Celebrating a handful of local films whose productions recently wrapped in Greater Sudbury, Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford announced $3.2 million in provincial funding.
These funds were divvied through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to incentivize filming in Northern Ontario.
“Without the support, geographically and without the infrastructure Vancouver or Toronto has, would make it really challenging to shoot here,” Northern Ontario Film Studios owner David Anselmo said.
His film studio, located within a former indoor municipal hockey rink at 828 Beatrice Cres., served all five productions, including as a filming location for one of the movies, “Deathstalker.”
Wednesday’s funding announcement was made in the studio, which Rickford also toured.
“This small incentive that the NOFSC supports creates such a larger economic impact to the region,” he added, pointing to 180 movies his studio has supported in the last several years as contributing close to $1 billion of gross economic impact to the province.
Approximately 20 per cent of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s annual budget of approximately $100 million is earmarked toward supporting film and television productions, he said.
The province’s scoring system ensures they get the most out of Northern Ontario as possible.
“The more you do here, the more likely the film or television production is to be supported by the Heritage Fund, and the more likely that the resource is going to be increased,” Rickford added, noting that recipient productions have “the lion’s share of the activity, from creation, to production to post-production” take place in Northern Ontario.
“Greater Sudbury is doing a heck of a job in film production.”
The following projects were supported by funds in recent months, as announced by Rickford on Wednesday:
- $1 million for Fella Films Inc. to produce “Ballistic,” a feature film about a father who works in an ammunition manufacturing facility starring Lena Headey of “Game of Thrones” fame.
- $1 million for Woods Entertainment Canada Inc. to produce “Violence,” a feature film about a boyfriend trying to protect his girlfriend from the chaos of a town divided by drug kingpins.
- $500,000 for Hangar 18 Media Inc. to produce “Deathstalker,” a feature film about a warrior who wanders the fantasy war-torn kingdom of Sardatia.
- $500,000 for Next Phase Motion Pictures to produce “Ripping Off Othello,” a feature film about a young lawyer who reveals how the American justice system is overwhelmed by bias and racism.
- $227,206 for Fittonia Productions Inc. to produce “Rêver en néon,” a feature film about a young girl searching for her ballerina mother.
Sudbury.com previously reported on “Deathstalker,” when the movie’s executive producer, Slash, best known for his work as guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, stopped by to visit the set in May. Helmed by Steven Kostanski of “Psycho Goreman” fame as director, filming on “Deathstalker” wrapped later that month.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.