Vancouver, B.C. (February 12, 2025) – Creative BC announces $250,000 in funding to support 25 projects led by emerging and/or equity-seeking filmmakers in British Columbia. Designed to address systemic barriers in the motion picture industry, the Equity and Emerging...
Related News
Apply for the 2025 Signals XR Lab – Deadline March 3
The Signals XR Lab is a year-long program designed to elevate the creative and professional capabilities of early and mid-career Canadian and Indigenous XR producers. The key objective of the program is to foster the growth of the XR sector by offering mentorship,...
Call for Entries: 2025 City of Vancouver Book Award
Since 1989, the annual City of Vancouver Book Award has celebrated outstanding authors across all genres. These authors have contributed to the appreciation and understanding of Vancouver’s diversity, history and unique character. This year, the winning contributor...
British Columbia at Berlinale 2025
As one of the largest public film festivals in the world, Berlinale is a unique venue for artistic exploration and entertainment, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe each year. Running from February 13 to 23 in Berlin, this eleven-day event...
Clean Energy Incentives for the B.C. Motion Picture Industry
Diesel fuel is a leading contributor to overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the motion picture industry. As British Columbia works toward substantial GHG emissions reductions by 2030, the motion picture industry can support these goals by utilizing clean alternatives to diesel fuel where available.
The Benefits of Clean Energy
Clean energy incentives offered by industry partners encourage productions to consider environmentally conscious alternatives to diesel generators. In addition to tangible benefits such as savings on the cost of fuel and labour, making the switch demonstrates the film industry’s commitment to environmentally friendly solutions. The benefits to this include:
-
- Reduces the overall carbon footprint of the film industry
- Respects communities with quiet and clean energy sources for on-location filming
- Improves air quality for our communities
- Encourages companies to meet sustainability and corporate responsibility goals
- Promotes innovation and forward-thinking for clean energy technology
- Produces savings on equipment, labour, and fuel use
- Inspires further collaboration within the film industry
City of Vancouver | Clean Energy Incentive
City of Vancouver introduced their Clean Energy Incentive in 2020. Productions that can demonstrate they eliminated at least one diesel generator with clean power can take advantage of a 50% discount on their daily permit fee. The incentive has been well received by industry with a number of productions eligible for the discount.
To further support their incentive, the city is developing a power kiosk network that will expand access for industry to grid power tie-ins. The first kiosks are expected to open in the second half of 2022, and the city aims to have a power kiosk within 10 minutes of any film location in the city over the next five years.
Metro Vancouver | Clean Energy Discount
Metro Vancouver launched their clean energy discount at the beginning of 2022. The discount is available to crews filming in Metro Vancouver regional parks and properties. Similar to City of Vancouver, productions must show they replaced at least one diesel generator with a clean power alternative. Clean power alternatives include a grid power tie-in, battery technology, or other non-fossil-fuel sources of energy. Eligible productions can access a $500 per day discount for up to two days for a total of up to $1,000 discount.
How to Source Clean Energy Alternatives
The Grid Power Access Map is an interactive tool designed to share the availability of grid power tie-in sources in the Lower Mainland. Crew can search the map by address to find clean power options available near their filming and parking locations. The map also identifies high priority locations for clean power infrastructure – sites that frequently support filming or circus parking. The map is updated regularly with new properties sourced by industry. Crew and location representatives can submit new tie-in locations directly through a form on the map to be vetted and added.
The Green Vendor List was developed to highlight businesses that demonstrate sustainable operations and practices. The list includes several studio facilities and equipment vendors who offer green solutions. Every business has been vetted by Reel Green™ and given a sustainability rating.
For more information about work being done in B.C. to support clean energy solutions, learn about the Clean Energy Committee.
Stay Connected
Subscribe to our newsletters