The City of Ottawa is hoping tourists fall in love with Canada’s capital as a destination and has produced a holiday season rom-com to showcase the city.

The short film Magic on Set will stream on Ottawa Tourism’s YouTube channel and will also be available on Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment system, in the Canadian Comedy section, for one year, starting Nov. 1. A special event screening will take place at Toronto’s TIFF Lightbox on Oct. 15.

Ottawa Tourism tells Playback sister publication Media in Canada this is its first major, large-scale branded content initiative.

“This is the first time we have undertaken a project of this magnitude,” says Megan Peckford, Ottawa Tourism’s director of marketing. “We have previously worked on original content, including [the] two-season YouTube series called Ottawa’s Own, where we profiled local businesses and creators in a cinematic style.”

Shot entirely on location, Magic on Set features some of Ottawa’s best-known landmarks, including the Fairmont Château Laurier, the ByWard Market, the Ottawa Christmas Market, the Canadian Museum of Nature and Parliament Hill’s Centennial Flame, to show off the city as a winter wonderland and a festive holiday destination for both tourists and production filming scouts. It was produced by Ottawa-based prodco 1Department.

Written by local writer Graeme Archibald, the 17-minute film was the winning pitch from a city-wide call for scripts. It stars Melinda Shankar (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Chad Connell (Good Sam), Sarah McVie (Workin’ Moms, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Simba Yakibonge (No Regrets), with special appearances by Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Jamie Fine, CTV News anchor Stefan Keyes and content creator Katie Hession. It was directed by Shawna Steele (An Ice Palace Romance).

The story follows an actress from California and a charming local baker who rescues dogs on a day of adventures across the city, but holiday distractions and miscommunication threaten to pull them apart just as their romance is beginning.

“The concept behind Magic on Set was to both create a piece of moviemaking that audiences would enjoy, as well as show off our beautiful and cinema-friendly city,” said Michael Crockatt, president and CEO of Ottawa Tourism, in a statement, noting that several Christmas films are shot in the city each year.

While there are no similar projects yet confirmed publicly, Peckford says Ottawa Tourism is exploring branded content as a strategic direction.

“The success of this initiative, highlighted by its premiere at TIFF Lightbox and distribution via Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment, positions it as a potential model for future campaigns,” she says.

Ottawa Tourism declined to share the cost of the project, but Peckford says it was “comparable” to similar productions.

“We decided to take an initiative that would set us apart by doing something unique that would resonate within the industry and with our key markets,” she says. “So far, we are happy with the results and are getting positive feedback and responses from this initiative.”

A version of this story originally appeared in Media in Canada

Image courtesy of Ottawa Tourism