Photo: Katie Yu
British Columbia’s film, TV, visual effects and animation industry is one of the province’s top-performing sectors, generating over $4 billion in economic activity in 2019 and fuelling a powerful pandemic comeback in 2020. With recent blockbuster hits like The Adam Project, as well as fan favourite streaming series such as Riverdale and Space Force, showcasing recognizable BC landscapes and attractions, BC is swiftly becoming worthy of its own IMDB page. And now, we’re about to see a lot more made-in-BC content, with Netflix signing an additional five-year lease agreement to continue filming at the Langley-based Martini Film Studios (MFS).
Thanks to the lease extension, Netflix benefits from access to eight stages and more than 260,000 square feet of space. But the partnership goes beyond content production – together, Netflix and MFS have promoted a greener film industry with the installation of 20 electric vehicle charging stations at the studios, while MFS recently announced it has shifted to 100 percent Renewable Natural Gas provided by FortisBC. Netflix and MFS also provided the use of stage space for professional skills training programs – in partnership with Vancouver Island North Film Commission and North Island College – to increase capacity for BC’s growing production sector while supporting local jobs.
We’re eagerly awaiting another five years of streaming BC-filmed content on Netflix. In the meantime, follow in the footsteps of your favourite productions with these film-themed self-guided itineraries, or pop by one of the city’s many visitor-friendly filming locations. That’s a wrap!
