Bringing the Magic of Indian Film to Ontario

Premier Kathleen Wynne attended a Bollywood-style event in Mumbai today, where two new agreements were announced that will benefit Ontario’s film sector.

The City of Toronto and the Maharashtra Film Stage and Cultural Development Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U.) to work together on common interests in the creative screen industries, including studio production, post-production, visual effects and interactive/digital media.  “The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the world’s most dynamic and prestigious film festivals,” Kiran Rao, Chairperson, Mumbai Academy of Moving Image said  T.I.F.F. and the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) highlighted their collaboration on a boot camp to help Indian filmmakers bring their work to international film festivals.

These new partnerships will enhance the relationship between Ontario and India’s film industries and pave the way for more collaboration between producers, directors and artists from both regions.

The Premier also met with leaders from India’s film industry at the event to promote Ontario as an ideal location for future productions. Ontario is a leading North American film and TV production centre that offers decades of experience, high-quality infrastructure and generous tax credits.

In 2011, Ontario became the first location in North America to host the International Indian Film Academy Weekend and Awards (IIFA). The event drew tens of thousands of visitors to Ontario and showcased the province to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world, while generating millions of dollars for the provincial economy by stimulating tourism, trade and investment. The awards show provided valuable exposure for Ontario by boosting tourism and strengthening the province’s business ties with India.  The province’s budget for cultural media tax credits has increased over the last two years from $399.7 million to approximately $440 million.