{"id":790910,"date":"2026-07-09T16:49:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T16:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/790910\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T16:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T16:49:11","slug":"quebec-city-and-ottawa-where-animation-comes-to-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/790910\/","title":{"rendered":"Quebec City and Ottawa: where animation comes to life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although far from major economic centres, Quebec City and Ottawa have become indispensable to the country\u2019s film and TV production. Why the boom? And how can these animation hotspots overcome the challenges rocking the industry?<\/p>\n

\u201cThey thought I was nuts,\u201d recalls director\/producer Nancy Florence Savard. She\u2019s thinking back to 1998, when she decided to found her production company, 10th Ave Productions, in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, in the suburbs of Quebec City, rather than in a major business centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough 2D animation was going through a difficult period at that time, I wanted to establish myself in Quebec\u2019s capital region because I\u2019m a local girl. And I thought after every crisis something beautiful always emerges. For me, that was the rise of 3D animated films.\u201d<\/p>\n

From The Legend of Sarila (2013) to Lydia and the Mist Rider (2026), 10th Ave Productions and its boutique studio 10th Ave Animation \u2014 today located on Quebec City\u2019s historic Grande All\u00e9e \u2014 have become industry leaders in the creation of completely Canadian feature-length animated films.<\/p>\n

\"LydiaLydia and the Mist Rider. Image: 10th Ave Productions<\/p>\n

Other businesses specializing in animation have also made their mark in the region, on screens big and small. Epic Storyworlds and Loomi Animation released the Guiby the Super Baby series, Du Coup Production and Du Coup Animation worked on the film Hola Frida!, and Happy Camper Media is preparing its first feature film, which will be based on the Super Agent Jon Le Bon! series and should hit theatres in October 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than ever, we\u2019re sharing our intellectual property in Quebec,\u201d says Savard, who attributes this \u201cveritable effervescence\u201d to the excellent animation schools established in the Old City, the cooperation between studios, and the city\u2019s financial incentives, like filming permits and production services.<\/p>\n

Ottawa Joins Quebec City as an Animation Capital<\/p>\n

Ottawa is also home to several well-established television production studios. Big Jump Entertainment (Red Ketchup) and Mercury Filmworks (Hilda) work directly with big North American media groups and distributors like Netflix, Disney+ and CBC. Jam Filled Entertainment, best known for the kids\u2019 series Dino Ranch, has seen a dazzling ascent from its beginnings as a start-up in the attic of a pizzeria to a $10 million studio<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"DinoDino Ranch. Image: Jam Filled Entertainment<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral measures are helping the sector grow in the region,\u201d explains Kelly Neall, managing director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF). \u201cIn Ontario, subsidized tax credits are offered to projects shot outside of the Greater Toronto Area,\u201d she explains. These credits are complemented by Ontario Creates\u2019 Intellectual Property (IP) Fund, which helps Ontario companies develop, produce and commercialize screen content.<\/p>\n

As for animated films, the OIAF \u2014 considered the genre\u2019s largest North American festival \u2014 acts as a strong showcase for the local ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe event fosters collaboration, helps people expand their networks and develop their skills through workshops,\u201d says Neall, pointing to two former participants, Jessica Borutski and Nick Cross, who have since gained international recognition as animators and directors.<\/p>\n

Highs and Lows<\/p>\n

Like the rest of the audiovisual industry, the animation sector is undergoing major changes, including in Ottawa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a service industry, so we do a lot of work for the U.S., but there\u2019s actually very little incoming work from there,\u201d says Cory Morrison, president of Big Jump Entertainment. \u201cAnd with fewer broadcasters to pitch IP to, and declining support from Canadian networks, opportunities to develop projects, produce content or secure service and co-production work in Ontario are now very limited. YouTube has become the new television.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ottawa Business Journal reported<\/a> that the sector\u2019s revenues reached $60 million during the pandemic, but only $28 million in 2025. This drop is now being felt in the job market. \u201cEvery day, I probably get a dozen emails from people looking for work,\u201d says Morrison. \u201cThree to four years ago I wouldn\u2019t have received [any] for weeks because everybody was employed. People were being recruited straight out of college.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Quebec, the situation is a little different, while still far from perfect. \u201cThe decrease in tax credits [from the provincial government in 2024] harmed the industry, especially in Montreal, which does more work for foreign clients,\u201d says Savard. \u201cHere, as we principally produce original projects, rather than do service work, we have more or less the same understanding of what to do with more limited budgets. Let\u2019s say we know how to be creative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking to the Future<\/p>\n

If activity doesn\u2019t pick up significantly in Ottawa and elsewhere in the country, several industry players may have to rethink their business plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re entering a moment where independent creators and studios will increasingly build content from scratch, often through platforms like Kickstarter or Patreon,\u201d says Morrison. \u201cThe most successful creators will be those who know how to build and engage communities, then turn that attention into sustainable revenue while continuing to offer real value and a sense of shared creation with their audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Could artificial intelligence be part of the solution?<\/p>\n

Big Jump\u2019s Morrison says it could certainly help to automate technical tasks and accelerate workflows. \u201cThere has to be an ethical way of moving forward with AI that not only benefits the artist and the creator but benefits the bottom line of production. In a perfect world, instead of having a crew of 200 people for one production, you would have a crew of 200 people for five productions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Savard, however, is cautious. \u201cAI could be useful to us, but it shouldn\u2019t compromise copyright. We still want humans telling stories and bringing characters to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The industry will continue to seek a balance between technological innovation and artistic identity, and to evolve without losing its strength \u2014 its creative talent.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\u00c9dith Valli\u00e8res<\/p>\n

Freelance journalist, editor and TV researcher \u00c9dith Valli\u00e8res works with various players in the media industry, including T\u00e9l\u00e9-Qu\u00e9bec’s La Fabrique culturelle, Cineplex Divertissement\/M\u00e9dia and Zone3. At the same time, she helps promote advertising campaigns for the MADE | NOUS brand, with the Canada Media Fund. Whether on a film set or in front of her computer, she takes a keen interest in the cultural universe and the human stories that inspire it.<\/p>\n

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