Film projects rebounding after pandemic halt
EL CENTRO – After productions in the Imperial Valley came to a halt due to the pandemic two years ago, the Imperial County Film Commission is seeing a rise in film activity in the region.
“We went from averaging seven to nine productions a month to zero,” said Charla Teeters, director at the Imperial County Film Commission. “As restrictions are lifting and infection rates are dropping, we can open up to larger productions, and more are reaching out and coming down to the valley.”
During a County Board of Supervisors meeting on May 10, Teeters said that during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, $2 million of estimated economic impact were lined up for March and April with the production of five television, film and commercial projects. Specifically, they were for episodes of “Animal Kingdom,”
“Wheeler Dealer” and “Top Gear;” a clothing commercial, and a Ben Affleck feature. She added that these were previously ready to shoot or in pre-production stages but vanished due to COVID.
Since quarantine, the IFCF has been working to stay relevant and collaborated with peer associations across the state to develop COVID-19 guidelines and protocols for the industry.
“During COVID, we welcomed productions under stringent regulations. We’ve worked through this whole time, making sure that we could have filming done
safely in our area,” added Teeters.
Last year, the IFCF saw the return of some projects with a total of 26 projects tracked that represented $1.6 million.
“It took a lot of coordination to take those 26 projects, so I count us lucky for those,” said Teeters
The current fiscal year has also been challenging due to continued cancellations as a result of the pandemic or industry measures that make it more difficult to film on location and out of the LA production zone. “The industry is doing its best to get back to full force and having some sense of normalcy,” Teeters said. So far, 23 projects have been tracked in the current fiscal year representing $1.95 million with productions such as a documentary about burrowing owls by National Geographic and an independent film. The largest production this year is “Obi-Wan” by Disney, which premieres May 27.
“They shot in August with the size of a featured film.. This is for television, but it was a huge production,” said Teeters. “We are in most Sept. 13, of 1968 the – promotional May 08, 2022 materials, that is exciting.”
The activation of film productions has boosted local businesses and supported Imperial Valley’s economy.
“Those activities represent a great amount of economic impact in hotels, food, catering, gas, supplies, or even hiring local talent,” said Teeters. “All has an impact, whether it’s a permit fee or buying a candy bar at the local 7-Eleven.”
Last year, ICFC hosted a series of virtual film festivals and workshops; they expect to organize in-person events soon.
With COVID-19 cases declining, more productions are lined-up to develop in the Imperial Valley.
“Filming is increasing, and we are all adres excited about that. We’re going to see more, more work here,” Teeters concluded. “We’re looking forward to promote the valley to production companies so that they remember we’re here.”