Several movie buffs have been staking out the set of the Ghostbusters movie being filmed in Crossfield.

Filming has been taking place at several locations including at local businesses and the school, W.G. Murdoch.

Several local people have also been hired on as extras in the movie and many people living in the town are excited about all the activity.

For those who work in the movie and TV industry, having more big blockbuster movies in Alberta is a good thing.

According to the province, the industry directly employs approximately 3,000 Albertans, with many more being impacted by production-induced spendings such as hotels, caterers and lumber companies.

Brock Skretting with Keep Alberta Rolling said their organization is advocating for more productions to choose Alberta when filming.

“Getting that word out that they choose Alberta as a place to invest is really important because they’re doing that in Vancouver, they’re doing that in Toronto, they’re doing that in New York,” Skretting explained.

“There’s a lot of untapped potential in Alberta that they’re starting to recognize because people are getting the word out.”

Keep Alberta Rolling is an organization started by local industry workers to highlight the benefits of filming movies and TV productions in Alberta.

Skretting mentioned Ontario and British Columbia get most of the film dollars spent in Canada, but the prairies have a lot to offer as well.

“I the last 15 years we’ve won the most Emmys or Oscars or Golden Globes, of any jurisdiction in Canada,” he explained. “So for our size, we do really well.”

Skretting says $255 million was spent in Alberta last year on productions, and over $1 billion has been spent over the last five years.

The Alberta government offers a production grant for eligible expenses incurred during filming in the province, as an incentive.

Major movie and TV or series projects filmed in Alberta include:

  • The Bourne Legacy
  • Inception
  • Interstellar
  • Hell on Wheels
  • Heartland
  • Fargo
  • Blackstone
  • Brokeback Mountain
  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
  • Tiny Plastic Men
  • The Revenant