SOUTH EASTERN ONTARIO PRODUCTION ACCELERATOR FUND
The engine for economic recovery powering the province’s NEXT screen-based cluster by accelerating the expansion of domestic film & TV (content) production to a NEW region – South Eastern Ontario .
OVERVIEW
The South Eastern Ontario Production Accelerator Fund (“SEOPAF”) will be a stable separate film funding stream that will boost original domestic screen-based production in Ontario while growing local industry in South Eastern Ontario (“SEON”). By attracting to the region Domestic Screen-based Production Companies* (“DSBPC”) with viable film, TV and documentary projects, SEOPAF will offer new entry level jobs in SEON while building capacity across a range of support sectors (ie: hotels, catering, etc.) including key infrastructure builds ie: expanded broadband and later studio construction.
The Ontario Government’s tracking of Employment Growth between 2009- 2019 shows SEON (-0.9%) falls significantly below the provincial average (15.9%) and as a result it’s a disadvantaged region with the most to benefit from a proposal like SEOPAF. Once implemented, SEOPAF will accelerate job growth and accelerate direct and indirect revenue across sectors by building capacity in an industry with a lower environmental impact than many. The Screen based Production industry is historically a “portable” industry with great potential for entry level positions leading to union based trades training and higher incomes.
Building capacity rapidly in SEON through SEOPAF must become a government priority.
* DSBPC is defined as being ON-based and controls 51%+ of the Intellectual Property (“IP”) for a project.
YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED to get the SEOPAF implemented
SEOPAF will deliver long-term economic benefits to Ontario. DSBPC’s are being edged out of the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA) by foreign studio productions who draw the best talent and drive up costs. This is great for local GTHA jobs and services, but hampers Ontario producers with smaller budgets for their original domestic productions available for global export.
SEOPAF is designed to attract DSBPCs and incentivize them to stay. Primed to be the next centre of excellence, SEON is not only centrally located between Toronto and Ottawa, but possesses the core building blocks to grow a sustainable sector. DSBPCs year-round productions serve as training platforms to build up a skilled local workforce. As jobs flourish and trained crews are established in SEON they will attract foreign productions that are partnered with a DSBPC and rapidly ramp up local revenue — especially for the hospitality industry during off seasons.
What COVID-19 has demonstrated is the resiliency of screen-based productions to quickly adapt protocols that keep workers safe and cameras rolling. To guarantee production continuity in the future, more regional support for creative clusters across Ontario is needed to achieve the Premier’s growth targets for the industry. SEOPAF will retain the next generation of producers, creators and technicians studying at local schools, ensuring they can work where they live after graduation. Furthermore, existing professionals who make their home in SEON will no longer need to commute to the GTHA to pursue their livelihood.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s (“NOHFC”) proven film stream fund was specially set up “outside” the NOHFC mandate, because film and TV were seen as a bold opportunity for growth and revenue in the North. Sixteen years later and now under the Business Opportunities programme, the “film stream” has grown a $100M+ industry in the North. SEOPAF will use this template, a specially setup film “stream” within an existing regionally focussed fund, like the EODF, as its foundation.
SEOPAF’s immediate impact will be in establishing SEON as a ready-to-roll production cluster. Capacity building for DSBPCs and attracting NEW revenue for Ontario ensures that after graduation the next generation of producers, creators and technicians studying at local schools can find work where they live. Furthermore, existing professionals who make their home in SEON will no longer need to commute to the GTHA to pursue their livelihood.
Like the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s (“NOHFC”) proven Film stream fund under the Business Opportunities Programme, SEOPAF is a dedicated financing stream built on the best-practices that birthed a $100M+ industry in the North.
Every dollar invested delivers almost $5 in local spend in the North. This direct return will be measurably increased across SEON with a large volume of industry interest in the region already. Kingston’s film office has seen explosive recent demand.
Revenue will spike upwards in support services and jobs because of this regions relative proximity to the GTHA on a busy traffic corridor linking Ontario to Quebec and the overburdened GTHA Production community to Ottawa’s. The SEOPAF’s next goal is then to make that same industry stick regionally.
SEOPAF will immediately boost South Eastern Ontario’s’ recovering hospitality sector, and stabilize seasonal service dips through housing sizeable production crews thus extending hotel bookings, restaurant and retail revenue into low seasons. Screen-based production is a year round endeavour.
SEOPAF is a strong start toward doubling Ontario’s Screen-based industry revenue over the next 5 years. Set up specially as a separate film stream within an existing Ontario Cultural and/or Economic Development fund, SEOPAF should be stackable with guidelines and controls modelled after the proven film stream fund within the Business Opportunities programme of NOHFC. SEOPAF will launch with an annual $25 Million funding stream in Year 1 (BETA) with defined Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that can be measured and iterated for max yield in Years 2-4 with a goal of achieving $100M in production revenue annually by Year 5. Stability of funding is KEY to SEOPAF success.
The proven success of the NOHFC film stream is a testament to the potential of launching a similar stackable fund in SEON. Building on the learnings from the North and recent productions shot in Kingston, Cobourg and Peterborough, harmonized production practices across SEON will ensure SEOPAF over-performs from the outset.
THE LAY OF THE LAND
SEON has all of the attributes to be the next creative cluster for DSBPCs in Ontario. Centrally located between Toronto and Ottawa and running north along the US border, the region has a history of attracting filming in the region and producers to make their home here - as evidenced by the working group behind SEOPAF.
The SEOPAF catchment loosely aligns with the region covered by the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) and minimally combines 13 Counties and 12 ridings. From east to west, the area that defines SEON for the purposes of this proposal is shown below.
13 counties and 12 ridings encompassing SEOPAF East to West***
MUSKOKA - 3,890 km2 / 60,599*
KAWARTHA LAKES - 3,084 km2 / 75,423*
PETERBOROUGH - 3,769 km2 / 55,800*
NORTHUMBERLAND - 1,905 km2 / 85,598*
HASTINGS- 5,291 km2 / 136,445*
PRINCE EDWARD - 1,050 km2 / 24,735*
LENNOX & ADDINGTON - 2,840 km2 / 42,888*
FRONTENAC - 3,336 km2 / 163,362*
LEEDS & GRENVILLE - 3,350 km2 / 69,819
LANARK - 3,025 km2 / 68,698
PRESCOTT & RUSSELL - 2,004 km2 / 89,333
RENFREW - 7,419 km2 / 88,512**
STORMONT, DUNDAS & GLENGARRY - 3,310 km2 / 113,429**
*2016 CENSUS
**These Counties do not fall under the extended fund
structures of the National Capital Region (NCR***)
or the NOHFC catchment
*** Not including the National Capitol Region (NCR)
By this approximate matching of the EODF catchment definition, SEON is 1/17th the size of Northern Ontario, but has three times the population.
Extending along the 401 corridor connecting Toronto and Montreal, the 12 counties are supported by a range of hospitality and support services with larger centres enjoying thriving night time economies, cultural scenes, universities and national sports teams.
A desirable place to live and work, SEON has and will increasingly retain producers to make their home and office in the region. This shift, as this skilled workforce chooses to live within these counties rather than travelling in for specific location shoots, will be profound. Intermittent local spend will expand into direct investment in the community.
With its close proximity to Toronto and Ottawa, diverse locations, robust services, training programmes and cultural offerings, SEON punches above its weight. The successful implementation of SEOPAF will ensure the region is poised to be Ontario’s NEXT great production cluster.
*South Eastern Ontario = 40,402 km2 / 1,014,045 VS Northern Ontario = 806,708 km2 / 780,140 (2016)
IN 2021, THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED A DOUBLING OF THE NOHFC’S BUDGET DUE ITS STRONG ROI. INVESTING IN THIS INDUSTRY BRINGS STRONG ROI TO EVERY REGION.