Services for Production

The City of Calgary is home to a seasoned Film Friendly team that acts as your single point of contact to access a variety of municipally owned locations and services.

We’ve simplified and streamlined our permitting process.

Once we receive your Film Intake Form, we are your one-window connection to City departments that manage transit, streets and sidewalks, buildings, emergency services, parks, athletic fields, and more.

Our Film Friendly team will liaise on your behalf to ensure you have the necessary information and permit approvals to access our resources.

Ready to get started?

See available City services and locations

Start the application process

We recently pulled off some spectacular stuff to support HBO’s The Last of Us (the largest-ever production filmed in Canada) and provided some of our favourite places to be transformed into Minnesota and North Dakota for Fargo.

From a downtown skyline with towering skyscrapers to charming, historic areas that can depict rural areas or even times gone by, we’ve stood in for some great locations such as:

Boston and Kansas City (The Last of Us)
Oklahoma (Ghostbusters Afterlife)
Colorado (Interstellar and The Last of Us)
Fictional mega-city Metropolis (Superman)
Wyoming (Brokeback Mountain and Unforgiven)
Montana (Legends of the Fall)
Missouri (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Minnesota and North Dakota (Fargo)

We know our stuff. Let us show you what we can do for you.

The transformed entrance to Calgary’s Airport Tunnel stands in for Kansas City in episode 4 of The Last of Us, as Joel and Ellie find the freeway tunnel blocked. Photo credit: Mohammad Qazzaz

City services, locations, and fees

Permits are needed to film any motion picture, TV program, commercial, music video or commercial still photography on City of Calgary property.

Permit requirements do not apply to television stations preparing news or current affairs programs.

With the thousands and thousands of permit requests we put in on The Last of Us, we got every single one of them in time, we were never delayed, and all City departments pulled through.

- Locations Manager Jason Nolan

Fees to film at City-owned and managed properties and services vary based on scale, duration and other factors. Once your Film Intake Form has been submitted, you can request a quote or discuss our no-cost generic permit parameters.

If you do not require municipal permits and need information about filming on private properties, please visit Calgary Economic Development.

Available City services and locations

Below is an overview of our resources.

Streets, sidewalks and parking
Minimum 5-10 business days lead time

For filming on City of Calgary streets, sidewalks and for restricted street parking.
Noise exemption
Minimum 5 business days lead time

For when production noise will exceed allowable noise limits.
Parks and athletic fields
Minimum 5 business days lead time

For filming in City of Calgary greenspaces, playfields, parks and pathways.
City-owned facilities
Minimum 10 business days lead time

For use of properties and buildings owned by the City of Calgary.
Transit
Minimum 14 business days lead time

For filming on any Calgary Transit property including buses, CTrain cars and CTrain platforms.
Drones
Minimum 10 business days lead time

A permit is required when flying a drone from City of Calgary property.
Emergency services
Minimum 3 weeks lead time

For fire and police services as well as stunts, prop weapons, and explosions work.
Other services
Lead times vary

Including use of helicopters, hot air balloons and low-flying aircraft.
Contact us

If you have questions and would like to get in touch with a City of Calgary Film Permits & Services Coordinator, please email us at film@calgary.ca.

Intake and application process

This process helps us track economic activity in our city, ensure productions in the area are well supported, and respond quickly to your request for support and City services.

Step 1: Complete the Film Production Information Sheet with the Calgary Film Commission.

Productions interested in filming in Calgary should first submit the Film Production Information Sheet. You will leave our site temporarily to fill this out.

Submitting this form helps the Calgary Film Commission gather sector data to enhance ecosystem development, better position Calgary to support production growth, and capture the positive impact that the screen industries have on our region’s economy.

Please note: The Calgary Film Commission does not report on info gathered from individual projects; they share aggregate numbers annually to highlight sector activities in the province.

If you have any issues completing or submitting the form, please contact filmtv@calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com for assistance.

Required documents

None

Complete the New Film Production Information Form

Step 2: Complete the City of Calgary Film Services Intake form.

Through this intake, a City of Calgary Film Permits & Services Coordinator will be assigned to your production and will reach out within two business days.

* Required documents – see more details in form

Provide your Certificate of Insurance
Acceptance of Terms and Conditions form

Complete the City of Calgary Film Production Intake form

Step 3: Fill out the Film Services application form to request City of Calgary services.

If you have all required information* for the City services you need, you may continue with this step before the coordinator reaches out. (See minimum submission lead times above.)

Scouting inquiries for City properties must be submitted through the Film Friendly team. Please do not bypass this intake process even if you have contacts in the appropriate City department. This ensures the permitting process is as efficient and seamless as possible for you and your production.

If you are uncertain about what City services you need, please wait until the coordinator has been assigned to your production and they can support you in completing the Film Services application form.