Valley’s film and TV industry buoyant despite pandemic
Despite the nearly year-long COVID-19 pandemic, 30 film and television productions were made in the Okanagan in 2020.
The economic impact from the movies, TV shows and commercials will surpass previous years, Okanagan Film Commissioner Jon Summerland said in a news release, although an estimate is not given.
In 2019, the total value of wages, spending on local suppliers, and at hotels and restaurants by people connected to the film and TV industry in the Okanagan was estimated at $23.8 million.
In 2018, the economic impact was said to have been $32 million.
The film commission says a high-end movie intended for wide release with a full union crew is worth $100,000 a day to the Valley's economy.
At the other end of the spectrum, a low-end commercial with a non-union crew has a daily impact of about $25,000.
Some 2021 productions have already been pencilled in, though production dates will depend on the availability of stars and crews to cross the Canada-U.S. border, Summerland said.
The Okanagan Film Commission has an annual budget of about $300,000, half of which comes from Kelowna-area property owners.