Walk down the street on any given day in any given community in British Columbia, and there’s a chance you’ll happen upon a film set — decked out for Christmas.
That’s because many Hallmark productions are shot in the province, even though they’re generally set in American towns or fictional communities.
More than 50 Hallmark productions, films and series — Christmas-themed or otherwise — were shot in B.C. in 2024, according to a company spokesperson, who added that that number is on par with other years. Those productions account for about 40 per cent of Hallmark’s movies and series for the year.
What is it about British Columbia that Hallmark can’t seem to get enough of?
According to Randy Pope, senior vice-president of programming and development for the Hallmark Channel, there are several factors.
“Over the years, the majority of our movies have been made in B.C.,” he said. “You guys have incredibly talented crews, actors — the talent pool is really deep and the locations are beautiful.”
He also admits the financial incentive to filming in B.C., including a tax credit and an exchange rate in the American company’s favour.
“But what keeps us there is the talent. It’s the talent, it’s the relationships, it’s the great locations,” Pope said.
Talent
By talent, he means both actors and film crews.
Coined Hollywood North, the Vancouver area, and now the rest of British Columbia, has made a name for itself globally in terms of its local film chops.
Having had such a long-standing relationship, as Hallmark has been making movies in B.C. for decades, film commissioner Marnie Gee said the company has been a big part of developing B.C.-based talent for their productions and others.
“It’s what has helped build the industry in the province, it’s showcased communities throughout the province,” she said. “They’ve been a big, big cornerstone in part of B.C.’s motion picture history for a long time.”
Hallmark Channel has been filming in B.C. since at least 2000.
“The depth in crew is unbelievable,” Pope said. “And the talent in front of the camera, also — a lot of our biggest stars are people we’ve found in Vancouver, or in B.C. in general.”
Diversity
The company — and the whole genre of holiday movies — has been criticized for its lack of inclusivity, often centring stories around white, heterosexual, able-bodied characters.
B.C., however, is home to diverse populations. According to the 2021 census, of the five million people in the province, about 11 per cent identified as Chinese, another 9.6 per cent identified as South Asian and 3.5 per cent identified as Filipino.
The 2021 census also found that B.C. has one of the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people in the country. There isn’t much hard data on sexual orientation in B.C., but the census will start collecting that data in 2026.
Statistics Canada found that in 2022, 27 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older had at least one disability. The province suggests that number is slightly higher in B.C., at about 28.6 per cent.
Omari Newton, an actor and writer in Vancouver, worked on a couple of films several years ago, but says he hasn’t pursued more roles in Hallmark films because of the lack of inclusivity.
“Historically Hallmark is not known for being the most diverse and inclusive company,” said Newton, who is Black. “As someone who’s hyperaware of that, it was an odd experience.”
He notes the company appears to be making efforts to address inclusivity.
Pope said the company is working on diversifying story lines, casting and crews — and B.C.’s population certainly helps.
“It’s something we’re focused on and working on,” Pope said. “We could always do better. It’s a work in progress. All of our partners up there have been very supportive of it.”
Location(s)
While the experienced and diverse film industry in B.C. is one piece of the puzzle, the variety of landscapes is another draw to the area.
B.C. is home to mountains, oceans, lakes, small towns, big cities, deserts, and forests — everything you need to depict any other part of North America. The province also gets distinct seasons, with natural snow and rain, fall colours, cloudy skies and sunny days.
Vancouver-based actor Nelson Wong said there’s a lot of natural beauty in B.C. that locals often forget.
“Those Christmas movies and Hallmark present B.C. in that way where we go ‘Oh yeah, this is a pretty majestic place with a lot of diversity.’”
Gemma Martini, who has acted in Hallmark films and is now an executive producer on them, said it doesn’t hurt that B.C. is in the same time zone as Los Angeles, where the Hallmark Channel is based.
Relationship
When it comes down to it, those in the industry say it’s the long-standing relationship between B.C.’s film industry and the Hallmark brand that keeps the company coming back.
“It’s a trusted relationship. There’s communication back and forth,” Martini said.
Gee sees Hallmark as more of a partner in the industry, and said constant communication will ensure that the partnership persists.
“We don’t take them for granted.”
It doesn’t seem like that relationship is at risk. Pope said that when he calls up a B.C. production team to make a movie, he knows it will get done — and well.
“Everything about [B.C.] works so well.”