How Hamilton's film industry is contributing to Ontario's economic recovery

All the lights, cameras and actionin Hamilton didn't just make for good film last year. Italso helped Ontario's economic recovery.

Ontario's film and TVindustry sawnearly 400 productions in 2021, contributing $2.88 billion to the economy and creating close to 50,000 jobs, the province said Thursday.

In Hamilton, productions brought a 38 per cent increase in job growth from 2020, says Ontario Creates, a provincial agency that facilitates investment and growth in the creative industries. The city also broke records with $69.9 million spent as a result of film and TV productions.

"We are thrilled to see Ontario's film and television industry leading the province's economic recovery," said Karen Thorne-Stone, Ontario Creates president and CEO, in a media release Thursday.

"These figures are a testament to our robust health and safety protocols, impressive suite of financial incentives, ongoing studio space expansion, diverse talent pool, and an unmatched range of film-friendly locations."

Hamilton's year in film production

The Hamilton Film Office brokerecords in 2021. Hamilton regular Guillermo del Toro, for example,filmedhisOscar-nominated Nightmare Alleyat several locations, includingthe Hamilton Cemetery, the Cotton Factory and a Rebecca Street alley.

Del Toro has also filmed parts ofThe Shape of Water and Crimson Peak in Hamilton.

Television also had its moment in Hamilton with the city being a backdrop for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, and Netflix's Locke and Key and The Umbrella Academy.

Easier to navigate

Christoph Benfey is a cinematographer, director and photographer who owns Low Key Studio in Hamilton.

He said filming does so well in Hamilton for a few reasons, one being that you still get a downtown feel while getting away from big cities like Toronto.

Additionally,Hamiltonis easier to navigate while filming from location to location.

"From an infrastructure standpoint, the city is really easy to get around," he said. "You could have threedifferent locations you're shooting in and they're all within 10 minutes of each other."

"In Toronto, just because of traffic and proximity, sometimes it's like a two-or three-hour process just to get from one spot to the next."

Benfeysaid he'sconfident that shooting will grow in Hamilton in the years to come, mostly because of bigger productions benefiting from tax credits offered to them.

"As a result of the crews that are coming in, there are people locally who are trying to take advantage of that," he said.

One example is Aeon Studio Group, which istrying to build infrastructurethat will accommodate more productions.

He also pointed out that in Hamilton, there's still quite a bit of excitement and appreciation for film crews setting up shop in the city.

"There's no disdain for the film industry here," he said. "People get excited about seeing all the trailers and seeing productions happen."