Shooting Through a Prairie Lens

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Imagine arriving at work one day and spotting the famous actor Bob Odenkirk in your restaurant. In the summer of 2024, my dad kept having celebrity encounters with big names from Hollywood. At OEB Breakfast Co., he served Odenkirk and several film producers who were working on a multi-million-dollar film in the city. Through those interactions, they asked my dad if they could rent out the entire restaurant for the day to shoot a scene for a film featuring Vince Vaughn. 

Around that same time, one of my friends showed me a picture of Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, shooting a film in the streets of Winnipeg. I couldn’t believe it. 

Usually, the most famous people in Winnipeg are Jets players. Why were some of the biggest stars in Hollywood here? It turns out, two massive productions were being shot in Winnipeg at the same time. 

Growing up, I dreamt of being a movie producer, but as I got older, that dream faded. I thought it might not be the best career path, especially living in Winnipeg. 

But getting involved in some of the productions happening in the city rekindled that spark. I remembered the joy of telling stories through film, and I wanted to take advantage of these opportunities and learn as much as I could. 

My dad grew close to some of the producers who came in regularly, and because of that, I had the opportunity to talk with a few of them one-on-one. During an hour-long conversation, I was able to secure a spot on a production set just to witness all the work that goes into creating a set, and what I experienced was surreal. It was my first taste of “movie magic.” The production set was an indoor life-size replica of Carberry, MB, a small town 170 km west of Winnipeg.

My time on set made me aware of how many productions are happening here — Manitoba’s film industry is on the rise. 

 The Blockbuster Year 

Manitoba, a province with a population of more than 1.4 million, has become a popular location for several major film projects, casting notable Hollywood stars such as Woody Harrelson, Liam Neeson, and Hilary Swank. 

In 2024, Manitoba achieved its busiest production year to date, estimated at $435 million.

The province hosted 86 productions, with 55 per cent owned by Manitoban companies, 36 per cent by non-Manitoban firms, and nine per cent shared between the two, according to the Manitoba Film & Music Annual Report. 

There were more than 1,200 shooting days in 2024. Most of these happened in Winnipeg, but 36 per cent took place across 57 rural locations across the province. This diversity of locations showcased Manitoba’s beautiful landscapes, such as the prairies and the Exchange District.

The increase in production brought business to 33 production companies in Manitoba.

Manitoban actors made up 84 per cent of the cast in Canadian productions. “The growth of our industry means the world to me,” said Ethan Billard-Dooley, a local filmmaker and member of one of the film unions in Manitoba, IATSE 856.

“There just simply wasn’t a viable way for many people to have film careers in Manitoba before the recent growth,” said Billard-Dooley. “The fact that talented artists and professionals can now choose to stay in Manitoba to pursue their goals instead of leaving elsewhere is a great thing.”

In the summer of 2024, Billard-Dooley worked on set as a dresser for The Long Walk, a Stephen King film shot in Winnipeg and Manitoba. His role with IATSE 856 is to help design, build, and bring film sets to life by adding or building props for film sets. 

An opportunity like this is a dream come true for Billard-Dooley, who’s been working in Manitoba’s film industry for a few years. 

Billard-Dooley is excited about the multitude of future opportunities available to both current and future workers in the industry. 

“It’s an exciting time for filmmakers and producers, but also the locals as well,” he said.

Billard-Dooley also mentioned the excitement surrounding Manitoban artists as they get to see their industry continue to grow in their hometown. 

“Manitoba’s biggest strength in the industry is the growing number of artists and die-hard film people that are creative and deliver a professional standard of filmmaking as well as any other city.” 

Marc Provissiero is a film producer who received an Emmy nomination and won a Gotham Award for Best Breakout Series for his television comedy series, PEN15. Recently, he has produced several films in Manitoba, including the action thrillers Nobody and Nobody 2, which star Bob Odenkirk.

He had a lot of great things to say about the positive attitude and work ethic demonstrated by local film crews. 

“It’s always easier to get work done when everyone is on the same page working with a positive attitude,” said Provissiero. 

In 2024, Provissiero produced two films in Manitoba, and the province is actively pursuing more large-scale productions.

“When looking for a place to film, Manitoba is on our radar,” said Provissiero. “I have a good relationship with the crews here and the government; you can tell that they care about the industry and are easy to work with.”  

Provissiero said it’s always a plus to work in a city that’s happy to have you there.  

This positive trend in the industry is mainly attributed to Manitoba’s Film and Video Tax Credit. This credit was first introduced in 1997 to cover salaries, and in March 2010, the province added a production cost tax credit, making the tax incentives more beneficial for production.

“It plays a big part in attracting productions because finding the best ways to manage budgets is always a goal when producing films,” said Provissiero. 

 The Manitoba Film and Video Tax Credit 

Manitoba has Canada’s best film tax credit, and one of the best internationally. “It’s easily the best,” said Provissiero. The tax credit makes the province an attractive location for filmmakers. 

The Film and Video Tax Credit is a financial support program from the provincial government that helps fund the production of films and TV shows. Manitoba offers a fully refundable tax credit of 45 per cent on salaries paid to crew members involved in filmmaking. If your production meets specific requirements, this credit can increase to more than 65 per cent. In Manitoba, corporations have another option to choose from. Instead of taking 45 per cent on labour costs only, film companies can opt to claim a 30 per cent tax credit based on total production costs, which include labour, materials, and services specifically tied to film production, rather than relying solely on labour expenses.

The film tax credit helps film projects reclaim a good portion of expenses that happen during the production. However, to receive the significant film tax credit bonuses in Manitoba, they have to meet specific requirements. To qualify for the higher credit, productions generally need to spend a certain amount on local talent and services or meet specific production goals. 

There are three ways productions can increase their salary tax credit: if companies produce at least three films or shows in two years, if a local producer is attached to the project, and if at least half of the production days are spent shooting more than 35 kilometres away from Winnipeg.

Additionally, the more Manitoban workers who are trained or working on set, the higher the percentage of eligible Manitoba salaries can be claimed. If each non-resident crew member trains at least one Manitoba resident on set, the cap for refundable salaries will be increased to 30 per cent instead of 10 per cent.

With how the Film and Video Tax Credit regulations for bonuses are set up, the more Manitobans on your film, the more money productions can save. So, when productions have to fly specialists in the film industry to work on set — like pyrotechnics professionals, for example — those people’s flights don’t fall under Manitoba’s tax credit regulations.  

These bonuses are created to encourage productions to hire, train, and educate more Manitobans in the film industry.  

Manitoba also offers a strong tax credit for eligible spending. Productions can recover up to 38 per cent of eligible costs, like studio time and equipment rentals, in the province.

The province gives productions a tax credit of 30 per cent on eligible expenses, including some labour costs. If you co-produce with a qualified production company in Manitoba, you can increase your tax credit by eight per cent. 

Productions can choose between two tax credits, either 38 per cent for production costs or up to 65 per cent for labour costs in Manitoba. 

Manitoba offers a tax credit that helps productions save a lot of money by reimbursing a significant portion of their costs. This makes it one of the best tax credits in North America for filmmakers. Because of this financial support, the film industry in Manitoba is growing rapidly. It’s also why more major productions are choosing to film in the province.

The Investment Trilogy: Risk, Reward and Resilience

Manitoba has also made strides in its production quality. In 2022, the province unveiled Big Sky Studios, a cutting-edge, 167,000-square-foot film and television production studio on Inkster Boulevard. This state-of-the-art facility boasts a mill and paint shop for set building, a fully equipped wardrobe department, storage for props, office space for the production team, and four expansive sound stages. 

“The new studios will improve production quality and lower travel and equipment rental costs,” said Rick Slobodian, a unit mover for IASTE 856. He has six years of experience in the film industry and loves his job. “It’s a good industry to get into, and I’m happy to see the industry continue to grow.”  

“Big Sky Studios makes the Film and Video Tax Credit helpful for large productions because before, they might have had to film in studios outside of Manitoba, where the tax credit wouldn’t apply,” said Slobodian. 

“They often had to fly in crew members from across North America, whose salaries did not qualify for the salary tax credit,” said Slobodian. “Now, with Big Sky Studios, productions can fully benefit from the tax credit because studio costs can be included under the production tax credit.”  

In 2023, a government of Manitoba news release announced yet another new film studio that just opened its doors on March 28^th, 2025. It’s called Jette Studios, and it’s located in Niverville, Manitoba. The province said the $30 million studio is expected to create around 300 new jobs in the next few years. 

On June 11, 2024, construction began on the 20,000-square-foot studio, which will feature a sound stage and a 270-degree LED wall called “The Volume.” 

In three years, from 2022 to 2025, we have seen two large film studios built in Manitoba, and WestJet announced a direct flight from Winnipeg to Los Angeles. These investments from major corporations are helping Manitoba attract larger films from Hollywood, thus creating more opportunities for film workers in the province.

“Manitoba is starting to become a major landing spot for larger-scale productions in North America,” said Slobodian. 

The Issues Moving Forward

One issue that could prevent Manitoba’s film industry from reaching new heights: a lack of film crews. Other cities in Canada, like Calgary or Toronto, for example, have more film crews, making it easier for them to host multiple large-scale productions.  

There are two key reasons why this poses a problem for Manitoba’s film industry:  Fewer trained professionals available makes it hard to host large-scale productions. Additionally, Manitoba’s tax credit is more impactful when productions have Manitobans involved in working projects. 

Provissiero said he seriously considered shooting one of his films in Calgary because they were able to offer more workers for his production.  

Film Training Manitoba, a non-profit charity dedicated to helping grow the film industry in Manitoba, has been combatting the lack of crews by hosting training workshops with industry professionals. For over 15 years, they have been taking extra steps to increase the number of trained film professionals in the province. 

In the spring of 2025, Film Training Manitoba will host several panel sessions at Manitoba post-secondary schools, where they will inform students about potential career opportunities in the film industry and provide pathways for them to explore and learn more about it.

“There are many labour gaps that students could target,” said Emily Labby, training and partnerships manager at Film Training Manitoba. “There are many jobs in the film industry and many that people might not realize how their skills can transfer to the film world.” 

Film Training Manitoba is also attending career fairs to help students discover the wide range of job opportunities that exist in Manitoba’s film industry. On top of that, it hosts an annual Film Expo in partnership with video production company Frank Digital. It’s a two-day training session on a wide collection of film camera systems along with a full post-production experience. 

This not only allows students to connect with professionals in the industry, but also helps them develop their skills in areas like filming, writing, directing, and production. By taking advantage of these chances now, students can set themselves up for careers in this field. “We welcome everyone to participate,” said Labby. 

In the fall of 2024, the Schroeder Foundation donated 15 million dollars to Red River College Polytechnic’s creative arts programs. This donation will help open up two new programs — Animation and Entertainment Production Management — in the fall of 2025. 

This donation from the Schroeder Foundation will help create a pipeline of newly trained employees prepared to work in the province’s flourishing creative industries. 

Manitobans can now get a head start in a career in film and other creative industries in more ways than ever before. 

Back to The Future

By focusing on training and bringing in more talent, Manitoba can stand out and attract bigger projects, which will benefit the local economy. This effort, along with the existing financial support, can turn Manitoba into a top choice for filmmakers. 

“I heard Netflix could be looking to do a few shows and films here,” said Slobodian. “Disney was also looking at a few places in Winnipeg to potentially build a studio.” 

Slobodian also mentioned that most directors, producers, and even well-known actors get along well with the crews here in Winnipeg. “Everybody kind of knows each other when working on set; that’s the beauty of Winnipeg being a smaller city — you run into the same people all the time.”

The province has a large area filled with beautiful landscapes like forests and rivers. There are also historical sites like the Exchange District in Winnipeg, which features unique buildings and a lively atmosphere. With its mix of nature and rich history, Manitoba offers filmmakers a unique atmosphere for their projects.

When you factor in the best film tax credit available in Canada and the additional production studios, Manitoba has the potential to position itself as the “Hollywood of Canada.” “People involved in the industry around Canada are expecting more and more films to be made in Manitoba,” said Slobodian. This growing interest in the province as a filming destination bodes well for the local economy and creative community.

The rising prominence of Manitoba in the film industry is already evident, as we’ve seen celebrities like Bob Odenkirk and Kevin McDonald participate in an improv charity show at Hargrave St. Market to support local charities and businesses. Their willingness to engage with our city reflects a positive narrative that could lead to more high-profile talent visiting. One day, it may not be surprising for Manitobans to spot celebrities enjoying our local parks, cafés, or restaurants, as Manitoba continues to position itself as an emerging place for creative industries.