Toronto Mayor John Tory and Cinespace Film Studios kick off TIFF with groundbreaking of Titan Studios: 50,000 square feet of new film studio space on Kipling Studio Campus
TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Today Mayor John Tory joined Cinespace Film Studios in the groundbreaking of two new, 20,000 square foot, purpose-built film studios on Cinespace's Kipling Studio Campus, in Toronto's west end.
"When I go out selling our film industry, the one concern I hear repeatedly is the shortage of studio space. That's why today's announcement is so important," said Mayor John Tory. "Our film, television and digital industry has had booming success over the last couple of years and it's clear that the industry shows no signs of slowing down. I congratulate our studio veterans - Cinespace and the Mirkopoulos Family - on this project and for responding to the industry demand for studio space."
Cinespace is Toronto's 30-year studio veteran, having brought over 1.3 million square feet of studio space in Toronto online over the course of those 30 years.
Cinespace is also a pioneer of the original Studio District in downtown Toronto, beginning in 1988 in the Eastern Avenue and Carlaw Avenue area. In 2009 Cinespace expanded their operation to Toronto's west end, creating a new node of production activity in Etobicoke, and doubling the employment capacity of the former manufacturing plant on Kipling Avenue. This is now the home of the Kipling Studio Campus, the largest and busiest facility in Canada with the capacity for six large productions to shoot concurrently onsite, including the critically acclaimed and award-winning series "The Handmaid's Tale", and five other productions domiciled here in 2017.
"Today the Cinespace family is announcing the first phase of our multi-year, multi-million dollar investment and intensification initiative, beginning with the construction of the new 'Titan Studios' right here on our very successful Kipling Studio Campus", announced Cinespace's President and CEO, Steve Mirkopoulos.
The new Titan Studios will offer capacity for a seventh project to shoot concurrently on the Kipling Campus, with two 20,000 square foot studios and connecting support space to be constructed side-by-side, on the Titan Road border of the campus. This will add 50,000 square feet of purpose-built, state-of-the-art production space and key support facilities to Toronto's studio inventory, with demand currently at an all-time high.
Mirkopoulos added, "Beyond the new Titan Studios, Cinespace's investment and intensification plan being launched today also includes the commitment to additional purpose-built studios, critical production support facilities and unique film infrastructure that does not currently exist in Toronto, beginning with a large, permanent underwater filming tank - all of which will make Toronto much more competitive on the world stage."
In recent years the film, television and digital media production industry has grown to more than $2 billion in economic activity in Ontario, creating tens of thousands of jobs in Toronto alone. Today's announcement signals that Mayor Tory and Cinespace see continued growth ahead in the film sector, with studio development driving more production to Toronto than ever before.
About Cinespace:
Cinepace Film Studios is the largest private owner, operator and developer of space for film, TV and digital media production in North America, with over 2 million square feet of space in both Toronto and Chicago.
Currently in production at Cinespace Toronto:
The Expanse (Alcon Entertainment, series)
Lucky Day (Davis Films, feature)
Handmaid's Tale (MGM TV, series)
Fahrenheit 451 (HBO movie)
Condor (MGM TV, series)
Falling Water (NBC Uni, series)
Taken (Europa Corp, series)
Good Witch (Hallmark TV, series)
In Contempt (Blue Ice Entertainment, series)
Currently in production at Cinespace Chicago:
Chicago Fire (NBC Uni, series)
Chicago PD (NBC Uni, series)
Chicago Med (NBC Uni, series)
Empire (Fox, series)
SOURCE Cinespace Film Studios Inc.
on Cinespace Film Studios, please contact: D. Jim Mirkopoulos, VP, CINESPACE FILM STUDIOS, 416-406-4000, [email protected]
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