The Mountain View Regional Film Office (MVRFO) has been awarded a $50,000 grant by the province of Alberta, under the Northern and Regional Economic Development (NRED) program.

The MVRFO, created by Didsbury, Sundre along with Mountain View County, stands as Alberta’s inaugural rural film office. Its mission is to foster economic diversification by facilitating film development and media technology investment within and adjacent to their respective regions.

While the Town of Sundre is the formal recipient of the money on behalf of the MVRFO, all three communities are making equal contributions to the project.

Jon Allan, the Economic Development Officer with the Town of Sundre who is a part of the office explained what the funding will be used for.

"It will develop a new strategic organizational development plan so we can take this organization into the future and to the next level."

The plan will have three components, the first addresses organizational governance, the second is to hopefully host a film festival event for the region, and the third is for the office to become self-sustaining.

"We really want to see the film office succeed as a diversification tool. We want to bring attention to our communities by filmmakers in general, but as well as the cast and crew that served the film industry, hopefully, they'll want to reside here."

Back in April, the office won the award “Innovative Approach to Economic Development Project” at the 2024 50th annual Economic Developers Alberta Awards.

Didsbury has become a go-to film location in Alberta recently, as major American T.V. series have been filmed there, including the fifth season of Fargo and Under The Banner of Heaven. Sundre also also played host to multiple shows, one being Project Six-Shooter.

The presence of the film and TV industry in our region is both fun and rewarding. The development of an organizational structure and long-term plan for the film office will ensure that our region remains at the forefront of production,” said Didsbury Mayor Rhonda Hunter

Back in October, the film office won two National Economic Development awards. Alberta continues to be a magnet for noteworthy and fan-favourite films and series to be filmed in the province. Some of the most talked-about films and series include HBO's smash hit series The Last of Us, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and My Life With the Walter Boys.

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