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For immediate release
THE QUEBEC FILM AND TELEVISION COUNCIL IS PROUD TO HAVE ORGANIZED ITS FIFTH VIRTUAL REALITY FAM TOUR FOR INDEPENDENT U.S. PRODUCERS!
MONTREAL, November 18, 2021 — On November 16th and 17th, the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) held two new virtual reality fam tours entirely devoted to independent U.S. producers. Working outside the big American studio system, these producers represent the majority of the foreign productions that come to Quebec to film every year. Some notable examples are Kornél Mundruczó’s Pieces of a Woman, Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall and Lee Daniels’ The United States vs Billie Holiday, all shot in Quebec in 2020 and 2019.
Nearly a dozen independent producers were invited to a virtual breakfast organized by the QFTC, along with representatives of SODEC and the QFTC’s Prestige Partners, to show the producers what the province of Quebec has to offer. The meeting continued with the viewing of a virtual reality film produced by the QFTC in collaboration with the Montreal company UNLTD to let the producers discover the many advantages of the province as a key film production destination: tax incentives, film sets, visual effects, animation, etc.
« The experience definitely worked and it was quite a surprise! Thanks for organizing this, I can’t imagine how much work went into getting all the pieces together. And it all paid off! This is a wonderful way to “visit” Quebec. » Sonia Pineda, Director, Physical Production, PictureStart
« Thank you so much for the invitation to the Quebec VR Fam Tour today. It was incredibly informative — and incredibly well-done. In just a short time, we got a terrific overview of many of the services and opportunities available to us in Quebec. » Joan Singleton, Productrice, 8790 Productions
Launched in January 2021, a virtual reality tour is a unique and innovative experience designed to replace in-person fam tours in Quebec during the pandemic. This truly innovative format, which had never before been offered by any film commission in the world, has reached more than forty U.S. producers in under a year. To date, these reimagined tours have helped generate more than $125M in direct economic benefits in the province.
“Independent productions account for the majority of the foreign productions shot in Quebec, and it was essential to offer them an exclusive virtual fam tour,” stated Christine Maestracci, CEO of the QFTC. “The success of the VR familiarization tours is the result of a collective effort by the audiovisual industry to attract more foreign productions to Quebec and to promote the exceptional talent and creativity of our province’s artists and companies to the foreign business community.”
About the QFTC
Founded in 2006, the QFTC is a non-profit organization that contributes to the development and competitiveness of Quebec as a world-class multi-screen production hub. As an economic development agency, its mission is to generate investments in Quebec by leveraging competitive tax incentive programs, the expertise of industry members, the province’s architectural diversity, the quality of its infrastructure and the industry’s ability to export its products to foreign markets.
The QFTC receives support from its partners: Air Canada, BFL Canada, Bank of Montreal, National Bank of Canada, Demers Beaulne, Difuze, EP Canada, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hôtel Gault/Monville, Hôtel Le Germain, Grandé Studios, Groupe Antonopoulos, Hybride, Miller Thomson, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Rodeo FX, Technicolor Inc., as well as from the different levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal.
For additional information, visit www.qftc.ca.