Opportunities for Ukrainian newcomers in Manitoba film industry
Posted July 30, 2024 4:54 pm.
Last Updated July 30, 2024 8:23 pm.
Manitoba’s film industry is looking to fill a number of growing positions in the province by educating and eventually hiring Ukrainian newcomers in the growing sector.
It’s one of the busiest years for film production in Manitoba, with over ten different productions being filmed just in the summer months. Adam Smoluk with Film Training Manitoba says as more film production arrives in Manitoba there is a major need for workers.
“There are large-scale, tier-A productions that are your highest budget level that are calibrated within the industry, so there are studio films that are shooting here. In addition to that, there is a need on the non-union side, people that are shooting factual, true crime series, commercials and there is a labour shortage within the film and television industry,” explained Smoluk.
With that comes many different opportunities within the film and production industry that Andrew Yankiwski says newcomers could fill.
“We have talked with more than a few newcomers who are seeking jobs who have in some cases impressive resumes and could immediately get to work. There are opportunities in post-production as well, but I think the most immediate opportunities exist in the crew training side and on film production just because of the amount of opportunity we are seeing here in the province,” said Yankiwski.
With this growing need for workers, Film Training Manitoba will be hosting a job and career session on September 12th for Ukrainian refugees hoping to work in this industry in the future.
“There’s a number of people in the Ukrainian community that have very translatable skills to working in film,” said Smoluk.
Eugene Khorolskyi is one of them. He had been working in the TV and film industry for 18 years in Ukraine.
“I consider myself a lucky man because, for an immigrant with only a few months being here, I put my feet in the door of the field of my industry,” said Khorolskyi.
He says there are challenges but as a filmmaker, he says he will do everything possible to reach his goals.
“My dream is to make shooting the films as my stable income, you know.”