Majid Koudmani came of age in the outskirts of Cochrane. He was grounded in these humble beginnings and the world of movie magic seemed to be a galaxy away.
His drive made his dreams a reality though. He went from being a spectator in front of his family’s television set, to walking the Warner Bros lot in Los Angeles. The the surreal experience of working in film, in the epicentre of the industry, was a dream come true.
“To be working around these people that are making these big movies that I would have never imagine I could have been in touch with was incredible,” Koudmani said.
Koudmani, 29, got his start in his own backyard. After attending Cochrane High School, the eager teen started as a production assistant on the Heartland set. He knew it was a foot in the door even when his main tasks were holding stop signs on the side of the road and setting up tents for 16-18 hours a day.
“It was fascinating to actually be there. Working on a film set is gruelling no matter what you’re doing. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
He said the work is especially difficult when you’re dealing with Alberta’s unpredictable weather and sometimes relentless cold. Film crews would often shoot until their equipment fails at -40 C, he said. In an effort to get fully immersed in the industry and network himself to opportunities Koudmani secured a work visa, bought a plane ticket, and headed south for several internships.
During his time in Los Angeles, Koudmani worked as an assistant at a talent agency, dabbled in script development and marketing. His work at a talent agency was his least favourite.
“You’re treated like garbage and you work extremely long hours. Every day, all day, I would move as fast as I possibly could for 15 hours.” Even though the job was valuable industry experience it’s not something he will ever do again. He was also stuck in the position, that paid less than minimum wage, because his work visa was contingent on his employment.
He was thankful to be part of a “hub” of young people who shared the same dream and worked hard to achieve it.
“That (experience) sort of solidified the drive to work in the industry. Every day there was some kind of new adventure.”
Over the last decade Koudmani has acquired quite the resume. He’s worked as an assistant on the films Let Him Go, Togo and The Mountain Between Us. All were filmed in Canada. He has also directed and produced the short film Tinman, acted in a television series and assembled soundtracks.
Like most Canadians working in the film industry, Koudmani would like to see more Canadian-made productions. He said the film industry in Alberta has been in a rut since the UCP government announced in October that they will phase out the screen-based production grants in exchange for a film tax credit.
On January 26 the government launched the new Film and Television Tax Credit program that promises to support Alberta film projects and create local jobs and boost investment and raise the province’s profile on the small and silver screen.
According to a press release, the program offers productions a refundable tax credit to help cover Alberta production and labour costs up to a maximum of $10 million per project. Applicants are eligible for either a 22 per cent or 30 per cent tax credit for productions that are Alberta owned.
“This credit, combined with our low tax environment and breathtaking landscapes, makes Alberta an attractive destination for big-budget television and film projects that inject millions into our economy and create jobs for Albertans,” Tanya Fir, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism said.
Koudmani said the current landscape “strangles local artists”. He’s hopeful the government’s newest investment can turn things around and local film makers can have consistent work at home instead of leaving the country to work.
