Will we soon be seeing the likes of Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts or Robert De Niro walking down Rideau Street? If the Ottawa-Gatineau Film and Television Development Corporation has its way, this may be a reality.
Ottawa is trying to establish itself as a major film centre and wants to attract more productions, so it can compete with centres like Toronto or Montreal.
The film office was established in 2003 to promote the benefits of the region to prospective filmmakers, and while it has seen an increase in productions, the region will not become a big film centre until there is the proper infrastructure to attract large productions.
Right now Ottawa does have a lot to offer the industry – unique architecture, two different metropolitan areas, parks and forests across the river in Quebec, and residents and businesses that are ready to welcome Hollywood with open arms.
But one of Ottawa’s attractions may also be part of its downfall. Hollywood productions come to Canada because of the look of our cities. Toronto can double as New York and Montreal as Europe.
Couple that with the tax credit and it’s often cheaper to shoot in Canada than in the real cities where the films are set. Ottawa’s unique appearance makes it a less versatile setting and it’s often harder to make it look like a generic American city.
Ottawa’s main draw is its price. Compared to Toronto and Montreal, Ottawa productions cost one-sixteenth and two-thirds less, respectively. A reason why Hollywood comes north is the provincial tax credit, which allows movies produced for foreign markets to get a tax break on labour costs.
But is money enough of an enticement? Ontario recently increased tax credits for foreign productions from 11 to 18 per cent.
But Ottawa also competes with Quebec, which increased its tax credit to 20 per cent. British Columbia announced it will soon follow suit with an increase, and even the U.S. is giving tax breaks to American productions to encourage them to shoot at home.
However, the problem Ottawa faces is that it borders Quebec and any labour costs or staff used from la belle province would not qualify, and vice versa. This is something the film office hopes to work out with the province. Ottawa’s location is a prime spot for using the resources of both Toronto and Montreal, if it can cut through the red tape.
Perhaps Ottawa’s biggest hindrance is the fact that the city lacks necessary infrastructure that is available elsewhere, namely a studio and a lab for processing film.
Building these facilities would not be cheap, a cost that Ken Korrall, executive director of the film office, says needs to be covered by the industry. It’s a vicious cycle; without the facilities, it’s hard for the city to attract productions to get the money to build them.
While film production has been on the rise in Ottawa, and Korrall says it will continue to be, the city doesn’t have enough of a draw, yet, to become a fixture in Hollywood North.