Originally from Enderby Rick Dugdale is expanding his Hollywood business and opening up in Kelowna.
Image Credit: The Promotion People
November 05, 2020 - 6:00 PM
The man responsible for bringing Hollywood star Sir Anthony Hopkins to film in the Okanagan is expanding his L.A.-based film production company and setting up shop in Kelowna.
Enderby Entertainment president Rick Dugdale told iNFOnews.ca he hopes the opening of his film and television production office in Kelowna will help put the Okanagan on the map when it comes to making movies.
"We want the hub to be Kelowna," Dugdale said. "We want to... build an infrastructure that can be sustainable not just for our own films but for other films coming to the region."
Dugdale, who named his company after the North Okanagan town where he grew up, moved to the U.S. 20 years ago and founded Enderby Entertainment in 2006.
He's made films with the likes of Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins, Julia Stiles, and Ray Liotta, and said his company's expansion to Kelowna will bring more high-level talent to the Okanagan.
He said there is potential to film five or six movies in the region next year and is even trying to relocate two movies from the U.S. to the Okanagan to film before Christmas.
While Vancouver is known as the Hollywood of the north Dugdale said it can be a little saturated, but he's seen a lot and progression in the Okanagan and feels it has plenty of potential in the world of filmmaking.
"Ten years ago we shot a film (in the Okanagan) that had 20 per cent local crew, six years ago we shot a film that had 40 per cent local crew, then a couple of years ago we shot a film that had 60 per cent local crew," he said. "We want to do our part to continue to build up what the Okanagan film commission has been doing, and that is building an infrastructure, (and) quality, decent experienced crew. So when you have studio heads in L.A. say, 'Well you can't get a crew in Kelowna there's no infrastructure', we don't want them to say that."
The economics of setting up in Canada also add up, with a weak dollar along with tax credits and subsidies, Dugdale believes making the Okanagan a destination for films and TV will attract other companies to the region.
He says it's too early to drop names of stars that might come to the Okanagan to film but said there is "no doubt" people will recognize the names.
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