Building for the boom

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This article was published 28/03/2025 (553 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NIVERVILLE — Film crews, director’s chairs and Hollywood starlets are pending. Instead, Niverville’s first movie studio opened Friday with a crowd of locals and the cut of a red ribbon .

“It’s a beautiful space,” said a beaming Juliette Hagopian.

She announced her intention to build a film production village south of Winnipeg two years ago. On Friday, she stood inside the first building: a 25,200-square-foot soundstage with 40-ft. ceilings.

Filmmakers, industry executives and politicians milled around on opening day. It’s the type of place you could build — and destroy — a home in for TV, noted director Kyle Wong.

“This is definitely an inspiration to me,” said Wong, who’s been a filmmaker for 16 years. “I look at this and I’m like … ‘Keep going.’”

Manitoba’s film industry pulled in nearly $435 million last year, per Manitoba Film projections. This summer, the province is set to host some of its biggest productions ever, per Kenny Boyce, City of Winnipeg manager of film and special events.

He wouldn’t divulge what productions are coming. Despite the trade war between Canada and the United States, the film industry is booming, Boyce said.

The Canadian dollar is cheaper than its American counterpart; Manitoba has film crews, a direct flight to Los Angeles and an “aggressive” tax credit. Boyce is seeing “more queries than ever.”

“This … will just make even more things happen,” Boyce said, surveying Jette Studios, the new Niverville hub. “It’ll take some of the pressures off the intense filming in the summertime in Winnipeg.”

Soundstages, from Big Sky Studios to Manitoba Production Centre, populate the city. Rural options were lacking.

Niverville is a roughly half-hour drive from Winnipeg, Boyce noted.

Hagopian is the owner of film production company Julijette Inc. She began looking for land outside the city’s bounds after buying a roughly 17,000-sq.-ft. studio during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She wanted more space, Hagopian said during her 2023 announcement.

Manitoba’s film tax credit has a guaranteed five per cent bump if shoots are rural. Overall, companies staffing their sets with Manitobans can receive up to 65 per cent back on their corporate income tax.

Jette Studios is far different from Hagopian’s initial vision. In 2023, she was working with Los Angeles-based Volume Global to build a $10-million pop-up soundstage; a concrete 40,000-sq.-ft. soundstage would be on the same lot.

Environmental concerns led to the removal of the pop-up space, and financing stalled the project, Niverville’s mayor said in February 2024.

Construction began on the current rendition in 2024. Hagopian confirmed it’s a multimillion-dollar concrete facility, but didn’t give further details. Construction costs ballooned by 20 to 25 per cent throughout the build, she estimated.

“For six months, to have this up and operational is pretty impressive,” said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

He was at the ground-breaking; Jette Studios is a “big deal” for the industry, he added.

Manitoba Film & Music counted 86 film productions in its 2023-24 fiscal year, ending March 2024. It clocked 87 films the year prior.

“(This is) for the worldwide market,” Hagopian said.

She hadn’t yet booked any productions at the Niverville space.

“Before, I didn’t want to talk about (Jette Studios) because it wasn’t ready to show,” she said. “Now that it’s open, I feel comfortable telling people about it.”

It’s hard to know how many productions will materialize in a given year. A project could, hypothetically, book the soundstage for an entire year, Hagopian explained.

Future phases could include virtual production inside the studio, more stages and post-production outlets. Films must be booked before Hagopian restarts construction spending, she said.

“Looking forward to what will happen here,” said Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck.

He’s hoping for an expanded film industry within the town, and spinoffs — for example, more culinary trades and housing.

Niverville’s council struck a task group with the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Hagopian, Niverville High School and industry associations like New Media Manitoba. Organizers are planning a pathway from Niverville High School through post-secondary and into the film industry.

“We really want to look at ‘What are the workforce needs?’” said Beverlie Stuart, MITT vice-president of business development and community initiatives. “What sort of training specifically would we have to create?”

Dual credits — where students take courses applying to post-secondary accreditation while in high school — are a possibility, Stuart relayed.

The group began meeting last fall. Talks are ongoing, Stuart said, adding the industry needs various roles like electricians, carpenters and culinary staff.

“I’d like to see (Jette Studios) become an integral part of the community,” said Meghan Beasant, a town councillor in Niverville.

She hadn’t heard much dissent from locals, Beasant relayed, though some were concerned about the building’s height. The soundstage consumes part of a field.

Jette Studios itself doesn’t require employees, Hagopian noted — productions will bring their own crews.

Springfield-Ritchot MLA Ron Schuler called the town the “Hollywood of the North,” just as he had two years earlier.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com