Mayor John Tory to return to Los Angeles to court movie and TV business
Tory will lead about two dozen entertainment industry and university representatives to L.A. next week.
thestar.com
By David Rider
Jan. 19, 2017
With Toronto coming off another banner year for film and TV production, Mayor John Tory is returning to Los Angeles to court digital upstarts and studios deciding on shooting locations.
Tory will lead about two dozen entertainment industry and university representatives to L.A. from Monday to Wednesday - double the mayor’s contingent when he made the first L.A. trade mission last February.
While that trip focused on big production houses that keep Toronto studios, technicians, carpenters and others busy with blockbusters such as Suicide Squad, next week’s itinerary includes a stop at Netflix, the subscription service producing its own content, and cable and independent features companies including HBO.
Landing three days after Donald Trump becomes U.S. president, the Toronto contingent will also meet with executives from Annapurna Pictures, founded by Megan Ellison and known for films including Zero Dark Thirty.
“Toronto is uniquely positioned to appeal to a female-driven, high-end independent studio with recent homegrown Oscar winners Room and Spotlight . . . ,” according to an itinerary for the trip.
The booming industry that sees big white trucks and technicians in headsets all over Toronto has shifted, in large part, from big movies to episodic TV productions, including those made by digital producers.
Jim Mirkopoulos, the vice-president of Cinespace Studios who went with Tory last year and is heading back again, said making Toronto’s case to California industry decision-makers pays huge benefits for his industry and the city.
They will carry the message that the Ontario government has committed to “stability” in film tax credits - it cut them in 2015 - which is vital to episodic productions coming back year after year, he said.
Another issue is a “crisis” shortage of studio space, Mirkopoulos added, lauding Tory for telling city departments dealing with real estate to ensure as many locations and as much potential studio space are made available.
“We heard that issue last year and things are happening to address that and we can send that message,” Mirkopoulos said.
“We don’t want to be turning productions away because our film studio facilities are full and we are at peak infrastructure capacity.”
After sagging in 2012, filming investment in Toronto soared to $1.55 billion in 2015, about $800 million of it originating in California.
Last year’s figures have not been released, but the city says 2016 saw more than $1.5 billion in film business, making it one of the city’s biggest industries.
Jonathan Ahee, president of Nabet 700 union, which represents about 3,000 technicians, is one of the new additions to the contingent, which includes Ryerson and York universities.
More productions equals more jobs for Toronto film professionals although there is a manpower crunch to match the space crunch, he said.
“It’s a great problem to have, and, if the mayor is able to convince people to relocate to Toronto or bring more productions here, we’re happy to make sure there are skilled people to do the work,” he said.
The city will pay trip expenses for Tory, Councillor Michael Thompson, the economic development chair and four staff members. The industry delegation members will pay their own costs.
