The Thompson-Nicola Film Commissioner says there has been some interest in a feasibility study and the business case for a film studio in the Kamloops area.

Terri Hadwin says the TNFC has been circulating both those documents to various potential investors over the past year.

“We haven’t found that there is any actual strikes but we have gotten a few nibbles on our line, so we’re hoping that we have provided them with the information that they need to move ahead with what is hopefully a viable business plan,” Hadwin told Radio NL.

“We’ve made the documents so that they can be ready to be picked up anytime in the next few years so that if we get the interest, people can see it is a viable option. I don’t think these [documents] have an expiry date.”

Hadwin says the Film Commission has done a lot of the legwork and homework in a bid to entice potential investors to invest in the Kamloops Film Studio, which was could cost $32.6-million as of early 2022 estimates.

“If we could even see individuals like Mastermind Studios, if they’re interested in expanding on their current business plan,” Hadwin said.

“If we could get studios like Paramount or Netflix or Disney, we would be more than happy to have those as well or even just people that have a keen interest on those numbers that we presented that showed that it could be a viable business option.”

In early 2023, Hadwin said the film industry in the TNRD had been “booming”, bringing in an estimated $18 million of direct revenue in 2022. At the time, she said that figure was expected to be doubled by the end of 2024.