Creative Industries Week celebrates B.C.’s motion picture industry, bringing industry associations, studios, filmmakers, unions, guilds, service and supply companies, and key industry stakeholders together with the government.
As one of North America’s fourth-largest full-service centers for motion picture production, B.C. is proud of its international reputation and proven track record for providing exceptional value for the producer’s dollar. Offering a World of Looks with a diversity of locations found nowhere else in Canada, and highly competitive Provincial and Federal tax credits, B.C. is home to hundreds of film and television projects each year.
About #BCFilm
B.C.’s motion picture industry takes a collaborative approach and brings heart to every production. Together with the provincial ecosystem of film and television resources, B.C.’s motion picture industry represents a mature, full-service global motion picture hub. The industry has over 60 years of experience, close proximity to and the same time zone as Los Angeles, experienced creative and technical talent, partnerships with B.C. producers, world-class infrastructure (studios, suppliers, data pipelines), and award-winning expertise in digital animation, VFX, and post-production.
Did you know?
In 2023, B.C.’s motion picture industry contributed $2B Total GDP to the provincial economy. Over 70,000 people are estimated to be part of this freelance workforce.
British Columbia is home to 50+ animation studios, 50+ VFX studios, 39 post production houses, 27 studios and stages, and over 150 domestic producers. Explore British Columbia’s motion picture ecosystem in an interactive map of VFX, post production houses, and studios. See a list of motion picture companies and related businesses in Creative BC’s Knowledge Hub.
Bringing Public Datasets into our Story for Trends and Comparability
Creative BC also brings public datasets from Statistics Canada into its story of all industries within the creative sector in B.C. through CIERA™, the Creative Industries Economic Results Assessment tool. Current figures for the industry are updated on this page. This annual measure is entirely based on public information and allows for comparability across the industries we represent. See year-over-year trends in the CIERA™ 2022 Tables section of this page on the Creative BC website.
Strategic Initiatives
B.C.’s motion picture industry is looking beyond to ensure a sustainable and equitable film and television sector for the province. Learn more about the initiatives that aim to strengthen the industry:
- Regional Activity: There are eight Regional Film Commissions that market their regions’ distinctive locations and provide localized expertise and service to productions that come to do business within them. While the Lower Mainland Southwest is a mature, full-service global motion picture hub, the Okanagan and Vancouver Island are both emerging as strong centres of production and secondary hubs. B.C. is a highly desirable production location as it offers A World of Looks™ across the province that are tremendously diverse yet proximal: snowy peaks, rainforests, oceansides, deserts, from vineyards and quaint interior towns to urban city streets.
- Reel Green™ is Canada’s climate action catalyst – a leader in sustainable production strategy and action, with well over 20+ industry funders, 30+ national partners, and 10+ committees working on specific areas of action ,including Industry Best Practices, Clean Energy, and the Circular Economy for film. Within the provincial film commission at Creative BC, Reel Green™ provides committed services and support to help its industry Advisory Committee advance environmental best practices in film and television.
- Creative Pathways™ is Canada’s first motion picture industry workforce development solution—an online hub that maps a clear pathway into industry. The hub is built for career-seekers by the province’s Motion Picture Production Industry Association.
- Creative Equity Roadmap is a resource for B.C.’s motion picture industry to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in the motion picture industry and beyond it, into B.C.’s broader creative industries. The framework includes development “lanes” for the individual, the organization, and the industry, as well as “checkpoints” – knowledge, shared goals, and trainings – that can be accessed by anyone seeking to advance these practices.
- Cineventure is a not-for-profit initiative that brings together the province’s film and tourism industries to create immersive encounters celebrating B.C.’s film industry. Fans can explore locations from teen drama sensation “Riverdale”, romantic series “When Calls the Heart”, the iconic comedy “Happy Gilmore”, and the supernatural phenomenon “Twilight”, among many others. For “Virgin River” enthusiasts, a comprehensive Itinerary guides visitors through four days of exploration, from the charming streets of Fort Langley and the iconic Watershed Grill (known to fans as Jack’s Bar) to the breathtaking vistas of Bowen Island and the historic charm of New Westminster.
Share the excitement!
Celebrate our province’s bustling film and television industry or shout out your favorite B.C. films, filmmakers, studios, and companies using #BCFilm #WatchBC #BCCreates and #CreativeIndustriesWeek.
Discover unique B.C. stories from the Motion Picture world:
