Brantford has starring role in record number of film productions in 2020

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Michelle Ruby Workers create sets for Season 2 of the TV show, Departure, which was the productions filmed in Brantford last year. Expositor file photo Article content

Brantford had a record-breaking year in 2020 as a site for filming TV shows and commercials despite a three-month provincial shutdown during the pandemic.

Last year, city staff responded to 32 film inquiries, resulting in 10 TV and two commercial productions.

These productions, said Kara Davey, Brantford’s arts and culture development officer, had an estimated impact of $1.3 million on city budgets, with about $122,000 in direct revenues to the municipality.

“People are elated (when filming happens in the city),” said Coun. Joshua Wall. “They go out in droves to watch it. It’s so great to see the world take notice of this incredible place we call home.”

Brantford welcomed two productions prior to the first provincial shutdown last March and eight more from August to December, including two commercials (Kid Food Nation and Elle Canada), and eight TV productions: Blood and Water, Murdoch Mysteries, Mayday, Departure, Frankie Drake Mysteries, All-Round Champion and two filmings of The Handmaid’s Tale.

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Coun. Dan McCreary called the productions a “great source of civic pride for us.”

With productions playing a leading role in local economic development, the city early last year adopted a policy meant to streamline municipal services and create a “business-friendly environment” for filming, said Davey.

Several updates to the policy, including simplifying the permit process; further clarifying the noise bylaw and road and sidewalk closures; and making more clear cost responsibilities, were supported this week by council’s operations and administration committee.

The cast and crew of The Handmaid’s Tale were in the city in February last year to film scenes for an episode of the series’ fourth season using space owned by Laurier Brantford at 1 Market Square, with its base camp located in the civic centre parking lot.  In 2018, a blend of historic city structures and the Grand River were the setting for some scenes in the popular series, which is based on a novel by Margaret Atwood.

About 300 cast and crew of The Handmaid’s Tale were back in the city last November, securing 2,340 hotel nights with a local production budget of $800,000, said Davey.

Encouraged by city staff,  “many past productions have taken to giving back to the community” through legacy projects, said Davey. Last year, the Handmaid’s Tale supported the Downtown Brantford BIA, the Brantford food bank and the Sanderson Centre.

The Canadian film industry took a huge hit in 2020. According to the Motion Picture Association of Canada, the industry created more than 180,000 jobs in 2019 and generated a GDP of $12.8 billion for the Canadian economy.

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Between March and June 2020, $2.5 billion in screen-based media production was permanently lost, $1.4 billion of which was tied to labour.

With the majority of movie theatres closed last year, the filming industry saw a dramatic shift away from movie productions and toward keeping up with the massive demand for at-home television consumption, said Kevin Dekok, an economic development officer for the city.

Dekok said Brantford is benefiting from film production work reaching capacity in the Greater Toronto Area.

City staff expect the number of productions filming in Brantford to increase again this year. To attract new business, more images of the city will be put into the library of Ontario Creates, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and a local videographer will be producing a Ready to Roll highlight reel that includes past productions and film-ready locations.

“There are so many assets in the community prime for filming,” said Coun. Greg Martin.

Dekok said city staff also is working with local hotels and restaurants to create discounts and packages that will help draw film productions.

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