Rural Alberta is an attractive location for many film and television projects. At the most recent meeting of Rocky View County council on Wednesday, the council received an update from Calgary Economic Development on film activities in rural Alberta and the county.

Luke Azevedo commissioner of film, television, and creative industries for Calgary Economic Development presented to the council about the film and television industry in the county and answered questions following the presentation.

Azevedo explained that right now the film and television industry has the opportunity to grow and create jobs in southern Alberta and rural areas like Rocky View.

“Your specific area is one of the most utilized areas for film and television in southern Alberta and Alberta as a whole,” he said.

“We have seen a significant amount of increase in the film and television industry in the last three years,” he said.

He added the area employs about 5,600 people and can generate up to a billion dollars over the next five to seven years. He spoke about the province’s diverse locations.

“We are very unique globally. We can be Afghanistan, we can be Mexico City, we can be Denver, we can be Calgary, we can be Rocky View County,” he said.

The film industry has an impact on the region’s economy.

He spoke of showcasing areas like Rocky View to the world during COVID-19. There are also lower overall production costs and no provincial sales tax.

Several feature film projects have been filmed in Alberta, for example, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Revenant, Inception, Interstellar, and Legends of the Fall.

According to Calgary Economic Development for the Ghostbusters film in terms of accommodations Alberta hotel vendors received $2,170,294.75 in revenue over 4.5 months. Three weeks spent in the Fort MacLeod/Drumheller area for hotels generated $569,056.

The council accepted the film and television presentation as information.