The first season of The Last of Us TV show snagged some shiny new hardware this past Saturday night.
The popular show won eight times at the 75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards and a majority of the filming was done in southern Alberta.
The hope is that the success of the series will encourage more production companies to film in Lethbridge.
“When you’re winning awards that are sort of industry recognition, I think it adds credibility and it shows that your peers in the film and television industry recognize a production or the location or the technical talent as being world-class,” says Trevor Lewington, CEO of Economic Development Lethbridge.
A report from Oxford Economics says The Last of Us generated more than $182 million for Alberta’s economy and helped support 1,490 jobs across the province, with much of the talent living here in Lethbridge.
Nick Bohle, the executive vice-president of the Lethbridge Independent Film Society which took part in an episode of the show, said, “I did some stand-in work, (which is) a little bit different than extra work. Stand-in is where you kind of give the camera crew the opportunity to get their frame and match their light and everything ahead of the actual actors coming in.”
Alberta Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women Tanya Fir will be leaving for Los Angeles on Wednesday to build off the success of the show and promote Alberta to production companies like HBO.
Staff with Economic Development Lethbridge will also be making the trek.
“I think with all these wins Alberta is top of mind. So, just to showcase the talent we have here, the variety of locations, and what the Alberta film industry does best, which is win,” says Brock Skretting, director of creative industries with EDL.
The Primetime Emmy Awards are set for Jan. 15, where it’s expected that The Last of Us will take home even more top prizes.
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