Playback has just profiled the launch of the Hamilton Film Board (HFB), highlighting our mission to strengthen Hamilton’s role as a thriving hub for film and television production.
Formed by a group of veteran industry professionals, the HFB’s mandate is to “not only amplify Hamilton’s established reputation as a shooting destination for foreign productions, but also help grow the city’s homegrown filmmaking community, championing local creators and turning the spotlight on the many industry professionals who live and work here.”
Building on Hamilton’s Strengths
HFB President Christopher Giroux—a Canadian Screen Award–nominated producer with over 50 feature credits—explained why now is the right moment to unite Hamilton’s diverse screen sector:
“Before, we were primarily seen as backdrops for Detroit or settings like that; it was typically big production companies coming in with their own established teams to use our [location] resources. With our organization, we’re trying to wave the flag that we have gear rental houses here, we have vendors, we have crew, we have studios and proper infrastructure.”
Giroux also emphasized the importance of bridging Hamilton’s strong service production base with its independent creators:
“As much as we want the service productions to keep coming, we want to bridge the gap between the [filmmaking] community we have living and working here, and the [companies] coming to visit.”
Key Initiatives
The Playback piece spotlights some of HFB’s first major projects:
- Industry Registry: A comprehensive database of Hamilton-based film workers—crew, cast, vendors, studios, and more—to ensure productions hire locally.
- Community Outreach: Engagement with local property owners and businesses to encourage fair pricing and support for indie productions.
- Festival Activations: Starting with a high-profile presence at Supercrawl 2025 (Sept. 12–14), followed by panels and networking events during the Hamilton Film Festival’s 20th anniversary this October.
Looking Ahead
Playback also notes that the HFB is already in discussions with the City of Hamilton about representing the community at major international film markets such as Banff and Prime Time.
As Giroux put it:
“Having a bigger presence at some of these markets… is something we really want to work towards in the future.”
The full Playback article can be read here: Hamilton Film Board seeks to amplify local industry.
A PDF of the article can be found here.