At the request of the local film industry and the Ottawa Film Office (OFO), the Economic Development Services team, in partnership with Event Central and other City departments, is developing a new Film By-law.
The City launched an online public consultation of the new Film By-law on December 5, 2019.
You can find the Film By-law public consultation at Ottawa.ca/FilmBy-law until December 19, 2019. City staff will review and consider comments received from the public in the preparation of the Film By-law rising to Committee and Council for approval in February 2020.
The Film By-law supports Ottawa in becoming a more ‘Film Friendly’ destination by:
- Creating a Film Permit;
- Providing the industry with a streamlined application and approvals process; and
- Establishing film industry advisors within the City to coordinate film approvals, as well as other City work that may impact productions (such as planned construction projects).
The new permit process is designed to provide a consistent process for the industry when seeking City approvals. The Film By-law provides that the City’s Event Central Unit will receive all Film Permit applications, circulate the applications to the appropriate City departments, and issue the Film Permits and/or liaise with industry representatives to troubleshoot issues, as required.
The new Film By-law will complement the ongoing work of the OFO, whose primary mandate is to foster the growth and development of the local film industry, promote the region within the screen-based media sector, and provide sector leadership through partnerships with key governmental agencies and industry associations.
