Abbotsford in action: Filming has a strong year despite the Hollywood shutdown
Not even creative industry strikes in Hollywood can stop Abbotsford from once again becoming a top filming destination.
The Writers Guild of America — which represents 11,500 screenwriters — went on strike from May 2 to September 27, 2023 following a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The strike was tied with the second-longest WGA labor strike ever and brought the industry to a standstill.
Those shockwaves have affected Abbotsford, where numbers are down across the board. However, despite missing months of work, Abbotsford still had a strong year of filming.
The City of Abbotsford hosted a total of 59 film productions with 197 days of filming in 2023, utilizing 125 locations and bringing an estimated $2.49 million in economic impact to the community. This included four feature films, 10 series, 32 movies of the week and nine commercials.
It’s a decline from 2022, which saw 70 productions, 303 shooting days, 160 locations and an estimated economic impact of $2.6 million.
Last year saw productions such as Wild Cards, Murdaugh Mysteries, Animal Control, Heretic and Bearded Girl, all of which were filmed in Abbotsford.
The City of Abbotsford has created a self-guided Abbeywood Tour with 109 stops at locations that have been used for filming over the years. The tour can be found on the city’s website. Top spots include the local squares, Claiborne Village, Old Courthouse, Gardens, Tradex, and more.
The growth of Abbotsford’s film sector is supported by lower production costs than other regions in British Columbia, says the city’s filming resource guide
“These lower costs typically offset the additional costs incurred by low-budget films for which the additional time and money spent transporting cast, crew and equipment is a drag on production work in Abbotsford,” the guide states.
Photography is also a key factor in the council’s 2022-2026 strategic plan. It adds more diversity and flexibility to the local economy.
Last year also saw the region recognize the local film industry with the opening of Martini Town.
Located just outside Abbotsford in neighboring Aldergrove, Merry & Bright Martini Town was a special holiday event that ran throughout the month of December.
The event saw one of Aldergrove’s film and television production factories – with false-facade buildings that have been used to emulate everything from New York City to small-town America – open its doors to the public.
Built in 2020 and managed by Langley’s Martini Film Studios, the permanent outdoor set covers about six acres of a 17-acre site at 272nd Street and South 16th Street.
Includes a New York-style street, a movie theater with a lighted marquee, a café, an urban alley, a courthouse, a restaurant, a town square, and a quaint little town.
The town was decorated with lights and Christmas decorations for the holidays by industry craftsmen, and featured live entertainment, including Santa, carolers and choirs, along with booths from local vendors.
It was billed as a holiday event to show what the film does for the local economy. Over the past two years, Hallmark Films has filmed dozens of productions at the Aldergrove location, and many of these productions also use locations in Abbotsford.
It speaks to the growth of photography in the region and the potential for more in the future.
Read more: Abbotsford in action 2024
