City releases 2020/21 Film Activity Update; Cambridge remains a destination of choice for the film industry
Cambridge, Ontario. March 2, 2022 – Last evening at a Special Council meeting, staff presented an update on film activity in Cambridge over the past two years. Despite ongoing disruptions to the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambridge continues to be a location of choice for film production companies, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a film friendly community with a strong library of diverse film assets.
“Cambridge is such an incredible backdrop for so many film projects, with incredible views and a sense of community like no other,” says Mayor Kathryn McGarry. “With three unique cores areas and natural landscapes, Cambridge has a lot to offer the creative industry, and that adds to our overall economic wellbeing. Thanks to all who have welcomed the film industry with open arms. We’re looking forward to a strong 2022.”
2021 was a record-breaking year locally, with film inquiries exceeding historical averages by approximately 20% (65 total inquiries), and days of filming exceeded those same averages by approximately 259% (75 total days of filming). This increase was in spite of pausing film permit issuance from January to June of 2021 during the provincial stay at home order. The first project to film in 2021 came in June for the Amazon Prime Video series “Reacher”, which premiered on February 4, 2022.
Additional reasons for the record increase in days of filming for 2021 included the use of a local private asset as a temporary studio space to film two seasons of a Food Network competition program. During their stay in Cambridge, this film project resulted in an estimated economic impact of $250,000 to the local hospitality sector, and a donation of approximately 1,600 pounds of food to the Cambridge Food Bank.
“Film projects bring investment into the city we may not see otherwise”, said Director of Economic Development, James Goodram. “Industry professionals stay in our hotels, support our local businesses and promote our community to a global audience. As the creative sector grows across the province, we have an opportunity to use location filming as a catalyst for longer term workforce development programs and employment in the arts. Implementing a film strategy to capitalize on future growth and opportunity, will allow us to focus on building partnerships across a broad range of stakeholders, and ensure that Cambridge remains a destination of choice for this industry.”
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Additional Resources
Information on filming in Cambridge is available here.
Read the full Council Update here.
Year-over-Year local economic impact
Economic impact is calculated as money spent in local businesses, restaurants and hotels, in addition to being donated to local community groups and spent in rental/parking fees. These numbers are self-reported by the industry as part of the permitting process, and are based on the anticipated local spend excluding wages and transportation costs.
Media Contact:
Allison Jones
Acting Director, Corporate Communications
City of Cambridge
About the City of Cambridge
The City of Cambridge is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. With nearly 140,000 residents, Cambridge is the second largest community within Waterloo Region. It is strategically located astride highway 401 in southwestern Ontario, part of the Toronto to Waterloo Region Innovation Corridor. With a multicultural mix and a strong foundation of support services, Cambridge has a diverse economic base with leading industries in advanced manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, nuclear, pharmaceutical, business and financial services.
For more information, visit www.cambridge.ca and for accessibility accommodations, please contact accessibility@cambridge.ca. To opt out of the news release distribution, email Corporate Communications at CorpComm@cambridge.ca.