As more productions come to the province, is Alberta becoming ‘Hollywood North’?
Posted January 25, 2023 4:07 pm.
Last Updated January 25, 2023 7:57 pm.
You may have seen some local landmarks in recent TV shows or movies. With more entertainment being filmed in the province — even Edmonton in recent months — is Alberta becoming the latest so-called “Hollywood North?”
From HBO’s The Last of Us to budget horror film Skinamarink, many movies productions are making waves in Alberta.
“It’s really great that Alberta is finally getting the attention and recognition because there are a lot of great Canadian filmmakers and Canadian films,” explained Edmon Rotea, lead executive producer with Skinamarink.
Directed by Kyle Edward Ball, Sinamarink was entirely filmed in his north Edmonton childhood home and is already earning more than 100 times its $15 thousand budget.
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“We are proud that this is a genuine Edmonton story and also an Albertan story that is being seen in theaters all over the world,” said Rotea.
Another locally filmed movie, which is making its way to CityTV this Sunday at 8 p.m. Mountian Time — ‘From Italy with Amore’ — was entirely filmed in the Edmonton area and the director believes 2023 will be a big year for production in the city.
Poster of ‘From Italy with Amore’ which will air in CityTV
“With the success of local projects like Sinamarink, people are inspired and passionate about following and building their own dreams here without having to leave which is wonderful,” explained Dylan Pearce, director and producer of Northern Gateway Films. “It’s a sense of pride for your community to be seen around the world.”
Not only does it showcase what the city has to offer, Pearce says local productions creates jobs and gives businesses a boost in revenue.
“It brings in money from out of the province to local vendors, from restaurants to hotels to different businesses we are engaging with, so it allows growth there. We also have a crew with 50-60 people for each production, and every time you do a project it grows, and creates a sustainable ecosystem for films to thrive here,” said Pearce.
Northern Gateway Films says two more Edmonton-based movies will be released on CityTV later this year.
