Lethbridge is known for being a logistics hub of the agri-food corridor in southern Alberta.
However, a multi-billion-dollar industry is also taking hold in the region.
“We’ve had productions like Billy the Kid, The Abandons recently came and filmed here. We had The Last of Us, of course,” said Ismail Okasha, film services support employee with the City of Lethbridge.
“I think Lethbridge is just amplifying that kind of genre that people are looking for in this province.”
A new collaborative initiative between the city and Economic Development Lethbridge is aiming to boost the movie and video game industry in the area.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for location managers and producers to come in and just book (locations),” said Okasha.
Screen Lethbridge, the name of the new project, is a tool that includes options for production companies to rent properties across the city.
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It’s something Trevor Lewington, CEO of Economic Development Lethbridge, says is worth the investment.
“Between gaming, between interactive digital media, between film and TV, it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry in Alberta. The city of Edmonton, for example, where about one-third of the industry is located, suggests it’s responsible for up to 50,000 jobs,” said Lewington.
“So, part of the initiative was really to make sure that Lethbridge is getting it’s fair share of that provincial pie.
“It’s a billion-dollar opportunity, so we wanted to make sure we were there to play.”
It’s also designed to help smaller filmmakers in the region.
“An initiative like this gives filmmakers who live here and those who centre their work here an opportunity to be a part of a larger conversation,” said Nick Bohle, owner of HatChap Productions, which is located in Lethbridge. “It leads to accreditation, it leads to workshops, it leads to infrastructure development.”
The entertainment industry also benefits other markets in the region, according to Lewington.
“The economic impacts are pretty broad. You think about a standard film crew, even if it’s a documentary or commercial, they’re probably staying in a hotel, eating in restaurants, maybe they need some construction support from local trades to build a set.”
For now, the city is hoping to attract three or four new productions in the next few years.
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