Vancouver is focusing on the film and tech industry to boost the economy following the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to Daily Hive, Mayor Kennedy Stewart spoke to reporters on Wednesday, explaining the city’s plan to boost the economy following the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
“Right now, we have fewer resources than ever before,” he says. “That’s not a recipe or a safe and healthy city or the foundations for a strong economic recovery.”
“Despite these challenges, Vancouver remains a city of promise and opportunity.”
The Mayor continued by saying he is conducting virtual meetings with local leaders, and influencers from major sectors of the economy.
When asked about specific industries, Stewart mentioned British Colombia’s film and tech industry.
“I was very heartened to hear that the Premier is thinking about how we can find a way to safely restart our film and television industry,” he says. “We are ready to work with the province and the industry to think creatively and make this happen while keeping everyone safe.”
Stewart added that given Vancouver’s response to the virus, and the ability to ease restrictions in the near future, the city could be in a great position for filmmaking.
“If we can, Vancouver can be amongst the first places in the world that reopens for business in this multi-billion dollar sector,” he explains. “This is a huge opportunity for us.”
In relevant news, Hollywood is getting hit hard by the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak with filming not set to resume until 2021.
Most studio productions have shut down indefinitely and others are figuring out ways to reopen their facilities.
Despite the health crisis, studio executives are looking into ways to safely resume production. According to Variety, studios and production companies are researching how to accomplish a safe and secure production facility to resume filming movies later this year.
Moreover, Hollywood is not rushing to film in Georgia despite easing of shelter-in-place restrictions.
Georgia is the leading film and TV filming location in the United States. Earlier this week, Gov. Brian Kemp announced they would be one of the first states to ease their COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions this weekend, with movie theaters, barbershops, and other businesses allowed to re-open on Monday, April 27.
At this time, the new order does not include studio operations, and there is still a limit on public gathers. But, the film production business may be allowed to open their doors soon.
According to a new Deadline report, even if Georgia plans to relax restrictions to include more film and TV production, Hollywood studios are not planning on taking advantage of filming in Georgia any time soon. Not until testing across the nation increases dramatically, and industry guidelines are created to provide a safe environment for their cast and crew.
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