Durham film production generated about $100 million in production value across 850 filming days last year, according to preliminary figures discussed by regional film commissioner Eileen Kennedy in a new DurhamRegion.com interview.
The October 21 report comes ahead of the Durham Region International Film Festival’s October 22–24 program. The industry figures concern 2025 activity, not revenue earned by the festival or a final total for 2026.
Kennedy said the complete figures were still being finalized. Production value also should not be confused with municipal tax revenue, profit retained by local businesses or a separately measured tourism-spending total.
Production brings work beyond the camera
Kennedy described Durham’s proximity to Toronto, range of rural and urban settings, local workforce and service providers as advantages for screen productions. She said returning production companies benefit businesses that supply accommodation, food, fuel and other services.
The interview points to activity in Oshawa and Port Perry and to the broader relationship between filming and visits to recognizable locations. It does not provide a new municipality-by-municipality breakdown of the preliminary production value.
The reported sector-wide figures are a separate development from the festival schedule already announced. They also differ from earlier coverage of individual shoots and direct spending reported for particular communities.
Festival offers a meeting point for the sector
The official festival program confirms events in Whitby, Ajax and Oshawa from October 22 to 24, with screenings and industry programming. Residents can consult the festival directly for the current schedule and ticket availability.
In the interview, Kennedy also discussed a possible return of an emerging-filmmaker incubator next year and further networking and professional-development activity. The incubator was described as a hope, not a funded program with confirmed applications or a launch date.
The immediate Durham film production news is the commissioner’s account of the region’s recent activity and its economic reach. The preliminary figures remain attributed to that interview while final data is completed.
Featured image: original conceptual editorial illustration, not documentary photography.
