Ontario Film Commission Quarterly News

Minister Mission to Los Angeles

Ontario Creates recently returned from an impactful film and television mission to Los Angeles, held May 3-6, 2026, led by Minister Stan Cho. The Minister’s team met with more than 90 production executives to promote Ontario’s exceptional production environment, including best-in-class tax credit processing times, cutting edge infrastructure, variety of locations, award winning workforce, and excellent customer service offered at every level of government. We were energized by the enthusiasm for filming in the province and remain committed to delivering an exceptional production environment.

Toronto Recognized as a “Gold Standard” at Global Production Awards at Cannes

Toronto earned top honours at the Global Production Awards during the Cannes Film Festival, winning both Film Commission of the Year and City of Film. These awards reflect Toronto’s standing as a leading global production hub, supported by world-class infrastructure, a deep talent pool, and competitive incentives. These accolades also recognize excellence across permitting, production attraction, workforce development, and long-term strategy. Congratulations to the Toronto Film Commission and production community for this outstanding recognition.

AFCI Studio Summit

Film industry leaders gathered at the Association of Film Commissioners International’s (AFCI) Studio Summit in Los Angeles to examine how jurisdictions are navigating changes in the global production landscape. Ontario Film Commissioner, Justin Cutler, alongside colleagues Carmen Ford (City of Mississauga), Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos (Ottawa Film Office), Joanne Loton (Kingston Film Office) and Marc Fiorentino (Ontario/Toronto Business Officer), used the opportunity to reinforce Ontario’s position as a reliable and competitive partner for film and television production.

Ontario’s tax credit program was highlighted on the panel ‘Beyond the Rebate: Incentive Innovation in a Global Production Economy’ (presented by Entertainment Partners and moderated by Leon Forde from Olsberg SPI) focusing on incentive design and credits, regional uplifts, and strategic investments being made to streamline processing times.

Celebrating Star Trek’s Legacy in Ontario

The long-standing presence of the Star Trek universe in Ontario reflects the province’s strength as a world class production hub and the impact of sustained investment from CBS Studios and Paramount+. Since Star Trek: Discovery began production in Toronto in 2017, the series has generated significant economic activity and created jobs for hundreds of Ontario crew members across multiple seasons.

Filming at soundstages across the Greater Toronto region, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy engaged a wide range of local talent, vendors and facilities, while further establishing Ontario as a leader in advanced production technologies, including virtual production and augmented reality.

Star Trek in Ontario’s legacy is defined not only by its on-screen achievements, but by the jobs, skills, and innovation it helped build in the province. A sincere thank you to the incredible crew, vendors and suppliers whose talents, dedication and artistry brought this universe to life over more than 130 episodes.

Celebrate the work on this exception franchise with a refresh of these great spotlights by the DGC’s Wider Lens featuring crew working on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Discovery .

The Pinewood Mega Stage at Pinewood Toronto Studios is now available for the first time in over a decade following the conclusion of Star Trek. As Ontario’s largest purpose-built soundstage, the facility offers 46,080 square feet of space with 60-foot ceilings. Throughout its operating history, the stage has hosted major productions including Pixels, Total Recall, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, and Star Trek, and now reenters the market as part of Ontario’s world-class production infrastructure.

Animation and VFX Town Hall

Ontario Creates was proud to support this event on March 12, 2026, presented by CASO, VES-Toronto and TAAFI at CIBC Square. VFX and animation studio leaders and creators, took part in roundtable discussions focused on evolving studio models, adaptive strategies, meaningful support needs and opportunities for stronger industry-wide connections, to ensure the sector is well prepared to navigate industry change.

FIFA 2026: Toronto Filming & Production Updates

Toronto has welcomed the world as a host city for the FIFA World Cup 2026, taking place from June 11 to July 19. As planning and event activity has increased, the City of Toronto remains committed to supporting a vibrant and active film and television sector.

While there are some temporary filming limitations in specific areas and time periods, permits will continue to be issued and with early planning, flexibility, and coordination, productions can minimize potential disruptions and continue to film successfully during this time.

Productions are encouraged to review the Plan Your Shoot – City of Toronto website for the latest details and planning considerations related to FIFA.

Earth Day Park Clean Up + Power Kiosk Training

Ontario Green Screen, Ontario Creates and the City of Toronto hosted an Earth Week Park Clean Up and Power Kiosk demo event on April 25th. It was inspiring to see so many dedicated members of the film industry give back to a key filming location, cleaning Woodbine Beach and the parkland. Attendees also had the opportunity to learn about the City of Toronto power Kiosks which enable productions to access reliable, sustainable grid-power-eliminating the need for diesel generators.

Learn more about Ontario Green Screen’s sustainability focused community initiatives, including workshops and community meetings here.

Circular Production Sustainability Playbook: Circular Production Design Best Practices
for Film & TV

Ontario Green Screen was proud to support The Canadian Production Design Association on the first sustainability guide written specifically for production designers, art directors, and set decorators — covering everything from sourcing hierarchies and material specifications to carbon tracking and wrap planning.

Talking About Greening Film Production

On a recent episode of the sustainability.eco podcast, host Ben Skene spoke with Jessica Jennings, Production Consultant – Environmental Services at Ontario Creates. The conversation explores how the film and television industry is reducing waste, adopting circular practices, and addressing sustainability challenges across production throughout the province.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Buzzsprout.

Preparing the Next Generation for
Careers in Film & TV

Across Ontario, career fairs and industry events are strengthening the screen sector’s workforce pipeline, reflecting a shared commitment to capacity building across regions and partners.

In March, the Ottawa Film Office hosted its 2026 Career Fair at the Ottawa Art Gallery, bringing together production companies, animation studios, unions, guilds, and post-secondary institutions to connect with students, emerging crew, and professionals exploring careers in film and television.

Film Durham’s Career Fair in Oshawa also saw strong participation, with more than 1,000 attendees, 18 exhibitors, and representation from key unions, guilds, training institutions, and industry organizations. Jessica Jennings participated in a panel discussion behalf of Ontario Creates, highlighting career pathways in sustainability.

At Pinewood Toronto Studios, the Futures Festival welcomed more than 1,500 students for hands on learning and industry insight. Ontario Creates was proud to participate, with Erica Proudlock moderating a panel on building foundational skills alongside guild and union representatives.

Events like the Ottawa Career Fair, Pinewood Toronto Futures Festival and Durham Career Fair reflect Ontario’s commitment to supporting talent development and ensuring the province’s screen industries remain vibrant, inclusive, and future focused.

DGC Wider Lens Talent Spotlight

Discover new Creative Spotlights from DGC Ontario’s Wider Lens, showcasing the depth of creative talent working across the province:

• Martha Sparrow, Production Designer – Martha reflects on her work shaping the world of The Testaments, offering insight into the creative vision and design process behind the series.
• Marty Dejczak, Location – Marty shares her approach to sourcing the perfect Ontario settings for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, highlighting the province’s versatility and production value.
• Felipe Rodriguez & Lisa Rose Snow, Directors – The Canadian Screen Award winners discuss working across genres, their creative collaboration, and championing Canadian talent through the CSAs and beyond.

Producers can explore more Ontario talent through the DGC Ontario Key Talent Directory.

JUSTIN CUTLER
Ontario Film Commissioner

DOUG TILL
Production Consultant

ERICA PROUDLOCK
Production Consultant

MARC FIORENTINO
Business Officer in Los Angeles

JESSICA JENNINGS
Production Consultant, Environmental Services