Investments into Alberta’s film and television industry by the Government of Alberta is paying off in big screen hits and streaming darlings like The Last of Us and Fargo.

With more feet of film to be shot, and more clapboards to announce the scenes yet to be filmed, the Government of Alberta announced further investments on Sept. 18 at the start of the Calgary International Film Festival.

As Calgarians by the hundreds lined up to see the Alberta Premiere of The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal outside of the Globe Cinema, Alberta’s Minister of Arts, Culture, and Status of Women was announcing further production grants and support for CIFF itself.

“Albertans are known in the international film and television industry as talented, hard-working people who know how to get things done. We know how to put on a good show on and off the screen. This reputation is getting a lot more international attention recently,” said Minister Fir.

Three grant streams under the Alberta Made Screen Industries Program have been supporting the training of film crews, the development of projects and scripts, and providing for post-production and animation for Alberta companies working on film projects.

In addition, Minister Fir announced a $90,000 grant for the Calgary International Film Festival to assist in showcasing Calgary and Alberta-made films.

The goal was to continue the momentum built from work to promote Alberta as a filming destination of choice, and on the success of Alberta’s Film and Television Tax Credit, she said.

“Earlier this year, in January, we went to Los Angeles to meet with some of the big Hollywood studios and executives, and we heard time and again that things like the film and television tax credit… has been quote, game changers and has, quote, put us in the big leagues in terms of attracting big, big shows to Alberta,” said Minister Fir.

“I mean, of course, we have the best—I’m not biased, I state the facts—we have the best, hardworking, talented skills and crews, and breathtaking landscapes. But at the end of the day, these movie companies are businesses like any other, and the bottom line matters.”

That sentiment was echoed by Calgary’s Film Commissioner Luke Azevedo, who said that the impact of shows like The Last of Us alongside incentives has changed the nature of conversations about Calgary as a filming destination of choice.

“When I’m walking into meetings, whether it’s in Los Angeles or whether it’s in Europe, the first questions that come up is, how are you able to do these projects at such a high level and an environment that previous was not considered to be big enough with the fortitude to do them,” Azevedo said.

“So now, as we look at what’s happening in the city with The Abandons, JonBenét, a variety of different projects that are coming in the future, that is all a derivative of the impact that these kinds of shows have had on us and the quality of the talent, obviously, that’s here to be able to pull that work off.”

He said that the investment that the province was making into the film and television industry was being mirrored by other large-scale projects like Arts Commons, as well as having amenities like the National Music Centre, the Glenbow, and the Central Library that were all adding to making Calgary the eighth most livable place in the world for filmmakers.

That talent being drawn to Calgary is also getting training right here in the city, which has further fuelled interest in creating projects in Calgary.

“Having the ability to have training here. To have training with unions and guilds. To have training through the creative economy strategy. All of those pieces then are recognized by those that are looking for that kind of talent that we can actually deliver,” Azevedo said.

“Because to come into a region where the talent doesn’t exist, or having to fill those venues that are being created with talent from other locations, makes absolutely zero sense.”

CIFF helping to build the other side of the presentation equation

Katherine Penhale, Acting Executive Director for the Calgary International Film Festival, said the government’s grant through Alberta Film will help the festival manage change over the next several years.

With the closure of the Eau Claire Cinemas this year, the festival switched to a constellation strategy where films would be shown at venues across Calgary.

As part of that strategy, CIFF intends to purchase six high-end digital projectors that can also be used by other film festivals throughout the year.

“What it is going towards is supporting a team so that they can actually afford to make those projectors work for the community, not just for CIFF, not just for us, but for the broad community, and really make sure that infrastructure is utilized as heavily as possible,” Penhale said.

“Ultimately, being able to have funding that ensures we maintain no budget deficit that insurers were able to support the big transformation we’re about to go through.”

The continuation of CIFF and the support that the festival has brought to Alberta filmmakers is also a big deal on the industry side—presenting at CIFF can, and has been, life-changing for filmmakers.

One of those individuals was Laura O’Grady, President of Snapshot Studios, who turned her award-winning short film shown at CIFF into a film production company that has employed many different teams on many different projects.

“These Alberta-based programs that are supported by the AMPG and the script development program, we are able to attract buyers to our province, hire Alberta crews, and pay local taxes to tell Alberta stories,” she said.

“I’m happy to report that with the script development grant, we have recently secured the option to the Alberta writer Martine Leavitt’s critically acclaimed novel Buffalo Flats. We’ve already received international attention for that commission, and so we’re looking forward to developing that further.”

She said that CIFF’s support for filmmakers is huge, from red carpets to industry panels, to having a showcase at an oft-in-demand festival.

“It puts your name out there. It’s difficult as a filmmaker to get attention from decision-makers that don’t live in Alberta, and these credentials on my resume really break the ice and allow people to say, ‘Oh, that is an excellent film festival. She screened there. She’s won awards there. We should give her an opportunity to pitch us,'” O’Grady said.

Minister Fir said that she would be meeting with filmmakers at CIFF over the next week, to discuss the needs of the industry and to align the province’s granting structure to what is evolving.

“There’s so much value in those face-to-face, one-on-one meetings with individuals, and I’m looking to take advantage of that over the next 10 days,” she said.

“With respect to grants under my area or Minister [Matt] Jones’s area, I mean, we’re always looking as we have grant intakes come in to refine and improve and tweak them as needed. But right now, they’ve been incredibly successful, and they’re helping build and grow Alberta talent, which is something that we’re proud of and we want to keep doing.”