Haigh: Canada Can Be Global Filmmaking Hub With More Support for Local Talent

British director Andrew Haigh believes Canada has the talent, landscapes and production infrastructure to become a major filmmaking hub, provided Canadian filmmakers receive more backing to build internationally competitive projects.

Haigh, known for writing and directing "Weekend", "45 Years" and "Lean on Pete", spoke after a screening of his latest film, "A Long Winter", at the Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday.

He praised Alberta, where the film was shot, as a less expensive location suited to a story set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He said he would gladly return to the province for future projects.

"I knew I wanted to set it in Colorado, but it's basically too expensive to film in Colorado," Haigh said. "In the end, we went to Canada, and we traveled around Alberta, it is the Rockies... It's the right kind of environment. And there's great tax breaks."

"A Long Winter", adapted from a Spanish story, is set in Colorado's mountains but was filmed across Alberta after producers explored locations in the United States and Europe. Haigh described securing financing as the biggest hurdle.

"The biggest challenge is always if you're trying to make a film like this, which is subtle, emotional, complicated," he said.

Once funding was in place, the production spent considerable time scouting locations before settling on Alberta's varied landscape.

Haigh said Canada's success in drawing foreign productions should be matched by efforts to support its own filmmakers.

"What you want to see is a lot of Canadian filmmakers also getting the budgets they need to make their films in Canada that can also go international," he said. "There's a lot of very talented filmmakers in Canada."

The Canadian government funds local filmmakers through the Canada Media Fund, which has backed films and series including the international hit "Heated Rivalry". The culture ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.