A local filmmaker says the announcement that a state-of-the-art film studio to be built in Niverville is very encouraging for the arts community.
Paul Plett says he never would have imagined that this could happen in our area.
“Growing up in Landmark, you think about film and the arts and those industries existing in Toronto and Vancouver, faraway places. Maybe, you might think about Winnipeg a little bit but by no means would you think about something that is in your own backyard at all.”
The $30M production studio village, Jette Studios, is set to include a sound stage with large state-of-the-art LED walls. There are also plans for future growth on the site.
Plett adds “It is exciting for the community, it is exciting for arts in the community, and it also seems like it is exciting for employment opportunities in the area.”
As a next step, Plett notes he would like to see this studio used for Manitoban productions and not just outside projects.
“I think that people oftentimes think of Manitoba as a place to come film a project and maybe the setting will sort of be the Midwest or Chicago or something, but I am excited about the idea of, maybe this will open more doors for Manitobans to tell Manitoban stories that people haven't seen.”
Ron Schuler is the MLA for the Springfield-Ritchot riding which includes Niverville. He says this huge project opens up our horizons and offers us a chance to diversify our economy.
“This changes the entire narrative for our region. You cover a very heavy growth area. The growth traditionally has been agricultural, and in secondary production which has been fantastic. We've done well! We also do a lot of trucking and there is manufacturing. Never before have we gotten into the arts.”
Schuler adds “This is so important for our region because it takes us beyond what we have done traditionally, and it gets us into non-traditional industries. That is just such good news for all of us.”
Meanwhile, Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck says a lot of work was done behind the scenes to get us to this point.
“To have them select Niverville is, obviously, going to have an impact on this community as I have said. It is another chapter in our story that will be told for years, and decades to come about how this has happened here and what it has done for our community.”
Dyck says he is excited to see what this project grows into in the future. He also thanks those involved.
"I am very excited, and I want to give a big thanks to Juliette and Jette Studios as well as Volume Global for their investment in our community today.”
The new studio is set to be built at the intersection of Wallace Road and PR 311 in Niverville.