$8 Million to Support Local Film and Television Production
The Ontario government is investing $8 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) in 10 film and television projects in North Bay. The production industry is a growing part of the Northern economy, and as part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario, the province is funding projects that help create jobs in the industry, showcase Northern talent, and raise the profile of top-notch production companies in Nipissing.
“The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s Film and Television Stream is designed to increase production in Northern Ontario to create industry jobs and support the local economy,” said MPP Vic Fedeli. “Today’s $8 million investment is achieving that goal, while also highlighting North Bay as a premier filming destination where these projects showcase local geography, talent, and filming infrastructure.”
Local projects include:
· $2,000,000 for Hideaway Pictures Inc. to produce Season 3 of When Hope Calls, a series that tells the story of orphaned sisters who were separated as children and reunite as adults to open an orphanage in a small northwestern Canadian town
· $2,000,000 for Piazza Entertainment to produce Season 4 of SkyMed, a medical television drama that follows the triumphs, heartbreaks and breakdowns of budding nurses and pilots flying air ambulances in remote Northern Canada
· $500,000 for Cutting Class Media to produce Not Safe for Work, an animated action-comedy series that follows one of the world’s deadliest assassins who discovers there’s a hit on her estranged father and is forced to take him and her brother on the run
· $500,000 for Kelly Martin Productions to produce the made-for-television movie Crown Jewel of Love. Ruby, the daughter of a world-renowned jeweler, is hired by the soon-to-be king of Gullion to curate the royal crown jewels for his Coronation
· $500,000 for Hideaway Pictures Inc. to produce the made-for-television movie Joy to the World, which tells the story of reclusive lifestyle guru Joy Edwards, who is forced into a live Christmas Eve television special featuring her supposedly perfect family, whom she completely fabricated
· $500,000 for Other Animal Entertainment to produce the feature film Last Moon, which is set in the frontier era of Northern Ontario and is about separation, redemption, fear, and evolution
· $500,000 for Vortex Media Ltd. to produce the made-for-television film Christmas at Uphill for Christmas (formerly titled as Candiac Lodge), a heartwarming holiday film that combines elements of comedy, romance, and family dynamics
· $500,000 for Cast North Productions Inc. to produce the feature film With This Ring, which follows the story of maid of honour Hayley, who enlists the bride’s handsome brother to help her find her best friend's antique ring when she loses it a week before the wedding
· $500,000 for Comedy Camp Inc. to produce the feature film Hysterical, a mocumentary – featuring an all-star cast of comics – about a television pilot filmed deep in the wilderness of Killarney Provincial Park
· $450,000 for Watcher Pilot Productions Inc. to produce the made-for-television movie Watcher, an inspired-by-true-events story that follows a Woodland Cree tracker who reluctantly partners with a former city detective to solve a crime
The Ontario government is committed to prioritizing investments through the NOHFC that protect Northern industries and jobs, mitigate the impacts of U.S. tariffs and trade disruptions, as well as secure new opportunities for the long-term prosperity of Northern Ontario. The renewed focus is enhancing competitiveness and ensuring the North remains a leader in Ontario’s economy. This new direction is in addition to the province’s $30 million investment over the next three years, bringing the NOHFC’s annual budget to $110 million. Together, these initiatives will benefit communities of all sizes, both rural, urban, and Indigenous communities.
