Filming in Brantford – A Year in Review

The Economic Development & Tourism department welcomed twelve productions to the City of Brantford in 2021—a new record for the city, despite challenges as related to the ongoing pandemic. Throughout 2021, Economic Development and Tourism staff responded to 50 inquiries, many of which led to multiple site visits and location tours for interested productions.

Advancements in technology allow productions to use CGI and other graphic elements to enhance what is captured on film. It also helps filmmakers to keep film projects local and save money on travel and accommodations. Brantford’s beautiful natural elements (The Grand River and 70km of natural trails), unique neighbourhoods and stunning architecture make our community double as almost anywhere.

The list of filming projects include 1 feature film and 11 television series, which brought in approximately 1,080 total cast and crew and resulted in an estimated 1,500 hotel nights. With many movie theatres closed throughout the world, the filming industry is seeing a big shift towards TV production right now to meet increased audience demand for more content that can be consumed at home.

City staff meets regularly with the Ontario Film Commission (Ontario Creates) to ensure that productions are adhering to safety regulations to keep workers and our community safe and healthy during COVID-19. These protocols were developed in cooperation with the relevant unions, guilds and various levels of government, and have been endorsed by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. The full document can be viewed on the filmsafety.ca website. The pandemic changes on day-to-day basis, and with the province’s coloured-coded tiered framework, filming is permissible in all 5 stages, including lockdown and stay-at-home orders. In the event of a lockdown, filming will adhere to the public health measures listed in the ‘red’ zone.

Here’s a sneak peek of the Brantford productions you can expect to see on the small and big screen in 2022:

All-Round Champion

All-Round Champion is a Canadian reality TV series that features ten elite athletes from North America as they compete in the ultimate sports competition. The unique twist is that they don’t compete in their own sports – they will compete in each other’s. The athlete who earns the most points is crowned All-Round Champion. Watch it now on TVO Kids.

The Boys

The Boys is an Amazon Original series that features a group of vigilantes determined to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers. The show stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr and Erin Moriarty. Watch it now on Amazon Prime.

Locke and Key (x2)

Locke and Key tells the story of three siblings and their father’s mysterious death. They move with their mother into their ancestral home, which is full of magical keys that they believe are connected to their father’s death. Watch it now on Netflix.

Mayday (x2)

Mayday is a Canadian documentary television program examining air crashes, near-crashes, hijackings, bombings, and other disasters. Using reenactments and computer-generated imagery, Mayday reconstructs the sequence of events leading up to each disaster. Survivors, pilots, aviation experts, and crash investigators all help to explain the incidents, their subsequent investigations and how they can be prevented. This is the 22^nd season of this production, and they have been filming at the Brantford Municipal Airport on a somewhat regular basis for the last ten years. Watch it now on Amazon Prime.

Mayor of Kingstown (x4)

Mayor of Kingstown is a new drama series about the McLusky family who serve as power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. The series tackles themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality. The show stars Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner and Emmy winner Kyle Chandler. Watch it now on Paramount Plus.

Station Eleven

Station Eleven is a science fiction miniseries based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel that debuted on HBO Max. This dystopian series depicts the aftermath of a flu pandemic that wipes out the majority of the world’s population. Watch it now on HBO Max.

The Whispering

The Whispering is an independent feature film written and directed by Canadian Sheldon Wilson. As part of the thriller genre, the story follows a convict and reporter set in small city USA. This film is still in production.