Calgary Film Studio

[Spring2008]

Big news for the film industry here:

Long-awaited Calgary film studio to open in 2015
By Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald February 4, 2014 1:01 PM

Luke Azevedo, Commisioner of Film, Television and Creative Industries for Calgary Economic Development, right, poses with president and CEO Bruce Graham and provincial Culture Minister Heather Kilmchuk beside an Alberta Film promotion poster at SAIT during the ceremony announcing a new film studio for the area Tuesday.Photograph by: Ted Rhodes , Calgary HeraldCalgary Economic Development will oversee at $22.8-million film studio that will open in 2015.

The announcement came at a news conference at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Tuesday morning, putting an end to years of talks, false starts and studies about the need for such a facility.

Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk confirmed that Calgary Economic Development’s proposal beat out six others and will receive $5-million in one-time funding from the Government of Alberta.

“What struck me about this proposal was the partnership, the collaboration and the sustainability of this project years from now,” said Klimchuk. “Five years from now when the studio is built and growing you want to make sure it is a robust studio, you want to make sure things are happening and it’s not languishing in the dust.”

The facility is set to open in the summer of 2015, although a site has yet to be confirmed.

The announcement was good news for members of the film industry, who have long maintained that Alberta has the crews and vistas for world-class productions but lacks the studio space.

The new facility, which will be partnering with ComWeb Group/William F. White International, will feature 20,000 and 30,000-square-foot sound stages and 18,000 square-foot warehouse space.

Alongside the $5-million by the province, the facility will be funded by $10-million from the City of Calgary, $6.8-million from Calgary Economic Development and $1-million from William F. White.

William F. White, which supplies equipment for the film industry, will also be the anchor tenant.
More to come . .

http://www.calgaryherald.com/busines...115/story.html

[Innersoul1]

Good news. Idea about potential locations?

[Calgarian]

They really missed an opportunity by not having it in Currie Barracks. No idea where it will go now though...

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

They really missed an opportunity by not having it in Currie Barracks. No idea where it will go now though...

I always thought it was going into COP. But on Newstalk 770 they wouldn't say where it was going in the city. My guess is probably some industrial park in the SE.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

They really missed an opportunity by not having it in Currie Barracks. No idea where it will go now though...

Isn't that where White's is based? That would make the most sense indeed, especially if White is a major partner in opening the studio.

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by Innersoul1

Good news. Idea about potential locations?

Any unaccounted for land close to ACAD?

[5seconds]

Nearly 20 years ago there was a proposal to locate a film and sound facility on the Tsuu T'ina lands near the Casino. There was even a 3rd party production place that was going to invest in it.

I'm not suggesting that is the case for the new one, but they do have a lot of land in a great location that they want to develop.

[Allan83]

Originally Posted by 5seconds

Nearly 20 years ago there was a proposal to locate a film and sound facility on the Tsuu T'ina lands near the Casino. There was even a 3rd party production place that was going to invest in it.

I'm not suggesting that is the case for the new one, but they do have a lot of land in a great location that they want to develop.

And I believe Hell on Wheels has built some sets on the reserve as well. If city money is going into it I imagine it’ll be located within the city limits, however.

[5seconds]

Originally Posted by Allan83

And I believe Hell on Wheels has built some sets on the reserve as well. If city money is going into it I imagine it’ll be located within the city limits, however.

And the sets for Paschendale, but yea, I can't see City tax dollars are being spent outside of the City's taxable area.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Any unaccounted for land close to ACAD?

I would think any land near SAIT/ ACAD/ Jubilee would be too expensive to build studio space on. They are likely looking for cheap industrial land, or will expand on the land already used by studios near Mt Royal.

I wasn't sure why the announcement was made at SAIT, unless SAIT was also going to be involved somehow.

[lineman]

Many folks in Alberta's television and film industry are graduates of the SAIT Film and Video (and former CTSC) program.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I always thought it was going into COP. But on Newstalk 770 they wouldn't say where it was going in the city. My guess is probably some industrial park in the SE.

The COP location involved turfing the Calgary Gymnastics Centre and repurposing the building into the first sound stage.

When the province put the skids on their 5 million investment, the Calgary Gymnastics Centre renewed their lease to the building. Lease terms are 10 years with at least 9 years to go.

From a personal perspective, I am ecstatic the film studio is finding another location. My 3.5 year old has been going to Calgary Gymnastics Centre for the past 2 years, its probably her most favourite place in the whole world. Even if CGC got relocated, she would be heart broken every time we past by Stoney and Highway 1,

[Spring2008]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...udio-1.2561834

Nice, now maybe film crews can stop invading my building. Another one doing an MTV show just left after being there almost all week. Not in my back yard!

[Spring2008]

New Calgary film centre will boast 80,000 sq. ft. motion picture production facility
Dave Dormer
Yesterday at 10:49 PM

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Alberta Culture and Tourism Minister Maureen Kubinec have some fun for the photographers at the sod-turning for the new Calgary Film Centre in Calgary, Alta., on Friday October 31, 2014. They are flanked by, among others, Calgary Economic Development head Bruce Graham, film commissioner Luke Azevedo, Paul Bronfman and Doug MacLeod at the centre's southeast Calgary location. Mike Drew/Calgary Sun/QMI Agency
article
Ground was broken Friday on the Calgary Film Centre, an eventual 80,000 sq.-ft. hub which will support indigenous, national and international screen-based productions.
“Today’s groundbreaking marks a huge step toward making the Calgary Film Centre a reality,” said Bruce Graham, president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development.
“We are excited to see the facility take shape over the next 12 months.”
Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the facility will keep Calgary competitive in attracting top-level productions.
“Today’s shovel ceremony symbolizes so much more than the start of construction on the Calgary Film Centre.
“It speaks to the strength and growth within our film, television and digital media industry,” said Nenshi.
“The Film Centre will provide thousands of Calgarians a place to hone their industry skills, allow the city to compete for screen-based production globally, and continue to diversify the Alberta economy.”
The film and television industry generated some $400 million in economic activity over the last five years, said Premier Jim Prentice.
“The development of the centre supports the ongoing growth of this valuable sector, creating jobs for Albertans and a wealth of new economic development opportunities in Calgary and beyond,” he said.
Along with increasing economic prosperity, the centre will provide much-needed jobs for Calgarians working in the film and television industry, said Luke Azevedo, commissioner of film, TV and creative industries for Calgary Economic Development.
“It has the potential to substantially increase our production volume over the next five to seven years and it will provide opportunities for our indigenous, homegrown talent to showcase their projects and ideas, while working full time in this province in their chosen industry,” he said.
William F. White International — described online as the country’s longest running provider of professional motion picture, television, digital media and theatrical production equipment — will be the anchor tenant and plans call for the new studio to be operational by summer 2015.

http://m.calgarysun.com/2014/10/31/n...ction-facility

[canucklehead2]

Can't wait until the new studio is open this fall. For those of you curious, the Film Studio report generated in the mid-2000's generated 4 potential sites for new film studios using existing sites. If I remember correctly, they were...

1-Victoria Park Bus Barns
2-Spyhill Corrections Facility
3-Tsuu T'Ina First Nations
4-Magnesium plant near Aldersyde/High River


Anyway, the link is here http://www.calgaryeconomicdevelopmen..._motionPic.pdf

Hopefully like Vancouver in the 80's this is the start of having several viable film studios and a burgeoning industry supporting hundreds if not thousands of workers...