SUNDRE – With ongoing efforts to further incentivize film and TV productions to choose Sundre and the surrounding area as a primary location, Town of Sundre officials will have to plan accordingly.
Jon Allan, the Town of Sundre’s economic development officer, presented an update to council last month on proposals to enhance and grow the Mountain View Regional Film Office (MVRFO) based on recommendations in a report prepared by consultants with Nordicity.
“Those key next steps moving forward are broken up into two stages,” Allan said.
The first outlines short-term fundamental steps whereas the second forecasts long-term objectives, he said.
“What we’re going to have to do, is align our policy,” he said, referring to the first stage.
“The policies will be forthcoming in the near-term, likely using Didsbury’s policies as the template,” he said.
“We are (also) going to have to begin a more earnest effort in record keeping, but that is already under way.”
Elaborating, he said the film office has developed a shared spreadsheet to better keep track of film inquiries as well as expenditures that productions have put into the area along with the kinds of assistance that can be provided.
“We are going to have to communicate with the public further as well about the benefits of adding their sites and facilities to the Reel-Scout library online,” he said.
“That is the primary resource from which producers and location scouts look for sites in Alberta.”
Additionally, the film office will continue to raise awareness about the region and develop relationships with provincial film organizations, in part by attending networking events such as the Banff World Media Festival held earlier in June.
“I was overwhelmed almost by the amount of interest that there was,” he said.
“We had meetings with more than 30 organizations – producers, agencies and that kind of thing – who are genuinely interested.”
There are three main reasons why the region boasts so much appeal. The first is due to the area being the closest film region to Calgary that qualifies for the provincial government’s film and TV tax credit program, he said.
“We are also the only film region in Alberta outside of Calgary or Edmonton that is home to a sound stage and a 20-foot tall green screen,” he said, referring to Didsbury.
As for Sundre more specifically, “we have an amazing topographical variety; from prairies to peaks and everything in between,” he said.
With regards to the advanced long-term stage of developing the film office, Allan cited a need to increase resources along the way as required and to eventually unify and incorporate.
Part of that process will also require further deepening relationships and keeping open the lines of communication with the film industry.
While the report presented was primarily for information at that time, he said there would be more to come before council to further consider with respect to policies and potential resources required.
Looking at the long-term, Coun. Jaime Marr asked Allan where he sees Sundre’s role fitting in with the regional office and whether there might eventually be an appetite for a physical building similar to the sound stage and green screen in Didsbury.
“Do you think we could grow to that degree?” asked Marr.
Didsbury has the benefit of being closer to Calgary along with many years of established industry experience, he said, citing a few examples such as the Fargo TV series and Wynonna Earp: Vengeance.
“What they lack,” he added, “is the foothills, the trees, the proximity to the mountains.”
Sundre also offers a different type of architectural aesthetic and a different type of open space, he said.
“(However), we can ride on their coat tails so to speak, even though we are a little bit further away.”
And based on the amount of interest expressed in Sundre, things do seem to be moving more quickly than previously anticipated he said.
“A brick and mortar, I would love to see that … I just don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up because I think we’re still in the early stages,” he said, adding the film office for now remains a virtual space.
So it’s still too soon to suggest whether a physical presence like a sound stage in Sundre might be possible, he said.
“But based on trajectories, there’s hope.”
Council carried a motion accepting the report for information.
The Town of Didsbury's council also recently carried a motion to “approve continuation of the Mountain View Regional Film Office (MVRFO) partnership with the Town of Sundre and Mountain View County.”
During the same meeting, council accepted the recently developed strategic organizational plan, designed by Nordicity in partnership with SKH Consulting.
“The plan provides a comprehensive roadmap for establishing the MVRFO as a professional, well-coordinated entity capable of servicing the growing demand for film-friendly locations in Alberta,” county acting chief administrative officer Amanda Riley told council.
Key areas addressed in the strategy include governance and operational structure, roles and responsibilities of partner municipalities, funding and sustainability models, and marketing and promotion strategies, she said.
– With files from Dan Singleton