Hollywood Northwest

With film becoming an emerging sector of Thunder Bay’s economy, the industry needed a resource that would consolidate information about talent, locations and whatever else a filmmaker could need.

So after consulting with a focus group of filmmakers the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission created a website to assist local filmmakers.

Found at www.tbayfilm.ca, The Thunder Bay Film Experience includes information about the local film community, locations, production resources and incentives for filming in the area.

With guidance from local filmmakers, CEDC development officer Kris Mork said they took their ideas and ran with them.

"We decided this was something we could do to help retain the young workforce and really diversify what we have here," he said, noting the website is still a work in progress that can be continually be updated.

"There are always things you can change," he said. "I think it’s important that we listen to all the feedback and change it with how it should go."

Local filmmaker Dave Clement said he believes the website will benefit the city’s film industry.

"We’re definitely happy about this," he said. "I think it’s going to move us forward."

A co-owner of Thunderstone Pictures, Clement has produced numerous projects and said Thunder Bay’s unique locations make it a favourable filmmaking destination.

"If you look at the way film is going these days, particularly independent film, unique locations are key to that," he said. "Everybody’s seen Toronto. Everybody’s seen Chicago. Everybody’s seen New York City. They want to see something different. We have something different to offer."

He noted the city also has enough variety throughout the urban landscape to mimic many other places.

But more importantly, Clement said Thunder Bay has in incredible pool of talent, especially with Confederation College’s media programs churning out graduates every year.

"We also have a lot of local filmmakers who have been struggling day-to-day and enduring and maintaining their focus in the hopes of one day building an industry that can compete with Halifax or Regina or Edmonton," he said. "There’s no reason we can’t. We have the people. We have the training. We have the advances in technology that will allow that to happen."

Both Clement and Mork said the website is not about bringing Hollywood to Thunder Bay, but fostering local talent.

"We’re really blessed with passionate people and their willingness to put these projects out there," Mork said. "I think that’s where the growth is going to come from. People staying; people wanting to tell their stories here."