Reel growth: Building a thriving film and television industry in Durham

You wouldn’t expect a Wild West town, stately mansions and post-apocalyptic worlds to coexist—but in Durham Region, they do. With diverse landscapes, studios and strong support, Durham is one of Canada’s most sought-after filming destinations.

In 2025, Durham welcomed Copenhagen, starring Canadian actor Simu Liu and The Testaments, The Handmaids Tale spinoff to its roster. Those follow a blockbuster 2024 with 71 productions, including Reacher, Twisted Metal, The Way Home and Fubar, featuring stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andie MacDowell and Alan Ritchson.

Building Film Durham

Behind every production is Film Durham. The film commission falls under Invest Durham, the Region’s Economic Development and Tourism division and is the main point of contact for the film and television industry. Eileen Kennedy, the Creative Industries Specialist with Invest Durham and a certified Film Commissioner established Film Durham in 2012. “Before then, most films were low-budget independents and a few TV series,” she shares. “I wanted to create a film commission that was dedicated to film-related investment supporting a wide range of production types similar to Toronto and Hamilton.”

Launching Film Durham was no small feat. “There were no internal processes for managing inquiries or productions, no statistical reporting, no budget or marketing plan to attract investment,” she explains. After establishing the film office and securing support both internally and externally, Durham joined the Association of Film Commissions International in 2014.

Over the next year, Durham’s profile rose with the launch of the Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF) and creating the Region’s first Film and Television Advisory Committee. “Productions changed to more episodic television shows, larger budget feature films and commercials,” says Eileen. Production value surged from $19.7 million in 2012 to $77 million in 2022. Today, major studios like Netflix, Amazon MGM, CBC, Hallmark and Warner Brothers choose Durham for its convenience, versatility and production-friendly environment.

A location for every story

Durham’s diverse geography holds great appeal for the film industry, and the region offers a variety of locations that are close enough to downtown Toronto and Pearson Airport. “Orono, Uxbridge, and Beaverton look like small U.S. towns. Oshawa can look like industrial Detroit and Flint, Michigan. Port Perry looks like New England. For manor homes or castles, there’s Parkwood Estate or Trafalgar Castle,” explains Eileen. The Canadian Tire Motorsport Park has doubled for NASCAR and a USA-Canada border crossing, while Durham’s quarries serve as sets for science fiction and post-apocalyptic scenes.

Durham also boasts Canada’s largest backlot. Originally built for the first season of Reacher and now owned by Sunbelt Rentals Film and TV, this backlot features a 23-acre town complete with diner, gas station and store fronts. In 2022, TriBro Sandy Beach Studios opened Durham’s first film studio with 180,000 square feet of production space, three sound stages and support facilities.

Film Durham’s collaboration with DRIFF is another cornerstone. The annual festival celebrates filmmakers through screenings, panels, a local culinary showcase and workshops. “It’s a vital piece of Ontario’s film ecosystem. It nurtures cultural connections, learning and the development of local talent through a shared love of film,” states Eileen.

Community impact

Beyond red carpets and celebrity sightings, film production drives economic growth. Eileen adds, “When a production shoots on location, it brings jobs, revenue and related infrastructure development like renovating buildings, adding facades to store fronts and creating studio space from warehouses.”

In 2024, Durham generated $91.6 million in production value. “Every production that comes to Durham brings opportunity,” says Simon Gill, Director of Invest Durham and Durham Tourism. “Not just for our economy, but for our creative professionals, property owners, companies and students.”

Over 600 local businesses support film production through accommodation, catering, equipment rentals, transportation and more. Film Durham builds these connections through workshops and seminars on industry collaboration and listing properties as filming locations.

Film Durham also invests in future talent with an annual career fair drawing over 1,000 post-secondary and high school students and adults exploring new careers each year.

As the industry grows, so does Film Durham’s commitment to supporting talent, infrastructure and creative partnerships. For Eileen, the impact is personal too. In 2024, she met actor Alan Ritchson on the set of Reacher Season 3 in an Uxbridge gravel pit. “He was very gracious, friendly and took time to explain the scene,” she recalls. “He even complimented the location, my support and the work that went in to make it happen. It was a proud moment that reminded me why we do this work.”

Related links:

Learn more about filming in Durham. Visit Film Durham.

DRIFF runs October 23 to 25. Get tickets for DRIFF 2025.