Quebec film reps tell Hollywood: You can still shoot in English here (2023)

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Since the adoption of Bill 96 last spring, it’s become harder to sell Quebec as a location for Hollywood film and TV shoots.

Prominent Quebec film insiders say they now have to regularly explain to executives at Hollywood studios that they are still allowed to shoot in English in la belle province. American film and television executives are well aware of Bill 96, and there is a perception the law would force all shoots to be entirely in the language of Molière.

But that perception is false. Shortly after the law was passed in May 2022, film groups went to Premier François Legault’s government to ask for an amendment to the law, which is designed to protect the French language in Quebec. One key clause in the bill says companies with more than 25 employees must operate entirely in French. Film business folks understood that would apply to big Hollywood shoots that often hire hundreds of people.

The amendment to the law, brought in shortly after its adoption, states that this clause does not apply to cultural productions in a language other than French, if such productions must be carried out in that language.

“Sometimes we hear, ‘Oh, when we go to Montreal, we’ll have to shoot in French,’ ” said Christine Maestracci, CEO of the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC), a group dedicated to attracting foreign production. “And we’re like, ‘No, absolutely not. If you come to Quebec, there’s a specific exemption for anything that is cultural that is not in French.’ And that would apply to any film or any series that would be produced in Quebec.”

Maestracci said most of the studio executives now know this, but added: “We gave on a silver plate to our competing jurisdictions elsewhere internationally and nationally … a very good stick to say, ‘Oh, Quebec is so complicated to go there.’ Which is not true.

“So what do we do? Well, we do what we do best: We promote, we do the rounds.”

The QFTC announced Tuesday that foreign film and TV shoots were down in 2022, though Maestracci said she doesn’t believe that’s because of Bill 96.

On paper, it looks like spending by foreign film and TV shoots in Quebec hit a record high of $526 million last year, but Maestracci underlines that figure is based on tax credits that were doled out in 2022, and many of those credits went to films and TV series shot in 2021. She guesstimated the true total was probably between $350 million and $450 million in 2022.

In 2021, total spending by foreign productions here was $470 million. That included Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the priciest film ever shot in Quebec. There was no major blockbuster filmed here last year.

Maestracci and the main Quebec film union, AQTIS 514 IATSE, say the government must do more to make it clear to Hollywood that we’re open for business in the language of Spielberg.

“It would certainly help if the government would make (a strong statement),” said Maestracci, noting that Legault did go to Hollywood in 2019 to try to attract film and TV shoots. “We’re asking first and foremost to make sure the government is behind the industry and that they allow us to have competitive measures.”

Representatives of the QFTC and the film union went to L.A. in June last year and spoke to studio heads about Bill 96.

“Some of them were concerned,” said union president Christian Lemay. “We worked with the government to get an amendment for non-Canadian cultural products. So I think we controlled the problem. What we don’t control is the perception of Bill 96. But we were very proactive.

“To be honest with you, the Quebec government should help us now to relaunch the industry, maybe a little bit because of Bill 96, and maybe increase the tax credits to make us a bit more competitive compared to other jurisdictions like Toronto and Vancouver or states in the U.S. I think that’s the least they can do to correct this situation a little bit.”

Maestracci said Hollywood filming was down in Quebec in 2022 partly because other jurisdictions increased their tax credits and some in Hollywood don’t realize Montreal now has two major studios: Studio Mels and the newer Grandé Studios.

Some Hollywood producers have also complained it is hard to deal with the city of Montreal regarding film-shoot permits. Maestracci said her group is talking to the city about this issue.

There have also been labour shortages for technicians, but that’s more for homegrown production than Hollywood shoots.

bkelly@postmedia.com

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