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Cole㽶Ƶֱs Notes: B.C. could be the main star in films 㽶Ƶֱ but we can play any role

Film is a multi-billion dollar industry in B.C., but we rarely play ourselves on-screen
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This image from the trailer of the 2021 Punjabi film Honsla Rakh was filmed in Surrey㽶Ƶֱs Brownsville Bar Park with New Westminster and the iconic Skybridge in the background. Honsla Rakh is a rom-com featuring superstar Diljit Dosanjh set in Vancouver and Surrey. Since its release, it has become one of the highest-grossing Punjabi films of all time. (Diljit Dosanjh/YouTube)

It㽶Ƶֱs no secret that B.C. is a rising star in the global film industry.

Over the last 40 years, Vancouver has become one of North America㽶Ƶֱs major film production hubs.

B.C. locales 㽶Ƶֱ including in the Okanagan and Vancouver Island 㽶Ƶֱ have appeared in countless films and TV shows like Deadpool, Maid, Riverdale, Sonic the Hedgehog, Resident Alien and many more.

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There㽶Ƶֱs just one problem: B.C. cities and towns rarely star as themselves, instead, they㽶Ƶֱre often passed off as American cities and towns.

I put this question to Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC, and asked why doesn㽶Ƶֱt B.C. play itself more often? She told me that the province㽶Ƶֱs star-studded success is bolstered by its ability to be a 㽶Ƶֱchameleon㽶Ƶֱ on film.

㽶ƵֱWe offer a world of looks. It really makes us an irresistible destination for film production because you can come here and it㽶Ƶֱs a place where you could do your visual effects and post-production, but you can also go to the desert or the forest, you can be in an urban centre, you can go to the mountains.㽶Ƶֱ

The silver lining is that B.C. doesn㽶Ƶֱt have to play a leading role in films to experience benefits from the industry. Every year, the film industry brings in roughly $3.5 billion in economic activity and employs more than 70,000 people.

And in the moments when B.C. is part of the storyline, the province shines on the silver screen.

Just take a look at the 2021 Punjabi film Honsla Rakh, a rom-com starring Diljit Dosanjh as a single dad struggling to raise his son and find love in Canada. The film was shot and set entirely in Surrey and Vancouver. Since its release on Oct. 15, 2021, Honsla Rakh has become the highest-grossing Punjabi film of all time.

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Harpo Mander, who lives in the Lower Mainland, played a small role in the film as a receptionist at a yoga studio. Mander told me that she㽶Ƶֱs never seen her hometown shine on-screen before and it had a big impact on the South Asian community in Metro Vancouver.

㽶ƵֱEverybody knows there㽶Ƶֱs an incredible pool of talent here, but Honsla Rakh helped strengthen that vision to understand the creatives and artists out here have their own vibe,㽶Ƶֱ she said. 㽶ƵֱIt makes people around the world curious and it gets more eyeballs on our artists and creatives here.㽶Ƶֱ

Beyond its box office and critical success, Honsla Rakh also gave opportunities for local talent to be involved in all aspects of the film.

㽶ƵֱThat really wove Surrey and Vancouver in like a thread through the entirety of the project instead of being just a backdrop of it.㽶Ƶֱ

B.C. has all the talent, experience, infrastructure and settings needed to create box office hits. We㽶Ƶֱre always happy to play any role, but it㽶Ƶֱs time for us to start showcasing ourselves and tell B.C. stories to the world.



cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca

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