Article Synopsis
Nanaimo City Council has approved $30,000 in funding for the Island North Film Commission (INfilm), supporting its work connecting film and television productions with Vancouver Island locations, crews, and services. Over three decades, INfilm has generated more than $250 million in direct local economic impact and built a network of 4,000 filming locations and 730 trained crew members. The investment strengthens Nanaimo’s capacity to host productions and reinforces the city’s role as a regional film hub.
City councillors have approved $30,000 in funding for Island North Film Commission (INfilm), the regional organization that connects film and television productions with Vancouver Island locations, crews, and on-the-ground logistics. The funding strengthens Nanaimo’s role as a service hub for a sector that quietly moves millions of dollars through local businesses each year.
Three Decades of Connection
For three decades, INfilm has been the connective tissue between global production companies and Island communities. According to the organization, that work has generated more than $250 million in direct local economic impact, built a location database of 4,000 sites, and supported a local crew base of over 730 trained workers.
Economic Impact Beyond Film Sets
This is not just about cameras and celebrity trailers. It is about hotel stays, catering contracts, equipment rentals, construction trades, transportation services, and seasonal employment. When productions land here, money circulates through the everyday economy.
Funding Gap Creates Uncertainty
The City’s decision comes after the Regional District of Nanaimo declined to provide funding earlier this month, creating uncertainty for the organization’s operational capacity. INfilm has flagged that the funding gap could affect its ability to support upcoming projects, including a large-budget U.S. television series currently scouting locations from Nanaimo River to Qualicum Falls.
Shared Benefits Across the Region
From an economic development perspective, the issue is less about jurisdictional boundaries and more about shared outcomes. Film production activity does not stop at municipal lines. Nanaimo benefits when crews base here, source services locally, and use the city as a launch point for regional shoots.
At a time when communities across British Columbia are competing for production activity, this decision signals that Nanaimo intends to remain visible, ready, and operationally capable.
When a city invests in the systems that attract and retain this kind of activity, it is not chasing glamour. It is building capacity, diversifying the local economy, and reinforcing Nanaimo’s role as a working hub on Vancouver Island.
