How Canadian film and TV professionals are powering regional economies
Four filmmakers from across the country discuss reshaping Canada’s creative landscape while contributing to our GDP.
Across Canada, a new wave of filmmakers is proving that film and television isn't just being made in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal. In places like Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan independent producers are telling local, deeply personal stories, growing their regional economies, nurturing talent and reshaping Canadian film.
In 2023/24, Canada’s screen industry recorded a total production volume of $9.58-billion. While that number represents an 18.5 percent decline from the previous year, largely due to Hollywood strikes, the industry still supported 179,130 jobs and $11.04-billion in GDP impact, according to Profile 2024, a report published by the Canadian Media Producers Association.
While major centres remain dominant, regional production is playing an important role.
Building Calgary’s Creative Capacity
Kevin Dong, founder of Tall Hero Films, is part of Calgary’s growing independent scene. His work spans features, documentaries and shorts, including Events Transpiring Before, During and After a High School Basketball Game and the Telus-commissioned doc Starry Night.
While Calgary hosts major Hollywood productions like The Last of Us and A Minecraft Movie, Dong emphasizes the need to strengthen the local ecosystem. His short film Now, I Am a Bear, which screened at Fantaspoa and the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, brought together local crews between service gigs. "I find myself so lucky to learn from these brilliant craftspeople in bringing to life the visions of our local creatives," he says.
But Dong says talent retention and access to national distribution are major challenges. "Many key creatives in Alberta, including myself, have had to take a stint in Toronto or Montreal to build our track records," he says.
He argues that addressing the brain drain requires stronger training programs, travel support and cross-regional mentorships. Another hurdle is the competition for gear and crews when major productions arrive.
"When they leave, there's often not enough ongoing production to keep everyone employed," Dong adds.
A more sustainable year-round production culture is essential.
Provincial numbers show both opportunity and growth. Alberta attracted nearly $1-billion in film and TV production spending between January 2020 and August 2021. In 2021/22, the first season of The Last of Us alone added more than $182-million to Alberta’s GDP. The province’s cultural industries (which also include publishing and music) contributed $2.5-billion to its economy in 2022, supporting more than 19,000 jobs. In 2023/24 foreign location and service production grew to $192-million, from just $49-million the year before.
"Supporting these industries is crucial to Alberta's economic momentum," said Tanya Fir, the province’s minister of arts, culture and status of women, at a recent media conference.
Impact in Saskatchewan
In Saskatoon, producer Fabiola Caraza is helping to drive Saskatchewan’s next wave of growth with her company Prowler Pictures. Originally from Mexico, she has worked in Vancouver, Toronto, New York and now Saskatoon, building an international network while focusing on elevated genre films and co-productions.
Since relocating, Caraza has helped launch a crew training initiative with ScreenSask, supported by the Canada Media Fund, Warner Brothers Discovery and the Indigenous Screen Office. "The industry in Saskatchewan is growing rapidly and we want to create jobs and opportunities for people," she says.
Caraza sees major potential but stresses the need for talent retention and investment. "There’s real opportunity here. Having lived in Vancouver and Toronto, I’m not sure there’s much more room for growth in those cities," she notes. "We need people and we need investment."
Prowler is moving fast, with two new horror features in the works. This summer they shoot Split Rock with IFC Films and Shudder, followed by There Were Witches in Guadalajara.
Reflecting on the move to Saskatchewan, Caraza says, "We’ve grown more in two years here than we did in a decade in Vancouver and Toronto."
While the province has had some growing pains in terms of funding, a September 2024 press release from Creative Saskatchewan stated that since April 2023 approximately $22-million has been committed to 36 productions via its Feature Film and Television Production Grant, with the supported projects expected to generate spending of about $55-million within the province and create more than 900 jobs.
Grassroots Storytelling in Manitoba
In Winnipeg, filmmaker Bisong Taiwo runs Taiwo Pictures, an independent production company focused on spiritually resonant stories from underrepresented communities. His recent project, Mary’s Way of the Cross, explores suffering through the Virgin Mary’s eyes and was shot across Manitoba with local crew. The film exemplifies how micro-budget filmmaking can create both cultural and economic impact. It’s now streaming on Amazon Prime and archived in the Winnipeg Film Group’s library.
"We engaged Winnipeg-based talent for everything, from production design to post," Taiwo says.
He identifies visibility and access as major challenges. "It’s difficult to scale when your stories fall outside the mainstream mold," he says. His solution combines streaming, grassroots marketing and partnerships with niche outlets like Black Catholic Messenger.
Taiwo advocates for funding that prioritizes cultural contribution as much as commercial viability. "We need sustained investment in development and pre-production,” he says, “especially for stories that push boundaries or explore specific cultural identities."
Another Winnipeg-based producer, Alice Teufack of Ninis Productions, echoes these concerns. Focused on French-language documentaries and stories about immigrant communities, she praises Manitoba’s strong tax credits but flags talent retention and funding access as key issues.
"We have good film schools, but many graduates move to bigger hubs like Toronto or Vancouver," she says. “And while regional and language-minority funding programs exist, accessing them can still be challenging and the budgets often don’t match the expectations for quality.”
To adapt, Teufack suggests producers coordinate production schedules so crews can move seamlessly between projects. She’s also exploring co-productions with Ontario and Quebec to scale her slate and build sustainability for her company.
The province’s screen sector continues to grow. Manitoba Film & Music backed 11 projects produced in the province in 2023/24 and its marketing and communications director Janice Tober estimated a record-breaking $434.9-million in production volume for 2024.
A Paradigm Shift
The work of creators like Dong, Taiwo, Caraza and Teufack shows the economic and cultural power of regional production. With better infrastructure, funding and national support, Canada’s screen industry could become more decentralized, diverse and resilient.
“Every dollar that broadcasters put into production multiplies six times over,” noted Directors Guild of Canada’s executive director Dave Forget after a recent report showed a decline in financing from Canadian broadcasters.
As Canada’s creative scene spreads beyond major hubs, regional storytellers are reshaping the national creative landscape, and investing in them will bring fresh perspectives to Canadian content and drive local growth.
