Professional filmmakers are hard pressed to make a film in Ottawa without the assistance of the Ottawa-Gatineau Film & Television Development Corporation (OGFT). Last week I visited their office to find out more about the organization’s mandate and get the lowdown on navigating the permit process that’s essential to making a film in the National Capital Region. When I arrived at the OGFT office in Orleans I was met by Bryony Etherington, who assists in managing the day-to-day workings of the company. She was extremely helpful in explaining the organization’s history and mission.
The OGFT is a non-profit organization funded by the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission. Established in 2003, the OGFT’s purpose is to promote Ottawa’s growing film industry by advocating on behalf of local filmmakers and by attracting outside projects to the Ottawa region. The organization achieves this by collaborating with the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) to highlight Ottawa’s accessibility and aesthetic versatility online and at film festivals and conferences throughout North America.
The OGFT also encourages collaboration between Ottawa’s film, television, animation and gaming industries in an effort to advance Ottawa’s reputation as an emerging media center. The ultimate goal of the OGFT is to raise funds to establish a full-scale film studio in the National Capital Region.
While networking is one of the OGFT’s main functions, the organization also plays an important administrative role by facilitating the filming permit process for Ottawa-Gatineau. Permits for filming on Parliament Hill are required at least 10 days in advance, and are forwarded for committee review prior to being issued. For public property outside of Parliament, applications are required 2 days prior to filming. A production requires separate permits for each location, as well as $2,000,000 in liability insurance. Full details of the permit process can be found here. While the permit process is essential to major film productions, for students and independent doc-makers a cheaper alternative would be to keep a low profile while filming and wear a comfortable pair of running shoes.
The OGFT is a non-profit organization funded by the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission. Established in 2003, the OGFT’s purpose is to promote Ottawa’s growing film industry by advocating on behalf of local filmmakers and by attracting outside projects to the Ottawa region. The organization achieves this by collaborating with the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) to highlight Ottawa’s accessibility and aesthetic versatility online and at film festivals and conferences throughout North America.
The OGFT also encourages collaboration between Ottawa’s film, television, animation and gaming industries in an effort to advance Ottawa’s reputation as an emerging media center. The ultimate goal of the OGFT is to raise funds to establish a full-scale film studio in the National Capital Region.
While networking is one of the OGFT’s main functions, the organization also plays an important administrative role by facilitating the filming permit process for Ottawa-Gatineau. Permits for filming on Parliament Hill are required at least 10 days in advance, and are forwarded for committee review prior to being issued. For public property outside of Parliament, applications are required 2 days prior to filming. A production requires separate permits for each location, as well as $2,000,000 in liability insurance. Full details of the permit process can be found here. While the permit process is essential to major film productions, for students and independent doc-makers a cheaper alternative would be to keep a low profile while filming and wear a comfortable pair of running shoes.
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