Vancouver appoints first ever film commissioner

The city of Vancouver has its very first film commissioner.

David Shepheard, who has ledfilm commission services for Film London, was announced for the new position on Monday at a news conference.

"There are few cities around the world that have the kind of recognition and brand that Vancouver has, both in day to day life and in our industry," he said.

"Vancouver has such a successful and vibrant industry, and with the opportunity to grow it further, itwas a really easy decision for me."

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The positionwas created by the Vancouver Economic Commission after two consecutive record years of activity in the film and television industry.

"In 2015, the City issued almost 5,000 permits for 353 productionsfilmedin Vancouver; provisional data for 2016 from the City of Vancouver'sfilmoffice projects that this year's numbers will be even higher," it said in a statement.

Vancouver already attractsbig TV series and film productions, includingDeadPool and Supergirl,but it's looking to bring in even bigger movie franchises and regional productions.

"We'll be leading a global market and promotion program to show the world what Vancouver has to offer, and the investment opportunities that exist," said Shepheard.

He's also expected to advocate on behalf of the industry to all levels of government.