feature film projects despite an ongoing dispute with U.S.-based Screen Actors Guild.
“We’re definitely looking at 2009 being a better year in film and television production than it was in 2008. Notwithstanding the horrible recession that’s going on in the world, this is one sector in Toronto that’s going to be better off,” Ferguson added.
Rhonda Silverstone, manager of the Toronto Film and Television Office, said 2009 is already shaping up to be a better year.
“It’s great to see trucks on the street and people working. We’re optimistic that this year will be better than last,” she said.
Source: The Toronto Star
Headline, Industry News
Film scene is looking bright for Toronto
Tuesday March 17th 2009Filmport Studios, the newest and largest film and television production space in Toronto, is booked nearly to capacity, a sign that 2009 will be a much better year for the battered industry in the city.
Ken Ferguson, president of Toronto Film Studios, said six of the studio’s seven state-of-the-art sound stages are booked, with only the site’s 4,270-square-metre “mega-stage” lying fallow.
“Right now, all of our stages, other than the mega-stage, are occupied. There’s no place to park. So this is good news for us,” he said.
Filmport opened last year at a truly dismal time, with the Canadian dollar relatively close to par with the U.S. dollar and producers there taking advantage of enhanced tax credits being offered by many U.S. jurisdictions, particularly New York.
But in 2009, New York’s tax credit program has run out of cash and the Canadian dollar has dipped significantly against its U.S. counterpart, making Toronto and other Canadian locales good value.
More than 35,000 Torontonians are estimated to work in the local film industry.
Filmport has attracted a number of pilots being produced for the major U.S. television networks – work that went to New York in 2008 – as well as a couple of feature films, including Atom Egoyan’s Chloe, starring Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson, and Love Child, starring Donald Sutherland.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, starring Brampton native Michael Cera, is expected to start filming next month.
Pilots include Happy Town for ABC/Disney, Battle of Maggie Hill for Fox and two CBS/Paramount pilots, Back and U.S. Attorney.
Ferguson is also hopeful the major U.S. studios will be green-lighting some big-money feature film projects despite an ongoing dispute with U.S.-based Screen Actors Guild.
“We’re definitely looking at 2009 being a better year in film and television production than it was in 2008. Notwithstanding the horrible recession that’s going on in the world, this is one sector in Toronto that’s going to be better off,” Ferguson added.
Rhonda Silverstone, manager of the Toronto Film and Television Office, said 2009 is already shaping up to be a better year.
“It’s great to see trucks on the street and people working. We’re optimistic that this year will be better than last,” she said.
Source: The Toronto Star
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Headline, Industry News
Film scene is looking bright for Toronto
Tuesday March 17th 2009Filmport Studios, the newest and largest film and television production space in Toronto, is booked nearly to capacity, a sign that 2009 will be a much better year for the battered industry in the city.
Ken Ferguson, president of Toronto Film Studios, said six of the studio’s seven state-of-the-art sound stages are booked, with only the site’s 4,270-square-metre “mega-stage” lying fallow.
“Right now, all of our stages, other than the mega-stage, are occupied. There’s no place to park. So this is good news for us,” he said.
Filmport opened last year at a truly dismal time, with the Canadian dollar relatively close to par with the U.S. dollar and producers there taking advantage of enhanced tax credits being offered by many U.S. jurisdictions, particularly New York.
But in 2009, New York’s tax credit program has run out of cash and the Canadian dollar has dipped significantly against its U.S. counterpart, making Toronto and other Canadian locales good value.
More than 35,000 Torontonians are estimated to work in the local film industry.
Filmport has attracted a number of pilots being produced for the major U.S. television networks – work that went to New York in 2008 – as well as a couple of feature films, including Atom Egoyan’s Chloe, starring Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson, and Love Child, starring Donald Sutherland.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, starring Brampton native Michael Cera, is expected to start filming next month.
Pilots include Happy Town for ABC/Disney, Battle of Maggie Hill for Fox and two CBS/Paramount pilots, Back and U.S. Attorney.
Ferguson is also hopeful the major U.S. studios will be green-lighting some big-money feature film projects despite an ongoing dispute with U.S.-based Screen Actors Guild.
“We’re definitely looking at 2009 being a better year in film and television production than it was in 2008. Notwithstanding the horrible recession that’s going on in the world, this is one sector in Toronto that’s going to be better off,” Ferguson added.
Rhonda Silverstone, manager of the Toronto Film and Television Office, said 2009 is already shaping up to be a better year.
“It’s great to see trucks on the street and people working. We’re optimistic that this year will be better than last,” she said.
Source: The Toronto Star
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