Edmonton film industry aims to generate $100M a year with more TV, movie and digital productions

The Edmonton Screen Industries Office is intent on bringing more TV, film and video game productions to the city with hopes of generating up to $100 million a year — a significant bump from the current $25 million made from the industry. 

To help attain the lofty goal, it says it needs the municipal government's help. 

Tom Viinikka, CEO of the Edmonton Screen Industries Office, presented the group's request to city council on Tuesday during the public hearing on the city's 2023-26 budgets. 

The group usually receives $1.2 million a year from the city and this year is requesting $1.5 million — the extra $300,000 is to adjust to inflation and host more events with film and interactive digital media companies, Viiinikka said.

"We cannot succeed in these industries without being face-to-face with the world," Viinikka told council. 

Industry events raise Edmonton's profile, he said. 

"We also brought producers to Edmonton on familiarization tours or fan tour to show off our great city and I can tell you, there are people who never considered Edmonton before that are considering it now." 

The funding would go toward operating a six-staff office, connecting with big production companies, and grants to smart start-up companies in Edmonton, he said. 

"It also goes to some of the programs that we've been testing this past year, including going to markets, selling our city to the world, showing them what we have." 

But the $1.2-million base budget is not included in the city's 2023 proposed $3.2-billion operating budget. 

Alberta's film industry generates about $550 million a year, with the bulk of the filming done in and around Calgary, Viinikka said. 

Coun. Andrew Knack noted the enormous success of Calgary's TV and film industry but said interactive digital media has even more potential, provided the Screen Industries gets funding to pursue it. 

"From the interactive side, it is an industry that far surpasses film and TV at this stage," Knack suggested. "It's not like there's not a lot of potential to grow financial benefits to the city." 

Viinikka used HBO's The Last to Us — a portion of which was filmed in Edmonton and Calgary — as an example of a potential money-maker and industry booster.