Ontario reaches record-high levels of film, TV production in 2022

The province's screen sector is reporting its strongest ever year last year with Ontario hitting record-high levels of film and television productions.

Ontario Creates, an agency of the provincial government, said it supported a total of 419 productions in 2022, contributing roughly $3.15 billion to the economy.

"There is an exciting growth of activity right across the province," said Ontario Creates president and CEO Karen Thorne-Stone.

Thorne-Stone said the industry, like many others, was faced with challenges during 2020 and 2021 with COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, but it was able to come out of it stronger than ever. 

"There's no question that for this industry like many others, the last few years have been pretty challenging," Thorne-Stone said.

"So we're excited to see this kind of growth and in particular to see our domestic industry with these strong results."

The provincial agency released figures Tuesday and said the amount of productions also helped create more than 45,000 jobs across the province.

Ontario Creates supported the production of Amazon Prime's The Boys tv series, which became 2022's most-watched superhero program, according to the agency. As well, the award-winning film Women Talking, which received international accolades, most recently two Oscar nominations and one win. 

According to Ontario Creates, domestic production now drives nearly 40 per cent of total film and TV spending in Ontario, that's up from 34 per cent in 2021. With the addition of commercial production and in-house production, which are estimated at over $1.4 billion in 2022, that brings Ontario's total production activity over $4.5 billion for the year.

Lisa Michelle Cornelius, a Toronto-based actor, producer and singer, says she started acting in 2005 but she has never worked more as an actor than she has in the past three years.

"I'm noticing much more Canadian contributors, writers and creatives in shows as opposed to just being an American service town ... a lot of the shows here are Canadian homegrown," Cornelius told CBC Toronto.

"I'm also seeing positive shifts in diversity and inclusion ... I feel like things are opening up and going in the right direction ... [but] there's still ways to go, especially behind the camera."

Cornelius landed a recurring role on upcoming dramatic series Robyn Hood, playing the title character's formidable mother, Tressie, set to premiere in 2023. Cornelius says the roughly three-month production, which was filmed last year, was her first recurring role on a primetime series. She has also appeared in Netflix's Black Mirror, Handmaid's Tale and The Color of Love.

Cornelius, who was born and raised in Mississauga, said she loves being able to pursue her career in Toronto because it's home for her.