The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
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52 • LMGI COMPASS | Summer 2025 OUTSTANDING FILM COMMISSION BRITISH COLUMBIA FILM COMMISSION AT CREATIVE BC – THE LAST OF US SEASON 2 The hit series The Last of Us finds dangerous beauty in British Columbia's dramatic landscapes as the first HBO original series to be filmed in the province, thanks to the exemplary coordination of the British Columbia Film Commission at Creative BC. Although Season 2 is set in Wyoming, filming locations across the province play as the region's snowy, forested mountain ranges and frontier towns. The Commission played a vital role in the season's success, offering end-to-end support, from production coordination and location services to community relations. Thanks to their efforts, production was given access to Nanaimo's waterfront views, natural features and urban textures to seamlessly play for parts of a war-torn Seattle. A significant wooden set was constructed amidst the rugged peaks of remote Britannia Beach to create the show's fictional town of Jackson, Wyoming. EGYPT FILM COMMISSION – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH A globe-trotting adventure leads two siblings to Egypt in search of immortality, bringing the world of antiquity to life as never before. The project's extraordinary partnership with the Egypt Film Commission enabled unprecedented access to film spectacular action scenes among the Pyramids of Giza. A Chinook helicopter was landed, and a jeep was exploded in front of the Giza Plateau while the site remained open to tourists! The Commission went above and beyond to facilitate the project's success by providing round- the-clock logistical support, assisting with customs clearance for equipment, arranging security and onsite coordination with authorities, expediting permits, and ensuring cultural and regulatory compliance. Through its work with the Egypt Film Commission, Fountain of Youth showcases the country's remarkable natural beauty and ancient heritage through key archaeological sites and historic locations that add narrative depth and authentic thrills to the story. FILM NEW ORLEANS – SINNERS Film New Orleans hosts Louisiana as a haunting historical backdrop for this period horror tale about twin brothers fighting evil in 1930s Mississippi. Known for its unique Creole architecture and supernatural lore, the city played a key role in setting the film's rich emotional tone. Film New Orleans coordinated across various city and state agencies to ensure that filming schedules, street closures and community outreach were managed efficiently. Thanks to their collaboration with the project, the film simmers with realism. The historic district of Donaldsonville brings authentic Southern texture as the main town in the movie, while Braithwaite serves as the remote setting for the twins' juke joint, constructed on an abandoned golf course. Rural Labadieville boasts isolated settings ideal for suspenseful scenes, and Bogalusa's eerie woods ratchet up the film's horror elements. CITY OF TORONTO – THE HANDMAID'S TALE SEASON 6 The city of Toronto concludes a triumphant multi-year collaboration as the primary filming location for The Handmaid's Tale, offering multiple locations for the fictional Republic of Gilead standing in for New Bethlehem, Boston, Pennsylvania and parts of Southeast Canada. The film office was instrumental in adapting its Victorian, Georgian and Gothic Revival architecture, Brutalist landmarks, stately churches and greenspaces to reflect Gilead's rigid traditionalism and authoritarian order. The city also coordinated logistics to film at lakeshore beaches, subway stations, power plants, luxurious private estates, hotels, exhibition grounds, public squares and university campuses, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, and the blocky modernist Globe and Mail Centre. The podium roof of Toronto City Hall, a double-crescent mid- century modern tower, was adapted to accommodate one memorable scene, while the film office facilitated access to the newly opened Fort York Visitor Centre, whose minimalist interiors served as the futuristic Canadian detainment center. The city's coordination made filming possible at heritage-protected site Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion. The neoclassical complex was transformed into Gilead's militarized boarding school with faux fortifications, sniper positions and razor wire.