The Town of Tillsonburg has launched a new film policy.
Cephas Panschow, the town’s development commissioner, recently shared the principles of the updated policy with the council. Staff had recommended dropping the current $100 application fee as part of a three-year pilot project; however, the council decided to keep that fee in place.
The document also outlines a communication and education plan, along with setting up an internal film liaison committee.
These updates followed two open houses and an online survey that received 320 responses.
Participants were asked questions like, “What excites you most about filming in Tillsonburg?” and “What’s your top concern about filming in Tillsonburg?” covering areas such as logistics, fees, closures, and property use.
The survey specifically addressed the potential waiving of the $100 film application fee, which received nearly 60 percent approval from respondents.
“Open-ended comments strongly supported full cost recovery with no taxpayer subsidy,” stated a council report. “Respondents also proposed a sliding scale tied to production size or budget (e. g., higher fees for larger crews or multiple locations).”
This scale will allow fees based on production budgets ranging from $1 million and below for the lowest fee tier, $1 to 10 million for mid-tier fees, and standard rates for large productions exceeding $10 million.
Production companies must notify affected residents and businesses in advance and provide a dedicated contact person for any concerns before filming starts. They are also encouraged to hire local talent and utilize local businesses during their projects.
Staff will report back to council with any feedback or issues after the first two to three productions filmed in town.
Regarding private property use, permission must be arranged directly between property owners and production companies. The town won’t be involved unless those productions affect municipal infrastructure requiring separate agreements.
In the last 18 months, two films have been shot in Tillsonburg. One crew paid the required application/permit fee (which was considered a donation). The other group (currently filming) received a waiver for its promotional/community benefit project aimed at showcasing positive visibility of the town’s fire services while providing video content for Tillsonburg Fire’s social media channels.
The expectation is that full cost recovery will be enacted for all municipal services provided-like road closures and encroachments-by including these fees into the 2027 rates and fees bylaw while establishing a process for collection.
“It is also expected that economic spinoffs from increased film opportunities and visitor spending will benefit businesses within the community,” said the report.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the $100 application fee was waived.
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