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About the Film Commission

Established in 1978, the BC Film Commission at Creative BC delivers support and resources to British Columbia’s motion picture industry, communities, stakeholders, and various partners that contribute to its longevity.

The BC Film Commission is crucial to sustaining motion picture activity in B.C. It promotes and facilitates the province’s production capabilities that make B.C. both a global centre of creative excellence and a full-service hub. The Commission strives to continually improve and innovate services in order to best serve and contribute to the growth and success of the industry as a whole.

Services

Library + Production Services

Through tailored location packages generated from Creative BC’s proprietary locations library, the Library + Production Services team provides domestic and international producers with a World of Looks that reflect their cinematic stories creative requirements from the rugged landscapes of the Kootenays to the Okanagan’s sunny vineyards or the Lower Mainland’s urban settings. We offer client service, locations, production expertise, and timely, up-to-date industry knowledge.

Industry + Community Affairs

The first point of contact for inquiries from the public and industry relevant to physical production in B.C. Creative BC plays an independent role in managing a variety of specific policy files, industry communications, and special initiatives.

Strategic Initiatives

The BC Film Commission at Creative BC is home to major industry initiatives spanning environmental, social, and regional activities. Creative BC leads these initiatives and is jointly supported by government and motion picture industry partners to ensure the sustainability of British Columbia’s motion picture through the Regions, Reel Green™, and Creative Pathways™. 

About British Columbia

Geography

British Columbia is a large and diverse province, more variable physically and biologically than any comparable region in Canada. It spans 11 degrees of latitude and 25 degrees of longitude and covers 948 600 km2.  Mountains feature prominently in the geography, environment, and culture of British Columbia; so too does the coast, which is intricate in detail and dotted with islands throughout its length.

Map of British Columbia

Climate

Generally speaking, British Columbia is a cool, moist, mountainous, forested region. However, the province also has areas with Mediterranean-type, semi-arid, subarctic, and alpine climates. It has extensive plateaus, plains, and basins as well as several roughly parallel series of mountains.

Forests dominate the vegetation but there are also extensive areas of grasslands, wetlands, scrub, and tundra. (Source: SFU Data Warehouse 2007)

SFU Biogeoclimate Zone Page
Climate Averages
Sunrise / Sunset Tables
Tide Tables
Conversion Tables
Environment Canada Website

History of Film in British Columbia

1953
1953
CBC Vancouver Studios opens
1958
1958
Al Sens Animated Films opens in Vancouver
1963
1963
Production begins on TV series “The Littlest Hobo”, the first major training ground for episodic television series production in B.C.
1965
1965
The National Film Board opens regional office in B.C.
1969
1969
University of British Columbia launches its film program
1971
1971
CBC begins production on the TV series “The Beachcombers”
1978
1978
BC Film Commission is created by the Provincial Government.
1981
1981
FIRST BLOOD films throughout B.C.
1982
1982
Vancouver International Film Festival is established
1982
1982
John Carpenter’s ?THE THING films in Vancouver
1987
1987
BC Film + Media, funding for domestic film established
1987
1987
Vancouver Film School opens
1993
1993
Chris Carter films the pilot episode for “The X-Files”
1994
1994
Feature films including JUMANJI and LITTLE WOMEN are made in B.C.
1996
1996
BC Council of Film Unions is established
1998
1998
The B.C. Provincial Government introduces film and television tax credit programs
1999
1999
Film industry annual expenditures surpass $1 billion in B.C.
2002
2002
The Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC is established to represent collective interests of motion picture industry in B.C.
2006
2006
Reel Green™, B.C.’s environmental film initiative is established
2013
2013
Provincial government establishes Creative BC through merger of BC Film Commission and BC Film and Media
2015
2015
DEADPOOL 1 films in B.C., generating $783.1 million worldwide at the box office
2019
2019
Sony Imageworks’ SPIDER MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE wins Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
2021
2021
Creative Pathways™ launches to build a more inclusive industry
2023
2023
Historical funding announcement into B.C.’s creative sector
2024
2024
FX's “Shogun” wins historical amount of Emmy Awards
2024
2024
HBO's “The Last of Us” Season 2 films across British Columbia
2024
2024
THE MONKEY makes box office history grossing over $47 million worldwide
2025
2025
Historical update to B.C.’s motion picture tax credit programs
Slot Gacor