Film commission makes funding pitch to governments

Feb 16, 2023 | 2:00 PM Pete McIntyre

The agency that works to attract film and video productions to the Okanagan, says it’s public money well spent.

The Okanagan Film Commission (OFC) is seeking funding of $295,000 from various governments for 2023.

That includes requests of $140,000 from the Regional District of Central Okanagan, $44,000 from the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) and $45,000 from the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.

The City of Enderby is being asked for $1,500, with $9,500 from the Boundary Economic Development Commission, while the province is being asked to contribute $55,000.

The funds will be used for wages and benefits for the commission’s one full-time staff member (commissioner Jon Summerland) and three part-time employees, plus scouting, advertising and other expenses.

Summerland says the film community in the Okanagan continues to grow and thrive.

“This is an amazing retreat with location possibilities for directors and logistical opportunities for producers. Production is a major component of the Okanagan’s economic development strategy,” Summerland said in a report to the RDNO board.

The OFC said in its report, regional government funding of $253,000 this year, will have a local economic impact of $67.4 million from the more than 30 film and TV projects planned for the region.

(Image credit: OFC)

The economic impact to communities is based on a calculation that feature films generate between $35,000 and $100,000 (US) per day in economic activity, with up to $85,000 a day for a TV series, and between $25,000 to $100,000 for a commercial or music video.

The OFC has received most of its annual funding from regional districts in the valley since 2000.

“The OFC recommends that the regional government’s board of directors continue to fund and support its regional film commission because it continues to produce positive economic results, and generate positive international exposure as a direct result of worldwide exhibition of the projects that were produced in the OFC,” the report stated.