Abbotsford is becoming an increasingly popular destination for film production, according to the city.
A new post on the city website on Thursday (Aug. 15) says 59 film productions came to the community in 2023, with filming done at 125 locations over 197 days. This resulted in an economic impact of almost $2.5 million, the post states.
The productions included four feature films, 10 series, 32 movies of the week and nine commercials.
"Managing film permits and liaising with the industry used to be something that the City of Abbotsford staff did off the side of their desk, but since last year the city now has a staff member dedicated to all things film," the city website states.
"While Hallmark Christmas movies continue to be our bread and butter, we are now seeing more and bigger TV series and feature films shot in Abbotsford. We’re so busy that sometimes we have to turn away filming due to conflicting location requests."
So far this year, the city has received 81 production inquiries and 42 applications, resulting in 185 production days at 97 separate filming locations.
"The city has already brought in more money in fees than last year for items like road use, location filming and AbbyPD involvement, since police must be present in some cases like whenever prop weapons are used or when actors are dressed as police," the post states.
The city says the overall economic impact for 2024 is estimated at $2.27 million.
There are currently 115 filming locations available in Abbotsford, with the historic downtown and the Mt. Lehman area being the most popular. Other sites used for filming include the old Abbotsford courthouse, the Tradex building, historic properties, farms, and parks.
"Productions are drawn here due to our city-owned international airport, as well as our proximity to the Canada-US border and the Trans-Canada Highway," the city post states.
"The cost of filming is also lower in Abbotsford compared to other parts of the province, and Creative BC also offers a tax credit to film productions that shoot outside of the Lower Mainland. The city also grants one-year film business licences, which keeps TV series coming back."
The city says it has received positive reviews from crews filming in Abbotsford.
"They’ve expressed that interactions with the public have been friendly and cordial, with onlookers asking a lot of questions about the process, what is being filmed and even about how to get into the industry.
"Many productions are happy to explain the production process during their filming time here when filming in public spaces. They’ve have also commented on the city’s ability to balance their needs with residents’ needs and that the city and locals are accommodating and respectful."
The city offers a virtual self-guided tour about filming in Abbotsford. The link for the tour can be accessed at abbotsford.ca/business-development/filming
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