Canada sees a boom in film and TV industry and it's surviving COVID-19

There’s a boom in the film and TV industry in Canada lately. The country has been very welcoming to personnel in this industry since its reopening last summer.

In Ontario itself, there are 87 major productions actively taking place as the Directors Guild of Canada has reported. The activities include shooting TV series like Chucky, Locke and Key, Star Trek, and See.

The film and TV industry was given the opportunity to stay active and flourish while the COVID-19 pandemic was still on in Canada. The collaborative efforts of producers and unions have contributed to this with their diligent efforts to ensure safety and keeping with health and safety protocols. As a result, cases of COVID infection reported from the industry have been low.

There was a sample survey of productions conducted in Ontario in 2020. It revealed that less than 0.1% of the film and TV crews were infected with the COVID-19 virus. The commitment shown by the people in the industry has thus paved the way for their continued operation in Canada.

To cite numbers, there were 34 COVID-19 cases found at 15 productions since last fall, from the investigation conducted by Toronto Public Health.

Safety measures for film crews

Film sets function by following health and safety protocols as outlined by the government for workspaces. Producers in the film and TV industry worked in collaboration with unions to customize these protocols to fit this industry.

Measures like daily health screening and regular testing have been undertaken without fail. When actors remove their masks to perform, all others on the set are required to wear a mask as well as a face shield.

Benefits to production houses

If we observe the current situation, we can find that the film and TV industry is doing well in locations like Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto. Also, in provinces like Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Alberta, Newfoundland, and Labrador.

To give an instance, Alberta has now increased tax credits besides removing caps on funding. This would let productions that work on larger budgets so as to give due consideration to the province.

Canada’s federal government has recently announced STCF (Short-Term Compensation Fund). It helps to insure productions against shutdowns related to COVID-19.

On May 21, the Ministry of Canadian Heritage made an announcement about increasing coverage. The total coverage will be brought up to CAD149 million.

Options for work permit for workers in film and TV production

Canada is welcoming foreign nationals to work in the film and TV industry in Canada. However, the important aspect to learn about is how an international worker gets the right to work in Canada.

Workers in the film and TV industry may qualify with the status of a business visitor. These people are also exempt from the requirement of LMIA (Labor Market Impact Assessment).

What is an LMIA?

An LMIA is a document that is an undertaking that a foreign national was recruited to a job because there was no qualified Canadian citizen or a Canadian PR available to do the job.

Another essential personnel coming to Canada are the film producers arriving in Canada to work on a production financed by a foreign producer. They will be coming to Canada for a short period. Performing artists among them may be eligible to come to Canada as business visitors.

Other workers in the film and TV industry may have the need for a work permit Canada issues to arrive in Canada to work in a movie production.

Certain workers may be exempt from the requirement of LMIA.  Others may need to get an LMIA as part of their work permit process.

The individuals exempt from the requirement of LMIA are typically workers whose job roles are considered necessary to the production. They have eligibility via the category of film and TV Production Workers.

Many workers in the film and TV industry may be given a facilitated process where, differently from the normal process, the position needn’t be advertised by the employer in Canada.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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