If you’re like us, every time a holiday romance pops onto your TV screen you look in the background for landmarks of your hometown. Many holiday romances were shot right here in 2024, including:
- Hot Frosty
- 24 Karat Christmas
- Falling Like Snowflakes
- Wild West Christmas
- My Sweet Austrian Holiday
- Various Hallmark Unwrapping Christmas films
Most productions, though not all, work with the Ottawa Film Office to secure local talent, locations and services. And, of course, more than just holiday films are shot here. By mid-December, the film office was on track to help generate the following numbers in Ottawa:
- $52 million spent on live action productions for crew, actors, hotels, equipment rentals, filming locations, vehicle rentals and catering.
- $15 million in labour and services on animated productions
- 650 filming days
- 30 feature-length films including 11 holiday movies
- 12 TV series
These numbers are actually up from 2023 which was marred by a couple of film industry labour disputes that you may have heard about.
Learn more by visiting the Ottawa Film Office website where you can find a Google map of Christmas movie filming locations.
The City of Ottawa plays an important role in making the film and TV industry work. In addition to funding the Ottawa Film Office, the City issues permits and arranges for logistics that could include:
- Road closures
- Traffic detours
- Facility closures
- Security
- Paramedics
- Parking
Those in the business know that the City launched a new film permit portal in 2023 to make the application process go more smoothly for everyone.
The city handed out almost 200 permits for live action productions in 2024.
Learn more about Filming in Ottawa.
Hey, do you want to be in the movies as an extra? Does your home or business want to be in the movies as a location? Is it okay if you make a few bucks doing it? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then reach out to the Ottawa Film Office to find out how easy it is.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, X and Instagram.