The Creation
Saskatchewan's roots in film go back decades. From early pioneers such as Dick Bird through the formative years of 1963 to 1988, Saskatchewan has been a leader in the film industry.
The Original Industry
Pioneer Filmmaker
Saskatchewan has always had talent in film. Although we rarely talk about anything before the modern industry, there was always business here. Take Dick Bird for example. He was the founder of the iconic Regina business Bird Films. Dick carried the industry through his passion for wildlife photography and heart-wrenching images of war since 1928. Bird was a prominent filmmaker through the 1950s, with his work helping to inspire everything from war documentaries to your favourite Disney films. Mr. Bird worked with Walt Disney from 1951 onward and saw his works featured in films such as “Arctic Wilderness” (1956).
The First Boom
The Saskatchewan film industry really took off in 1963 with the critically acclaimed film, “Drylanders”, a film about Canadians during the Dirty Thirties. It was no surprise to anyone when the Saskatchewan government saw the promise of revenue from the industry and began funding it officially in 1989 under Conservative leader Grant Devine. As it happened, Alberta had just cut their film industry and many Canadian filmmakers were looking to the fertile Saskatchewan industry as a new place to grow. Years later, the Saskatchewan Government agreed to fund the creation of The Saskatchewan Production Studios on College Avenue in Regina. Over two long years of renovating the building that was known as “The Saskatchewan Normal School”, the official studio opened its doors to the industry in 2002. This opened up Saskatchewan to a whole world of business and the opportunity for the Saskatchewan film industry to grow. For 25 years, the dedicated professionals of Saskfilm and other production agencies worked on many films and shows that gave Saskatchewan it’s spot on the mainstage of film.